‘Yote Notes – April
30, 2002
(To subscribe to ‘Yote Notes, contact Mike Safford
Jr. at msafford@albertson.edu or
208-459-5681
GENERAL
ATHLETICS NEWS:
TRACK
AND FIELD “SQUAD” HEADS TO CONFERENCE MEET: Yes,
believe it or not, Albertson will be sending one athlete to the Cascade
Conference Track and Field Championships in La Grande, Ore. this weekend. Men’s soccer standout Coe Michaelson (Wenatchee, Wash.) has been training for the past few months with
longtime track coach and current Albertson physical education instructor Mike Dilley in the
distance events. Michaelson is entered
in the 5,000 meter event.
LAST WEEK: vs. Lewis-Clark State (W 6-2, L
4-0, W 6-5, L 3-1)
THIS WEEK: vs. Concordia – Thursday (DH), 2
p.m.; Friday (DH), 1 p.m.
CHINKS
IN THE ARMOR UP NORTH: The race for the host site of the 2002 NAIA Region I baseball
tournament will be up for grabs this weekend, thanks in part to sloppy play
from No. 6 ranked British Columbia. The
T-Birds, who seemingly had an easy road left – holding a three-game lead on
Albertson with eight game left against the bottom two teams in the region,
dropped 3-of-4 at Eastern Oregon. UBC
and the Coyotes are now deadlocked atop the standings, with Albertson hosting
third-place Concordia Thursday and Friday, then waiting to see how the Canucks
do on the road at Oregon Tech.
WHAT
HAPPENS THEN?: If
the two teams tie in the standings, British Columbia would earn the host site
for the tournament, based on winning 3-of-4 games in the head-to-head regional
series. Albertson last hosted the
regional tournament in 2000. The winner
of the Region I tournament will play host to the winner of the Region II
tournament in a best-of-three series to decide an automatic berth to the NAIA
College World Series. The Coyotes have
made three appearances in the College World Series, winning the championship in
1998, finishing as the runner-up in 1999, and placing fifth in 2000.
COYOTES
SPLIT WITH LEWIS-CLARK STATE: A four-game series with some curves, excitement, a pair of
bus rides kept fans in Lewiston, Boise, and Caldwell at the edge of their seats
last weekend. The top two baseball
programs in Idaho played four intense games, with no team scoring more than six
runs, with three of the games decided in the final at bat. For the season, Lewis-Clark State won the
series five games to three, with three one-run affairs, and two games that
headed to extra innings.
A BIG
THANK YOU TO THE FANS: Over 700 fans made the trip to Hawks Memorial Stadium in Boise on
Sunday to watch Albertson defeat Lewis-Clark State, 6-5. Not only was the large crowd treated to a
sunny 65-degree afternoon, the atmosphere was fueled by the sights and smells
of a minor league ballpark, and an outstanding ball game.
SERIES
OPENERS IN LEWISTON: Friday
and Saturday, the two teams split games at Harris Field in Lewiston. Friday night under the lights it was the Taylor
Blair (Sacramento, Calif. / American River CC) and Darren Uranga (Homedale,
Idaho / Homedale HS) show. Blair
threw his third consecutive complete game, stopping LCSC 6-2. Uranga provided the offensive punch for the
Coyotes, going 3-for-3 with five RBI, including a clutch two-out two-run single
in the seventh. Blair loaded the bases
in the ninth, but got slugger Zeph Zinsman to ground into a double play to end
the game. The Warriors evened the
series following a three-hour rain delay on Saturday with a 4-0 win. Albertson left 12 runners on base against
Treasure Valley native Nic Puckett, but could not get a run across. Both Scott Skeen (Bend, Ore. /
Oregon State) and Todd Howell (Marysville, Wash. / Skagit
Valley CC) each had two hits for the Coyotes.
AT HAWKS
STADIUM: A six-run eighth inning propelled Albertson to a 6-5
victory over LCSC in Boise on Sunday. Cory
Acklus (Everett, Wash. / Alabama-Birmingham) lined a two-out two-run
single off Warrior reliever Spencer Stein to give the Coyotes the lead for
good. Albertson trailed 5-0 going into the eighth, but four consecutive
extra-base hits to begin the frame swung the momentum. Acklus led off
with a double, followed by a Dustin Garcia (Reno, Nev. / Feather
River CC) RBI triple. Back-to-back doubles by Scott Freeman (Boise,
Idaho / Victor Valley CC) and Rob Reid (Boise, Idaho / Cochise
CC) made it 5-3, and following a Todd Howell walk, LCSC reliever Nick Seely
was lifted for Stein. After Stein
retired one batter, Scott Skeen and Patrick Gonzalez (Ontario, Calif.
/ Riverside CC) ripped run-scoring singles to tie the score to set up
Acklus' heroics. True freshman Matt
Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS) allowed two LC-State
runners to reach base in the ninth, but got the final three outs to pick up his
first collegiate save. Coyote starter Chris
Eggleston (Chewelah, Wash. / Grays Harbor CC) gave up four early
runs in front of a large partisan crowd as Mark Gallagher doubled home two runs
in the first, and Paul Gallegos singled home another in the second. The
senior went seven innings, giving up just six hits and striking out six. Acklus went 3-for-4 on the afternoon, with
Skeen adding a 2-for-5 day at the plate.
GETAWAY DAY GOES TO LCSC: Andy
Torres pitched Lewis-Clark State's second complete game of season, as the
Warriors won the final game of the four-game series, 3-1, at Simplot
Stadium. Torres retired the first 12
batters he faced to improve his mark to 8-0 on the year. He gave up just
seven hits and struck out five Coyote batters, handing Albertson their first
home loss of the year. His teammates,
however, did not give much support, as LCSC left 19 runners on base.
Albertson starter Chris Rennaker (Darby, Mont. / Lewis-Clark State) gave
up a Mike Madrid solo home run in the second, and two unearned runs in the
sixth. After an error by Dustin Garcia on an apparant double play ball,
Tory Haven lined a base hit to left field, and David Bernstine followed with a
sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. The
Coyotes got a single run in the seventh on a Nick Williams (Poulsbo,
Wash. / Lower Columbia CC) sacrifice fly, and threatened in the
eighth. D.J. Eberlin (St. Maries, Idaho / St. Maries HS) singled
with two outs, and Scott Skeen followed with a walk. Garcia then lined a
base hit into right field, but Bernstine gunned out pinch runner Todd Howell to
end the threat.
SKEEN KEEPS STREAK INTACT: The
consecutive stolen base streak for Scott Skeen reached 25 this week, as the
senior swiped two more bags. The mark
is almost certainly a school-record, although research into the feat will be
conducted at the season’s conclusion.
CONCORDIA NOT A GIMME: The final regular-season
series begins later this week, as Concordia makes its annual pilgrimage
to the Treasure Valley. The Cavaliers
(21-28, 12-6) are much improved from the past, and have an outside shot in
hosting the regional tournament, but first have to get past Albertson. Led by staff ace Michael Devaney (6-3, 2.73
ERA, 2 Shutouts), who threw a no-hitter against British Columbia two weeks
ago), Concordia has clinched a post-season berth. Slugger Chris Baird (.407, 9 HR, 47 RBI) leads the Cascade
Conference in batting average, doubles, home runs, and RBI. The Coyotes lead the all-time series with
the Cavs 37-3, and have won the past nine meetings between the clubs.
WEB BROADCASTS: The
final two seven-inning games of the 2002 season can be heard live on the
Internet this week as Albertson hosts Concordia at Simplot Stadium. Mike Safford Jr. will bring fans Thursday’s
first pitch of the series opener beginning at 2 p.m., with Friday’s game
kicking off at 1 p.m. To access the
broadcast, head to the broadcast link on the Worldwide Web at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/profiles/0102/AthleticsLive.asx.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: For updated information and
statistics, visit the official website of the Coyote baseball team at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm.
SOFTBALL: 10-34, 2-14 in Cascade Conference
LAST
WEEK: vs. Simon Fraser (L 15-1, L 17-5), at Oregon Tech (L 5-1,
L 9-1), at Southern Oregon (W 2-1 (9 innings), L 17-0)
THIS
WEEK: vs. Eastern Oregon (DH), Saturday, 2 p.m.; vs. Concordia
(DH), Monday, 2 p.m. (End of Season)
YOUNG GUNS STEP UP AGAINST FIRST-PLACE SOUTHERN: All season long, head coach Kelly Gibbons had been waiting for that one game where the Coyotes could put together clutch hitting, pitching, and defense. It took 45 games, but against front-running Southern Oregon on their home field in Ashland, Albertson stunned a partisan home crowd, winning game one of a doubleheader, 2-1, in nine innings. The Lady ‘Yotes trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, but Nicole Glenn (Nyssa, Ore.) rapped a one-out triple into the gap, and eventually scored the tying run on a wild pitch. In the ninth, Heather Keepers (Apache Junction, Ariz. / Apache Junction HS) lined a triple into the rightfield corner, and scored the winning run on a Melissa Finlayson (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) sacrifice fly to center. Glenn went the distance in the circle, striking out a Raider batter with the tying run on second to end the contest. Both Glenn and Keepers each went 2-for-4 in the game.
MORE FIREWORKS, THIS TIME FROM “JIMMY’S KIDS”: After dropping the game to Albertson, SOU head coach James Gravelle had his team regroup and dominate the night-cap, 17-0, the most lopsided score in either institutions history. The game, however, was overshadowed at times by overzealous Raider fans, one of which was ejected in the fourth inning.
OREGON TECH SAYS THANK YOU: With the victory over Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech reassumed the top spot in the Cascade Conference race heading into the final weekend. SOU held a one-game lead, however, with losses to Albertson and Eastern Oregon, and OIT’s perfect 6-0 week, the top-two teams will head into Sunday’s doubleheader against each other with the trophy on the line. Both teams, along with Simon Fraser, have already clinched berths into the Region I tournament in Portland, May 8-10, with Eastern Oregon battling Seattle for the final slot.
A LITTLE SNOW, A COUPLE OF LOSSES: The road trip began on Saturday in Klamath Falls, which got a light dusting of snow the night before. Albertson began and ended the day on good notes, but it was the in between moments that led to 5-1 and 9-1 losses to No. 16 ranked Oregon Tech. Victoria DeLaRosa (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) led off the game with a single, and scored when OIT booted a single by Kira Leaton (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS). The Owls quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Six different Coyotes had hits in the game. The nightcap saw OIT score nine runs in the first two innings to run away with the game. DeLaRosa did have an RBI single in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough.
POSITIVES OUT OF 32 RUNS AND HITS?: Why is a team
ranked No. 2 in the nation? Ask the
Coyotes after Simon Fraser scored 32 times on 32 hits in a 15-1 and 17-5 sweep
last Tuesday at Symms Field. There was
a bright spot at the end of the rainbow for Albertson, however. In game two, the hosts scored five times in
the fourth inning, the most runs a team outside of the NCAA Division I had
scored on SFU all season. Jessica
Farley (St. Anthony, Idaho / So. Freemont HS) had an RBI single, and
Kira Leaton gapped a three-run double for Albertson in the inning.
THE
MARK OF CONSISTENCY: Although
the overall and conference records might not indicate success, little things
can point towards a positive future for the Albertson fastpitch program. Take for instance the past 28 games –
Albertson has recorded at least two hits in each game. During that same stretch, the other
first-year program in the Valley, Northwest Nazarene, was no-hit twice, and was
held to just one hit on seven different occasions. To further the cause for the Coyotes, Albertson was shut out just
twice during that 28 game span, both times by Southern Oregon’s Brandi Brown,
one of the top pitchers in the region.
NNU – they saw a goose egg in their run column on 16 separate
scoresheets.
CASCADE
CONFERENCE HIGHS AND LOWS: What usually follows a team that sits in last place in the standings
is definitely the case for Albertson, as the Coyotes team batting average
(.232), ERA (5.62), and fielding percentage (.902) rank last in the five-team
conference. Four different Albertson
players are ranked among the elite in different categories in the conference
statistics. Leading the way is Victoria
DeLaRosa, whose 26 stolen bases are ten more than any other CCC competitor, and
six more than the entire Southern Oregon team.
In the “ouch” category, no other player has been hit by a pitch more
often that Heather Keepers. Keepers has
been plunked eight times this year.
Kira Leaton is tied for sixth place in doubles with seven, while Nicole
Glenn ranks third in strikeouts (113), fourth in wins (9), and 15th in batting
average (.318).
FOUR
HOME GAMES TO CLOSE OUT THE 2002 SEASON: After ten games to start the season in California,
the Coyotes will have four games at home to round out the 2002 campaign. Saturday afternoon, Eastern Oregon makes
their first-ever trip over the hill to Caldwell, hoping to stay alive in the
race for the final spot in the regional tournament. Just as Albertson did, the Mountaineers (7-9, 13-17) went 1-3 on
last weekend’s road trip, splitting with Southern and dropping two at OIT. All-American Chrissie Bacon is the most
consistent of the EOU players, hitting .474 on the year with 20 RBI. Eastern has won all three meetings with
Albertson this year, 5-3, 6-5, and 10-2.
Next Monday, both Albertson and Concordia end their respective
seasons with a doubleheader. The
Cavaliers (9-17, 4-12) have to be disappointed with the way the season has
gone, one year removed from their first-ever trip to the NAIA Women’s College
World Series. Leadoff hitter Katie
Holts (.369 average) is the heart and soul of the team. Concordia has won 2-of-3 games against
Albertson this year, winning 3-2 and 3-1, and dropping a 8-0 decision to the
Coyotes.
INTERNET BROADCASTS: Albertson home softball games will
be broadcast live on the Internet, via 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 when Albertson meets Eastern Oregon on Saturday
and Concordia on Monday afternoon.
Listen to the games online at http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/profiles/0102/AthleticsLive.asx,
with the first pitch slated for 2 p.m. on both days.
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
GOLF:
LAST
WEEK: Placed
second at Westminster Invitational, lost dual with Northwest Nazarene (296-297)
THIS WEEK: at NAIA Region I Championships,
Couer d’Alene, Idaho, Monday-Tuesday
GREAT FINISH AT WESTMINSTER INVITE: Behind
solid play from freshman Jeff Masingill (Payette, Idaho / Payette HS),
the Albertson men's golf team finished tied for second at the Westminster
College Invitational at Wingpointe Golf Club.
Masingill shot a two-over 218 over the 54-hole event, placing
sixth. Overall champion Lewis-Clark State held three of the top-six finishes. Gavin Parker (Homedale, Idaho /
Homedale HS) shot a 6-over 222 to place 12th in the event. Other
Coyote finishers were Jeff Simonds (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS)
in 15th place, John Bideganeta (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) in
24th place, and Chris Tillman (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly) in 34th
place. Lone women's golfer Amanda Rangel (Homedale, Idaho /
Homedale HS) shot a final round 99 to finish in 30th place.
COYOTES FINISH HIGHER THAN RANKED OPPONENTS: The Coyotes tied with Rocky Mountain with a team score of 901, 51 shots behind LCSC. However, Albertson finished eight shots ahead of Montana Tech, and ten shots ahead of Montana-Western, each whom had votes in the latest NAIA poll.
OFF TO REGIONALS: The Coyotes have hopped a plane for the Idaho panhandle and the 2002 NAIA Region I Championships in Couer d’Alene. Host Lewis-Clark State is the favorite to stake claim to the automatic berth to the national tournament, however, Albertson looks to improve on last season’s third-place finish.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/golf.htm
WOMEN’S TENNIS: 7-6
(3-6 in NAIA)
LAST
WEEK: vs. Seattle
(W 6-3), vs. Lewis-Clark State (L 8-1), vs. Southern Oregon (L 5-2)
COYOTES
PLACE FOURTH AT REGIONALS: It was a tough road for the Albertson women’s tennis team, seeded
fourth going into last weekend’s NAIA Region I tournament in Lewiston. Despite opening the tournament with a
victory, Albertson dropped consecutive matches to finish exactly where the
coaches thought they would, in fourth place.
DAY ONE RESULTS: Last Friday was an up-and-down
day for the Coyotes, defeating Seattle 6-3 in a morning match, but losing 8-1
to Lewis-Clark State in the tournament semifinals. In the opener, Catherine Rinaldi (Perth, Australia) got
a convincing 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles over Jessica Fry, with the
Coyotes sweeping the lower half of the singles bracket. Albertson also won two of the three doubles
points, with Rinaldi and Lauren Writer (Boise, Idaho) winning 9-7
at No. 1. The semifinal against No. 14
ranked LCSC was a clinic, as Albertson lost 5-of-6 singles matches, with only
sophomore Carley Williams (Boise, Idaho) gaining an edge.
In doubles, Ashley Kunz (Boise, Idaho) and Lacy Van England
(Twin Falls, Idaho) played well at No. 3 doubles, losing 9-7 to Daniela
Poeschl and Jennifer Wright.
THIRD-PLACE MATCH WITH SOUTHERN: With poor weather driving the women's NAIA Region I Tournament indoors to the Lewis-Clark State Tennis Center, Southern Oregon took advantage of the cozy confines to defeat Albertson, 5-2, to claim the third-place trophy. Senior Catherine Rinaldi won her singles match and teamed with Lauren Writer to win a doubles point, but the Raiders swept five other matches, with the match halted after SOU had clinched the win.
LOOKING BACK AT THE SEASON: Outside
of Catherine Rinaldi, who had a 7-2 record against NCAA and NAIA opponents at
No. 1 singles, only Carley Williams (2-1) finished with a record above
.500. Whitney Gibbon (Spokane,
Wash.) finished the year with a 4-5 record, and is one of ten players that
will return for the 2003 squad.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm