‘Yote Notes – April
8, 2002
(To subscribe to ‘Yote Notes, contact Mike Safford
Jr. at msafford@albertson.edu or
208-459-5681
GENERAL
ATHLETICS NEWS:
RECAP OF
PLAYER SIGNINGS IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS: Many
of the fall and winter sports have been hitting the recruiting trails very hard
over the past few months. Over the next
two weeks, we hope to be able to release the names of some of the new
student-athletes that will be attending Albertson College during the 2002-03
season.
BASEBALL: 17-12-1, 6-4 in Region I
LAST WEEK: at Utah – Tuesday (W 11-8, L
10-4); at British Columbia – Saturday (L 3-0, L 3-2), Sunday (L 8-6, W 3-1)
THIS WEEK: at Puget Sound, Monday, 3 p.m.
(PDT); at Central Washington, Tuesday, Noon (PDT); vs. Eastern Oregon,
Saturday, 1 p.m.; at Eastern Oregon, Sunday, 1 p.m. (PDT)
COYOTES DROP TO THIRD IN REGION: Vancouver,
British Columbia – the hot bed for NAIA baseball? So far, that is the way it looks during the 2002 Region I season,
as the Thunderbirds won 3-of-4 games from Albertson in last weekend’s pivotal
series at Nat Bailey Field. UBC, ranked
No. 12 in the latest NAIA poll, sits two games ahead of second-place Concordia,
and three games ahead of the Coyotes.
Albertson, which was ranked No. 24 in poll, looks to drop out after a
2-4 week. What is key is the fact that
the winner of regular-season regional play will host the post-season
tournament, with a super-regional berth on the line.
PITCHERS DUALS GO WAY OF THE
T-BIRDS: The top two pitching staffs pulled out their
six-shooters this weekend and no blanks were fired on either end. Major League prospect Jeff Francis and
senior Brooks McNiven may not have outpitched their Albertson counterparts, Nick Williams (Poulsbo, Wash. / Lower Columbia CC) and Chris Eggleston (Chewelah, Wash. / Grays Harbor
CC) on Saturday, but they got key 3-0 and 3-2 decisions. Taylor Blair (Sacramento,
Calif. / American River CC) could not stop the bleeding,
giving up a season-high eight earned runs in an 8-6 loss on Sunday, while four
pitchers combined in the final tilt to salvage a Coyote win amongst the
Canucks.
PRODUCTION WITH “R.I.S.P.”?: A key
statistic during the four-game series north of the border was the Coyotes
inability to hit with runners in scoring position. During the four games, the ‘Yotes hit just 4-for-22 with men on,
a measly .182 clip. For the season,
Albertson is more than 100-points better, swinging at a .284 average with ducks
on the pond.
NEW POSITIONS?: The rash
of injuries that has plagued the 2002 team has led skipper Shawn Humberger to move some players into uncharacteristic
roles. For instance, twice this week,
catcher D.J. Eberlin (St. Maries, Idaho / St.
Maries HS) has taken off the gear and stepped to the
mound. The senior gave up just a solo
home run at the University of Utah in his two appearances. Humberger believes that if Eberlin is to
play at the next level, it would be as a pitcher. One of his pitchers, Nick Williams, may see more time in the
regular line-up. Williams, who had two
at-bats earlier in the year, started as the designated hitter in the final game
of the UBC series, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
MORE ON UBC SERIES (PART 1): Jeff
Francis and Jordy McNiven limited the Coyotes to just three hits in the opener,
but Albertson still had chances in the 3-0 loss. Nine runners were left on base in the seven-inning game, and
three third-inning errors allowed two runs home. In Saturday’s second game, UBC manufactured all three runs
against Chris Eggleston, but the Coyotes came back in the eighth. With two outs, Todd Howell (Marysville,
Wash. / Skagit Valley CC) and pinch-hitter Rob Reid (Boise,
Idaho / Cochise CC) each singled, and Dustin Garcia (Reno,
Nev. / Feather River CC) walked.
Scott Skeen (Bend, Ore. / Oregon
State) rapped a two-run double to make it 3-2, but Cory Acklus (Everett,
Wash. / Alabama-Birmingham) grounded out to end the threat.
MORE ON
UBC SERIES (PART 2): Sunday was a different type of day, as British
Columbia brought out the lumber against Taylor Blair, scoing eight runs on 11
hits. The T-Birds raced out to a 5-0
lead, only to see Albertson chip away and tie the score at 6-6 with four
unconventional runs in the top of the sixth.
A hit batter with the bases loaded, a sacrifice fly, an infield single,
and a bloop base hit got the Coyotes even.
However, it was short lived, as UBC rallied with a two-out, two-run
single in the bottom of the inning for the winning runs. Game four of the series saw Albertson
finally break through, scoring single runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh
innings. Chris Eggleston started, went
four one-hit innings, with Chris
Rennaker (Darby, Mont. / Lewis-Clark State), D.J. Eberlin, and Ben Frank (Paul, Idaho / North Idaho
CC) finishing the game.
SPLIT
WITH UTAH: Chris Rennaker pitched solid six innings, and Scott Skeen and Cory Acklus each hit two-run home runs as
Albertson College earned a split with the University of Utah, winning the
opener 11-8 and losing the nightcap 10-4, last Tuesday at Franklin Covey Field
in Salt Lake City. The Coyotes jumped
out to a 8-1 lead in the first game, thanks in part to clutch hitting, and the
left arm of Rennaker. The senior gave up three runs on six hits, earning
his first win of the year. Acklus hit his home run in the third, as part
of a three-run inning. Skeen drove his out to right-center an inning
later. Acklus went 2-for-4 with five RBI, while Skeen went 1-for-3 with
three RBI. Josh Orr (Winnemucca, Nev. / Lowry HS) and Dustin Garcia also had two hits for the Coyotes. The NCAA Division I Utes salvaged a split in game two, as the
hosts jumped out to a 9-3 advantage. Andrew
Hall (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) was
rocked in his second consecutive start, giving up six runs, but only one was
earned. Darren Uranga (Homedale,
Idaho / Homedale HS) and Scott
Freeman (Boise, Idaho / Victory
Valley CC) each had two hits, but the Coyotes could muster just
seven safties and committed three errors.
GOOD
WEEKS: Tops on the chart for a good
week was Chris Rennaker. After
beginning the season with an ERA above ten, the south-paw was a blessing in
disguise last week, giving the Coyotes stability on the mound. The senior picked up both Albertson
victories last week, going ten innings, giving up four runs on just seven hits,
with six strikeouts. Darren Uranga
broke his bat out of a slump, going 7-for-18 with four RBI, while Cory Acklus
went 7-for-21 with a two doubles, a homer and seven RBI.
GAMES 31
AND 32 ON ROAD: The seemingly
never-ending road trip will finally conclude early in the week. Monday, Albertson meets Puget Sound for a
single game in Tacoma, Wash. The
Loggers (4-17) are a member of the NCAA Divison III Northwest Conference, and
are coming off a 1-2 road trip to Willamette.
UPS has been in a haze, so to say, this season, as head coach Ken
Garland was relieved of his duties in November after being fired as defensive
coordinator of the Logger football team.
Puget Sound did defeat Willamette, 20-8, in the final game of their
series, but have a 7.08 team ERA.
Tuesday, its on to Central
Washington for a single game with the NCAA
Division II Wildcats (7-11). Central
was swept this past weekend by Saint Martin’s, and has been victimized by poor
starting pitching this season – a combined 3-9 record with a 9.42 ERA. Between the two opponents, Albertson boasts
a 53-13 all-time record.
SIMPLOT STADIUM, WHAT’S THAT?: Despite
using the cavernous stadium for practice each day, the Coyotes will finally
have their home opener on Saturday against Eastern Oregon, before
heading to La Grande, Ore. for a rematch with the Mountaineers (4-18, 2-10) on
Sunday. Eastern also went 2-4 last
week, splitting games with Northwest Nazarene, and losing 3-of-4 at Oregon
Tech. Albertson has already defeated
the Mountaineers twice this season, both at the Paffile Trucking Tournament in
February. Tommy Porter is the slugger
for EOU, clubbing four homers and 17 RBI this season. The ‘Yotes hold a 76-10-1 all-time advantage over their neighbors
to the east.
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. A free rooter bus to the
LC-State game (leaving Albertson at 11:30 a.m.) will be offered, while ticket
prices for the games will be released later this week.
TAKE TWO – CHANCE FOR LIVE
BROADCASTS: Two possibilities for live broadcasts of Coyote
baseball is on the horizon. The
athletic department is in negotiation with KCID-AM for future radio broadcast
of games, along with working with Radio Destiny to provide live internet broadcasts. At the least, both Eastern Oregon games on
Saturday will be carried on a tape-delay basis, however, check the baseball
broadcast website for any possible live action.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: For updated information and
statistics, visit the official website of the Coyote baseball team at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm.
SOFTBALL: 7-21, 0-4 in Cascade Conference
LAST
WEEK: at Cascade Conference Kickoff Tournament, Ashland, Ore. –
Saturday vs. Oregon Tech (L 7-1), vs.
Southern Oregon (L 4-3); Sunday vs. Eastern Oregon (L 5-3), vs. Concordia (L
3-2).
THIS
WEEK: vs. Oregon Tech, Sunday, 11 a.m. (DH)
NOT THE IMAGINARY FOE ANYMORE: The buzz
going around University Field at Southern Oregon last weekend was about the
youngsters from Caldwell making their first appearance in the Cascade
Conference. Sharp looking uniforms, an
outstanding pitcher, good coaching – all words coming out of the mouths of
coaches and staff at the 2002 Kickoff Tournament – all about the Albertson Lady
‘Yotes. Although the Coyotes dropped a
pair of one-run games and had chances in the others, the first-year program
proved that they are not pushovers in the difficult league.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: All five teams from the
conference participated in the two-day event, with each team playing a single
game against each other. Oregon Tech
ran the table at the tourney, winning all four games, with Eastern Oregon going
3-1. Southern Oregon, which won two
one-run games and dropped another, went 2-2, Concordia 1-3, and Albertson at
0-4. The site of the tournament for
next year is still up in the air, with a distinct possibility that games may be
played at Albertson in 2003.
WOE WITH THE GLOVE: Why 0-4 in the tournament? In ten tournament games this weekend, the
four teams outside of Albertson committed a total of 14 errors. The Coyotes, in their four games alone,
committed 14 errors, leading the way to 11 unearned runs by Albertson
pitchers. The squad had four dropped
balls, five throwing miscues, and five fielding errors, spread out amongst
seven different players.
MISS RUBBER ARM, PART 2: It can
be said with some confidence that there are now two “Rubber Arms” in the
Cascade Conference. Last season,
Southern’s Brandi Brown logged 242 innings, figuring in on 38 decisions – both
league highs. Brown is at it again,
having thrown 98-of-106 innings and earning every decision. Now add Coyote Nicole Glenn (Nyssa,
Ore. / BYU-Idaho) into the mix.
Glenn had an outstanding tournament, despite picking up all four
losses. The junior transfer had a 1.70
ERA in 24.2 innings this weekend with five walks and 13 strikeouts. Although not as dramatic as Brown, Glenn has
20 of the 28 Albertson decisions, and has pitched 116 of the team’s 166 innings
this season. The two are 1-2 in
strikeouts, Brown with 90, Glenn with 77.
MORE ON GLENN: The only junior on the squad
also went 4-for-12 at the plate, including two RBI, breaking out of a 1-for-12
hitting funk. Glenn is now hitting .265
on the season.
GOOD BATS, BAD BATS: Also having a good
tournament at the plate was Kira Leaton (Boise, Idaho / Centennial
HS). Leaton was the only Coyote to
have a hit in every game, going 4-for-12 in the tournament, with two doubles
and two RBI. On the opposite side of
the spectrum, rightfielder Victoria DeLaRosa (Caldwell, Idaho /
Vallivue HS) went 1-for-12 on the weekend, with six strikeouts. As a team, Albertson hit just .208 in the
four games.
SATURDAY’S
GAMES: Albertson
opened up play on Saturday against No. 17 ranked Oregon Tech, dropping a 7-1
decision. After falling behind 1-0 on
three hits in the first, the Coyotes tied it in the second on a Danielle
Landa (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) RBI single. But that was the end of the line for
Albertson, as a three-base error let the go-ahead run score an inning later,
and the Owls tacked on two in the sixth and three more runs in the seventh for
the win. One positive – All-American
Meggan Webber, who hit two home runs against Concordia on Sunday, went 0-for-3
against Nicole Glenn. The second game,
a 4-3 loss against Southern Oregon, was originally set for 3:55 p.m., but moved
from University Field to North Mountain Park, because the first three games of
the day were running long. On the new grounds,
the Raiders jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second off starter Lindzi Wasko (Lakenheath,
England / Lakenheath American HS), before Glenn came in and slammed the
door with a ground out and strikeout.
The Coyotes got one back in the third on a fielder’s choice by Kira
Leaton. The guests tied it an inning
later on an error allowing pinch-runner Nicole Rollins (Burley, Idaho
/ Burley HS) to score, and Katie Hansen (Boise, Idaho /
Timberline HS) later came around on a past ball to make it 3-3. SOU would win it in the bottom of the
fourth, as three Coyote errors led to the go-ahead run.
SUNDAY’S
GAMES: An early
morning wake-up call, along with slow service at McDonald’s did not help the
Coyotes cause as they lost their opener to Eastern Oregon, 5-3. The Mountaineers scored single runs in the
third, fourth, and seventh innings, along with a pair on unearned runs in the
fifth to take a 5-0 lead to the bottom of the seventh. Albertson, which only had one hit until that
point, strung together three straight singles, including a two-run liner by
Nicole Glenn to make it 5-2. An EOU
error put runners on the corners, and a Melissa Finlayson (Boise,
Idaho / Capital HS) brought another home with an infield hit. After Katie Hansen moved the runners to
second and third with a groundout, leftfielder Heather McClure (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS) struck out looking to end the rally and the
game. Immediately following, Albertson
dropped a 3-2 decision to Concordia.
Trailing 2-0, the Lady ‘Yotes tied things up in the fourth on a wild
pitch and an RBI single by McClure.
Unfortunately, the Cavs manufactured a run in the fifth, and Albertson,
despite getting two runners on in the seventh inning with no outs, could not
counter.
FIRST
SPRING BREAK, THEN THE OWLS: After taking some time off for Spring Break, the Coyotes
return home on Sunday for their first home Cascade Conference doubleheader
against No. 17 Oregon Tech. The Owls
(21-5, 4-0) are riding a 14-game winning streak that includes their impressive
performance at the Kickoff Tournament.
Meggan Webber and Leah Azevedo lead the potent bat attack for OIT. Webber is batting .465 with a league best
six home runs and 36 RBI, with Azevedo batting .494 with three homers and 21
RBI. Leslie Ernstrom is 10-1 with a 0.89
ERA this season, as the Owls have four quality pitchers on their staff.
CHANGE IN SOUTHERN OREGON GAME: The
scheduled doubleheader in Caldwell against Southern Oregon on April 16, has
been moved to April 15, according to the Cascade Conference. Part of the reason for the change was in
part to a mandate to maintain the original schedule set forth by the
conference, the other will allow game management to work the contests. On April 16, the Coyote baseball team will
play Northwest Nazarene at Memorial Stadium in Boise, and staffing for the
softball contest would have been slim.
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 Oregon Tech calls on Albertson on Sunday
morning. Listen to the games online at http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/profiles/0102/AthleticsLive.asx,
with the first pitch slated for 11 a.m.
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
Bellevue CC (exhibition), 8-1
THIS
WEEK: off for
Spring Break, next vs. Treasure Valley CC, April 16
COYOTES
SIGN TOP RECRUIT: Head
coach Cisco Limbago is excited for the signing of one of the top
Treasure Valley prep tennis players for the 2003 season. Kathy Webster, a senior at Capital
High in Boise, will be a big addition to the women’s tennis program next
season. Webster was part of the 5A
district and state champion doubles team in 2001, along with winning conference
singles and doubles titles in 2000.
“Kathy is the one of the premier prep doubles players in the state,”
said Limbago.
OUT OF THE BLUE, BELLEVUE: The
Coyote netsters decided that playing Treasure Valley CC three times was too
many, so Albertson met up with visiting Bellevue CC in Ontario on Friday and
dispatched the Seattle area squad, 8-1.
A total of eleven matches were played, including two involving the
Bellevue coaching staff, which were disposed in a doubles match by Catherine Rinaldi (Perth, Australia) and Lauren Writer (Boise, Idaho),
8-5. Albertson swept the counting
doubles matches, along with 5-of-6 singles matches. Carley Williams (Boise,
Idaho) played the mythical No. 1 singles and raced past Amanda Poole 6-0, 6-0.
TWO DOWN, THREE MORE CC’S TO COME:
With wins already against Treasure Valley and Bellevue, the Coyotes will
meet three more community colleges and Lewis-Clark State this spring. 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.
SPEAKING OF NATIONAL RANKINGS: Lewis-Clark
State is the only Region I team represented in the ITA-Omni Hotels NAIA
National Poll, sitting at No. 12. Both
Southern Oregon and the University of Alberta received votes in last week’s
poll, but not enough to crack the Top-25.
Defending National Champion Auburn-Montgomery continues to lead the
pack, with Pei Yuin Keng of LC-State the only Region I player ranked in the
Top-50 in singles competition.
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
GOLF: 2-0 in
Spring Duals
LAST
WEEK: Men swept
duals against Northwest Nazarene (302-316 at Riverbend G.C., 294-307 at
Ridgecrest G.C.)
THIS
WEEK: Men and
Women at Warrior Spring Invitational, Lewiston, Idaho, Monday-Tuesday
EASY
TIME WITH NNU: Typically,
things aren’t as simple as they were last week for the Albertson men’s
golfers. On back-to-back days, the Coyotes
found four golfers to put together solid efforts to sweep Northwest Nazarene in
the spring duals. On Tuesday, four
sub-77 rounds at their home course in Wilder netted a 14-stroke victory. It was even better on Wednesday at
Ridgecrest, the home of the Crusaders, as four rounds of three-over or better
paved the way to a 13-stroke victory.
FRESHMAN
LEAD THE WAY: Head
coach Garry Matlock knew that his freshmen class would help the 2002
cause, and it was more than evident last week.
Jeff Masingill (Payette, Idaho / Payette HS) took home
medalist honors on Tuesday with a two-over 74, and had the Coyotes best round
on Wednesday, a two-under 70. Fellow
frosh John Bideganeta (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) added a
pair of 75’s to help the team score.
Rounding out the scorers for the Coyotes were senior Gavin Parker (Homedale,
Idaho / Homedale HS) with rounds of 76 and 75, and sophomore Chris
Tillman (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) with a 77 and 74.
LC-STATE
INVITE BEGINS TOURNEY SEASON: Albertson treks off to their first tournament of the 2002
season on Monday, as the Warrior Spring Invitational awaits the Coyotes. Ten schools, including a pair of junior
colleges will compete in this event.
Host Lewis-Clark State is ranked No. 7 in the NAIA, with another
combatant, Montana-Western, ranked No. 23.
OFFICIAL
WEBSITE: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/golf.htm