Long Beach State athletics has a rich history of one name sporting stars. There was Misty and Tulo and Longo and Casper and Nadia and so many more. Through it all perhaps the bottom line MVP was a character named “Mo” as shortened for “Momentum.”
As the 2012-2013 season turns into the month of March, Mo will have as much to do with the legacy of this year at the Beach as anything else. Three examples, first women’s water polo.
Fortunately Mo moves around and right now LBSU is riding high on a winning-streak of nine games with the two more coming on Sunday. The only other time Long Beach State started the season 12-2 was during the 2003 season when The Beach finished 24-8 overall and 8-2 in MPSF conference play for the best overall finish in school history. The team has one player who may someday add her name to the list of legends, junior Chelsea Parks who had an eight goal weekend,
In softball Junior pitcher E-dub, (Erin Jones-Wesley) capped off Long Beach State’s (12-6) perfect weekend at the San Diego Classic I with her first no-hitter of the season as the 49ers run ruled Fresno State, winning 8-0. The 49ers wrapped up play in San Diego undefeated with five momentum building wins in a tough tourney. Even more it was the second straight game in which the 49ers run-ruled a team. Long Beach State returns home to host the LB Invitational Thursday through Sunday with games at Mayfair Park in nearby Lakewood.
The other hot ticket is men’s volleyball. That’s where the third-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team continued to dominate at home as it used a balanced effort to defeat UC Santa Barbara, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22, Friday evening LBSU (13-4, 11-3 MPSF) extended its season-long win streak to five and also earned its third-straight sweep at home. The 49ers are 6-1 when playing in Long Beach. The 49ers continue its season-long eight-match homestand this week when it plays host to UC San Diego and No. 1 UC Irvine.
DUSTING NAMES AND NUMBERS—Another new Big West AD will make the tour of the Honda Center basketball show next week to join new Ads at Fullerton, Hawaii, and UC Davis. That would be Brandon Martin, known to the old timers as a 1992 City Section 4-A player of the year and later on the USC basketball team. He earned his doctorate from USC in 2005 and then admin-ed at Oklahoma and was on the committee that lured Sooners basketball coach Lon Kruger.
Coincidentally, Martin’s basketball coach at Cleveland High was current Northridge basketball coach Bobby Braswell which should make for warm and fuzzy staff meetings.
As to the BWC numbers, well for ADs and their presidents the basketball tourney anniversary is appropriate since the best hope for money infusion comes from the NCAA basketball tourney. Long Beach State would very much like to carry that check back to the Big West offices but, well momentum is MIA at the moment as the team is on a two game losing streak, Stephen F. Austin and last weekend, U C Irvine. On Thursday the team plays at UC Davis (ESPN2) and then at Pacific, (Fox Sports West). Win one and win the regular season hardware, guaranteed at least an NIT bid, and top seed in the conference post season party.
In any event the Beach is guaranteed to have the 6:00 p.m. game on the opening night of the tournament as the #1 seeded team – Thursday, March 14 at Honda Center.
**The #1 seed would normally play at noon; however, a clause in the Tournament handbook favors the local schools: “The highest seeded team among CS Fullerton, Long Beach State and UC Irvine will play at 6:00 p.m.”
The marketing folks remind fans of the joy of cutting down nets at the Honda Center and the great Beach crowds, bussed in students and limo-driven senior citizens, “…let’s make it Black & Gold!!”
Also no Mo for the ladies of hoop who lose, then win, then, well who knows. This week it is at UC Santa Barbara, Thursday, 3 p.m. and at Cal Poly, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Finally on the baseball beat the team is an unsettling 6-6, hosts UCLA, then steps back up to the Pac 12 level with a three game set at Arizona State. They split a pair with Arizona. —DR. DAN