7:30am | While the ‘Niner coaches await the details of how the upcoming fee increase will benefit their Beach boys and girls, there is still the day job to do which in short means qualifying for the postseason.
One of the interesting such scenarios is in men’s volleyball where the ‘Niner lads won twice last week improving their record to 12-10 (10-7 MPSF) after road wins over No. 15 Pacific, 3-1 and No. 2 Stanford, 3-2. The most consistent performer was Antwain Aguillard, who did not commit a hitting error in either match and finished with a .695 percentage (41-0-59) including his then career-high 17 kills vs. Pacific before topping that number with 24 against the Cardinal. This week is a two-match series at BYU Thursday and Friday and if you get BYU-TV who can watch or record the matches.
For ‘Niner baseball (12-11) it was another split week with wins at Loyola Marymount, 3-2 and over No. 12 Stanford, 6-1 before gut-check losses to Stanford, 6-3 and 6-5. Andrew Gagnon improved to 3-3 this season, striking out a season-high eight against Stanford on Friday. With no mid-week work, both the Dirtbags and their softball sisters play at Pacific to open the Big West part of their schedule. Baseball has their normal Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon and softball does a double header on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. The Sweethearts of swat are now a nifty 22-10 after a four win week beating Ohio twice 3-0 and 6-4 and Canisius, 4-0 and 4-0.
In the other high-profile sport, women’s tennis is in the Midwest with matches at Illinois-Chicago Thursday, 10:00am, at No. 19 Notre Dame Friday in South Bend and back to Chi-town for DePaul Saturday at noon.
NOTES ON MY NAPKIN—Some of the men’s basketball schedule is leaking out, at least the road portion. Look for SDSU, North Carolina, Kansas, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Idaho, Boise State plus the Diamond Head Classic (K-State – first game, then maybe Xavier, Clemson, etc.). Maybe another one of the toughest in the nation.
Now, as our earlier birthday column on LB pitcher Taylor Petty noted, she is a metro LA girl from greater San Pedro. Petty alert, our favorite Taylor will have to face Pacific’s favorite Taylor this weekend. That would be a 2010 New Caney, Texas HS graduate with the same name, Taylor Petty. The country girl version is an all-around talent who can play all eight field positions, and starred on the Texas Impact Gold softball club.
LB’s softball coach, by the way, weighed in on how she would spend any new bucks for her program. “We would like to do some things for our field, maybe lights, lower the dugouts (my vote for that one) and improve the press box (ditto my previous vote).”
Former Dirtbag pitcher Adam Wilk came, in his own words, “So close to making the big league roster and then to get called in and hear they’re sending you to the Minors, it’s a tough feeling. It’s tough to hear that.”
Wilk is expected to go to Triple-A Toledo. It remains to be determined whether he’ll start, as he has for most of his Minor League career, or relieve. His major superstition is always wearing tape on his right middle finger. Little did he know the makeshift bandage would go on for six years and counting. “We didn’t have a trainer in high school,” he explained, “So I had a roll of tape in my bag. I didn’t want to get blood all over my glove, so I just taped my finger up.” And the tradition continues.
Not withstanding a modest 12-10 record, the Beach RPI is really high. This from a Fullerton fan on the web: “23 RPI going into today won’t drop much.
Long Beach should win at least four of the next five series (at UOP, UCR, UCD, at UCSB, CP) before the schedule toughens up in May (at ASU, at Fullerton, CSUN, at UCI). Take care of business in April and the Dirtbags will be in good shape to get into a regional.” I like the sound of that.
Some of readers like to focus on the won-loss column and some the profit and loss column. So imagine how the metropolitan snobs must feel that the quaint outpost of Bakersfield now only has some fine baseball but also a very generous donor. Now, before you ring up Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell about CSU Bakersfield being invited into the conference, the donor is Dr. Norman Levan, the local dermatologist who is donating $14 million to Bakersfield College. The money is for “scholarships and other initiatives” and is one of the largest gifts from a private citizen to a community college in the United States.
Last of the good numbers is that number 22, that would be Casper Ware, has become the 16th Long Beach State basketball player to get selected for an All-American team, at any level. The 5-9 dynamo with the great hands is just the second 49er to earn a spot on the team in the last 31 years and only the 16th LBSU player all-time to earn All-American recognition. Before that Aaron Nixon (2007) then Michael Wiley and Francios Wise (1980) but only Ed Ratleff made first-team All-American (1972 and 1973). Sam Robinson (1970), George Trapp (1971), Chuck Terry (1972), Roscoe Pondexter (1974), Clifton Pondexter (1974), Glenn McDonald (1974), Leonard Gray (1974), Bob Gross (1975), Lloyd McMillian (1977) and Rickey Williams (1979) are the other 49ers to receive All-American accolades while at Long Beach State.