‘Yote Notes – March
25, 2002
(To subscribe to ‘Yote Notes, contact Mike Safford
Jr. at msafford@albertson.edu or
208-459-5681
GENERAL ATHLETICS NEWS:
MARTY HOLLY ROAST FUN FOR ALL: Last
Wednesday’s Coyote Athletic Association meeting was deemed a success for all in
attendance, as the “Marty Holly Induction Roast” was kept a secret until it was
revealed during the program. Special
thanks to Mark Owen, Dennis Bergvall, Lyle Buhler, Todd Miles, and Dave Hahn for
speaking in Coach Holly’s behalf.
Nearly 80 persons were in attendance.
PRAYERS
GO OUT TO GEORGE FOX TENNIS TEAM: A van carrying nine members of
the George Fox University women’s tennis team was involved in a serious
accident outside Redding, Calif., late last night. All nine people were injured, with three student-athletes
airlifted to a trauma unit in Redding.
The van was traveling down Interstate 5 when its back left tire blew,
causing the van to roll several times and end up down an embankment. California Highway Patrol officers stated
that if the GFU team was not wearing seat belts, injuries could have been much
worse. Although no injuries are
life-threatening, it serves as a reminder to all of the power of seat
belts. The Bruins faced Albertson in
early March, handing the Coyotes a 7-2 defeat.
BASEBALL: 12-7-1
LAST WEEK: Swept doubleheader at Northwest
Nazarene (14-4, 10-2); at University of British Columbia Tournament – snowed
out vs. The Masters, swept doubleheader with Azusa Pacific (2-1, 5-2), lost to
Lewis-Clark State (12-8), defeated British Columbia (1-0).
THIS WEEK: at Western Baptist, Friday, 1 p.m.
(DH); at Western Baptist, Saturday, Noon (DH) – times Pacific Standard Time.
COYOTES GET THE SHIP RIGHTED: A
stretch of eleven days without a game helped the Albertson baseball squad, as
the Coyotes went 5-1 over the course of the week, once again establishing
itself as an NAIA contender. Most
importantly, for the first time in weeks, no new injuries surfaced, and both Scott Skeen (Bend, Ore. / Oregon State) and Ben Frank (Paul, Idaho / North Idaho CC) returned
for their first action in a long while.
EGGLESTON, GONZALEZ EARN CCC
HONORS: Albertson swept the Cascade Conference pitcher and
player of the week honors, as hurler Chris Eggleston (Chewelah,
Wash. / Grays Harbor CC) earned the pitcher-of-the-week nod, while Patrick Gonzalez (Ontario, Calif. / Riverside CC)
earned the player-of-the-week award.
Eggleston was a one man wrecking crew over the course of the week,
earning victories against Northwest Nazarene and British Columbia. The senior gave up one earned run over seven
innings in the 10-2 win at NNU, and upped that at UBC, throwing a complete game
four-hit shutout in the Coyotes, 1-0, win Sunday. It was the second CCC honor for Eggleston. Gonzalez had a consistent week at the plate,
going 10-for-23 with four multi-hit games, along with a pair of doubles and a
triple.
NNU NO MATCH THIS TIME: Back on
March 8, Northwest Nazarene won for only the ninth time in 88 meetings with Albertson. Last Tuesday, NNU had no chance from the
get-go. The Coyote put crooked numbers
on the board early and often as the hardballers swept the Crusaders 14-4 and
10-2. In game one, Albertson scored six
times in the first and six times in the seventh inning against their
rivals. Todd Howell (Marysville,
Wash. / Skagit Valley CC) had a banner game, lacing a two-run double
in the first, and capped the Coyote win with a grand slam in the seventh. Cory Acklus (Everett,
Wash. / Alabama-Birmingham) also went 2-for-4 with a double
and a two-run home run. Chris Eggleston
limited NNU to just three hits over seven innings in the nightcap, as Albertson
coasted to the win. Patrick Gonzalez
went 2-for-3 with a triple, and Dustin Garcia (Reno,
Nev. / Feather River CC) went 4-for-5 with a triple and three runs
scored.
BOY DID IT SNOW: The
schedule for the University of British Columbia Tournament was shaky at best
from the get-go. Originally, the
three-day event was set for B.C. Place, Vancouver’s domed stadium. However, both this tournament, along with a
pair of Seattle Mariner exhibition games were cancelled from the venue, as
stadium officials could not configure the facility for baseball. Games were then set for Nat Bailey Field in
Vancouver and Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Wash. – but then the snow
hit. Nearly a foot of powder coated the
region on Wednesday, and without a tarp in Bellingham – the field was
unplayable. What transpired was a
miracle – one game was moved to Everett Memorial Field, two games were moved to
Husky Ballpark on the University of Washington campus, and two more moved to
Canada.
BROOMS OUT AGAINST AZUSA: After
having its opening game cancelled with The Masters, the Coyotes rode a pair of
strong pitching performances to sweep two games from No. 28 Azusa Pacific. In Friday’s 2-1 win over the Cougars,
sophomore transfer Taylor Blair (Sacramento,
Calif. / American River CC) threw eight innings of six hit
ball, allowing just one run and striking out seven, without a walk. Ben Frank tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his first
save. The Coyotes scored both of their
runs in the first inning, one on a double steal, another on an RBI ground
out. Saturday, Andrew Hall (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) threw 6
1/3 innings in a spot start, giving up two runs to pick up his second decision
this week. The Coyotes got on the board
in the first, as Dustin Garcia led off with a triple and scored on a ground
out. Josh Orr (Winnemucca,
Nev. / Lowry HS) had three RBI on the afternoon, including two on a
single in the fourth. Eric Jensen (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) worked
out of a two-on, no out jam in the ninth for his second save of the
season.
ANOTHER TOUGH ONE WITH LC-STATE: Late
Saturday at Husky Ballpark, Albertson blew an 8-3 lead against No. 1 ranked
Lewis-Clark State, giving up four runs in the ninth to send the game to extra
innings, and four more in the tenth, as the Warriors stopped the ‘Yotes,
12-8. Albertson scored single unearned
runs in the second and third innings, while LCSC countered with a three-run
homer from slugger, Zeph Zinsman. The
Coyotes scored four times on five hits in the sixth, and Scott Freeman (Boise, Idaho / Victor Valley CC) hit a
two-run shot in the seventh to make it 8-3.
The Warriors got a single run in the eighth off of reliever Chris Rennaker (Darby, Mont. / Lewis-Clark State), and
four in the ninth off of Eric Jensen to tie the score at 8-8. The 11-time National Champions strung
together three one-out hits off of Sam Hackett (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) to take the lead, and Tory Haven put the
game out of reach with a three-run homer off of Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston,
Ore. / Hermiston HS), the Coyotes sixth pitcher. Freeman went 2-for-5 with three RBI, while
Patrick Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, and Dustin
Garcia added two hits and a spectacular catch in the outfield, robbing Nick
Bullen of a potential home run.
MORE ON EGGLESTON’S GEM: Back in
Vancouver, Chris Eggleston’s four-hit, nine strikeout performance got the
Coyote spirit back up. Albertson plated
the game’s only run in the third inning on an error following back-to-back
singles by Scott Skeen and Scott Freeman.
The T-Birds saw just two runners reach third base in the game, as
Eggleston kept the host handcuffed in winning his fourth consecutive decision.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: With the
good week, Albertson maintained its No. 2 spot in the latest NAIA Region I
rankings, behind Lewis-Clark State, and ahead of British Columbia. The first regular-season national poll will
be released on Tuesday – a week late.
Last week, only six of the 14 regions within the NAIA sent a report to
the national office – the NAIA Region I, however, was one of the six to do so.
IN THE CLUTCH: Both
Dustin Garcia and Patrick Gonzalez have been the go-to hitters for Albertson
through the first 20 games. Garcia is
hitting .526 with runners in scoring position, with 12 RBI and eight stolen
bases out of the leadoff spot. Gonzalez
has a .400 average with runners in scoring position to go along with ten RBI
and a team leading .475 slugging percentage.
NEXT STOP, OREGON: The
season opening road trip that has the Coyotes playing away from Simplot Stadium
until April 13, heads to Salem, Ore., for a four-game regional set with Western Baptist.
The Warriors (12-6, 1-1) split a pair of games with Concordia this
weekend to open their Region I schedule, and must be considered one of the most
improved teams in the Northwest. K.C.
Rumrey leads Western in hitting (.357), runs scored (19), and home runs (4). Last year, Albertson took 3-of-4 games from
the Warriors, and hold an impressive 41-3 record against WBC since baseball was
reinstated in 1987. Following the
series, Albertson will head to the University of Utah for a twinbill, then back
up to British Columbia for a four-game series, down to Puget Sound and Central
Washington for single games, before meeting Eastern Oregon for their Caldwell
opener.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The
Coyotes will play three different home dates this season in Boise at Memorial
Stadium, home of the Boise Hawks. These
dates – April 16 (vs. Northwest Nazarene), April 20 (vs. Oregon Tech), and
April 28 (vs. Lewis-Clark State), will give Albertson baseball fans a different
experience, and allow the City of Trees to see the ‘Yotes up close and
personal. More information, including
ticket prices will be available as we get closer to the games.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: For updated information and
statistics, visit the official website of the Coyote baseball team at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm
SOFTBALL: 7-15
LAST WEEK: Swept
doubleheader vs. Northwest Nazarene (4-3, 2-1), split doubleheader vs. Walla
Walla (L 5-4, W 7-4)
THIS WEEK: Host Northwest Christian,
Saturday, 11 a.m. (DH)
NORTHWEST
NAZARENE NO MATCH FOR LADY ‘YOTES IN 2002: What was billed as the
newest rivalry in Canyon County between the its two four-year institutions,
became a lopsided affair, as the Albertson softball team made it 5-0 against
Northwest Nazarene, sweeping a Saturday doubleheader in Caldwell. In the 4-3 decision in game one,
Tiffany Mathews (Las Vegas, Nev. / Eldorado HS) went
3-for-4 and scored the winning run in the seventh. The freshman led off
with a single and advanced to second on a Melissa Finlayson (Boise,
Idaho / Capital HS) base hit. Mathews advanced to third on a
passed ball, and scored the game winner as Crusader catcher Lori Porter threw
the ball into left field. Nicole Glenn (Nyssa, Ore. / BYU-Idaho) went the distance, striking out
six. She gave up three runs, just one earned, but allowed eleven NNU
hits. Finlayson and Victoria
DeLaRosa (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) each went 2-for-4 with an RBI
for the Coyotes. The second game was a
barnburner – as good as a college fastpitch softball game you will see, with
Albertson winning 2-1 in eight innings.
The first-ever extra inning affair for both teams saw NNU pitcher
Kristen White shutout the Coyotes through seven innings, with Albertson teaming
Lindzi Wasko (Lakenheath, England / Lakenheath American HS) and Glenn in the
circle. With the international
tiebreaker utilized (last out of the previous inning placed on second base to
start the eighth inning), NNU scored their lone run with one out. However, the Coyotes rallied for two to win
it. With Jacqui Hall (Grangeville,
Idaho / Grangeville HS) placed on second, Kira Leaton (Boise, Idaho /
Centennial HS) walked. DeLaRosa
followed with a single to left, which was booted by Michelle Reifel, allowing
Hall to score, and runners to advance to second and third. Heather
Keepers (Apache Junction, Ariz. /
Apache Junction HS) laced a base hit to left to win it for Albertson,
scoring Leaton from third. Glenn took
the win again, giving up just two hits in four innings of relief, and going
2-for-3 at the dish.
WIN STREAK HALTED AT FOUR: It looked as if Albertson was
going to extend its win streak to five in a row on Sunday morning, but Walla
Walla College scored five runs in the top of the seventh to stun the Coyotes,
5-4. Albertson did manage to win the
nightcap, 7-4. Things were on cruise
control for the Lady ‘Yotes, scoring single runs in the first, second, third,
and sixth innings. However, the Wolves
strung together four singles, two errors, and a pair of sacrifice flies to
tally the winning margin. Andrea Nicolosi (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) went 2-for-4, with
Victoria DeLaRosa going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases. Albertson ended the short losing skid in the
second game, overcoming a 4-0 second inning deficit to win. Albertson responded, scoring two in the
bottom of the second, and took the lead in the fourth. One out
back-to-back doubles by Lindzi Wasko
and Kira Leaton made
it 4-3. DeLaRosa reached
on a fielders choice, and both Leaton and DeLaRosa scored on a Tiffany Mathews base hit. Nicole Glenn was the story the rest of the
way, retiring 17 of the final 18 batters she faced, striking out seven to pick
up her third win of the weekend.
GLENN NAMED CASCADE CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK: For her efforts this weekend,
Nicole Glenn is the first-ever Albertson softball honoree of a Cascade
Conference award. The junior was named
CCC pitcher-of-the-week after going 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA in four appearances. Glenn struck out 18 batters over 24 2/3
innings, walking just one batter. For
the season, she has a 6-9 record with a 3.12 ERA, recording 50 strikeouts with
just 29 walks.
NICOLOSI BREAKS OUT OF SLUMP: Andrea Nicolosi broke out of a
season-long hitting slump, going 6-for-8 in the Walla Walla twinbill, including
a pair of doubles. Coming into the
series, the freshman was hitting just 6-for-45, but saw her average quickly
climb to .226.
HITTING STREAKS: Both Tiffany Mathews and Victoria DeLaRosa have figured
out the college game. Mathews has hit
safely in six straight games, and 9-of-10, seeing her average skyrocket to
.352. DeLaRosa, a slap hitter, has a
five-game hitting streak and has reached base in 11 of the last 12 games. The freshman leads the Cascade Conference
with 14 stolen bases.
WITH
THE GLOVE: First baseman Kira Leaton has come up with some
outstanding plays, both as a hitter and in the field. The freshman leads the team with four extra base hits (three
doubles and a triple), and has fielded 109 chances with just one error, a .991
fielding percentage.
SINCE CALIFORNIA: It seems
as if the 0-10 trip to California is just a blur in the memory of the
Coyotes. Since the fateful trip, the
team is batting .271, averaging 4.1 runs per game, with pitchers combining for
a 3.05 ERA. On that February trip, the
team batted just .123 with a 7.61 ERA.
For the year, the team batting average is above the Mendoza Line (.214),
with the ERA finally under five (4.83).
MORE NCCAA FODDER: Saturday morning, the Lady ‘Yotes
will play their second consecutive National Christian College Athletic
Association team, as Northwest Christian
comes to town. The Crusaders (3-1) from
Eugene, Ore., have a trio of impressive wins on their resume. NCC split its
season opening doubleheader with Southern Oregon, then swept 2001 NAIA
Tournament team Concordia, 5-3 and 7-5, in Portland. Albertson has a home-and-home series with both Walla Walla and
Northwest Christian – part of their 51-game schedule.
INTERNET BROADCASTS: Saturday’s doubleheader with
Northwest Christian will be carried live on the Albertson athletic
website. Sports information director
Mike Safford Jr., who has called action at the 1997 NAIA Women’s College World
Series, and games at the NCAA Division III West Regional tournament the past
three years, will handle the play-by-play.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Updated
information and statistics on the 2002 softball team can be found at the
Albertson softball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/softball/index.htm
LAST
WEEK: Defeated
Treasure Valley CC (7-2)
THIS
WEEK: Idle, next
vs. Treasure Valley CC on April 5
COYOTES
WIN FIRST OF FOUR EXHIBITION MATCHES: Albertson made it 1-0 on the
season against community college competition, stopping a short-handed Treasure
Valley squad, 7-2, on Friday at Caldwell High.
The Chukars had four players, having to forfeit its No. 5 and No. 6
singles and No. 3 doubles matches. The
Coyotes rested their top three singles players, with Whitney Gibbon (Spokane, Wash.) moving up to No. 2
and winning 6-0, 6-1, Danielle Gaviola (Parma,
Idaho) moving to No. 3 for a 6-2, 7-5 win, and Kristen Gribben (Woodinville,
Wash.) winning 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4. Carley Williams (Boise, Idaho) and Lacy Van England (Twin Falls, Idaho) also won at No.
1 doubles by an impressive 8-1 score.
MORE CC’S TO COME: Along
with a return match with Treasure Valley, Albertson will also face Green River
and Spokane CC as part of their regular-season schedule. Although the results do not figure in the
official standings, it will give the team ample competition in preparation for
the NAIA Region I Championships in Lewiston at the end of April.
OFFICIAL
WEBSITE: Updated
information and statistics on the 2002 women’s tennis team can be found on the
official website of Albertson tennis – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm