#22 BASEBALL POUNDS OUT 18 HITS IN 16-0 WIN AT ASSUMPTION IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

Worcester, Mass. – Junior right fielder Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) had four hits and drove in three runs and classmate Casey Cannon (Manasquan, N.J./Saint Rose/U. of Delaware) posted his conference-best third shutout of the season to lead the 22nd-ranked Le Moyne College baseball team to a 16-0 win over Assumption on Sunday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division play at Rocheleau Field.

The Dolphins scored six runs on five hits and an Assumption error in the third inning to get on the scoreboard. Senior catcher Kyle Kalaka (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) singled up the middle with one out and moved to second as junior second baseman Vincent Redmond (Ithaca, N.Y./Lansing/Garrett College) was hit by a pitch. After senior center fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) singled through the left side to load the bases, Wiley singled through the left side to drive in Kalaka. Senior third baseman Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square) followed with a single through the left side to knock in Redmond and Botsford, while Wiley took third and Marra moved to second on the throw home. Junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) then reached on an error by the shortstop, which allowed Wiley to score. Sophomore left fielder Pat Wiese (Fayetteville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) followed with a double to center to drive in Marra. Mahoney scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Paul Speicher (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury).

Le Moyne scored a pair of runs on two hits and one error in the top of the fourth inning. Redmond singled to center with one out and moved to second on a walk by Botsford. Following a single by Wiley to left to load the bases, Marra lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Redmond. Mahoney then reached on an error by the third baseman to knock in Botsford.

The Dolphins pushed across one run on two hits in the fifth inning. Redshirt junior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) doubled down the left field line with one out and moved to third on a ground out. Redmond then doubled to right center to drive in Ciraco.

Le Moyne extended its lead to 13-0 with four runs on five hits in the sixth inning. Marra singled through the right side with one out and came around to score on a double to left field by Mahoney. After Wiese walked, Speicher doubled to right center to plate Mahoney and move Wiese to third. Following an Assumption pitching change and a fly out, Kalaka was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Redmond was hit by a pitch to force in Wiese. Botsford then singled through the left side to knock in Speicher.

The Dolphins completed the game's scoring in the eighth inning with three runs on three hits. With one out, Kalaka and freshman second baseman Max Nagelsmith (Duanesburg, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy-Albany) drew consecutive walks. Following a ground out that moved each runner up a base, Wiley singled to center to drive in Kalaka and Nagelsmith. After Marra singled to left, Mahoney doubled to right center to score Wiley.

Cannon struck out nine batters to register his conference high-tying eighth win of the year (most wins among undefeated pitchers), while yielding just five hits in his third shutout in conference play. In addition to Wiley's four hits, Marra and Mahoney each had three hits, three RBI and two runs scored, while Redmond (two RBI) and Botsford each recorded two hits and two runs scored. Santi Palmer suffered the loss after giving up nine runs (five earned) in five innings on the mound.

Le Moyne (35-12-1, 20-8-1 NE-10, 15-6 SW), which won its fifth straight game (four runs allowed in the span), opens Northeast-10 Conference Championships first round play on Tuesday as it hosts Southern Connecticut State at 2:00 p.m. The Dolphins took two of three from the Owls during the regular season.

 

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bryan Bennett has uncommon maturity

Published: Friday, April 27, 2012, 4:20 PM     Updated: Friday, April 27, 2012, 5:42 PM

By Jeffrey Martin, The Oregonian

Bruce Ely / The OregonianHere's Oregon quarterback Bryan Bennett celebrating after throwing a touchdown pass last season against Missouri State at Autzen Stadium.

EUGENE -- Remember what it was like being 20?

Probably the best days of your life. Carefree, still on Mom and Dad's dime. Likely embarking on the first attempts to, more or less, find yourself while meandering through higher education. Focus completely unnecessary because, you know, everything was going to be fine.

Well, Bryan Bennett is 20. Of course, these are his best days -- he's a sophomore quarterback on scholarship at Oregon, so his parents are somewhat off the financial hook. He's away from his native California, but he's living with high school teammates who also happen to be Ducks.  

Focus? Never been an issue.

"With his inner drive, he doesn't need to be motivated," said Jeremiah Ross, Bennett's coach at Crespi High. "He's the most competitive kid I've ever coached."

Which is good because Bennett, who was brilliant in relief of Darron Thomas a season ago, is locked into what appears to be a prolonged battle to become UO's starting quarterback. Normally, after such a favorable cameo and Thomas' early departure, Bennett would be the obvious successor. But Chip Kelly is intrigued by redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota, who is said to be dead even with Bennett. And if Kelly is intrigued, consider the Ducks' faithful ultra-curious, especially since it would seem to suggest the unknown (Mariota) might represent an upgrade over the known, even if Bennett barely has enough tape to prompt any meaningful conclusion on how he projects as the starter.

No one knows. Not Kelly, not offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, and certainly not the media, who, like everyone else, will be exposed to the competition for the first time at the annual spring game at Autzen Stadium today.

And not Bennett, who has done all that has been asked or is expected.

He's become a better student of the game, studying more film than he did when he arrived. He arranged throwing sessions with his wide receivers during the off-season. Suddenly, he has the most experience in the quarterbacks' meeting room, where he and Mariota occupy their same spaces while early enrollee Jake Rodrigues has slid into Thomas' old seat.

Oregon Ducks football: Bryan Bennet, QB, talks about bringing it all together this season Oregon QB Bryan Bennett talks about goals and about being a leader. Watch video

Everything is going to be fine -- isn't it?

"I try my best to block those (doubts) out, really," Bennett said. "In reality, it could go either way and that could really set our lives on different paths. I try not to think about it. That's what's going to be bring me down, if I do."

He isn't complaining. After all, he was asked -- as he has been all spring -- about the competition, specifically about the perception of dueling with Mariota. They're competing, sure, but there is no animosity. A duel connotes a clash, and that's not the case here. They're supportive of each other, but Kelly said there just hasn't been any separation.

It's so close, in fact, sophomore center Hroniss Grasu, whose loyalty should be obvious since he has snapped to Bennett dating back to high school and is a current roommate, can't distinguish between the two candidates.

"They play very similarly," Grasu said.

But their personalities, or at least how they seem to be approaching this opportunity, are not. Mariota has been loose, simultaneously shy regarding media requests but startlingly candid during interviews. Last week, he nodded in agreement when he was asked if the spring game would be the biggest game (or practice) of his career.

Earlier in camp, Mariota said he would be open to being part of a two-quarterback system. When Bennett was asked, he collected himself before responding.

"Hopefully, someone will separate," he said. "We'll let it play out. ... I've never been a part of that, a two-quarterback system. The decision comes to (the coaches). ... If it happens, it happens. I'm just here to play."

Ross laughed when relayed his former quarterback's comments. He remembers meeting Bennett for the first time, when Bennett was an eighth-grader touring the high school. He was 14, skinny and wiry, and he marched up to Ross and shook the coach's hand.

"He was oozing with confidence and competitiveness," Ross said. "He's always had that bravado, that competitiveness. He was always a driven young man. ... He's always thought he had something to prove."

Not much has changed -- just the circumstances.

To Ross, it seems familiar.

When Bennett filled in last year for Thomas, Ross flashed back to 2007, when Crespi lost starting quarterback Kevin Prince (now at UCLA) to injury and Bennett, then a sophomore, guided the Celts to the state final. And Ross thinks right now -- if this spring competition even qualifies as adversity-- feels a lot like Bennett's junior season. Crespi fell to 6-4 overall, losing its last three games. As much as he was a hero in Encino the year before, Ross said Bennett was quickly out of favor.

"He had to compete that year, but not to the extent he is now," Ross said. "We struggled, but none of it was on Bryan. The thing is, Crespi loves Bryan now. But there was a time when people -- not me -- were frustrated with him.

"He was so good so fast, had so much success so fast, some outsiders put him on a pedestal. ... He probably thought he was better than he was - to be honest."

Bennett was 16 years old then. Now he's a young man, 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds, a tenth of his mass in the form of added muscle since he arrived on campus.

And his mental transformation has been just as impressive as the physical.

"Where he has grown -- and I tried to pound this in his head -- is in being humble while being hungry," Ross said. "Be a great teammate, be a competitor."

This spring, he has certainly heeded that advice.

"Nothing is guaranteed," Bennett said. "If you put in the work, you get out what you put in. I'm just going to continue to work hard and learn."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"If I do my best and have no regrets about my work ethic or the things I did at practice. ... You obviously make mistakes, but you can fix those," he said. "I'm trying to make it so at the end, no matter what happens, I can look back and know I played my hardest and gave it my all."

Pretty mature for 20.

-- Jeffrey Martin

 

A Family Affair As UCLA Takes On Oregon

Posted Apr. 7, 2012, 8:45:00 am
Heineman Brothers Face Each Other For First Time

Parimal M. Rohit / Staff Writer

There is nothing like sibling rivalry to add to an already ongoing battle between two storied college athletic programs. Yet when the Oregon Ducks come to town and take on the UCLA Bruins in a three-game baseball series at Jackie Robinson Field that began on April 5, it will mark the first time both Tyler and Scott Heineman will take the field from opposing dugouts.

It is a quasi-homecoming for the Oregon freshman Scott Heineman, who grew up with his brother, UCLA junior Tyler Heineman in nearby Pacific Palisades. As he finished his California All-League career at Crespi Carmelite in Encino, Scott Heineman would occasionally make the trip to Jackie Robinson Field to watch his older brother play error-free defense as UCLA’s starting catcher for 13 games.

“I went to nearly every home game UCLA played in my brother’s first two years,” Scott Heineman told The Mirror. “I learned a lot about the game by just watching it but I learned a lot from my brother by the way he went about his business. He was constantly moving and would hustle from spot to spot. I would see him taking mental at bats when other players were at the plate to give him the best chance when he came up against the same pitcher. He’s my role model.”

Of course neither Scott nor Tyler wanted to see the other make an error as they face off against each other in this week’s three-game set, but that does not mean the brothers will not have a little fun with each other if one (Scott) takes the batters box as the other (Tyler) hopes to catch a few strikes.

“When we were younger, there was a lot of competitiveness,” Tyler Heineman told The Mirror. “Now it’s a lot different. We play different positions. He wants to do all he can to help his team, I want to do all I can to help my team. We’re very supportive.”

Indeed, both brothers are taking their first matchup against each other in stride. While they both have strong competitive spirits, they both also wish each other well.

“We’ve both been blessed with a special opportunity to play in possibly the best conference in the nation,” Scott Heineman said. “Being so close in age, we’ve always been competitive with one another and it's kept us motivated to keep striving forward to become better players.

To be fair, there was always some level of competitive spirit between Scott and Tyler, who lived, ate, and breathed baseball since their respective Little League days here in Santa Monica.

Their father, Steve Heineman, who is a lieutenant with the Santa Monica Police Department, told The Mirror both have always had high expectations for each other, though Tyler, being the older brother, was always tough on Scott.

“They are like 18 months apart,” said Steve Heineman who coached both of his sons when they were younger. “They are very close, except when it comes to baseball, Tyler was very hard on his brother. They were real competitive when they played together, but they are very close.”

Of course, being their father, Steve Heineman said he would show support for both of his sons by donning the jersey of another PAC-12 team.

“I’ll probably wear an Arizona State jersey,” he joked, but then seriously adding, “Nobody loses. They are both doing well.”

Both teams enter the three-game weekend series battling for first place in the PAC-12, with UCLA tied for the top spot with Arizona. Sporting a 7-2 record in conference (20-5 overall), the Bruins also own a slim one-game lead over Oregon, who is 6-3 in conference (18-8 overall).

A series win by either team will have immediate and long-term implications in the race to win the PAC-12.

“Every series is huge, especially when you play against a team as great as Oregon,” Tyler Heineman said. “They’re a Top 25 team. We’re a Top 25 team.”

However, despite the stakes this weekend, at the end of the day family always trumps baseball.

“Absolutely, this is an important series for us … (but) I am very proud of Tyler and what he has been able to accomplish because I know how hard he has worked to get to this point, Scott Heineman said. “I love that guy and it’s going to be a special moment to step on the same field as him and battle it out.”

Indeed, both Scott and Tyler will be rooting each other on beyond college baseball; Scott aspires to become a baseball broadcaster down the line, while Tyler is majoring in Psychology, but is definitely keeping the door open to continue his baseball career.

The weekend’s series is the only time this season UCLA faces Oregon; the Bruins will travel to Eugene, Ore., next season, providing both brothers another opportunity to play against one another.

Until then, both Heineman’s will be working hard to win the PAC-12 title and stamp a ticket to the College World Series.

No doubt, both brothers will be mightily pleased should one of them remain the last one standing, but they are equally proud of each other for how far they have already come.

“It’d be like a dream come true,” Tyler Heineman said of watching his brother take his field for his first at-bat. “It’s kind of surreal.”

Result
Oregon took two out of three from UCLA, winning 6-2 and 8-3 on Thursday and Friday while UCLA pulled through 8-6 in Saturday's game.

Tyler Heineman outplayed his younger brother, getting four hits and scoring twice in the series. But Scott did his part, driving in two RBI on a sacrifice groundout and a sac fly.

UCLA will host Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday while Oregon will begin a two-game series at home against San Francisco on Tuesday.

 

Move to outfield suits studious Plouffe just fine

Trevor Plouffe spent the last few years studying popular former Twins teammate Michael Cuddyer.

He spent this spring studying center fielder Denard Span, whose locker is conveniently located right next to his in the clubhouse.

Now, after spending eight years as a minor leaguer or as an understudy, Plouffe’s just about ready for his closeup.

“I just want to be in the lineup, man,” Plouffe said. “Help the team out in any way. I learned that from Cuddyer. He was a 10-year vet, playing all different positions. It didn’t matter where he was playing, he wanted to help the team, so that’s the kind of attitude I want to have, and I think I do have that attitude.”

That attitude is helping this spring. After spending his entire career in the infield, mostly as a shortstop, Plouffe was moved to the outfield this spring.

He didn’t put up a fight.

“When (Twins general manager) Terry Ryan calls you and tells you something, you’re going to listen to him,” said Plouffe, who hit .238 while playing in 81 games with the Twins last year. “I was very open, and Terry’s a straight shooter. He tells you how it is, and basically the best thing for the team. I was all for it. Anything to be in the lineup or to help the team win, I’ll do it — I don’t care.

He just started watching Span a little more closely in practice, playing catch-up as he got used to reading how balls come into the outfield and which base to back up in which situations.

The results have been good, with Plouffe’s battle with last year’s part-time right fielder, Ben Revere, and free agent addition Ryan Doumit going down to the wire.

“So far, so good,” Plouffe said. “I worked hard on it this offseason as much as I could. Then in spring training, I’ve been getting out here and following in Denard’s footsteps and doing what he does, try to copy how he prepares and stuff.”

Plouffe was hitting .276 through the first few weeks of spring while he got more comfortable with the defensive aspects of his new position, before a hamstring injury halted his upward swing.Then, on Wednesday, he signaled his readiness to return to action with a 4-for-4 day in a minor league game that included a double and three home runs.

“I went over there to see him run, and all he did was trot,” said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who had ventured over to track his new outfielder.

Plouffe was back starting in the outfield in Friday’s 9-7 loss to the Red Sox. The longtime understudy’s first goal is to make the team, but a starting spot wouldn’t be bad, either. He’s ready to show what he’s learned in the years since being drafted as a first-rounder in 2004 out of Crespi Carmelite (Encino, Calif.) High.

“You look around, and that’s kind of the path people take, especially in this organization,” Plouffe said. “I was 17 when I signed, so you progress through the minor leagues, and when the opportunity arises, all you can do is play your best and see what happens. I got an opportunity last year, and spent about 2/3 of the season up, and I think there’s an opportunity this season.

“I’m going to just keep doing what I’m doing.”

 

WILEY LEADS #19 BASEBALL TO 16-11 VICTORY AT POST UNIVERSITY

Waterbury, Conn. – Junior right fielder Zack Wiley (Toluca Woods, Calif./Crespi) went 4-for-5 with four runs scored to lead the 19th-ranked Le Moyne College baseball team to a 16-11 win over Post University on Thursday afternoon in non-conference action at Municipal Stadium.

The Dolphins opened the scoring with four runs in the first inning without getting a hit. Senior center fielder Brett Botsford (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) and Wiley drew consecutive walks to start the frame. After the duo stole a base, senior third baseman Matt Marra (Brewerton, N.Y./Central Square) was walked to load the bases. Junior shortstop Ryan Mahoney (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) was then walked on five pitches to force in Botsford. Senior designated hitter Matthew Ciraco (White Plains, N.Y./Perkiomen School) drew the fifth consecutive walk to start the game to force home Wiley. After Marra scored on a double play, Mahoney scored as junior first baseman Paul Speicher (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) reached on a fielding error by the third baseman.

Le Moyne added a run in the second inning on one hit. Wiley singled to right with one out and then stole second. After stealing third, Wiley scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Mahoney.

The Eagles got the run back in the bottom of the second on three hits. Right fielder Taylor Carr led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a single up the middle by first baseman Russell Sirko. Following a sacrifice bunt, center fielder Bobby Rodriguez singled to left to drive in Carr.

The Dolphins increased their lead to 9-1 in the third inning with four runs on four hits. Sophomore left fielder Pat Wiese (Fayetteville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) led off the frame with a single to left and moved to second on a walk by Speicher. After senior catcher Kyle Kalaka (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) reached on a bunt single to load the bases, junior second baseman Vincent Redmond (Ithaca, N.Y./Lansing/Garrett College) tripled to center to drive in Wiese, Speicher and Kalaka. Redmond then scored on a ground out by Botsford.

Le Moyne tacked on a run on one hit in the fourth inning. Ciraco led off with a double down the left field line, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a sac fly by Speicher.

Post rallied for seven runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to get within 10-8. Shortstop James Wong and third baseman Jesus Nunez walked with one out. Catcher Alexandre Beland followed with a single to right center to plate Wong. After designated hitter Chase Loudenback was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Nunez scored as Carr reached on a fielder's choice. Sirko then tripled to center to knock in Loudenback and Carr. Left fielder Eric Rodriguez followed with a double to center to plate Sirko, while coming in to score on a triple to right center by Bobby Rodriguez. Bobby Rodriguez then crossed the plate on a passed ball for the final run of the inning.

The Dolphins got one of the runs back in the sixth inning on one hit. Ciraco reached on a fielder's choice, stole second with two outs and moved to third on a wild pitch. Speicher then singled down the left field line to knock in Ciraco.

Le Moyne scored twice in the seventh inning on three hits. Botsford tripled to left with one out and scored on a double down the left field line by Wiley. Following a Post pitching change, Marra singled to center on the first pitch to drive in Wiley.

The Dolphins completed their scoring with three runs on one hit and two Post errors in the top of the ninth inning. Wiley led off with a single through the left side and moved to second as Marra was hit by a pitch. After Mahoney reached on a fielding error by the left fielder to load the bases, Ciraco lifted a sac fly to center to drive in Wiley. Wiese then walked to load the bases again and force another Post pitching change. Speicher picked up his third RBI of the game by reaching on a fielder's choice to knock in Marra. Kalaka then reached on a fielding error by the right fielder, allowing Mahoney to score.

Post pushed across three runs on three hits in the bottom of the ninth to deliver the final score. Carr walked with two outs, stole second and came around to score on a double down the left field line by Sirko. Eric Rodriguez then singled to right field to drive in pinch-runner Andrew Harris. Following a Le Moyne pitching change, Eric Rodriguez stole second and scored on a double to center by Bobby Rodriguez.

Freshman southpaw Ryan Davis (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) earned the win out of the bullpen by striking out four over four innings of work, while yielding three runs on two hits. Steve Kimmelman took the loss for the Eagles after giving up seven runs (six earned) over two-plus innings on the mound.

Le Moyne (18-4-1) returns to Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division play on Saturday with a doubleheader at Adelphi at 12:00 p.m.

 

Chow, Lopez Honored

Scholar-Athletes of the Year

March 8, 2012

Anaheim, Calif. - Lauren Chow and Carlos Lopez were honored Thursday morning as Cal State Fullerton's female and male scholar-athletes of the year 2011 at the annual Big West Conference banquet at the DoubleTree Hotel saluting the top student-athletes from the nine campuses.

Chow (La Palma, CA / Kennedy HS) was a four-year starter for the women's basketball team and compiled a near-perfect grade point average. An All-Big West Conference honorable mention this year, she played as a graduate student pursuing a masters degree in kinesiology. She holds the CSF record for career 3-point baskets and scored more than 1,000 points in her career.

Lopez is a junior in eligibility but a senior academically after missing his first season due to a knee injury. A freshman All-American, he has been a career .300+ hitter and won all-district academic honors. He also won the CSF award for 2010. Lopez (Northridge, CA / Crespi HS) is a communications major.

Male Scholar-Athletes

Female Scholar-Athletes

 

Baseball: Ex-Crespi infielders lead Oregon, UCLA in hitting

February 27, 2012 |  7:12 am

There's a big Crespi influence in the early season for Pac-12 baseball teams.

The freshman season at Oregon is going quite well for former Crespi infielder Scott Heineman, who is batting .478 for the Ducks. Ex-Newbury Park pitcher Jimmie Sherfy is 1-0 with an 0.87 ERA.

Another former Crespi infielder, Kevin Williams, tops UCLA in hitting with a .444 average.

Former El Camino Real shorstop Alex Mejia hit two home runs this past weekend for Arizona against Auburn. He's batting .345 with nine RBIs.

Ex-Burbank infielder Lonnie Kauppila is batting .360 for unbeaten Stanford.

Former Hart players Trevor Brown and Pat Valaika are hitting .391 and .385, respectively, as starters for UCLA.

Former Saugus infielder Zach Vincej leads Peppedine in hitting with a .500 average (18 for 36). Former Loyola infielder Kevin Swick leads unbeaten USC in hitting with a .500 average (12 for 24).

-- Eric Sondheimer

 

Some local Ducks in the Rose Bowl

January, 2, 2012 | By Tim Haddock

Football players from Southern California are sprinkled all over the Oregon roster. Here is a look at some of the players from the L.A. North region playing against Wisconsin in today’s Rose Bowl:

Hroniss Grasu is a redshirt freshman from Crespi and the starting center for Oregon.

Darrion Weems, a Woodland Hills Taft alum, is a senior and the starting left tackle.

Troy Hill from St. Bonaventure, a redshirt freshman at Oregon, has been one of the starting cornerbacks for the past three games.

Anthony Giddon, who graduated from Oaks Christian, is a senior cornerback who has been splitting time with Hill.

Here are the reserves from the L.A. North region on Oregon’s roster:

Bryan Bennett, redshirt freshman quarterback, played high school at Crespi.

Ramsen Golpashin, offensive lineman who player at Saugus.

Miles Johnson, wide receiver who played at Woodland Hills Taft.

 

Dream Rose Bowl for QB Bryan Bennett: Ducks win handily, and he gets to play

By Stephen Alexander |The Portland Tribune, Dec 31, 2011

LOS ANGELES – Before coming to Eugene, the last time Bryan Bennett was not a starting quarterback was his freshman year at Crespi High in Encino, Calif. Bennett was moved up to the junior varsity that year. He was not quite ready to play quarterback, but he started as an outside linebacker and played special teams.

“I was happy to do whatever at that point,” he says. “I like playing football. I love this game. It’s always fun just being on the field. I used to love to hit.”

In the first game of following season, current UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince injured his knee for Crespi, and Bennett began a three-year run as the Celts' starting QB.

When Bennett came to Oregon last year, though, he was relegated to third-string quarterback behind Darron Thomas and Nate Costa. An injury to Costa midway through the season bumped Bennett to second string, but Thomas stayed healthy and Bennett did not see the field.

When the 2010 season began, Bennett had a hard time adjusting to not being able to play.

“At first it was kind of hard for me, like it is for any true freshman coming in and then redshirting,” he says. “When you’re not going to play, it’s just different because most people are used to being the guy on their team for so long that when you come to a new setting and you don’t play, it’s a little tough at first.”

As the season progressed, though, Bennett, 6-3, 205 pounds, began adjusting to his role as a scout-team member.

“I realized that a redshirt was probably the best thing for me in the long run,” Bennett says.

This season, Bennett finally got his chance to get into games. He began slowly, coming in during garbage time when a game had gotten out of reach. While he was happy whenever the Ducks won, Bennett often stood on the sidelines, hoping that Oregon could run up the score high enough to get him into the action.

“I always want to see my team win, first of all,” Bennett says. “But I do know in the back of my head, if we get up by a pretty good amount there was a chance I would play.”

Then, Thomas went down with a knee injury on the first play of the third quarter against Arizona State. Bennett, a fleet runner and a solid passer, was behind center with 12:21 remaining in the quarter with the Ducks down 24-21. With lots of help from running backs Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas, Bennett led the offense down the field for four second half scores–two touchdowns and two field goals–and Oregon rolled to a 41-27 victory. Bennett finished the night 2 of 5 passing for 22 yards and picked up 65 yards on the ground on five carries.

With Thomas still recovering, Bennett got his first career start the following week against Colorado. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 156 yards and two TDs and rushed six times for 69 yards in the Ducks 45-2 win over the Buffalos.

Getting a chance to be the Ducks starting quarterback, Bennett experienced a little of the glitz and the glam that goes along with being the signal caller for an elite college football team.

“It was a great experience,” Bennett says. “Things definitely changed a little bit. Especially in Eugene. Football is a big deal in our city and in the school. People started to maybe notice me a little more and just stop me and say ‘good game’ or things like that. (Playing so much) made my family very proud, and that meant a lot to me. It was a great experience.”

The next week against Washington State, Thomas was in the starting lineup. He never looked comfortable on his injured knee, though. At halftime, with Oregon leading 15-10, Bennett replaced Thomas. He completed 4 of 7 passes for 88 yards and two TDs and rushed four times for 25 yards.

After the game, a minor quarterback controversy arose when Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he already knew who would be the starter for the following week’s game but refused to say who it would be.

“I don’t have to answer that question, but I know who he is,” Kelly said.

Bennett tried to take the controversy in stride.

“That didn’t change anything for Darron or myself,” he says. “I didn’t even think the coaches (were going to bench Thomas). That was just something that got brought up and it got dropped right after. It wasn’t something that we even worried about.”

After starting the Ducks' last five games, Thomas says that he is 100 percent healthy for Monday’s Rose Bowl against Wisconsin. But Bennett is just one snap away from being forced into the spotlight and charged with leading the Ducks to victory.

Should tragedy strike Thomas, Kelly feels that the experience Bennett has had playing in meaningful situations this season will serve him well.

“Bryan has really come along as a redshirt freshman,” Kelly says. “He got his opportunities to get in there and not just when he got in early in the year when we were beating teams pretty good. I was pleased with the poise that he was playing with.”

Bennett is hoping that Thomas stays healthy against Wisconsin. But, Bennett is preparing himself for whatever may come.

“I hope Darron does stay healthy,” Bennett says. “But all I can do is just continue to prepare myself as if I’m a starter and try to get better.”

If the redshirt freshman is about to live Monday in his perfect world, Thomas would stay healthy and Bennett would enter the game in a blowout.

“I would love to see our team do that,” Bennett says.

Bennett knows that sometimes being a college football player requires work before glory. So, even if Thomas has to go the distance for the Ducks, Bennett will be happy with how the season has turned out.

“It’s been a great season, getting a shot to actually go out there and showcase some of my abilities,” Bennett says. “I understand that people do their time and opportunities will come, chances will come. I’m just waiting for my chance.”

 

UCLA's Kevin Prince and Joseph Fauria are pretty tight

The roommates connected twice for touchdowns against Colorado, the first TD passes Prince has thrown to Fauria since high school.

UCLA tight end Joseph Fauria hauls in a touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Prince during the Bruins' victory over Colorado on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

By Chris Foster | November 22, 2011, 8:26 p.m.

The most effective target in UCLA's passing game the last two weeks has been Joseph Fauria, the 6-foot-8 tight end.

Quarterback Kevin Prince has 27 completions in those games, with nine going to Fauria.

The combination hooked up twice for touchdowns against Colorado last Saturday — the first touchdown passes Prince has thrown to Fauria since they were teammates at Encino Crespi High.

"We figured it out the other day, it was our junior year," said Fauria, whose six touchdown receptions are the most by a UCLA player since Marcedes Lewis in 2005. "That's amazing."

Prince remembered it well: "[La Canada] St. Francis, November."

Prince missed his senior football season in high school because of a knee injury, then he came to UCLA. Fauria played at Notre Dame and transferred to UCLA after one season.

"I room with the guy, so it has been miserable when I wasn't throwing him touchdowns," Prince said.

Prince and Fauria have been close ever since meeting as eighth-graders.

"We were at the movies. He was in the row behind me with friends and I was sitting with some girls," Fauria recalled. "I was showing off, saying stuff at the screen, and Kevin told me to be quiet. I said, 'No.' "

Prince: "I don't think I used the words 'be quiet.' It was something stronger."

Fauria: "Yeah, when I met my best friend it started with us arguing."

 

UCLA's Prince plays like the king in a big win over Colorado

Bruins quarterback throws four touchdown passes, sets up showdown against rival.

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

Posted: 11/20/2011 01:49:19 AM PST

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince passes against Colorado... (Keith Birmingham Staff Photographer)

Kevin Prince was the last one in the UCLA locker room on Saturday night, a perma-smile affixed to his face, friends and family waiting for him after his best game as a Bruin.

Three young fans approached him seeking any kind of memorabilia - dirty socks, discarded game-tape, maybe a hat.

Prince had to go digging into his team bag for a wrist band, the only thing he could find.

He had to pause to take out the play sheet, though.

He'll want to save them for next week.

Prince threw for four touchdowns and the Bruins ran for two more in their most dominating performance of the season on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl, a 45-6 dismantling of Colorado that makes the season finale against USC all the more important.

A win, and UCLA will clinch a spot in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game.

"He was taking shots downfield and he was making them," said UCLA junior tight end Joseph Fauria, who caught two of his Crespi High teammate's touchdown throws. "They were beautiful balls, and they were right on the money, and that's all you can ask for."

After being told by offensive coordinator Mike Johnson that he would be firing a deep ball on the team's first offensive play, Prince had to display a little patience Saturday.

It took two plays.

After a Johnathan Franklin seven-yard run on the Bruins' first play after UCLA forced a punt on Colorado's first drive, Prince let loose a pristine deep bomb into the awaiting arms of a streaking Shaq Evans (Inglewood High) for a 54-yard touchdown pass.

Prince went on to complete 15 of 19 passes for 225 yards and the four scores while adding 84 yards on the ground, a 309-yard outburst that came a week after the offense sputtered in a 31-6 loss at Utah, where Prince threw two interceptions.

"It was fun, man," Prince said, flashing the smile. "We worked on that all week - just getting the deep balls down, because it's been a struggle for me - but calling that, and being able to execute it gave us a huge boost in confidence."

UCLA finished with 553 yards to Colorado's 229, the Bruins averaging 8.8 yards a carry by keeping the Buffaloes guessing.

With the Franklin-led rushing attack opening holes in the passing game - Franklin finished with 162 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries - UCLA scored touchdowns on its first three drives and last three drives, with a Tyler Gonzalez 22-yard field goal in between.

"We had a good flow, had a good rhythm," Johnson said. "We wanted to be aggressive tonight, make sure we kept them out of the box and couldn't load it up to attack us the way (Utah) did last week."

Added Prince:

"After that third touchdown, I felt like we were going to score every time. That's an immature thing for us - we got ahead and kind of relaxed, got some stupid penalties. But we were able to turn it back on, and that was big for us."

With the offense clicking early and late, the UCLA defense did something it hasn't done this season - matched the effort.

The Bruins intercepted three passes from Tyler Hansen, who finished just 16 for 31 for 127 yards, and limited running back Rodney Stewart to just 77 yards on 21 carries.

Colorado averaged just 3.8 yards per play and converted just three of 13 third downs as UCLA got constant pressure up front against an overmatched offensive line.

"Let's be the team that can just start beating these teams by 30," said cornerback Andrew Abbott, who had two interceptions. "Let's not be a team that comes in and makes it a seven-point game or a last-minute field goal. Let's be dominant.

"Why be afraid of being great?"

jon.gold@dailynews.com

 

RELIVING PAST

Bruins quarterback Kevin Prince's pair of touchdown passes to tight end Joseph Fauria marked the first time the pair had combined for a TD since their junior season's at Crespi High of Encino, a fact Fauria wasted no time in reminding Prince. Prince suffered a season-ending injury in the first quarter of his senior season at Crespi.

"I mean I room with the guy so it's miserable when I wasn't throwing him touchdowns," Prince said.

 

JILL PAINTER on COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Former Crespi High quarterback Bennett getting the word out at Oregon

By Jill Painter, Staff Writer

Posted: 11/18/2011 10:06:47 PM PST

EUGENE, Ore.

Bryan Bennett recently stopped to chat with a woman selling Bibles on campus at Oregon, and his reason for stopping had nothing to do with religion. He was wanted to practice his conversation skills because the woman was deaf.

Bennett is adept at calling in all of Oregon's ridiculously productive plays as the backup quarterback, but he recently started American Sign Language classes and having his first, official chat with a hearing-impaired stranger was exhilarating.

He knew she didn't understand everything he signed, but he got his message across.

"I surprised myself," Bennett said. "I didn't think I could get that good. It's cool. There's a lady that's completely deaf that comes to our class every Friday, and I wanted to tell her the story (of his first chat). I had to spell out some words, and she'd show me the signed words. It was cool to tell her about it."

Bennett, the former Crespi High of Encino quarterback, surprised Ducks fans and the rest of the country when he filled for injured quarterback Darron Thomas last month against Arizona State and the offense didn't skip a beat. He engineered the fourth-ranked Ducks (9-1, 7-0) to a victory and got the message across with his feet.

Oregon can win the Pac-12 Conference's North Division and host the first Pac-12 championship game at raucous Autzen Stadium with a win over 18th-ranked USC (8-2, 5-2) today.

Thomas is healthy and back as the team's starting quarterback - especially after guiding the Ducks to an impressive 53-30 victory over Stanford in Palo Alto last week - but Bennett is the future.

"Absolutely it's hard, but at the same time, that's what they're asking me to do," Bennett said of his role as backup quarterback. "I'm a competitor. I want to play. I'll go on the field and do whatever to play. If you're on the sideline, you're antsy to get in. You'll find out if you want it as bad as you might think."

Bennett doesn't have the sick speed of Heisman hopeful running back LaMichael James or De'Anthony Thomas, but he's fast and elusive. He runs those option plays with ease. He hasn't been sacked. He's barely been touched.

All is good when you're operating behind the Ducks offense that averages 498 yards per game and 46.7 points.

"We're lucky at Oregon as quarterbacks with the weapons we have in our backfield," Bennett said. "There's not too many other schools in the country, if at all, that have what we have to bring to the table."

No one thought Bennett - the redshirt freshman - would be this good this fast. Bennett had his first start at Colorado, where he threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

Even though Thomas returned from his knee injury to start against Washington State, he threw two first-half interceptions and was benched. Bennett played well in the second half, rushing four times for 25 yards and completing 4 of 7 passes for 88 yards.

"We thought there would be a difference, but the kid from Crespi did a great job," said Ed Orgeron, USC's defensive line coach. "He showed me how well he operated that offense."

He was so good Oregon had a quarterback controversy. Just who was the right man to run coach Chip Kelly's offense? A poll in The Oregonian had Thomas winning with 60 percent of the vote.

"We didn't think about it," Bennett said. "It wasn't our job to worry about a controversy."

According to Bennett, all the quarterbacks are close. Thomas even gave him some advice after he was pulled in the Washington State game.

"It was pretty weird when Coach said at halftime, `Bryan, you're going in,' " Bennett said. "Darron said, `All you can do is play your game. We've got to get this win.' We're friends. All us quarterbacks are. We're together every day. We do favors for each. We're a unit."

Bennett got his start with Oregon as the scout team quarterback last year. He went against Oregon's first-team defense that featured linebacker Casey Matthews. "It wasn't live (tackling), otherwise I would've been killed," Bennett said with a laugh.

He wasn't laughing when watching the tape of his first significant time in the 41-27 win over Arizona State. "The announcers were saying I brought a different running game to the table but that I wasn't quite the passer," Bennett said. "I just don't like being told I can't do things. I take it as a challenge."

Last year, Oregon played Auburn for the BCS Championship and lost 22-19. Bennett had moved up from scout team quarterback to backup because of injury, and he traveled. He was a Thomas injury away from burning his redshirt and playing in the most important game of the year.

It was a helpful learning experience. Oregon is ranked fourth in the BCS. The only blemish is the season-opening 40-27 loss to LSU.

Bennett has had a taste of what it's like to quarterback the Ducks, but he's back signaling in those plays until it's his turn again. Thomas is a junior and has one more year of eligibility.

"One thing is (Bennett) is always eager to learn, and he's eager to play," said Mark Helfrich, Oregon's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

"Sometimes, the natural tendency for guys is to zone out when they're not playing but they have to be ready to go. He's been awesome. He couldn't be better, both he and Darron, whether they've been called in from the bullpen or sent to the bullpen. They're all competitors, and they all want to win."

What's clear, even in these often dreary, cloudy, bleak days here is that Bennett, the sun-kissed kid from California, will soon have the keys to drive this crazy-cool offense.

It's a message that's clearly understood.

 

Fauria tries to make most of opportunities

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

Posted: 11/17/2011 10:50:56 PM PST

LOS ANGELES - The on-again, off-again relationship between UCLA tight end Joseph Fauria and his quarterbacks once more steamed up last Saturday in the Bruins' 31-6 loss at Utah.

The towering target had four catches for 64 yards against the Utes, his biggest production since a six-catch, 110-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 1.

Fauria has snagged three touchdowns since then but hasn't been a focal point in the offense, whether because of the opposing defensive game plan or simply not factoring into UCLA's run-first offense.

"The best I can do is when my name is called, do the most with it," said Fauria, who has 22 receptions for 307 yards and four scores on the year. "Whether it's stiff-arming somebody, jumping over somebody, catching it over somebody - I'll do whatever I can to show the coaches I want the ball, I need the ball."

At 6-foot-8, he is an easy spot for his former Crespi High Shool teammate Kevin Prince.

But Fauria had been used sparingly in the passing game during the Bruins' two previous games before Utah, catching three total passes for 28 total yards in wins over Cal and Arizona State, when UCLA turned to its running game.

"If they put one guy on him, you can still throw him the ball and he'll still catch it," Prince said. "But sometimes they'll put two guys over there and take him away. Sometimes the progression of a play doesn't call for Joe to get the ball. In backyard football, sure, give Joe the ball. But when you're looking at coverages, looking at defenses and how the play fits, Joe doesn't always come as the primary receiver."

Fauria, who transferred from Notre Dame before his sophomore season, has come to realize that all of his blocking in the Pistol offense might just pay off in the long run. That doesn't mean he doesn't want the ball every play, but he concedes that might not be all it's cracked up to be.

Bumps and bruises

Sophomore safety Alex Mascarenas (head) was back in street clothes on Thursday after practicing fully on Wednesday and he is listed as out in the team's pre-game injury report. ... UCLA junior quarterback Richard Brehaut (leg), senior running back Derrick Coleman (hip) and senior safety Tony Dye (neck) were all listed as probable.

jon.gold@dailynews.com

 

MEN: LMU climbs to second in WCC

Craig Nitti scored in overtime and Loyola Marymount climbed into a tie for second place in the West Coast Conference with a 1-0 victory Sunday at San Francisco.

Nitti (Calabasas/Crespi Carmelite HS) headed home a cross from Tyler Krumpe (Torrance/West Torrance HS) 36 seconds into the extra period to lift Loyola Marymount (6-9-1), extending the Lions' unbeaten streak to five games.

Goalkeeper Jack McCormack (Manhattan Beach/Mira Costa HS) made nine saves for LMU (4-3-1 WCC), which is tied with USF and San Diego for second place in the West Coast Conference with 13 points, one point behind St. Mary's.

In other men´s action:

Fernando Monge put away the rebound after Victor Chavez (Fontana/A.B. Miller HS) hit the post 12 minutes into overtime, lifting Pac-12 leader UCLA (12-4-1) to a 1-0 win over visiting Oregon State. The Bruins need one point in their final three conference games to clinch the title.
Rosario Bras and Finnish junior Antti Arvila scored goals and added assists as Cal State L.A. (12-1-5) captured the CCAA's South Division title with a 5-1 rout of Cal State East Bay. The Golden Eagles face conference tournament host Cal State Stanislaus in a first-round game Friday.
Julian Garcia (Yucaipa/Yucaipa HS) converted a penalty kick nearly 12 minutes into overtime to lift Cal State San Bernardino (7-9-2) to a 2-1 CCAA victory over San Francisco State.
Cory Wolfrom's first-half penalty kick carried UC San Diego to a 1-0 CCAA win over Cal Poly Pomona (9-7-2), which closed its season with a five-game winless streak.
Cal State Dominguez Hills (11-4-2) limps into the CCAA tournament, where it opens Friday against Chico State, with a 2-0 loss at Cal State Monterey Bay.
Luis Escamilla (Riverside/La Sierra HS) tallied twice to lead La Sierra (11-5-1) to a 3-1 victory at Chapman (11-4-3).

THE SCORES

• MEN

Sunday
Cal Lutheran 1 (Wagner 73), UC Santa Cruz 3 (Middlemiss 10, Hummel 33, Barbosa 80)
Cal State East Bay 1 (Duenas 55), Cal State L.A. 5 (Bras 5, Arvola pen. 20, Swope 24, Faulkner 37, Payne 80)
Cal State Monterey Bay 2 (Brixey 66, Kochman 88), Cal State Dominguez Hills 0
Cal State San Bernardino 2 (Lopez 55, Garcia 102), San Francisco State 1 (Vitela 61), OT
Chapman 1 (Stoddard 78), La Sierra 3 (Nolan 33, Escamilla 39, 89)
Long Beach State 4 (Link 7, 79, Hubbard 69, Strozier 79), Pacific 2 (Higashino 64, Hogan 73)
San Francisco 0, Loyola Marymount 1 (Nitti 91), OT
UC San Diego 1 (Wolfrom pen. 39), Cal Poly Pomona 0
UC Santa Cruz 1, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0, OT
UCLA 1 (Monge 103), Oregon State 0, OT

 

Bryan Bennett, Kenjon Barner and Avery Patterson are part of the depth that makes the No. 7 Ducks imposing

Published: Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 5:27 PM

By Ken Goe, The Oregonian

Bruce Ely/The OregonianOregon quarterback Bryan Bennett

EUGENE – Oregon played at Colorado last Saturday with backups at quarterback, running back and strong safety, plugged in replacements at nickelback on defense and at the second tight end in two-tight end sets, and guess what?

The No. 7 Ducks didn’t miss a beat.

The Ducks scored with their first four possessions, and the UO defense blanked Colorado’s offense for the distance.

When it was over, Oregon had a 45-2 victory.

The Ducks aren’t just good. They are deep.

This week, Oregon (6-1, 4-0) meets Washington State (3-4, 1-2) at noon Saturday in Autzen Stadium. Oregon will be without All-America cornerback Cliff Harris, suspended after being cited for driving with a suspended a license and without insurance.

Harris also was suspended for Oregon’s season-opening 40-27 loss to LSU, and hasn’t managed to play his way back into the starting lineup.

The Ducks have had options without him, such as senior Anthony Gildon, redshirt freshmen Troy Hill and Terrance Mitchell, Dior Mathis and true freshman Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.

“We’re four deep at corner,” UO coach Chip Kelly said. “All those guys have played. Cliff hasn’t played a whole heck of a lot anyway. Dior would be a fifth. He got some extensive playing time in the Colorado game.”

The list doesn’t include Avery Patterson, a cornerback last year, who stepped in for the injured Eddie Pleasant (ankle) at strong safety.

Offensively, quarterback Bryan Bennett produced 225 yards total offense and threw a pair of touchdown passes in relief of starter Darron Thomas (knee). Kenjon Barner averaged 11.5 yards a carry and bolted 84 yards for a touchdown while getting his second start in place of Doak Walker Award winner LaMichael James (elbow).

“I’ve always felt, and I think our staff has always felt, that we have two quality running backs that are right up there with the top running backs in the country,” Kelly said. “It was very ironic. LaMichael was averaging 170.4 yards a game, and then Kenjon, in his first game in, runs for 171.”

That was in the 41-27 victory over Arizona State on Oct. 6.

Every college football team has injuries. The Ducks have answers, which explains their perch in the top 10.

Oregon has recruited well, but the UO coaches also have developed the players they recruited. It’s part of an overall philosophy, which hinges on the rapid pace with which Oregon plays and practices, and the number of fresh bodies it takes to do it that way.

“We do play a lot of guys,” offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said. “We try to prepare them in practice that way. I think our ‘ones’ probably practice a little bit less than typical by percentage. But they’re still getting a lot reps because we try to practice fast.’’

The thing is, Oregon’s ‘twos’ get more practice time than would be typical – both on offense and defense – because the pace is so frenetic.

The Ducks don’t ease up in games, so they have to shuttle bodies in and out to keep things from dragging. That means if a player goes down with an injury, the guy taking his place usually has been on the field before. In many cases, he has played a lot.

“It’s not like it’s a shell-shocking experience,” offensive tackle Darrion Weems said. “It’s not, ‘Oh my God, I’m actually in a game.’ It’s more like, ‘OK, I’ve done this before. I’ve been here, done that. Now, let’s play the game.’”

Nick Musgrove, who filled in for Colt Lyerla at Colorado in the Ducks’ two-tight end sets, caught a pass. Mitchell filled in for Patterson as the nickel while Patterson filled in for Pleasant. On and on it goes.

“I think one thing kids know when they come here is, if you merit playing time, you’re going to play,” Kelly said. “We’re not caught up in we’re only going to play 11 guys on defense, 11 guys on offense. We play at a certain tempo and pace on both sides of the ball that warrant us to play a lot of guys. If we can get a lot of guys who can get up to speed, then they’ll have the ability to play and we’ll play them.”  

The subs know to stay alert and be ready to cinch their chinstraps. They aren’t going to spend Saturdays watching from the sideline.

“We don’t really have any backups,” Kelly said. “We have rotations. And with that, I think it gets a lot more guys involved. It helps. The more people you can have contributing, the better off the chemistry and attitude of the team is.”

-- Ken Goe; follow him on Twitter

 

UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Neuheisel thinking about using Lucien

By Jon Gold Staff Writer

Posted: 10/23/2011 10:17:35 PM PDT

Despite a wide receiver corps depleted by suspension, UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said he was unsure if he would use freshman Devin Lucien against Cal on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

With senior Taylor Embree, junior Randall Carroll and sophomores Ricky Marvray and Shaq Evans suspended by the Pac-12 for their roles in starting and escalatinga midfield brawl at the end of the first half in the Bruins' 48-12 loss at Arizona on Thursday, the Bruins are down to just seniors Nelson Rosario and Josh Smith, junior Jerry Rice Jr. and Lucien, who has maintained his redshirt status.

Neuheisel also said junior wide receiver Jerry Johnson could be available after returning from a fractured ankle suffered last year and F-back Jordon James can play oustside as well.

"It's a precarious situation, that's true," Neuheisel said, "but we feel like with our athletes and some of the stuff we can do in the running game we can neutralize the effect of it."

Neuheisel said the decision to use Lucien, who starred at Crespi and appeared ready for the game during fall camp, will be a group discussion.

"No, he's not off the table, but it's important that that be a family decision," Neuheisel said. "Devin has sat for the entire year, we thought for a redshirt. These guys are going to be back after one game so I want to make sure we are doing something prudent for Devin. And making sure that he understands what the situation exactly is.

"We'll certainly talk about that and talk about it with Devin."

Neuheisel also said he was "not going to second-guess" the Pac-12 on the suspensions, which also included a two-game suspension for sophomore defensive tackle Cassius Marsh and a half-game penalty for sophomore offensive guard Alberto Cid. Four Arizona players were suspended for their roles in the brawl as well, which broke out after a streaker disrupted the game with four seconds left in the first half and the Bruins trailing 42-7.

"I'm disappointed it took place," Neuheisel said. "Circumstances were nothing short of bizarre."

 

What's the secret to Oregon quarterback Bryan Bennett's poise? Preparation. Well, that and talent

Published: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 9:13 PM     Updated: Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 10:28 PM

By Ken Goe, The Oregonian

Oregon Ducks football: QB Bryan Bennett's preparation pays off when his number is called Quarterback Bryan Bennett stepped in seamlessly when Darron Thomas was injured against Arizona State last Saturday. He's ready to go again, if necessary, when the Ducks head to Colorado. Watch video

EUGENE – Bryan Bennett could have clutched up Saturday night in Autzen Stadium.

Oregon’s redshirt freshman quarterback could have seen starter Darron Thomas go down with a third-quarter knee injury, and heard the massive intake of breath from the record crowd 60,055. He could have watched Arizona State drive for the go-ahead touchdown, gulped hard, and been swallowed by the moment.

Except he didn’t.

“He was very calm,” center Hroniss Grasu said. “He called the plays with authority. He communicated well. He was loud.”

Bennett, whose only prior action had been a pair of mop-up appearances, marshaled the Ducks to touchdown drives Saturday in his first two full possessions, and onto a 41-27 victory.

Surprising as it sounds, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Bennett swears he wasn’t nervous.

Thomas Boyd/The OregonianOregon quarterback Bryan Bennett breaks into the open against Arizona State.

“It was time to go,” he said, describing in a Tuesday evening interview what he was feeling. “Here is my shot. I have to take it. I just went out there, tried to stay calm and execute what the coaches asked me to execute.”

A 13-yard completion to receiver Justin Hoffman kept the first touchdown drive moving. He sparked the second by turning an option keeper into a 36-yard gain that caught the Sun Devils flat-footed.

It’s almost as if the ASU players didn’t believe Bennett had that kind of acceleration. Maybe they should have done their homework. He was a track star at Crespi Carmelite High in Encino, Calif., who ran on the relays and triple jumped nearly 47 feet. He has been clocked at 4.52 in the 40.

Bennett is just fine pulling the trigger on Oregon’s spread option. It’s a good thing, because he might be starting at 12:30 p.m. Saturday when the No. 9 Ducks (5-1, 3-0) play in an FSN game at Colorado (1-6, 0-3).

It’s unclear how seriously Thomas is hurt with what is thought to be a left knee injury.

Thomas was in full pads when he exited Oregon’s closed practice Tuesday morning. He didn’t appear to be wearing a brace or limping. However Jay Allen, a member of the Oregon radio broadcast team, tweeted he had been told that Bennett has taken all the snaps with the first-string offense in practice this week.

If Bennett gets the call Saturday afternoon in Boulder, Grasu said, the Oregon quarterback and the UO offense will be just fine.

“Definitely,” Grasu said.

Grasu played high school ball with Bennett. He has known him forever.

In fact, Grasu was playing center for Crespi in the 2007 season-opener, when starting quarterback Kevin Prince – now at UCLA -- was hurt. On came Bennett, a skinny high school sophomore.

“Prince got hurt six plays into the game,” Grasu said. “I honestly didn’t even know Bryan was the back-up, because he was the JV quarterback. He had the JV game the next day. So I didn’t think he was going to play. Then he came in, and he just took it over from there. He took us to the state final.”

Truth is, in that game, Bennett was scared to death.

“When he got told to come in, he was so nervous that he couldn’t say the play,” Grasu said. “But in college, when he got thrown in, he was excited, calling the plays with authority, running our offense, being a leader out there.”

Experience is a great teacher. Bennett never has forgotten that deer-in-the-headlights moment as a high school sophomore.

One moment, he was minding his own business on the sidelines. The next moment he was on the field, the crowd watching, the defense digging in and 10 teammates looking to him.

“That was a big learning experience for me,” Bennett said. “I go back to staying poised, and things like that. A lot of that I learned when I was 15 years old, playing against Birmingham. They were a good team at the time, and I got thrown in there.”

He didn’t feel ready.

“I remember not really expecting to play, not having a rib protector on, not having my ankles taped – anything like that,” he said. “All of a sudden, they called my name. That was a real surprise.”

The lesson learned was to always prepare as if you’re going to play. It’s why Bennett bears down in practice, in meetings, in video sessions, in the offseason. He made himself ready, so that when he was summoned last Saturday, he wasn’t nervous.

He was prepared.

“Being a back-up isn’t just being a back-up,” Bennett said. “There is a lot of responsibility that you still have, because you don’t know when your number could be called. You don’t know when you're going to have to step up for your team. It’s not just for yourself. It’s for the good of the team.”

The Ducks weren’t about to back off because Thomas was on the sidelines getting his left knee examined, and Bennett was running the show.

“I was 100 percent confident,” offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said. “We had that conversation when he went into the game. The phrase we said was, ‘all systems go.’”

And why not? The sight off Bennett breaking free on the option keeper probably had defensive coordinators around the conference reaching for the antacid bottle. He can run with Thomas, and he has a better vertical leap.

After concentrating on football during his sophomore and junior seasons of high school, Bennett’s basketball coach talked him into coming out as a senior.

“In basketball, he was dunking over people 6-8,” Grasu said. “Just dunking over them, dunking on breakaways. He’s very athletic.”

That’s important. But, if you believe Bennett, not as important as his preparation. Which explains why he didn’t let the moment swallow him Saturday against Arizona State.

“You know, we play football every day,” Bennett said. “When it comes down to it, it’s just playing football. That’s the way you have to look at it. Obviously, there is a lot more on the line. There are people watching. There is a crowd. There is all this. It’s loud – 100 different things that could get in your way if you let it. But you can’t let it.

“You have to just go out and play football.”

-- Ken Goe; follow him on Twitter

 

Football: Crespi could have two starting QBs in Pac-12

October 18, 2011 |  7:49 pm

It could be a big week for ex-Crespi quarterbacks. Kevin Prince is scheduled to start Thursday night for UCLA against Arizona.

And Bryan Bennett is in line to start at quarterback for Oregon on Saturday against Colorado if starter Darron Thomas can't make it back from a knee injury.

Prince and Bennett were teammates in 2007 at Crespi when Prince went down with a season-ending knee injury in the first game and Bennett took over as the starter.

-- Eric Sondheimer

 

UC Davis Sweeps Men's Soccer Weekly Honors

UC Davis' Matt Sheldon

UC Davis' Omar Zeenni

10/17/2011

UC Davis freshman Matt Sheldon and sophomore Omar Zeenni led their team to an important conference road victory against Cal State Northridge to capture Big West Men's Soccer Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively.

Sheldon Scores First Two Career Goals In Victory

Matt Sheldon (Portland, Ore./Lincoln HS) scored his first two career goals to lead UC Davis to a key conference road victory against Cal State Northridge, earning the freshman Big West Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Sheldon, who became the first Aggie to tally two goals in one game since Oct. 31, 2009, knocked in his first goal in the 71st minute.  He received a pass from Dan Reese and shot to the top right corner of the net.

He then secured the 2-1 overtime victory in the third extra minute, pouncing on a CSUN turnover in the box to slam home a shot from point blank range.  Sheldon took only two shots for the game to score his two goals.

Others nominated: Cameron Walters (Cal Poly); Thomas Ramos (Cal State Northridge); Miguel Ibarra (UC Irvine); Sam Garza (UC Santa Barbara)

Zeenni Holds Down Aggressive Matador Offense

Omar Zeenni (Arcadia, Calif./Crespi Carmelite HS) withstood an onslaught of shots an attacking Cal State Northridge side to secure a 2-1 overtime victory for UC Davis, garnering Big West Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors for the sophomore.

Zeenni faced 20 Matador shots and made five saves as the Aggies crept into a second place tie with CSUN in the Big West standings.  Zeenni kept the Matadors off the board until the 78th minute of play.  It was also the eighth time this season that Zeenni played over 90 minutes in goal. 

He leads the Big West with a .780 save percentage.

Others nominated: Patrick McLain (Cal Poly); Michael Abalos (Cal State Northridge);  Everett Pitts (UC Irvine)

 

UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Prince says he will be cautious, but not timid

By Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Posted: 10/13/2011 09:34:26 PM PDT

Nobody needs to tell UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince about the importance of staying healthy.

The former Crespi standout has been hurt for so much of his career with the Bruins it's almost easier to count the few times he's actually been injury-free - right now being one of them.

But with the Bruins quarterback situation as thin as it is now with Richard Brehaut is out for at least the next three weeks, it's imperative Prince stays healthy.

The Bruins need Prince on the field, but they need him to play confidently, not timidly. And he recognizes that.

"It doesn't really change my mindset toward the game but it definitely makes me more mindful of getting out of bounds and things like that," Prince said "But I'm not going to not hold the ball on reads, and I'm still going to run the ball and play the way I like to play."

Prince thinks he better understands that after getting dinged up as much as he has over the years, including the broken jaw he suffered as a redshirt freshman against Tennessee back in 2009.

It hasn't always worked, but he's tried to incorporate more of a cautious approach when it comes to getting out of bounds, feeling the defensive pressure and sliding rather than absorbing the bulk of the hit when he takes off on runs – which was the mistake he made against Tennessee.

"I learned pretty quickly you can't withstand much abuse on the college level. These guys are strong and fast and great athletes," Prince said. "I'm not that young kid going into Neyland Stadium trying to take on Tennessee linebackers anymore."

Just in case he needs any reminders, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel has stressed the importance of Prince playing smart – but still hard.

"We talk about it, and we went as far as to practice sliding," Neuheisel said. "But the point of the matter is you can't play this game nervous or scared. You just have to play. You just have to keep making sure that the next guy's ready and that good things are bound to happen. Bad luck can't follow us everywhere, knock on wood."

Bye break

The Bruins concluded their final bye-week practice, and now are off until Sunday as they work their way toward Thursday's game at Arizona.

Neuheisel was pleased with the Bruins' work, saying, "I thought it was a really good week in terms of getting better fundamentally, getting some guys healthy, getting guys to look toward the future of the second half and get the right mindset with respect to what's going to be required of us to compete the way we need to and be successful."

The Bruins touched a bit on their game plan for Arizona, although the bulk of the installation will take place next week.

"But it will go in easily now that it's already been introduced," Neuheisel said.

Big recruiting weekend

The Bruins' coaching staff will scatter around the state and country on the recruiting trail this weekend.

It's a chance for them to get some time around the most coveted players on their wish list, and an opportunity Neuheisel hopes to capitalize on.

"It's a great weekend for us because we're coming off a win and we're excited about the second half of the season, so hopefully as the season continues to unfold we'll keep our momentum and momentum will carry over to recruiting," he said. "We've had good classes and I believe we'll have nothing less than that this year."

 

UCLA FOOTBALL: Bruins' comeback story against Washington State has Prince in leading role

By Jon Gold Staff Writer

Posted: 10/08/2011 11:48:05 PM PDT

UCLA FOOTBALL: Former Crespi star turns boos to cheers after replacing injured Brehaut.

PASADENA - Chatting with the media after a practice last week, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel told the congregation, "Every great movie needs a great ending, right?

"Let's create it."

Only he was referring to soccer-manager-turned-kicker Tyler Gonzalez, not junior quarterback Kevin Prince.

But Prince flipped the script on Neuheisel and the boo birds Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

Prince relieved injured junior Richard Brehaut in the second quarter and led the Bruins to a come-from-behind 28-25 win over a spunky Washington State team in front of 64,217, completing 7-of-12 passes for 173 yards and twotouchdowns, including the winner with 3 minutes, 26 seconds left.

"I don't how many teams have to go through what we go through," Neuheisel said. "We're going to keep working and keep trying and we have two weeks to rest up and get healthy and we'll get after it again."

Running onto the Rose Bowl turf for his first appearance since a one-quarter, three-interception performance against Texas in Week3, the Crespi High product heard a smattering of boos.

Seems Bruins fans have lasting memories, but it didn't take Prince long to erase them.

After Brehaut went down with a fractured lower left leg with 9:58 left in the second quarter, Prince took the reins and immediately led the Bruins down the field, the big play coming on a 41-yard completion to Nelson Rosario that was initially called a touchdown but overturned.

Two plays later, running back Derrick Coleman ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give UCLA a 7-6 lead.

After the momentum bounced back-and-forth for the next 20 minutes, Washington State seemed to regain control, taking a 25-20 lead on Andrew Furney's field goal with 6:44 left.

Prince, though, responded, and responded quickly.

After Johnathan Franklin's 3-yard run put the ball at the UCLA 32-yard line, Prince hit Rosario for a one-handed, 58-yard completion to the Cougars' 10.

Three plays later, Prince threw the winner to junior Shaq Evans up the middle, atoning for an interception in the red zone that squandered a UCLA scoring opportunity toward the end of the first half.

Prince then delivered a picture-perfect throw to Rosario in the back of the end zone for the 2-point conversion.

"Kevin was the starter before; we know he knows what he's doing," Rosario said. "We know he has confidence in what he's doing. He'll be fine."

Despite Prince's heroics, the Bruins needed a little boost from the defense to preserve the win.

Junior cornerback Andrew Abbott, starting in place of the injured Sheldon Price, intercepted Cougars quarterback Marshall Lobbestael pass at the Washington State 47 with 2:44 left, giving UCLA the opportunity to run out the clock.

But the Bruins would need Prince one more time.

After a 5-yard penalty gave UCLA a third-and-8 at the Washington State 49 with 1:44 left, Prince hit senior wide receiver Josh Smith for an 11-yard completion and the Bruins were able to run out the clock.

"This was a big win for us," said Rosario, who had three catches for 120 yards. "It keeps us in the conference race. Now we'll take the next two weeks to get ready and get after it."

 

Reno Bighorns Hire Paul Mokeski As New Head Coach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 2011

RENO, NEV.— The Reno Bighorns have announced the hiring of Paul Mokeski for their head coach position. Mokeski brings over 30 years of experience in professional basketball to the Bighorns as a coach and a player. Mokeski comes over from the Rio Grand Valley Vipers where he was an assistant coach. He helped guide the Vipers to the NBA D-League Finals the past two seasons including winning the NBA D-League Championship in 2010. The Vipers eliminated the Bighorns from the playoffs in both seasons.

“Coach Mokeski is the total package,” said Reno Bighorns owner Herb Santos, Jr. “He had a great career in the NBA as a player, he has coached at the collegiate, Olympic, NBA and NBA D-League levels and throughout his career he has shown his commitment to giving back to the communities he has lived in. He meets all of my requirements.”

A second round draft pick of the Houston Rockets in the 1979 NBA Draft, Mokeski played 12 years in the NBA with Houston, Detroit, Milwaukee and Golden State. Prior to his NBA career, he was a high school All American in 1975 and played basketball at the University of Kansas, where he was a two time All-Big Eight selection.

“I am honored and excited to be the next head coach of the Reno Bighorns,” said Mokeski. “I look forward to teaming up with the new local ownership group, led by Herb Santos Jr. and putting together a successful and entertaining team together both on and off the court.”

Mokeski’s coaching resume extends across many different levels of professional and collegiate basketball. He has been on coaching staffs in the NBA (Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Bobcats), the NBA D-League (Fort Worth Flyers, Anaheim Arsenal, Rio Grand Valley Vipers), the NCAA (Stony Brook University, University of Southern California), the CBA (Hartford Hellcats) and the USBL (Connecticut Skyhawks). He was also a coach for the Jamaican Men’s National team and is currently the assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Great Britain Men’s National Team.

“The competition for our head coaching position was very competitive,” said Santos, Jr. “In the end, Coach Mokeski is the best candidate to lead our team and help us reach our goals. He wants to continue our winning tradition, he wants to help make this franchise the best in the NBA D League, he wants to join the Bighorns in helping our community non-profit organizations, and finally, he wants to call Reno his home with his family.” With the Bighorns’ new emphasis on getting involved with the community, Mokeski is excited to add to his already active involvement in community work. He hosted a golf tournament for four years in Milwaukee where he raised over $250,000 for the Children’s Hospital. He has also worked with The Heart Association, Arthritis Association and is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“We are Reno's team,” said Mokeski. “When you see any of our players or staff off the court you will see that we are professional in everything we do.”

Bighorns’ fans will have an opportunity to meet Mokeski at the Flowing Tide Pub on Longley Lane on Friday, September 30 at noon. The previous coach of the Bighorns, Eric Musselman, was hired as head coach by the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers. Musselman will return to Reno when the D-Fenders play the Bighorns on Friday, January 6 at 7pm.

In August 2011, the Bighorns were purchased by Bighorns Basketball, LLC, a local ownership group led by Herb Santos, Jr., Stephen Adams and Jeffrey Adams. For the first time in the Bighorns history, the team is locally owned. The Bighorns’ office and practice facility will be located at the South Reno Athletic Club. The team has practiced at the facility for the past three seasons.

The Bighorns tip off their regular season on the road on Friday, Nov. 25, when the team visits the Bakersfield Jam. The team will return to Reno to host its first home game of the season against Bakersfield at the Reno Events Center on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7pm. The Bighorns experienced many first-time accomplishments last season including their first Western Conference Championship, their first call-ups, their first playoff series victory, and their first sell-out crowd on Opening Night. The team will look to gain momentum from the 2010-2011 in which they won a franchise-best 34 games.

The Sacramento Kings will retain its Bighorns affiliation for the fourth consecutive season and will be joined by the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies as parent clubs.

 

Ducks' Grasu keeps that smile on his face

Freshman center Hroniss Grasu has kept up a worry-free approach in his first season as a starter

By Rob Moseley

The Register-Guard

Published: (Friday, Sep 16, 2011 05:01AM) Today

What, him worry?

Not Hroniss Grasu’s style. This is a guy who describes himself as “always smiling,” which would make sense seeing as how he’s “always really happy.”

Though he’s been thrown into the fire as a redshirt freshman starting center for No. 12 Oregon this season, Grasu has handled the job with that characteristic attitude.

His mind-set for his collegiate debut against LSU, and Oregon’s home opener last week? Act as if Saturdays inside massive Cowboys Stadium and raucous Autzen Stadium were no different than weekdays in the Moshofsky Center.

“We practice the same plays we’re running in the game,” Grasu reasoned. “I really felt like it was just practice out there.”

The strategy worked. If not perfect, Grasu held his own against LSU, committing no major gaffes. He was even better against Nevada, helping pave the way for Oregon’s 69 points and 603 total yards.

Saturday, Grasu and the Ducks (1-1) will host Missouri State in Autzen Stadium. No less an authority than UO coach Chip Kelly said one of the game’s key matchups — if there can be any in what’s expected to be an incredibly one-sided game — will be Grasu’s battle with Bears nose tackle Eric Pearce, in part because this will be the first time the Ducks face a true 3-4 defense.

Grasu’s level of anxiety entering the matchup? “I’m not worried at all,” he said.

N

Grasu’s name, for the record, is pronounced huh-ROW-niss GRAH-soo.

His parents, Steve and Mariana, are of Romanian descent. But the family also has ties to Greece, and Grasu’s first name is in fact Greek.

N

Grasu’s lack of anxiety entering Saturday stems not from overconfidence but preparation. In the past two years, the Ducks have played extensively with a 3-4 defensive front, so Grasu sees it every day in practice.

“It’s nothing new,” said Grasu, who replaced two-year starter Jordan Holmes as Oregon’s center. “We went all through fall camp (against) guys like Isaac Remington and Ricky Heimuli and Wade Keliikipi, so I’m not new to this. It’s different, but we did it in spring ball and fall camp, so it better still be in the back of my mind.”

The obvious change is that rather than being flanked by defensive tackles, Grasu will have Pearce in his face on every snap. That means being even more explosive off the ball than usual, firing his free hand up off the line to engage Pearce while making the snap.

He also primarily coordinates with a different guard, and needs to make sure that the line accounts for linebackers manning each end, rather than down linemen. But the presence of the nose guard is the real complicating factor.

“He got some good work in camp with having guys like Ricky and Wade on his head,” Kelly said. “But to have one every single snap, that’s going to be a real challenge and a real matchup to watch.”

N

One of the defensive tackles who Grasu regularly bangs heads with during the week, Heimuli, was his roommate their first summer in Eugene last year, and one of his best friends on the team. The relationship is similar to that of Haloti Ngata and Enoka Lucas in 2004-05, linemen who squared off in practice but were close friends off the field.

“When I go home, I tell him to stop hitting me so hard, because he has a really big head and he hits me really hard with it,” Grasu joked. “No, but it’s a lot of fun. We go home and just relax, talk about practice. I ask him how he’s doing, he asks me how I’m doing.”

Nothing like 600-plus pounds of human being crashing into each other for two hours each day, and then going home to laugh about it on the couch.

N

Oregon was Grasu’s “top choice” coming out of Crespi High in Encino, Calif., largely owing to UO offensive line coach Steve Greatwood’s reputation in the eyes of Crespi’s coach, Jeremiah Ross, and other players from the area who played for the Ducks, including Charlie Carmichael.

The summer before his senior year, Grasu attended a football camp in Eugene. When he got home, he had an e-mail from Greatwood offering a scholarship.

“I wanted to commit right on the spot,” Grasu said.

There was a hitch. Washington State, where his brother attended, also extended an offer. The Cougars, however, wanted Grasu to play defensive end. Grasu preferred that position, but Ross convinced him that his future was on offense. And Grasu badly wanted to play for Greatwood.

“I heard so many great things about him,” Grasu said.

Thus, the three-star prep recruit, rated the No. 9 center prospect in the country by Scout.com, chose Oregon.

N

Grasu’s brother, Nico, had good reason for trying to recruit Hroniss to WSU — Nico was a kicker for the Cougars from 2008-10.

A kicker and an offensive lineman from the same family?

“He’s not a small kicker,” Hroniss said. “He’s built like a middle linebacker.

“He tells me he played linebacker in high school,” Grasu said with a look of devilish skepticism, “but I haven’t seen any film.”

N

Grasu’s redshirt season was marred by a shoulder injury, but he considered it highly beneficial for one reason.

“I got to watch Jordan,” Grasu said. “That was very, very helpful for me. Watching a guy like him play and be the leader out there, I really wanted to do the same — if not better — when I got the call. And then in the spring he really took me under his wing. It made the game feel a lot slower to me.”

Coming out of April, Grasu was expected to battle sophomore Karrington Armstrong and former top recruit Hamani Stevens, a returned church missionary, for the center spot. But Grasu, up 13 pounds to 291, opened preseason camp with the first string, and never really relented.

Even when he opened the week of preparations for the LSU game still atop the depth chart, however, Grasu didn’t want to get comfortable.

“I never really told myself, ‘I’m the guy,’ ” Grasu said. “I still don’t want to, because I want to compete every day like I don’t have the job.”

Based on the rotation in preseason camp, though, the position was clearly his.

“He’s done a great job out there, obviously gotten better,” sophomore defensive tackle Taylor Hart said. “He’s become that leader that the center needs to be, more confident. You can hear him making his point calls and stuff. He’s definitely developed more as a player.”

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Along with Heimuli, Grasu’s roommates in a rental house are two former high school teammates, quarterback Bryan Bennett and receiver Blake Stanton. One of their favorite pastimes is the card game Uno.

Yes, a bunch of young, eligible bachelors play a game designed for ages 7 and up.

“I know,” Grasu said defensively. “We have a lot of fun, though.”

There’s also a new fish tank, which has so far proven inhospitable for two recently deceased frogs, plus regular wrestling matches.

“Bryan’s always trying to wrestle me and Ricky, both of us at the same time,” Grasu said. “Blake, too. Me and Ricky sometimes will just throw them to the ground, and they still think they beat us up. But they can’t.”

N

Though his snaps were generally on the mark, and he wasn’t overwhelmed by his opponent or the environment, Grasu had some things to learn from the opener.

“I thought maybe he was trying to do too much in the LSU game,” UO senior lineman Mark Asper said. “Do too many things, get too many things coordinated. But part of that learning process was, he learned that as the center, yes you’re the linchpin — but you don’t have to do everybody’s job.”

Grasu said he was guilty of “overcommunicating” — verbalizing pre-snap calls that could have been assumed based on the experience of the guys around him. Asper played tackle in the opener, then moved inside next to Grasu at guard against Nevada, and the veteran said he could recall only one or two plays on which the redshirt freshman didn’t nail the pre-snap communication.

“He did really well with that in practice last week,” Asper said. “And then in the game it showed. He made the calls he needed to, and didn’t waste time doing other things. So we were able to play fast and move the ball.”

Just like practice. It hasn’t come as easily as Grasu makes it sound, but so far, one of Oregon’s biggest question marks coming into this season has been anything but.

“I feel really confident out there,” Grasu said. “I feel like the guys are really listening to me. It feels great.”

No worries.

 

UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Quarterback Prince is a picture of anger

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

Kevin Prince has been down this road before, the road that leads to frustration and anger and, he hopes, ultimately redemption.

Four days after suffering a concussion and a minor AC sprain in his right shoulder during the second quarter of UCLA's 38-34 loss at Houston on Saturday, the junior quarterback out of Crespi was back and throwing on Wednesday, trying to regain the momentum he'd built during a fall camp battle with Richard Brehaut.

During the game, a still-frame photograph went live on Twitter of Prince standing on the sideline, seething in anger.

"Yeah, I was pissed," Prince said." It's just frustrating - you work so hard all offseason to get back from a knee injury," Prince said. "I did everything I could during the summer to prevent getting hurt, did everything I could in training camp to win the job and stay healthy, and I felt great going into the game. I knew everything. Everything. That's why I had the look on my face - I was standing there, and I was pissed."

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel wouldn't go as far as naming Brehaut the starter in Saturday's home opener against San Jose State at the Rose Bowl, but Brehaut has gotten nearly all of the first-team reps after completing 17-of-26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 87 yards and a score.

As Prince said he went from feeling about "five percent" strength in his shoulder on Tuesday to near full-strength, though he attempted mostly light passes, Neuheisel thinks Prince will be ready to play against the Spartans if needed, though a crucial rematch with Texas comes the following week.

"He was better, and he'll be much better tomorrow," Neuheisel said.

"He'll be ready to go. He'll be available - I don't know how much he'll be ready to play yet, but he'll available, there's no question in my mind."

 

Prince cleared of concussion

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel got mixed news in junior quarterback Kevin Prince's injury report Sunday.

The oft-injured Crespi product cleared his concussion symptoms and will resume the standard protocol, but he also suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder on the same play early in the second quarter of the 38-34 loss at Houston.

On second-and-6 at the UCLA 31-yard line, Prince headed toward the sideline, where he was upended by Houston defender D.J. Hayden.

"The concussion cleared last night, no lingering effects this morning," Neuheisel said. "There will be a protocol, but that portion of the injury will be fine by Saturday. The question then is the shoulder, and we'll just have to wait and see."

It was a disappointing turn of events for Prince, who emerged as the starting quarterback after a heated fall camp battle with Richard Brehaut, although they were expected to split time.

Prince missed three games during his redshirt freshman season because of myriad injuries, and he was sidelined for seven games last year with a knee injury after missing most of fall camp with a back injury.

"It's very frustrating," Prince told reporters on Saturday night. "Going through camp, being able to participate the whole time, then to play one quarter and be done with it that quick."

Brehaut relieved Prince and threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 87 yards and a score and didn't suffer a sack while bringing the Bruins back from a 31-14 halftime deficit.

Neuheisel also said freshman Brett Hundley would move to No. 2 on the depth chart if Prince couldn't play.

Off to the races

Returning 1,100-yard rusher Johnathan Franklin got off to a good start with a 128-yard, one-touchdown effort against the Cougars. He also added two catches for 17 yards.

Franklin only got 16 carries, though, despite averaging 8.0 yards a carry, and Neuheisel said the need to pass the ball took precedence.

"It's a game situation. We held the ball for 22 minutes in the second half, and we're trying to fight back into the game," Neuheisel said. "If we're ahead and chewing clock then we can certainly add more carries. Johnathan is gonna carry somewhere between 20 and 25 in a game."

Franklin had only four games with 20-plus carries last year despite having the highest individual rushing total for UCLA since Skip Hicks in 1997. He averaged 17.8 carries per game last season.

Bumps and bruises

Neuheisel said senior linebacker Glenn Love has a dislocated shoulder and would be out "a couple of weeks."

jon.gold@dailynews.com

 

UCLA tight end Fauria stands tall in defeat

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

HOUSTON - Whenever UCLA junior quarterback Richard Brehaut was lost, scrambling, with no one to turn to, all he had to do was look up.

Approximately 80 inches and straight down the middle of the field.

There he would find 6-foot-8 tight end Joseph Fauria towering over his defender, his long frame an ample target.

Fauria had 110 yards on six catches, including a 5-yard touchdown pass, in a 38-34 UCLA loss Saturday at Houston's Robertson Stadium, living up to the promise he showed in a productive fall camp.

After watching his Crespi High teammate and good friend Kevin Prince go down with a concussion early in the second quarter, Fauria maintained the chemistry with Brehaut.

"We didn't skip a beat," Fauria said. "We have a rare, good thing to have in college football and that's two starting quarterbacks that can lead us to victory. Richard did his job and I trust Kevin, too.

"It's a shame that he got hurt but we're going to wish him a speedy recovery. He's one of my best friends. (But) Richard did his thing. He led us."

Fauria was particularly effective on third down, as Brehaut hit him for first downs on three occasions, the passes going for 29, 26 and 21 yards, respectively.

On the 26-yard grab, Fauria played the role of safety valve to perfection, as Brehaut essentially alley-ooped it to himself, dropping the ball and then caroming it after it bounced off the ground before scrambling to find a streaking Fauria down the right sideline.

Fauria showed on Saturday what he can do without a limp in his step, as he entered the season fully healthy after being nagged by a bad groin last season after transferring from Notre Dame and redshirting.

"I was hurt - you can call it improved, you can call it whatever you want - but it's me finally being healthy," Fauria said. "Finally coming into the scheme of things, earning my trust with the coaches and my teammates. In the past, the quarterback probably wouldn't have thrown it to me. Now, I've earned my trust in camp and it's just going to carry on."

Fauria showed glimpses of his potential last season - two of his three catches went for touchdowns - but he was mostly targeted in specific packages or used as a decoy.

Now, he's clearly a focal point of the offense.

But even with his expanded role, Fauria was not happy after the Bruins' loss, though he sounded resolved to make a big statement next Saturday against San Jose State at the Rose Bowl in the team's home opener.

"Horrible," Fauria said about his postgame emotions. "But you see the feeling around the locker room is way different than it was last year. Guys are hurt. When you have it so close in your grasp and you let it go ... we know, the defense and offense know, we have to come together and respond."

 

Prince is UCLA's starting point

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

Posted: 08/30/2011 10:43:16 PM PDT

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel had a conference call set for 6 p.m. Tuesday to announce his starting quarterback. He took to the phone at 6:09.

After waiting until four days before the Bruins open their season Saturday at Houston, what's another nine minutes?

Now, it turns out, what's another week or so?

Neuheisel said while junior Kevin Prince will start against the Cougars, fellow junior Richard Brehaut would also see extensive action, and added that the competition continues as neither quarterback has separated himself.

"This is not so everybody feels good," Neuheisel said. "It's so that the competition continues. We're going to play this position well. We're going to play it consistently. Both kids are capable of doing that and I'm going to expect it from them. I'm excited to watch them both play."

Neither quarterback was consistent last year, and rarely was there cause for much excitement, as UCLA's passing game fell to historic lows. Behind Prince for five games - after being sidelined for much of fall camp by a back injury, he was lost midway through the year after knee surgery - and Brehaut for seven, the Bruins ranked 116th out of 120 FBS teams in passing offense at just 141.08 yards per game.

With Prince still recovering during spring practice and Brehaut switching between UCLA baseball and football, Neuheisel declared the competition open heading into fall camp.

Prince saw most of the first-team reps throughout camp, but Brehaut came on strong with his passing skills eclipsing Prince's while he worked back into form. In recent practices, Prince has improved in the throwing game and that, combined with his talents in the run department, will give him the first shot against Houston.

"I think that Coach Neuheisel just saw that Richard is very capable and we both bring unique things to the table in terms of our ability and things that we're able to do when we're in the game," Prince said. "So I don't know if Richard won or I lost or however you want to label it. We're both capable of playing the position well and that's what we're going to do on Saturday."

Neuheisel said score and time would not dictate usage, and that he hoped to maintain a rhythm if the offensive was moving. He also added later that freshman Brett Hundley could see some action in a "small package."

"I just believe both deserve to play, so both are going to play this weekend," Neuheisel said.

"We'll start Kevin, and Richard will come off the bench and play. I've told both of them that I don't know exactly when or how or why, because when you make promises of that sort, you end up setting yourself up for disappointment because you can never predict the ebb and flow of a game."

Neuheisel made a similar commitment to Brehaut last season, but Brehaut did not see any action until Week 2 in a 35-0 loss to Stanford, when he completed 5 of 9 passes for 42 yards and an interception. He didn't play again until starting for Prince in a 42-28 win over Washington State in Week 5 as Prince nursed the knee injury, which eventually cost him the season after a one-game return in a 35-7 loss to Cal.

"I think things are a little bit different this year," Brehaut said, when asked why he had faith that he'd play Saturday. "I think I've proven myself a little bit more this year that I am capable. I think there might not have been that sure faith in me last year and maybe that was the reason why I didn't go in there."

Neuheisel opened the conference call referencing the belief that he'd made his decision long ago and was just playing coy with the media.

Instead, he said, he accomplished his goal.

"I didn't reach this conclusion months ago and then decide today just to keep you all in the dark," Neuheisel said. "I wanted to create competition. We did that.

"We created an atmosphere where both kids were going to be given ample opportunities and we wanted to create an environment where the best would be the guy."

 

At the center of it all will be Hroniss Grasu for Oregon’s offensive line

The redshirt freshman’s first game will also be his first start

By Adam Jude | The Register-Guard

Published: (Saturday, Aug 27, 2011 05:01AM) Midnight, Aug. 27

Offensive line coach Steve Greatwood answered one of Oregon’s biggest questions entering the 2011 season when he said after Thursday’s final workout of fall camp that redshirt freshman Hroniss Grasu had won the job to start at center.

“I think it’s safe to say going into the first game that he’s going to be our center,” Greatwood said.

Grasu’s debut will hardly be a safe landing.

Not only will he be expected to command one of the most important positions on the field — he has to identify blitzes, communicate potential changes to blocking schemes in a matter of seconds and provide an accurate shotgun snap to Darron Thomas — Grasu will have to do it against a stout defensive front from the mighty Southeastern Conference when the No. 3 Ducks open the season against No. 4 LSU on Sept. 3.

The game will be played on national television and in front of a sold-out, pro-Tiger crowd of more than 80,000 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

It’s a daunting challenge for anyone — and especially so for a redshirt freshman who has never played a down of college football.

“That’ll be a big load to hoe,” senior right tackle Mark Asper said.

But both Thomas and Asper expressed confidence in Grasu’s ability to handle the task.

“Hroniss has been doing a great job,” said Thomas, the second-year starting quarterback. “He’s a smart guy and he’s learning and picked up everything fast. For a freshman, he’s doing good things.”

Grasu, a 6-foot-3, 293-pound native of Encino, Calif., — and a classmate of UO quarterback Bryan Bennett at Crespi High — beat out sophomore Karrington Armstrong and redshirt freshman Hamani Stevens to replace the graduated Jordan Holmes. But Greatwood said it will be a fluid competition at center.

“It’s something that’s probably going to evolve over the season,” he said. “I’m hoping that (Grasu) continues to play well, but that doesn’t mean I’m displeased with the play of Karrington or Hamani.”

Greatwood wasn’t prepared to name a starter at right guard until after looking at film of Thursday’s practice. Senior walk-on Ramsen Golpashin and junior college transfer Ryan Clanton have been taking most of the reps with the first team, with Nick Cody and Everett Benyard looking like capable backups.

Coach Chip Kelly said the Ducks will have a depth chart finalized in time for the start of game-week preparations today. Practices are closed to the public and media.

Communication has been a key point of emphasis for the offensive line, which has to replace three graduated seniors. One of those is Holmes, the anchor in the center of the line the past two years, and the man through whom all communication went.

Now, that communication will go through Grasu.

“He does a good job of trying to make things right, of working with both sides of the line,” Asper said. “He does a good job of communicating and making sure everyone’s on the same page. ...

“I’ve had the luxury, ever since I’ve been here, of having an upperclassmen be the center — and have them be the first voice and final voice of what we’re doing on the line,” Asper added. “They identify the (defensive) front and have the final say on what we’re going to do. It’s been something we’re trying to work with Hroniss and work with Karrington on, to be vocal and confident in what they do. ...

“That’s the main thing, to get a center that is confident to get us on the same page.”

 

UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince on target

His Wednesday morning showing is 'maybe as good a practice as he has had,' Coach Rick Neuheisel says.

By Chris Foster | August 17, 2011, 9:25 p.m.

A great morning evolved into a decent day for UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince.

Prince had "maybe as good a practice as he has had," according to Coach Rick Neuheisel, on Wednesday morning. The follow-up was a solid afternoon effort.

He had a long touchdown pass to tight end Joseph Fauria and several crisp completions.

"The ball was flying where I wanted it to go," Prince said. "Ball placement is key, especially in tight spaces down in the red zone where we were working today."

Prince struggled at the end, but Neuheisel said that was partly because of new pass routes.

"His biggest problem now is taking too much protection time," Neuheisel said. "Not knowing the route thoroughly against the coverage he is seeing."

In the morning, Prince was 11 of 17 in team drills, a sharp contrast to his performance Tuesday. Prince said he simplified his thinking.

"I wasn't going to panic," Prince said. "You kind of get overwhelmed trying to think about everything. You've got to relax, look at the keys on each play and not worry about things happening in the future."

Quarterback Richard Brehaut sat out practice because of a strained left foot. He was to undergo tests Wednesday night and is expected to be cleared to practice Thursday.

 

Pac-12 Football Has Local Flavor

Culver City players hope to make an impact with their teams.

• By Steve Galluzzo
• Email the author
• August 16, 2011

The 2011 Pacific 12 Conference football season kicks off in a few weeks and players from Culver City will be trying to make an impact with their respective college teams.

Kevin Cummings, who grew up in Culver City and was a standout at Crespi High School in Encino, is looking to contribute at slotback and on special teams as a sophomore at Oregon State.

Due to an injury his freshman year in Corvallis, Cummings played in only one game last fall (against California). He was the team captain and offensive Most Valuable Player and earned first team All-Serra League honors his senior season at Crespi.

At Arizona State in Tempe, former West L.A. College and Inglewood High standout Kevin Ayers hopes to see time in the Sun Devils' secondary.

A 6-foot, 200-pound junior safety, Kevin is the younger brother of former UCLA All-American linebacker Akeem Ayers. In nine games at West L.A. in 2010 he had 54 tackles, four pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles while playing both free safety and strong safety.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Victor Burnett was expected to battle for playing time at Washington, but Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed Thursday that Burnett had been dismissed from the team.

Burnett made 51 solo tackles and 43 assisted tackles, four sacks and one interception in seven games as a senior linebacker at Culver City High in 2009.

 

Rookies try to fill big hole

Fua, McClain among top candidates to replace Edwards, boost pass rush.

By Ron Green Jr.

Posted: Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason, left, greets coach Ron Rivera. David T. Foster III - dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com

SPARTANBURG Sione Fua is built like a refrigerator.

About as tall. About as thick. About as difficult to move.

That's why the Carolina Panthers drafted Fua in the third round, believing the 6-foot, 2-inch, 320-pound mass of muscle from Stanford could help fill space in the middle of a defensive line that showed too many holes last season. They could have gone after Fua's dad, George, but he's too old and has a bad knee.

"He's a lot bigger than me," Fua says, his dark rectangle glasses giving him the look of a young computer whiz. "He's probably got 2 inches on me and 100 more pounds."

A bad knee ended George Fua's football career years ago after training camp stints with San Diego and San Francisco before a brief career playing Arena League football.

Fua learned toughness from his dad, who was a bodyguard in Los Angeles.

"Nobody super famous," Fua says. "He did concerts and sometimes singers. But mostly just rich guys that you've never heard of."

Fua is a football player not many people have heard of, but that may soon change. When free agent nose tackle Ron Edwards suffered a torn triceps in practice last week, requiring potentially season-ending surgery, it fell to Fua to fill the immense void left in front of opposing centers. It's not a glamorous position, not one given to highlight reels and adulation but it's as important as good plumbing.

While Charles Johnson, the Panthers' $72 million man and perhaps Eric Norwood line up at opposite ends of the defensive line, Fua will likely square up over center while another rookie, third-round draft pick Terrell McClain or third-year pro Corvey Irvin, locks inside alongside to provide an interior pass rush.

McClain, who played at South Florida, was the last Panthers draft choice to sign a contract, missing the first three days of training camp. It forced the 6-2, 290-pounder into a catch-up mode.

"It took me about two days to catch back up with everybody since I was late coming in but after I learned the system, it's just getting about more reps out there," McClain says.

The Panthers spent $8.2 million over three years for Edwards and his loss was a blow. But Edwards has vowed to use his recovery time to teach the young players, including Fua and McClain, the lessons learned over a decade in the league.

"If anybody goes down, it's always the next man in. You have to bring that intensity," McClain says.

"But Ron Edwards, he was a really, really good D-tackle. I learned a lot from him, still learning every day. Any keys, any secrets he's learned in the NFL, all you have to do is ask him. He said he's going to be here with us, coaching us on the field, off the field. It's truly a blessing he's still here with us."

McClain, along with Irvin, will play primarily the three technique, meaning he'll line up away from the center, intent on getting penetration, especially on passing downs. It was his specialty at South Florida, where McClain was a first-team All Big East player.

As first-year players, Fua and McClain have found themselves practicing and studying together, using their strengths to help each other.

"Terrell's really quick off the ball," Fua says. "Has really good hands, really good speed. So for me, I'm supposed to just dominate that center. That's my game.

"We have different games but we're both good at what we do."

Fua has been getting most of the reps with the first-team defense though he's rotating with Andre Neblett and Tommie Duhart. McClain, meanwhile, is in a battle with Irvin for the starting job in the middle. The Saturday night exhibition against the New York Giants will offer a glimpse of what the Panthers' defensive front will look like in the regular season.

"We really like what we're getting from Corvey," coach Ron Rivera said. "We really like what McClain can being as a potential guy in the rotation. So we're excited about that.

"There's a few other guys we're watching. We're going to move some guys around, too. They're not just going to sit there and be a three or a nose. We're going to give them opportunities at both spots."

While Fua takes after his father, it was McClain's mother who immediately noticed on draft day that her son would be returning to Bank of America Stadium, where he played his final college game in December with South Florida.

"When I got that call from the Panthers, that was the first thing my mom said, 'You're back at the stadium again.' I said, 'Yeah, you're right.' I'm glad to be here," McClain said.

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In Bryan Bennett, Ducks have a capable No. 2 quarterback

Published: Sunday, August 14, 2011, 7:30 AM     Updated: Sunday, August 14, 2011, 7:47 AM

By Lindsay Schnell, The Oregonian The Oregonian

Bruce Ely/The OregonianBryan Bennett has put on almost 30 pounds since arriving in Eugene last fall.

EUGENE — Jeremiah Ross didn’t know what to expect from Bryan Bennett, but he knew one thing for sure: the Crespi football team didn’t have many other options.

It was the fall of 2007 and Crespi’s starting quarterback, senior Kevin Prince, had crumpled to the ground with a knee injury. That left Bennett, a sophomore with no varsity experience, to step in.

Gulp.

Turns out, Ross had little reason to worry. Bennett, then a scrawny 6-foot-3 athlete with a knack for making quick decisions, went in against Birmingham and “totally managed the game for us.” From there, it only got better: Bennett helped Crespi to huge win after huge win — including a victory over a Mater Dei team led by future USC quarterback Matt Barkley — and took the Celts to the divisional championship.

Fast-forward four years, and Bennett is the No. 2 quarterback for the No. 3 Ducks, with a similar set up: The backup to superior playmaker Darron Thomas, Bennett has no game experience at the collegiate level.

In a system where the quarterback often takes some nasty hits (a moment of silence, please, for Dennis Dixon) there seems to be a collective intake of breath among Duck fans every time Oregon’s signal caller gets tackled to the ground. In the time Chip Kelly has been in Eugene the Ducks have gone through more than their share of quarterbacks, which makes many fans anxiously wonder: What happens if DT goes down?

Kelly says we’ll just have to wait and see.

“You can’t keep a kid on the edge of the pool all the time,” Kelly said. “At some point you’ve got to push them in and see if they can swim.”

Oregon Ducks football: On backup QB Bryan Bennett Oregon Ducks quarterback Bryan Bennett is No. 2 on the depth chart, pushing starter Darron Thomas and making the most of his chances in fall camp. Watch video .

Kelly, of course, would prefer that Bennett’s sink or swim moment doesn’t come against LSU on Sept. 3 at Cowboys Stadium, with a Tiger defense so vicious that Kelly jokes he’s lost sleep in the offseason. But if it must happen, Bennett says he is ready.

The redshirt freshman has spent the last two years adding muscle, and has put on about 30 pounds since arriving in Eugene, now weighing at 205. His body fat is down to 5 percent, and in winter conditioning he recorded a 32.5-inch vertical jump, the best among quarterbacks and kickers. He understands that Thomas’ best attribute is his willingness to stay in the pocket, complete a throw and get nailed; it’s a characteristic Bennett plays to copy. Bennett has a better grasp of the playbook this season, talking endlessly with Thomas about particular plays and concepts.

And it’s his knowledge of the playbook that sets Bennett apart from other backup quarterbacks of the past, and what might allow Kelly to breathe a little easier.

Though the Ducks’ version of the spread is more complex and faster than anything a high school can imagine, Bennett has been running a version of Oregon’s spread since he stepped onto a high school field. Ross, who left Crespi after Bennett’s senior year and is now the co-offensive coordinator at Western Carolina, has known Kelly since back in his New Hampshire days, and implemented the spread at Crespi long before Bennett came along.

“Obviously, it’s different and more complicated,” Bennett said. “Terminology and plays are the biggest differences, along with all the defenses we see. But concept-wise, it’s similar.”

Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said it was obvious from the minute Bennett stepped on campus that he had a knack for Oregon’s breakneck offense.

“He has a good feel for space in the passing game: Where a 3-2 matchup is, where a route comes together, how it attacks the defense,” Helfrich said. “Then he’s got a very strong and accurate arm. Now he just needs to settle into the manager role a little more. Physically he’s still skinny, but he’ll be fantastic.”

Bennett became the No. 2 last fall after senior Nate Costa blew out his knee on Nov. 6, ending his career. Though he wasn’t too fond of sitting on the sidelines, Bennett saw the value in preserving his redshirt. It killed him to ride the bench, but he never asked that Kelly throw him into the end of a blowout in hopes of gaining game experience.

If anything, it sounds like Bennett prefers the drama of being thrown in the big moment.

“His sophomore year, what he was able to do (was impressive),” Ross said. “There was a lot of talent around him, but still. He’s a strong, smart, competitive young man. He makes mistakes at full speed, which is what you want as a coach. He’s so confident there are times he’s probably bordering on cocky.”

But in Ross’ experience, Bennett can back it up. And that should be a comfort to Kelly, the Ducks and fans who cringe every time Thomas is taken to the ground.

--Lindsay Schnell (jokes available on Twitter)

 

Rome Braves: Gilmartin sets tone in victory

By staff reports Rome Braves

There were several pleasing elements for the Braves on Tuesday night in Greenville, most notably the performance of Sean Gilmartin — and the final score.

Gilmartin, making his second appearance since joining the Rome club last week, worked four scoreless innings of one one-hit ball, and the Braves used a pair of eighth-inning runs to beat the Drive, 3-2, in the fourth game of a five-game series.

It was the Braves’ sixth victory in their past eight games, including winning three of the first four games in this series.

Gilmartin, who was the Atlanta Braves’ No. 1 pick in the June draft, finished with four strikeouts and one walk. He did not factor in the decision.

The victory went to Dan Jurik (1-1), who pitched 4 1-3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits.

Reliever Gus Schlosser recorded the final two outs to earn his seventh save and lowered his ERA to 2.66.

Evan Gattis drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single in the eighth inning that broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Braves a 3-1 lead.

Greenville scored one run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Braves held them off in the ninth.

Matt Lipka, Tommy La Stella and Edward Salcedo finished with two each. Salcedo also collected his team-leading 56th RBI for the Braves, who will face Greenville tonight in the series finale before heading to Asheville for a four-game series.

 

Gilmartin strong in Class A debut

Braves first-rounder fans four, allows two hits over 2 2/3 frames

By Andrew Pentis / Special to MLB.com | 08/11/2011 11:01 PM ET

As if the Braves don't have enough pitching prospects already, now Sean Gilmartin, is building up steam and on his way.

Atlanta's first-round draftee in June allowed two hits and fanned four over 2 2/3 scoreless innings in his Class A debut and second pro outing Thursday en route to Rome's 4-2 victory over visiting Asheville.

Sean Gilmartin was the 28th overall pick in the 2011 Draft. (Dave Hall/Rome Braves)

Gilmartin struck out three of the first four batters he faced. He allowed second-inning singles to Cristhian Adames and Mark Tracy and issued a base on balls in the third to Brett Tanos.

"I went out there with the intention of getting ahead of guys early," said Gilmartin, who used his fastball primarily and put away hitters with his slider and change-up. "I threw every single pitch three or four times."

Gilmartin said he threw 45 to 48 total pitches and hopes to complete four to five innings in his next outing. Atlanta's powers-that-be have not given him an explicit plan going forward, he said.

Gilmartin completed 120 1/3 innings over 18 appearances as a junior at Florida State, compiling a 12-2 record and a 2.09 ERA. The Moorpark, Calif. native received a $1.13 million bonus commensurate with his Draft slot when he signed July 15, according the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The 21-year-old lefty gave up two runs on three hits in his pro debut, pitching against the Yankees in the Gulf Coast League on Saturday.

What has he seen from pro batters so far?

"These guys aren't going to chase pitches," he said. "The way they approach each at-bat is better than at the college level."

Tyler Matzek (2-4) allowed three runs on six hits over six innings. Matzek, MLB.com's No. 48 prospect, struck out five and walked three.

Ronan Pacheco (4-6) allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings of relief for the victory. Matt Chaffee struck out four over two scoreless innings to earn his second save.

Andrew Pentis is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

 

Plouffe in old stomping grounds

• Article by: JOE CHRISTENSEN , Star Tribune
• Updated: August 3, 2011 - 9:05 AM

Photo: Chris Carlson, Associated Press

The Twins' Trevor Plouffe was beaned by a pitch from the Angels' Ervin Santana during the third inning Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.

ANAHEIM, CALIF. - Twins second baseman Trevor Plouffe was back on some familiar turf Tuesday night.

In 2003, Plouffe pitched a three-hit shutout for Crespi Carmelite High School at Angel Stadium, in the California Interscholastic Federation final against a Harvard/Westlake team that included Tigers outfielder Brennan Boesch.

Plouffe hadn't played a professional game in Southern California before Tuesday, and he said 30 or 40 friends and family members would be there to watch.

Manager Ron Gardenhire knew the Angels would challenge his middle infielders with their ability to bunt, steal and hit and run, but he went with Plouffe at second instead of Matt Tolbert. Plouffe went 0-for-3.

"We need some offense, and Plouffey's a hitter," Gardenhire said. "He grew up here; this is his home ... so there's some incentive for him."

 

Oregon backup quarterback Bryan Bennett works as counselor at Manning Passing Academy

Counseling at Manning Passing Academy a boon for Bennett

By Rob Moseley |The Register-Guard

Published: (Monday, Jul 18, 2011 11:35AM) Midnight, July 16

Foe became friend and idols were colleagues last week for Oregon backup quarterback Bryan Bennett.

The UO redshirt freshman worked as a counselor Thursday through Sunday of last week at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La. The camp is operated by former NFL MVP Archie Manning and his sons, including current NFL stars Peyton and Eli, with assistance from Oregon director of football operations Jeff Hawkins, the camp’s associate director for the last 15 years.

Hawkins’ involvement opened up the door for Bennett to serve as a counselor to the high school quarterbacks in attendance.

Offered the chance, Bennett jumped at it, after a quick call home to see if his family could afford the travel expense.

Among the other counselors were fellow Pac-12 QBs Andrew Luck of Stanford and Nick Foles of Arizona, and another 2011 opponent for Bennett and the Ducks, Jordan Jefferson of LSU.

“It allowed me to measure myself against those guys, and also to see the way the Mannings act, just kind of that poise,” said Bennett, who redshirted last season but was on call as the backup to Darron Thomas following Nate Costa’s season-ending knee injury.

“They’re professional quarterbacks that have both won Super Bowls, so it was good to see.”

Bennett’s primary duties involved instruction of high school players, a level he was at just two years ago. He said the experience was educational for him, as well.

“Obviously we’re not going to turn these kids into D-I quarterbacks over a weekend, so they kind of had us teaching basics — three-step and five-step drops,” Bennett said. “Which was good for me, because (the Ducks) are in shotgun all the time, so I had to work on it a little bit. I was working on my footwork a little bit with the kids.”

Most of his interactions with the Mannings were casual conversations when they bumped into each other during camp, Bennett said, but the participants also got to hear the NFL vets speak, and to pose questions to them.

Bennett said he stayed silent for that session.

“I took notes and listened to what these guys were talking about,” Bennett said. “I just wanted to really embrace it, and take the knowledge they were willing to give out.”

Of all the things he took away from the camp, Bennett said, foremost was a reinforcement of the importance of studying video on future opponents.

“I always knew film was important; obviously it’s a big part of preparing,” Bennett said. “But I was able to really see that film, and knowing what you’re doing out there, can get you a long ways. They said it, and you could see it.

“You look at the quarterbacks we have here who can run the ball, throw the ball, do it all. You run into some guys, really all they are is drop-back, pocket passers. They might not even look like an athlete, but they get the job done week-in, week-out, because they know what’s coming, they know the way defenses are going to play them.”

The weekend also perhaps served as a semiformal indoctrination for Bennett into the unofficial fraternity of quarterbacks.

There has long seemed a particularly tight bond between players at the position regardless of team affiliations, one that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

Bennett said he traded phone numbers with guys like Luck, Foles and Jefferson after the camp.

“It was something new to me obviously, but I felt comfortable right off the bat,” Bennett said.

The only drawback to participating in the camp, Bennett said, was being away from his Oregon teammates for nearly two full weeks, after leaving town for the July 4 weekend and then almost immediately traveling to Louisiana.

Bennett said it was bothersome to miss voluntary workouts at a time when he’s trying to establish himself as a leader in part by encouraging teammates to participate in those same sessions.

“That felt a little weird for me,” Bennett said. “But at the same time, I was out there getting an experience I wouldn’t have been able to get if I didn’t go.”

Karrington Armstrong, a sophomore center for the Ducks, said Bennett need not worry about how his time at the Manning Passing Academy was perceived by teammates.

“You see him out there striving to get better every day, just working hard,” Armstrong said. “Before practice, after practice, calling people over to see if they want to throw routes — whatever the little things, he’s doing them.”

 

Trevor Plouffe unlikely to return to Rochester Red Wings

Rochester Red Wings fans probably have seen the last of Trevor Plouffe, who was promoted to Minnesota during the All-Star break. This time he figures to stick for good.

A second consecutive dismal season for the Wings overshadowed the tremendous production the 25-year-old former first-round pick (20th overall in the June amateur draft) supplied in 51 games for Rochester this year: .313 batting average (60-for-192), 11 doubles, 3 triples, 15 HRs, 33 RBI. His slugging percentage was .635.

Plouffe didn't have enough plate appearances to qualify (need 2.7 plate appearances per team game), but the official International League leader in slugging percentage entering Saturday was Stefan Gartrell (Gwinnett) at .550.

The IL HR leader was Jorge Vazquez (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), with 21 in 74 games. Plouffe was on pace to hit 21 HRs in 74 games and 42 HRs in a full IL 144-game season.

Plouffe played portions of four seasons with Rochester and improved every year. He was pretty good in 2010 (.244, 15 HRs in 402 official at-bats, 49 RBI in 102 games) and one of the IL's best players this season.

Plouffe is an average-at-best defensive shortstop and Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire let everyone know during his first stint with the Twins this season. Gardenhire is a terrific manager who has a tendency to favor light-hitting, scrappy, defensive-minded middle infielders (a la Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert) over players such as Jason Bartlett and Plouffe. Unfortunately, while such players might help win AL Central pennants, they tend to come up short against more potent rivals in the playoffs.

I'm not touting Plouffe as a future major-league star, but I believe he has the power and versatility to have a nice career with the right team. That might team might not be Minnesota and I believe the Twins would make a mistake letting him go — not a David Ortiz-sized mistake, but a significant one.

 

Former Crespi Star Gets $1.1 Million Bonus To Sign With Braves

July 15, 2011 10:02 PM

ATLANTA (AP) – The Braves have signed left-hander Sean Gilmartin, the team’s first-round pick from Florida State, for a bonus of $1,134,000.

Braves director of scouting Tony DeMacio said Friday that Gilmartin is expected to “move fast through our system” after reporting to the team’s minor league complex in Orlando, Fla.

Gilmartin was 12-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 2011 and was selected 28th overall by Atlanta last month. He had 122 strikeouts and was ranked by Baseball America as the 16th-best college pitcher in the draft.

Gilmartin, from Moorpark, played his prep ball at Crespi High School in Encino. 

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

McIntyre, McCarthy, Rodriguez, Medina Taken On Day Two Of Draft Courtesy: CSU Bakersfield Sports Information           Release: 06/07/2011 Share |

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--CSUB baseball players Ryan McIntyre (Jr., Henderson, Nev., Coronado HS), Mike McCarthy (R-Sr., Brentwood, Calif., Univ. of Redlands),  Jeremy Rodriguez (Jr., Thousand Oaks, Calif., Crespi HS), and Martin Medina (Jr., Ventura, Calif., St. Bonaventure HS) were selected on day two of Major League Baseball's First Year Player Draft. McIntyre was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 12th round with the 373rd overall pick.  McIntyre was fourth on the Roadrunners in hitting at .309. He smacked two home runs and drove in 25 runs. He led the team in stolen bases (14). McIntyre led the team and finished the regular season 25th in Division I in triples (6) and 35th in triples per game (0.12). His six triples are tied for the school record in the category (Jason Kudlock, 2010). McCarthy was chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 14th round with the 442nd selection. McCarthy was named NCBWA Pro-Line National Pitcher of the Week (ending May 22) May 24 after then-No. 19 Fresno State a 6-0 defeat May 20. The 6-3 righty struck out 12, walked two, and allowed just four hits. (all on 128 pitches). McCarthy, who set the CSUB school record for most strikeouts in a game with 13 against the Bulldogs Apr. 13, 2010, tossed a two-hitter at No. 13 UCLA May 13. McCarthy's shutout was the first time that Fresno State has been held scoreless in 2011. Fresno State had back-to-back singles to start the eighth, but McCarthy got out of the jam and retired the final six Bulldogs of the game. His performance also placed him on CollegeBaseball360.com's Honor Roll for the Week as well. McCarthy went at least seven innings in 15-of-16 starts in 2011. McCarthy tossed nine innings in the 13-inning CSUB loss against Santa Clara Apr. 1. He posted complete games at Cal State Northridge (Apr. 8), vs. UC Riverside (Apr. 22), at UCLA (May 13), and Fresno State (May 20). McCarthy who was 8-6 in 2011, finished the regular season 13th in Division I in ERA (1.52), 17th in strikeouts (100), 33rd in complete games (4), 56th in hits per nine innings (6.84), and 147th in walks per nine innings (2.0). McCarthy made three starts over the final nine days of the regular season, going 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings of work. McCarthy threw 345 pitches as his opponents batted .195 during the span. Rodriguez went in the 16th round to the San Diego Padres with the 503rd overall selection. Rodriguez played all but 22 of the 501 innings (55 games) in 2011 for the Roadrunners behind the dish. He sat out the Apr. 25-26 games against Kansas State due to a quad bruise. Rodriguez is second on CSUB in hitting (.328). He posted three home runs and 30 RBI’s. He has charted a .429 slugging percentage and a .423 on-baseball percentage. Rodriguez tied the school record for most walks in a game with three against Ohio State Mar. 24 and leads the team in walks with 27. Medina was chosen in the 20th round by the Chicago White Sox as the 621st pick overall. Medina was named as one of 25 finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. The College Baseball Hall of Fame made the announcement May 6. Medina batted cleanup in 40-of-55 games. He started 26 times at first base, 26 times as the DH, three times as the third baseman, and once on the mound Medina hit .283 with a team leading nine home runs and broke his own school record for most RBI’s in a season with 53. Medina played in all but four innings as a junior. He served as the closer for CSUB and his eight saves in 2011 are a new school record for most saves in a season and his 11 career saves are also a school record. Medina is 3-3 with a 4.68 ERA. McIntyre, McCarthy, Rodriguez are the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh Roadrunners to be taken in the MLB Draft.  The quartet join Zach Arneson (2010, Giants, 21st round), Kudlock (2010, Rangers, 36th round) and Mickey Jannis (2010, Rays, 44th round) as CSUB MLB draftees. ~www.GoRunners.com~

 

Written by One Bakersfield on 07 June 2011

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.–CSUB baseball players Ryan McIntyre (Jr., Henderson, Nev., Coronado HS) and Mike McCarthy (R-Sr., Brentwood, Calif., Univ. of Redlands), Jeremy Rodriguez (Jr., Thousand Oaks, Calif., Crespi HS), and Martin Medina (Jr., Ventura, Calif., St. Bonaventure HS) were selected on day two of Major League Baseball’s First Year Player Draft June 7.

Rodriguez went in the 16th round to the San Diego Padres with the 503rd overall selection. Rodriguez played all but 22 of the 501 innings (55 games) in 2011 for the Roadrunners behind the dish. He sat out the Apr. 25-26 games against Kansas State due to a quad bruise.

Rodriguez is second on CSUB in hitting (.328). He posted three home runs and 30 RBI’s. He has charted a .429 slugging percentage and a .423 on-baseball percentage. Rodriguez tied the school record for most walks in a game with three against Ohio State Mar. 24 and leads the team in walks with 27.

 

MLB Draft: Picks 18-33 - Pitchers, pitchers, pitchers, including two local products

June 6, 2011

The Major League Baseball draft. One round, 33 picks.

There were 19 pitchers selected, including Alhambra's Robert Stephenson and Florida State's Sean Gilmartin, a former standout at Crespi High in Encino, Calif. Six more shortstops chosen.

Four outfielders. Two second baseman. One third baseman. One catcher. Here's the last of the first round selections:

18. Oakland Athletics: Sonny Gray, RHP

The Vanderbilt starter accumulated an 11-3 record this year with a strong 2.01 earned-run average. Oakland's farm system has shown a history of developing young arms (see Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Dallas Braden), so Gray and his two high-quality pitches should fit right in.

19. Boston Red Sox: Matt Barnes, RHP

The second player drafted from UConn in the draft -- George Springer went 11th to the Astros, Barnes finished last season with an 11-4 record and an astounding 1.62 ERA. He threw three shutouts.

20. Colorado Rockies: Tyler Anderson, LHP

Somewhat of a local prospect for the Rockies -- Anderson went to Oregon but is originally from Las Vegas -- the lefty struck out 114 batters this season in 107.2 innings.

21. Toronto Blue Jays: Tyler Beede, RHP

The high schooler out of Massachusetts was expected to drop a bit further in the draft, but the Blue Jays need pitching, and need it soon.

22. St. Louis Cardinals: Kolten Wong, 2B

The 5-foot-9 Hawaiian hit for a .378 average as he started every game for the Warriors this year. Wong stole 23 bases in 30 attempts.

23. Washington Nationals: Alex Meyer, RHP

Meyer celebrated his selection the old-fashioned way: a tweet shortly after MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced the pick. "Just got drafted by the Washington Nationals!!"

24. Tampa Bay Rays: Taylor Guerrieri, RHP

The South Carolina high schooler is known for a strong arm, but is raw and will need fine-tuning in the Rays' farm system.

25. San Diego Padres: Joe Ross, RHP

With their second pick, the Padres draft a high schooler out of Bishop O'Dowd in Oakland. He turned 18 last month.

26. Boston Red Sox: Blake Swihart, C

This switch-hitting prepster fills a need for the Red Sox, as its minor league teams have not produced a quality catcher since Jason Varitek made it to the big leagues in 1997.

27. Cincinnati Reds: Robert Stephenson, RHP

A product of Alhambra High, Stephenson throws a fastball in the low to mid-90s and utilizes a changeup and a curve well.

28. Atlanta Braves: Sean Gilmartin, LHP

Gilmartin, once a star at Crespi, could spark some fans to remember a young Tom Glavine, as his fastball doesn't have overwhelming speed but hitters seem to have an increasingly difficult time putting it in play.

29. San Francisco Giants: Joe Panik, SS

A semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, Panik goes from St. John's University to the defending World Series champions.

30. Minnesota Twins: Levi Michael, SS

The Tar Heels' shortstop was predicted to be drafted as high as the middle of the first round, and as low as the middle of the second. Splitting the difference, Michael should provide strong defense for the Twins for years to come.

31. Tampa Bay Rays: Mike Mahtook, OF

The Tiger from LSU is known for power and average, hitting .383 with 14 home runs this season.

32. Tampa Bay Rays: Jake Hager, SS

With their third and final first-round pick, the Rays grab a Nevada prepster.

33. Texas Rangers: Kevin Matthews, LHP

Matthews wows fans with his athleticism -- at 5-foot-11 he can dunk a basketball -- but Rangers fans may be out of luck. The Georgia high schooler is committed to Virginia, and all indications are he'll stay that way.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the first round here

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Florida State ace Sean Gilmartin delivers a pitch against Alabama during an NCAA regional game on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla. Credit: Derick E. Hingle / US Presswire

Baseball: Local pitchers doing well in college

May 29, 2011 |  7:11 am

I happened to be taking a look at NCAA baseball statistics, and several former high school standouts from Southern California rank among the national leaders in earned-run average.

They include ex-Crespi pitcher Sean Gilmartin (Florida State, 1.35 ERA), ex-Royal pitcher Tanner Peters (UNLV, 1.36), ex-Hart pitcher Trevor Bauer (UCLA, 1.36), ex-Crespi pitcher Tyler Johnson (Stony Brook, 1.65), ex-Glendora pitcher Adam Plutko (UCLA, 1.70), ex-Bishop Amat pitcher Brandon McNitt (Stony Brook, 1.73) and ex-Alhambra pitcher Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton, 1.76).

Yes, Southern California is home to some great pitchers.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

05/

 

Plouffe takes over everyday duties at shortstop

By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com | 05/06/11 11:30 PM ET

BOSTON -- The Twins threw recent callups Trevor Plouffe and Ben Revere right into the fire, as the two made their first starts of the season on Friday against the Red Sox.

In his first at-bat, Plouffe launched a solo homer into the Monster Seats.

Plouffe, recalled late Tuesday, started at shortstop and batted second. The 24-year-old is also expected to be the club's starting shortstop moving forward, with Alexi Casilla moving to second base. Luke Hughes and Matt Tolbert will continue their roles as backup utility infielders, while Michael Cuddyer is expected to remain in the outfield.

"He's going to go out there and play shortstop," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We look at him as my starting shortstop and we'll mix in the other guys around the infield."

Plouffe, who hit .146 with two home runs in 41 at-bats with the Twins last season in his first big league action, said he's excited about his opportunity to see regular playing time at shortstop.

"It's what you want," said Plouffe, who was hitting .282 with six homers with Triple-A Rochester this season. "It's what I know how to do. I know how to start and play shortstop. Coming off the bench is no easy task. I'm not saying I'm not willing to do that, but it's nice being able to start."

Revere, meanwhile, was hitting .293 with Rochester and was also recalled late Tuesday -- on his 23rd birthday. He said he was looking forward to playing in left field with the signature 36-foot, two-inch Green Monster at Fenway Park.

"I'm going to go out there and have fun and see how the ball reacts off that wall," Revere said. "You have that big ladder up on that wall, so if it hits that, you never know where it's going to go. And you have those signs and divots. So I'll just get my legs ready and start running. I wish I had Spiderman skills so I could climb up that wall, though."

 

Oregon Baseball: Freshmen shine as Ducks clinch series and keep postseason hopes alive

by kanders4 on Apr 24, 2011 11:44 AM PDT in Oregon Ducks Baseball

When Ryon Healy arrived at the park on Saturday, he went through his normal pregame routine. It was business as usual for the freshman that had started only eight games this year. After taking a batting practice that impressed head coach George Horton, Healy went to check the starting lineup. To his surprise, his name was penciled-in as the designated hitter in the biggest game of the year for the Oregon Ducks (21-17, 4-8 Pac-10).

He took advantage of Horton's faith as Healy went 3-for-3 with two RBI and connected in his second at-bat of the game for his first career home run. It was a spark in the lineup that helped propel the Ducks to a 7-3 win over the Arizona Wildcats (24-15, 6-9 Pac-10), as they clintched their first Pacific-10 series win on Saturday at PK Park.

"I was very excited," Healy said of starting on Saturday. "I wasn't expecting it. I came here and got my work in, and came and looked at the lineup and saw my name in there, so I was very excited to get a chance to play."

Healy was one of five freshmen in the stating lineup for a must-win game for the Ducks.

The decision to start Healy came from what Horton saw before the game.

"It was kind of guess work from us on deciding who was going to play first and DH today," Horton said. "(Ryon Healy) was the best in batting practice and my coaching staff and I obviously played the right card. Good for Ryon."

Healy is not limited to being ask to perform at the plate. He has appeared three times on the mound this year while starting two of those times. During his senior year at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif., he used his arm and his bat to lead his team to a Mission League championship.

Since coming to the Ducks, he's had to learn how to prepare himself as a role player. His performance on this day, exemplified the type of player Horton wants to see.

"I've said it all along that real men stay ready when their opportunity presents itself, and Ryon--superstar out of high school--hasn't been getting to pitch or play all the time," Horton said. "He stayed ready, so good for him."

Following a game where the Ducks offense was held to only three hits and no runs, they stayed patient at the plate and got on the scoreboard early and often.

After allowing a Wildcat run in the first inning, the Ducks responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Second baseman Danny Pulfer, who said the Ducks' approach at the plate on Friday was immature, drew a leadoff walk. With two outs, right fielder Aaron Jones hit a line drive to the gap in left-center, scoring Pulfer from first. Healy eventually scored Jones from second base on a single to center field. Healy led off the bottom of the third inning with the Ducks ahead 4-1. On a 3-2 count, he drove the pitch over the left-center wall for a home run and extending the lead to 5-1.

"Ryon's a great kid," Pulfer said. Emotional kind of kid. He's made some spot starts for us and has done real well for us on both sides of the field. For him to have a game like that today, it just shows how much these freshmen are capable of."

The Ducks called on Alex Keudell to retire a Arizona lineup that ranks as one of the best in the country--also, in the most critical game of the year. Keudell was shaky early but settled down a little after the first inning. In total, he pitched 5.2 innings, struck out three, walked three, allowed three earned runs and seven hits. He spent most of the day working out of the stretch as he allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base on singles in four innings. He began to tire in the sixth inning as he allowed a run on two walks and a double.

Relief pitcher Scott McGough entered the game with runners on first and second with two outs and the score 6-3. McGough struck out the pinch hitter, Bobby Brown. McGough would go on to throw 3.1 innings, allowed two hits, two walks and struck out four. It was reassuring to see the bullpen-McGough more than anyone-close the door in over three innings of work.

The Ducks still sit towards the bottom of the Pac-10 standings, but there is room to climb with 16 games left against conference opponents. Next weekend the Ducks head to the Bay Area to square off with the No. 15 California Golden Bears, who were swept this weekend at the hands of No. 9 Arizona State. Teams in this conference continue to beat-up on each other, making it increasingly possible for the Ducks to climb back into this race.

The Ducks just proved that they can play with-and beat-the toughest offensive team in the conference-oh, the magic of great pitching. But they will have to continue to ride this momentum, as the Ducks need a series victory, probably, in each of their remaining conference series'. That will mean the pitching needs to remain unhittable, Danny Pulfer needs to continue his tear in the leadoff spot-he is batting .343. on the year-and its clear, the freshmen will need to mature quickly as they will be called-on to perform in some of the most pressure-filled situations they ever been in. For the team that has been disregarded from postseason talk, it's a situation they're glad to be in. 

Final Note:

KC Serna found himself in the starting lineup on Friday and Saturday. This was largely due to the fact that the Ducks wanted J.J. Altobelli playing third base. Stefan Sabol was playing third on Thursday, but doesn't have the quickness that Altobelli has. The decision paid off and the argument could be made that the Ducks don't win this series if Altobelli isn't playing third. He made amazing plays throughout the series and proved he needs to be at third for the Ducks--good news for Serna. (That is the reason he had a face full of shaving cream after Saturday's game.

Follow me on twitter @ twitter.com/kanders4. I will be providing in-game tweets from the press box and updates about the team throughout the year. Also, you can read my work on collegebaseball360.

 

Jeff Suppan Meditating on the Scriptures, Hoping for a Return to MLB

By Lee Warren|Christian Post Contributor

A minor league stop with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers was not on Jeff Suppan’s itinerary this spring, but you wouldn’t know it by his actions.

(Photo: The Christian Post / Lee Warren)

Jeff Suppan, former National League Championship Series MVP, signs an autograph for a young fan in Omaha on April 16, 2011.

The former National League Championship Series MVP, who started Game Seven of the 2006 World Series for St. Louis Cardinals, signed autographs at Werner Park in Omaha before the season home opener on Saturday and he chatted with young fans – taking special note of what their t-shirts and baseball caps said so he could ask them questions.

“I’ve always enjoyed that,” Suppan told The Christian Post. “We have a 30 second opportunity and I’ve always viewed that as a way to be positive, to connect with them. For me, growing up in California, I used to wonder where ballplayers worked out and why I never saw them. Interacting with them is a chance to show we’re all real people and I think the kids usually enjoy that.”

Suppan signed a minor league contract with the 2010 world champion San Francisco Giants before the 2011 season, knowing there was only one pitching spot open on the roster. After he was informed he didn’t receive that spot, the 16-year-veteran began looking for another opportunity.

In addition to pitching for Boston, Arizona, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Milwaukee over the years, he also pitched for the Kansas City Royals from 1998-2002, where he was the Opening Day starter several times.

The 36-year-old certainly has nothing left to prove, but he’s still passionate about the game and he still wants to pitch, so he returned to the Royals’ organization [Omaha is the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate].

“The last two years have been a battle,” Suppan told The Christian Post on Saturday. “For 10 or 11 years I was strong. I was healthy. I was making all my starts. Then, over the last two years I’ve had a torn oblique and I missed some time. I also had a little bit of a neck issue coming out of Spring Training is 2010.

“So, going into this season, I just wanted to prove that I was healthy. I chose to sign a minor league deal with the Giants and I felt really good about Spring Training. I thought I threw the ball well. With that door closing, another door opened with the Royals. I knew I was going to have to go to the minor leagues with most of the teams I was going to be signing with, so I had a comfort in knowing I’ve played with this organization.”

Suppan is a guy who likes to process – that applies to both the game of baseball and his faith in Christ. He grew up in a Christian family and attended a small, all-boys Catholic high school in Encino, Calif. He credits his parents for setting the tone for his spiritual life, but there came a time when he wanted to understand his faith on a deeper level.

“At about 18 or 19, I started studying apologetics, and really trying to understand these things I believed in and why I believed in them,” Suppan said. “I always compare it to my athletic career where, as a pitcher I know why I do what I do. I know why I’m going to lift my leg to this height. I know why I want to use a certain grip on the ball.

“I wanted to take that same explanation I had in my athletic career and apply it to my faith. I wanted to know why I believed in Jesus. I wanted to know why I believed in the Trinity. So I started studying and I got some answers.”

All these years later, no matter how hectic life gets for him, he is intentional about staying on track spiritually.

“Daily Mass is crucial,” Suppan said. “I believe in taking time to read the Bible a lot – daily. That is very challenging I think. Talking with other Christians is important, surrounding yourself with a good faith base. It’s doing the small things daily.

“For some it might be hard to go out and give 15 minutes for autographs when you’re getting ready for a game, but you offer that up and do it joyfully. I think those are important things that continue to help you build your faith.

“Watching good TV, reading good books – those are important things and I think that once you surround yourself with those things you start to become aware of where evil lives and how it comes to us. A lot of times it’s very subtle and we’re not consciously aware of it until it’s too late, until we have to deal with a problem.”

As Suppan thinks about his career, hoping he’ll get another shot at the big leagues, he says he is meditating on Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“Trying to live in the present moment – that’s how Jesus wants us to live,” Suppan said. “He doesn’t want us to live in the past. Live in this present moment and what you do today for him is where you’re at. That’s all we have.

“I don’t know what God’s plan is for me [regarding my playing career]. I just know that I feel good, I feel strong and I want to continue to play.”

 

UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Tight end Fauria all business

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

Posted: 04/15/2011 10:35:11 PM PDT

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Joseph Fauria.

And that's where the joke ends. Even though this funny man views the world slightly askew, he has been all business at recent practices for the Bruins.

The self-admitted prankster relishes his role as instigator, but he has toned down the trash talk over the past week and prefers to do his damage with shattering blocks instead of a sharp tongue.

"At the very beginning I definitely was, `Bam, 100 percent at you, at you, at you,"' Fauria said. "In your ear, in your face, all the time. I wanted my presence to be known with my play and my talking as well. I wanted coaches to know I'm here, I'm back.

"I toned it down a little bit because now everyone knows I'm here."

Last season, Fauria's first with the Bruins after redshirting following a transfer from Notre Dame after his freshman year, the Crespi product was hampered by a nagging groin injury. He struggled to even get into a stance.

Fauria finished with just three catches, although two went for touchdowns, including a 10-yard score against USC. Worse, he felt himself lose his edge.

"It was kind of sad," he said. "I missed it. I definitely missed it. (But) it's a whole new me. I'm out there having fun."

The joy is evident when watching Fauria block this spring, an aspect of his game that he has improved dramatically.

Playing behind then-junior Cory Harkey, Fauria was considered the finesse to Harkey's power game and gained a reputation as someone who could catch but couldn't lay the wood. Fauria now is cracking down and having fun doing it.

"I'm always about the intensity, I'm always about the big hit, sealing off the back side, double-teaming with a tackle. Man, I love that," Fauria said. "I love hitting, I'm all about the physicality of the sport. Last year, I couldn't do that. And with that comes the trash-talking, the energy ... they're all interchangeable.

"I couldn't have that last year. You can't talk smack when you're not doing anything."

Fauria's improvement has caught the eye of new UCLA running game coordinator Jim Mastro, who also serves as tight ends coach.

The Bruins, already thin at the position before the shoulder injury to redshirt freshman John Young, who is expected to miss the rest of spring practice, now are counting on Fauria even more.

"If he wants to play, we're going to give him a role, and he has to execute that role," Mastro said. "That's what he's doing right now.

"He's doing really well. He's blocking really well. He's taking to the mentality we want. He's being productive right now, real productive, in the run game and the pass game."

Mastro also knows about Fauria's persona, part Don Maynard and part Don Rickles, and he's impressed Fauria has learned to curtail the jokes when the time comes.

"He understands the line he can't cross," said Mastro, even though Fauria did cross the line in an early spring ball scuffle with defensive lineman Cassius Marsh. "He understands that if he crosses that line with me or anyone else, there are consequences to be paid. He knows that line, and he's been good."

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Joseph Fauria.

No joke.

New men in charge

With head coach Rick Neuheisel in Alabama for the funeral of Homer Smith, former UCLA offensive coordinator and Neuheisel's personal mentor, new offensive and defensive coordinators Mike Johnson and Joe Tresey took control of Friday's light practice.

Coming off a scrimmage Thursday, the plan was to be in shorts and shells, and despite the relatively easy demands of the day the practice still had good energy.

"We just wanted to come out today and make sure we executed the way we've been executing, did things the way we've been doing things," Johnson said.

Suppan returns to Royals on Minor League deal

Expected to provide depth, veteran to report to Triple-A Omaha

By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com | 04/04/11 9:51 AM ET

KANSAS CITY -- After nine years, pitcher Jeff Suppan is back with the Royals.

Suppan, 36, signed a Minor League contract with Kansas City late Sunday night and will report to Triple-A Omaha, the Royals' top farm club, to be part of the Storm Chasers' rotation.

The intent is to get the veteran right-hander ready in the event the Royals have a need on the Major League club. He's also expected to be a positive influence on the young pitchers that the Royals have developing at Omaha.

Suppan, who was with the Royals from late 1998 through the 2002 season, pitched for Milwaukee in 2007 and 2008 when current Royals manager Ned Yost was the skipper of the Brewers.

"We've got young pitchers there that could benefit from his experience and obviously Ned has a comfort level with him," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said.

Suppan trained with the San Francisco Giants this spring, brought in as an insurance policy for the rotation, but all of the world champions' starters finished camp healthy and he was released from his Minor League contract. He had a 5.50 ERA in six Cactus League games.

Moore said Royals scouts watched Suppan during Spring Training and were impressed. He'll be with Omaha when the Storm Chasers open their season on Thursday at Albuquerque.

Suppan was released last June 7 by Milwaukee after 3 1/2 years with the Brewers and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. For the two teams combined last year, he was 3-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 30 games, half of them starts.

In a 16-year career that began in 1995 with the Boston Red Sox, he has a 138-143 won-lost record and a 4.69 ERA in 442 games.

Suppan was one of the Royals' top starters for four full seasons, 1999 to 2002, and won 10 games each in the first three years and nine in the fourth year. His Kansas City record was 39-51 in 138 games, 11 of them complete games.

A workhorse, he pitched more than 200 innings in each of those four years. He made three Opening Day starts and twice was named the Royals' Pitcher of the Year.

Suppan left the Royals as a free agent after the 2002 season and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was traded to his original team, the Red Sox, at the July 2003 Trade Deadline. A free agent again after the season, he signed with St. Louis and spent 2004-06 with the Cardinals, twice winning a career-high 16 games and pitching in the postseason each year. Then he signed with the Brewers, getting a four-year, $42-million year. But he didn't pitch as well as he did with the Cardinals.

When the Brewers dropped him last season, the Cardinals re-signed him and he went 3-6 with a 3.84 ERA in 15 games, including 13 starts.

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

Bearcats And Seawolves Win America East Baseball Weekly Honors

By the America East Conference

April 4, 2011

Cambridge, Mass.-- A quartet of America East baseball student-athletes received weekly honors on Monday afternoon for the week ending April 3. Binghamton University senior right fielder Peter Bregartner (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) garnered the Pitcher of the Week honor, while teammate junior Mike Augliera (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) shared the Pitcher of the Week award with Stony Brook junior hurler Tyler Johnson (Chatsworth, Calif./Crespi Carmelite). Stony Brook freshman first baseman Kevin Courtney (Lindenhurst, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) rounded out the awards as the recipient of the Rookie of the Week nod.

 

Streaking 'Noles

Florida State puts its 39-game win streak against Maryland on line

March 31, 2011

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The seventh-ranked Florida State baseball team touched here down Friday to cold and damp temperatures. The Seminoles, however, have been downright hot against Maryland through the first 19 seasons of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Mike Martin's club hopes to remain that way when it is scheduled to begin a three-game series against the host Terrapins at Shipley Stadium, beginning Friday at 7 p.m.

FSU has run off a remarkable streak of success at Maryland's expense. The Seminoles have rattled off 39 consecutive victories against the Terrapins, dating to the 1998 season and hold an all-time mark of 60-3 in the series.

The Seminoles (19-6, 6-3) also hold a two-game lead over the rest of the ACC's Atlantic Division. By capturing this weekend's series, they would extend a streak of series wins to 20 years of the league membership.

Junior left-hander Sean Gilmartin (5-0, 1.43) will get the starting nod on Friday and be followed in the weekend rotation by right-handers Scott Sitz (3-1) and Gary Merians (4-1). Following Tuesday night's 5-2 win over No. 3 Florida at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, the `Noles will try and extend their two-game winning streak and reach the 20-win plateau.

Maryland (12-13, 1-8) is alone in last place in the Atlantic Division, but the Terrapins did snap a seven-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 3-2 win over George Mason at home.

www.seminoles.com

 

Baseball: Ex-Crespi star Ryon Healy returns to the mound

March 27, 2011 |  6:48 pm

Former Encino Crespi standout Ryon Healy, a freshman at Oregon, made his first collegiate start on the mound against Wichita State on Sunday.

Healy allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking two in Oregon's 6-1 victory. Healy didn't get to pitch for Crespi last season because of an early season arm injury.

Former Ventura St. Bonaventure standout KC Serna contributed a two-run double.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

2010 Twins Debuts: Trevor Plouffe

AUTHOR: Wally Fish | IN: Twins | COMMENTS: None Yet |

Trevor Plouffe was optioned to the Rochester Red Wings – along with Ben Revere and Alex Burnett – on March 19th. But this isn’t as much about the “present” as it is about the past and the future. To that end, Plouffe was the 4th member of the Minnesota Twins to make his major league debut in 2010. But before we get to that, we have to go back several years.

Having completed his high school career in Encino, CA the Twins made Plouffe their 1st round pick (20th overall) in the 2004 draft. At the time he was the 14th player to be selected out of Crespi Carmelite HS, and another 3 players have been drafted since upping the number to 17.

The following spring, Baseball America ranked Trevor Plouffe as the Twins #12 prospect. He was sandwiched between RHP Adam Harben* at #11 and LHP Glen Perkins at #13 in the rankings that season. Harben would eventually become the PTBNL that was sent to the Cubs to complete the August 31st trade that brought Phil Nevin to Minnesota in 2006. Nevin would hit 0.190/.340/.286 in 16 games for the Twins after the trade and then retire. Harben would go on to have Tommy John surgery just 2 months after the trade. He was never to regain his stuff or his control after the surgery. Glen Perkins of course remains a household name among Twins fans and is fighting for a bullpen job this spring.

But back to Trevor …

Part of BA’s 2005 Prospect Handbook profile on him included the following:

Plouffe has a plus arm and his advanced makeup and work ethic should push him along quickly. However none of his tools blows scouts away. He’s an average runner and his smallish frame is somewhat of a concern.

His ascent was steady through the lower levels was steady but certainly not quick. He finally reached Triple-A about halfway through the 2008 season and spent all of 2009 there as well. Outside of that their 2005 profile has been spot-on including their projection that he would develop 15-20 HR power which came to fruition last season with Rochester. Mixed in with his 15 HR season at Triple-A were several stints with the major league team.

An ailing J.J. Hardy (big shock there) resulted in the Twins calling up Plouffe on May 21st last season. He made his debut as Minnesota’s SS that day and proceeded to go 2-5 with a double in the team’s 15-3 dismantling of the Milwaukee Brewers. Trevor would be up and down several times the rest of the season playing 3 games in May, 4 games in June, 3 games in August and 12 games in September/August. Those final 12 games he was used exclusively as a pinch runner and defensive replacement which certainly didn’t give him much of a chance to get comfortable at the plate. The end result after 22 games of major league action was a line of 0.146/.143/.317 in 44 PA. He managed just 6 hits, but 3 of them were of the extra-base variety (1 2B and 2 HR). If you are a pessimist and the slash stats aren’t enough of a negative for you then you can simply point to the 14-0 SO to BB rate. His Triple-A 0.244/.300/.430 line doesn’t exactly jump off the page either, but I’m giving him a partial pass due to the fact that he was bouncing back and forth during the season. Take it for what it is worth, but at the time he was first called up he was hitting 0.303/.367/.493 for the Red Wings.

Upon making his major league debut, Plouffe became the 3rd player drafted out of his high school to reach the major leagues. The first two – Jeff Suppan and Rick Dempsey – went on to have long and productive careers combining for 40 seasons of major league service. It’s hard to imagine that Trevor will even come close to that type of career. However, after all this time Plouffe is still ranked among the Twins top-30 prospects and is still just 24-years old. He’s been in the Twins top-30 for 7 straight years but after peaking at #9 in 2006 he has slipped to #24 in Baseball America’s 2010 and 2011 rankings. This year’s Prospect Handbook profile stated simply:

Plouffe remains much the same player he’s been since he was drafted.

There are pros and cons to such a simple statement. On the one hand he hasn’t regressed or flamed out along way which sets him apart from the vast majority of players who get drafted along the way. Unfortunately, on the other hand, he hasn’t really developed beyond holding his own at every level of the minor leagues. It’s a bittersweet reality for the organization. His selection hasn’t been a bust but it hasn’t been a success either.

Plouffe is still plenty young and he has the profile of a solid backup middle-infielder/utility player with good pop in his bat. That does have some value. If he can’t stick with the Twins this season, and perhaps even if he can, 2011 is probably his last with the organization. There is still enough of a skill set there to believe that someone will give him a decent amount of playing time before his career is over and I’d like to see what he could do if given an extended look at the major league level. I just don’t see that happening in Minnesota.

 

The Catholic Faith Keeps Mt. Carmel High School’s Legacy Alive

The Roman Catholic all-boys high school is no longer standing, but its legacy of scholarship, success and family values lives on through Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino.

By Lauren Rosenblum | Email the author | March 18, 2011

The year 1957 was memorable, marked by the launch of Sputnik, the Little Rock crisis, Jackie Robinson’s retirement and Elvis Presley’s debut.

However, for the Mt. Carmel High School senior class that year, the most memorable date was graduation day.

“We were the best, the golden class,” said John Delaney. “Ask anyone, they’ll tell you the greatest class was ’57.”

“Why? Because we’re very active now,” said Paul Martin. “We had just wonderful people in our class who were very successful.”

Their classmates, the late Marlin McKeever, went on to become a USC All-American defensive end and Los Angeles Rams linebacker. His brother, Mike McKeever, made the College Football Hall of Fame. Ken Hill went into Army intelligence and then worked for NASA. John Cady worked for the Pentagon. Michael Nieto became a nuclear physicist. And the list of successful doctors, lawyers, engineers and businessmen goes on.

Fifty-four years later, the class of ‘57 has shrunk a bit. Some have died. Others cannot be located. Keeping in touch during the decades has been difficult: College, marriages and careers have stretched former schoolmates far and wide.

Yet seven men from the class of ‘57 met Thursday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Priory in Encino for the 5th Annual Mount Carmel Alumni Association St. Paddy’s Day Luncheon. Dressed in green, they celebrated with about 50 other alumni, clergymen and family members from graduating classes dating back to 1942.

They swapped stories and reminisced over homemade, beer-braised corned beef, cabbage and Guinness. Their Roman Catholic all-boys high school is no longer standing; however, its legacy of scholarship, success and family values still lives on through Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino.

“We want to provide a home for you guys,” Bridget Green, the liaison between Mt. Carmel and Crespi Carmelite High School, said during the luncheon. “There’s always a place for you in our hearts here.”

Mt. Carmel High was founded in 1935 at 71st and Hoover streets in Los Angeles. The school closed in 1976 due to declining enrollment and a few years later was destroyed by fire. Although the buildings had fallen, the school was designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, and the spirit of the Crusaders endured.

In 2002, a group of Mt. Carmel graduates formed the Mount Carmel Alumni Foundation with the goal of reconnecting fellow graduates. They’ve since expanded their vision to include supporting Catholic elementary schools in greater Los Angeles and raise funds for retired Carmelite priests.

“There is a common bond between Mt. Carmel and Crespi. We consider ourselves at least cousins,” said Greg Williams (’65), a board member of the alumni foundation and the first black student body president of Mt. Carmel.

When you look at the history of the two schools, there’s certainly some overlap.

The Rev. Augustine Carter graduated from Mt. Carmel in 1942 and returned 10 years later to become the athletic director. He left Mt. Carmel in 1959 to found Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino.

Over the years, many Mt. Carmel alumni have sent their sons and grandsons to Crespi to continue the custom of a Catholic education.

“Mt. Carmel had the most tremendous parents and family values,” Carter told Encino Patch. “A lot of alumni are now carrying on that family tradition.”

That was evident when John Fuess (’60) and his brother Ed (’58) arrived at the luncheon with their 94-year-old father. The Fuesses credit Catholic education to their close-knit family and success.

“The education at Mt. Carmel was absolutely wonderful for me,” said Ed Fuess, who holds the school football record of 220 yards. “I was really involved with the academia as well as the sports.”

“We have 12 children in our family and Pop sent all of us to Catholic school,” added John Fuess. “Everybody still goes to church, so that’s all that anyone could ask for. Everyone is still with the faith."

It’s that same Catholic faith that keeps Mt. Carmel’s legacy alive.

The Fuesses joined the rest of the Crusaders in rehashing old times and keeping the jokes running. They talked about their athletic prominence and the ongoing  rivalry with Loyola Marymount.

But all jokes aside, they also recalled the psalms that were written on the blackboard beside the day's homework; the morning prayers that started the school day; and the memories made in the hallowed halls at 71st and Hoover.

 

 

	Carlos Lopez

 

Center up for grabs at Oregon

A.J. Jacobson
Senior Analyst

It has been a long time since the Ducks have been looking for a center. As has become a tradition at the University of Oregon, one excellent player held down the middle of the offensive line for many consecutive games. But after a 26-game stretch of starts for NFL-caliber Jordan Holmes, the job is vacant going into spring.

And it's not just vacant, it's very vacant. This is because graduated senior Jordan Holmes started the last two years, and when he wasn't in the game, classmate and fellow graduate Max Forer substituted for him. Duck fans will be able to follow both young men in the years to come, as Holmes works to earn a spot on an NFL roster, and Forer continues his studies at the University of Oregon School of Law. Unfortunately, the continuing success of his graduates will not help offensive line coach Steve Greatwood man the gap this spring.

The irony of having the center position solidly manned two-deep the last two seasons is since both guys were from the same class, nobody on the current roster will have had college game experience snapping the ball. The good news for Greatwood is that he has a couple promising youngsters to compete for the job, both of them recruited with center on their resume.

Hroniss Grasu had snapped the ball to a Duck before either was in Eugene. Teammates with quarterback Bryan Bennett at Crespi High School in Encino, both were able to redshirt during Oregon's national championship run in 2010. Now a redshirt freshman with a year of college playbook learning under his belt, Coach Greatwood has the 6-foot-3, 275 pound athlete ready to make his statement.

"Hroniss has got a real shot at being in the mix at center this year," Greatwood predicted. "I'm counting on him to make a strong push to be the starting center."

The 26-year veteran coach was enthusiastic about the outlook for Grasu.

"He is what I'm looking for athletically inside. He came in with that shoulder problem, but he has made great strides in getting himself rehabbed, getting his strength levels back up. I'm excited about the possibility of him getting in there."

The other young player competing against Grasu in the spring will be Karrington Armstrong. Greatwood likes the potential shown by the sophomore from Reno, Nevada, but still has some questions he needs answered.

"Karrington, he right now is sort of an enigma to me," confessed Greatwood. "We had some heart-to-heart meetings midway through the season about just his overall commitment level and where he was mentally. I just didn't think Karrington was mature and focused enough on football, just too many other extra-curriculars or whatever."

The talks seemed to have paid off so far with the 6-foot-2, 280-pounder.

"Since then I've seen him begin to focus better, begin to apply his trade better and his attention to detail," Greatwood said. "He's got all the skill-sets. He's the strongest kid in his lower body. He's got the best squat on the team. He's got some power. It's just a matter of consistency. He needs to force himself to play consistently down-in and down-out. He should very well be in the mix for the center spot, or maybe even a guard."

Another player getting a look this spring at center will be Coeur d'Alene junior Carson York. Greatwood would prefer to leave the 6-foot-5, 280 pound athlete at guard where he started ten games during the 2010 campaign. "We might swing Carson York in there. We will be trying all kinds of guys out there, that's for sure."

The answer to the question of which player rises up to become Oregon's next center will begin to be answered shortly, with spring football less than a month away. If history of the recent Ducks at the position like Enoka Lucas, Max Unger and Jordan Holmes is any indication, whoever wins the start will hold the job for a long time.

Stay tuned to Duck Sports Authority as we continue to follow all things Duck.

Follow A.J. on Twitter @AJ_Jacobson

DUCKS’ 2011 SEASON OUTLOOK POSITION-BY-POSITION

Published: Thursday, Feb 24, 2011 05:01AM

First base

Tyler Kuresa: Left-handed-hitting freshman started all four games of Hawaii series; drafted in 11th round of MLB draft last summer by the Minnesota Twins.

Shawn Peterson: North Eugene High product hit .350 in 120 at-bats in 2010.Senior figures to see most of his time this season at designated hitter.

Ryon Healy: A two-way player, 6-foot-5 freshman was a first-team, all-state selection as a junior at Crespi Carmelite High (Encino, Calif.) before an arm injury slowed him some as a prep senior. Right-hander could also see time out of bullpen.

 

Baseball Weekly Release - Week 1

Courtesy: GoDucks.com | Release: 02/15/2011

RED-HOT SUMMER
•    Oregon junior right-hander Madison Boer spent his second consecutive summer pitching for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. The Ducks’ right-hander, who emerged as Oregon’s closer late last season, was rated as the No. 10 prospect in the league according to both Baseball America and Perfect Game Crosschecker.
•    Oregon freshmen Stefan Sabol and Ryon Healy were named the top prospects in their respective summer collegiate leagues by Baseball America. Sabol spent his summer playing for the Cowlitz Black Bears of the West Coast League, and was also named the top prospect in the WCL by Perfect Game Crosschecker. Playing in a league filled with mostly college sophomores and juniors, Sabol hit .236 with 11 RBIs, 13 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple and one home run while drawing 20 walks. Sabol was drafted in the 17th round by Atlanta Braves in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Healy, a right-handed pitcher and infielder, played for the Conejo Oaks of California Collegiate League after graduating from Crespi Carmelite High School. The two-way player was named to the CCL All-Star Game, and led the league in doubles (17) and RBIs (38).
•    Oregon freshman catcher Aaron Jones graduated from San Clemente High School, and spent his summer playing in the West Coast League for the Kelowna Falcons. He was picked by Perfect Game Crosschecker as the 11th-rated prospect in the nine-team WCL.
•    Oregon freshman infielder Tyler Kuresa graduated from Oakmont High School and was then drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Kuresa spent his summer playing for the Oahu Padddlers of the Hawaii Collegiate League, and was voted as the league’s No. 3 prospect by Perfect Game Crosschecker.

 

TODD RECEIVES 1ST PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOD

Emmanuel College's Cam Todd was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week ending February 6th.

Feb. 8, 2011

Emmanuel College's Cam Todd was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Volleyball Player of the Week for the week ending February 6th. During the week-long stretch, Todd hit .419 and helped lead the Saints to a 2-1 week. This is Todd's first-ever collegiate Player of the Week recognition.

The senior middle-hitter totaled 29 kills last week, including a career-high 17 kills in 32 attempts in Emmanuel's 3-0 win over Albertus Magnus. He then notched 9 kills in 19 swings in the Saints' 3-0 win over Lesley. Todd also tallied 6 blocks on the week.

Todd, a native of Los Angeles, California, is a Management major at Emmanuel. He is a four-year starter on the Saints Volleyball Team and is listed among the program leaders, as he will graduate in May as the college's all-time leader in blocks.

Todd is the third-straight Emmanuel Men's Volleyball player to be named the GNAC Player of the Week in consecutive weeks this season. Senior outside hitter Curtis Abram (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) was named the Player of the Week on January 24th and sophomore setter Nick Updike (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) received the honor on January 31st.

This season, Todd and the Saints are ranked 12th nationally. The team has an overall record of 9-3 and a current GNAC mark of 3-1. Emmanuel will play at home on Wednesday night (2/9), when the Saints host the Lasers of Lasell College in a 7pm start.

EC Saints Men's Volleyball

 

Joe Carrabino remains Harvard's all-time leading scorer

© The Ivy League

In the latest installment in his "Forgotten Legends" interview series, CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Harvard great Joe Carrabino. Carrabino, who is the only player in Harvard history to be named Ivy League Player of the Year, is the school's all-time leading scorer with a total of 1,880 points. A sixth round draft pick of the Denver Nuggets in 1985, Carrabino is currently the managing director at AEA Investors.

Jon Teitel: In the 1980 CIF playoffs against Verbum Dei (the top-ranked hight school team in the nation at the time), you made two free throws with 20 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime en route to a one-point win for your Crespi HS team. Did you think you were going to make both free throws and what did it mean to you to beat the best team in the country?

Joe Carrabino: As I recall, we beat Verbum Dei in regulation (not overtime), but it was a great game to be part of and very exciting for our team and fans. Verbum Dei had an incredible tradition of success in Los Angeles, and that year the team had a lot of talent led by Kenny Fields (who later played at UCLA and then in the NBA). However, our Crespi team was one of the top-ranked teams in LA too, and we were battle-tested against a lot of great competition. We definitely believed we could win the game. Our coach Paul Muff trained us hard, and our scouting reports on teams were as good as that of any Division I college program. I faintly remember making some key free throws down the stretch. I can honestly say that I was always confident when I went to the line because I believed in myself and had coaches and teammates who believed in me too. Additionally, our team shot a lot of free throws in practice under pressure to prepare us for similar situations. Beating Verbum Dei brought our team a lot of publicity but going into the game we believed that we were going to win, so we viewed the win as just another step in our quest to win the CIF title. Coach Muff knew we had the potential to go a long way, and kept us focused on the task at hand.

JT: You chose Harvard after being recruited by such schools as Stanford and Georgetown. Why did you decide on Harvard?

JC: I was fortunate to have been recruited by a wide range of schools early on, but I ultimately chose Harvard for a few specific reasons: (1) the education; (2) the chance to play right away and help lead the school to its first-ever Ivy League title; (3) the opportunity to live on the East Coast and in the city of Boston (I was a Celtics and Red Sox fan); and (4) my feel for the coaches and teammates I met during the recruiting process. My parents always told me that I was one injury away from being a regular student, so I better have a good backup plan. I am lucky to come from a family where education was emphasized. As an 18-year old, I was impressed by the basketball. My father was a professor at UCLA's business school, so I practically grew up on the campus and went to almost all of the Bruin football/basketball games growing up. I am the fifth of six children and I had siblings go to great schools ahead of me (including Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, and UCLA). My parents did not allow me to consider "basketball" schools with poor academics, so that cut out some schools. As for others such as Stanford, Georgetown, etc., recruiting is a two-way street and a matching process. Each school has its own story as to why I did not end up there, but picking Harvard was right for me.

JT: You were a four-time All-Ivy performer, and in 1981 you were named Ivy Rookie of the Year. How were you able to come in as a freshman and contribute from the start, and how were you able to continue to remain so consistent throughout the rest of your college career?

JC: When I look back on my freshman season at Harvard, I owe a lot to our two captains (Mark Harris and Tom Mannix) for accepting me and at times subordinating their role in the offense. I also owe the opportunity to play a lot to our two coaches (Frank McLaughlin and Terry O'Connor). Mark and Tom were terrific mentors, set a great example, and had no personal ego: they just wanted to win. They both remain close friends of mine today. As I mentioned earlier, I had superb coaching in high school and played against a lot of great competition. We ran our high school program a lot like a Division I college program so I felt prepared to make a contribution right away, but I needed the coaches to give me the chance and the team to accept it. Both of these things happened, and I had some early success in games which built my confidence. As they say, the rest is history!

JT: After sustaining a back injury during your sophomore season you dropped out for one year in order to retain two years of eligibility (because Harvard does not allow athletes to redshirt). What did you do during that year, and were you worried that you might never get back to the level you were at before your injury?

JC: My back injury occurred during my "first" junior year. I got hurt against UMass in early December when I had my legs cut out from under me while driving to the basket for a layup. I finished the game, but was in a lot of pain on the bus ride home and ended up in the hospital where I stayed for almost two weeks with herniated discs and other complications. I flew home to LA for Christmas and saw the famous orthopedic back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, who told me that I could avoid surgery but would need nine months of rigorous rehab in order to play basketball again at a high level. By that time I had been out of school for almost a month and had finals ahead of me in January. My "redshirt" decision was an easy one. I loved basketball and wanted to resume my career, and the best chance to make a proper recovery was doing rehab in California under Dr. Watkins' care. Under Harvard and Ivy League rules, I thus had to withdraw from school before finals so as not to lose a year of eligibility. It was too bad because I had a good set of grades going! I honestly never thought that I would not play again. I believed in Dr. Watkins and followed his rehab instructions religiously, and worked very hard to get back into basketball-playing condition.

JT: After returning for your junior year, you converted 90.5% of your free throws (#2 in the nation behind Indiana's Steve Alford) and were named Ivy Player of the Year (the only one in Harvard history). What is your secret for free throw shooting, and what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding individual honor?

JC: I was always a good free throw shooter throughout my career. My high school coaches always reminded us that the shots were "free", and thus not expected to be missed! My high school JV coach Frank Ryan had each of us develop a routine to use at the line, and I never changed it throughout the rest of my career (it was modeled after Adrian Dantley's routine). Good free throw shooting is a combination of a sound routine, practice and confidence. If you look at our Harvard team that year, we had four of the nation's top 11 free throw shooters, and our team mark of 82.2% set an NCAA free throw shooting record that still stands today. Therefore, we had a lot of momentum and confidence each time that we stepped to the line. We definitely expected to make our free throws, so we were a dangerous team to foul. Being named Ivy League Player of the Year was obviously a great honor, but basketball is a team sport and you cannot have success alone. I played on a very good team that came within one game of winning the Ivy title. I would trade the Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards for that first title. I was very motivated all year long and worked hard every day in practice. Coming off of my back injury I wanted to succeed, and was pleased with my consistent play and proud that it was recognized by the coaches in the league.

JT: That same season you scored 30 points in a three-point loss to Duke. Do you think that you should have won that game, and could you tell at the time that Coach K was going to become such a legend?

JC: Of all the games that I played, the Duke game is the one people remember the most. Our team was very motivated to show that we could play with the top college teams. We had talent and were playing well as a team. Our team was not intimidated by Duke and we were playing to win the game. You should not play sports if you do not come to win. However, we knew that it would take a great effort to challenge Duke because of their talent and Coach K's skill. I had played against Jay Bilas in high school and knew that he was a good player who had a lot of talented teammates (including current Harvard coach Tommy Amaker). The disappointing thing about that game is that we had a real chance to win, but I missed the shot that would have won it. Everyone remembers my 30 points and the close call, but I remember the missed shot. I even remember the play Coach McLaughlin called. It was named "Shue" (after former Notre Dame great John Shumate) that worked perfectly and led to the shot. As for Coach K, even back in the early 1980s he already had a strong reputation, and it was clear that he was building a dynasty. His teams played hard, had talent, and were classy guys.

JT: You graduated as a First Team Academic All-American, and you remain the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,880 points. What importance did you place on academics, and do you think anyone will ever break your scoring record?

JC: People mention my scoring record because it has lasted so long and came before the advent of the three-point line. I never expected it to last this long because I assumed someone would have a career similar to mine. Get a chance to play right away, be involved in the offense, and stay consistent. I still believe that it is only a matter of time before someone breaks it, as all records are meant to be broken. As for academics, I come from a family where school was important and you were expected to perform up to your talents. Good grades were emphasized by my parents, and I did not want to disappoint them. Being recognized as an Academic All-American was a nice way to show that I could balance school and sports.

JT: In the summer of 1985 you were drafted in the 6th round by Denver (one round ahead of Mario Elie), but you were cut after three days of mini-camp. Were you thrilled to realize your dream of getting drafted or disappointed that you did not make the team?

JC: Getting drafted was a dream come true: as a kid shooting baskets alone, you fantasize about the opportunity to go all the way to the NBA. I was a little surprised both that I was drafted by Denver and by the round in which I got chosen. I had heard that other teams were interested in me, so I thought that I would be picked in a higher round. The actual day I got drafted our Harvard team was in Europe on a foreign tour. I was heading out of the hotel to go jogging when Coach Peter Roby grabbed me to tell me the news. It took a minute to register, but he gave me a big hug and a smile. I was not disappointed about not making the Nuggets. I knew the odds, and thought that I played pretty well in camp, but I was not good enough. The top of the pyramid is quite narrow, and I was mature enough to know that I had taken my talent as far as it could probably go. When you can look in the mirror without any regrets about your effort, you generally do not end up disappointed.

JT: Instead of giving up on basketball, you went abroad to play professionally in Belgium and Australia. What did you learn from the experience, and how did it compare to college basketball?

JC: Playing professionally in Belgium/Australia were tremendous experiences, and provided the perfect transition to the "real world". I travelled extensively, played against some great players, and made lifelong friends. The quality of the competition in Europe and Australia was excellent. I could have built a career playing in Australia but decided against it because I knew that it was time to use my education and start a career back in the US. It was the right call, and I have not regretted it at all.

JT: You currently work as managing director at AEA Investors. How do you like the job, and how has the economic crisis affected your life/work?

JC: I have been in finance since I stopped playing basketball. I got a job at Credit Suisse First Boston while I was a senior at Harvard, and they agreed to defer my start while I pursued professional basketball. I ended up working there as an investment banker for 12 years, and then moved over to the private equity industry 11 years ago. I like my job because it is a lot like sports. We work in teams, hard work is rewarded, you build relationships that last, and you have clear goals. I am fortunate that I fell into something that I like in my 1st job and never left the industry. The financial crisis has adversely affected everyone in finance, but like in sports, you just pick yourself up and try to do better the next day.

Carrabino is also on Jon's list of best fantasy players in Ivy history.

Brown: Earl Hunt (2003) 2,041 PTS (#1), 81.1 FT% (#4), 158 3PM (#3)

Columbia: Jim McMillian (1970) 1,758 PTS (#2), 743 REB (#2), 3-time All-American

Cornell: Ryan Wittman (2010) 2,028 PTS (#1), 377 3PM (#1), 43.1 3P% (#1), 84.4 FT% (#4), All-American, conference POY

Dartmouth: Jim Barton (1989) 2,158 PTS (#1), 242 3PM (#1), 89.5 FT% (#1)

Harvard: Joe Carrabino (1985) 1,880 PTS (#1), All-American, conference POY

Pennsylvania: Ernie Beck (1953) 1,827 PTS (#1), 1,557 REB (#1), 3-time All-American

Princeton: Bill Bradley (1965) 2,503 PTS (#1), 1,008 REB (#1), 87.6 FT% (#2), 3-time All-American, national POY, Final Four MOP

Yale: Tony Lavelli (1949) 1,964 PTS (#2), 4-time All-American, national POY

 

Michael Lang Named Miramax CEO

By Deborah Crowe | Thursday, December 9, 2010

A reconfigured Miramax on Thursday said that Michael Lang has been appointed chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Lang, who was a consultant to Filmyard Holdings in its acquisition of Miramax Films, will be based at Miramax’s new Santa Monica headquarters. The Walt Disney Co. sold Miramax last week for $663 million.

Filmyard is led by construction chief Ron Tutor. Investors include real estate investment firm of Colony Capital LLC, which is led by Tom Barrack. They will operate the film library under the Miramax name.

Lang, 45, was a consultant to Filmyard in the acquisition. He earlier was executive vice president for business development and strategy at Fox Entertainment. Prior to Fox, Lang was a consultant on media-related investments, ran a technology start-up and began his career in strategic planning at Disney.

“I have known and worked closely with Mike for almost 20 years and have always respected his talents,” said Richard Nanula, Miramax chairman and a principal at Colony. “We are confident that he is the right person to lead Miramax in its next phase of growth.”

The Miramax library includes 700 motion pictures that were produced, financed or distributed by Miramax Films since 1979. Among its award-winning holdings are “The English Patient,” “Good Will Hunting” and “Pulp Fiction.”

 

Secret's finally out for Bruins' Fauria

By Jon Gold, Daily News Staff Writer

Posted: 12/01/2010 10:59:15 PM PST

LOS ANGELES - It took 11 games, but UCLA fans finally saw their big, secret weapon against Arizona State in Friday's 55-34 loss.

And Joseph Fauria certainly is big (6-foot-7, 259 pounds), although he no longer may be a secret.

Fauria caught a 4-yard touchdown pass on a toss-up from sophomore Richard Brehaut into the back of the end zone, a play the Bruins have practiced throughout the season.

"Sometimes that's what happens when you get plays drawn up during the year, you don't always get to run them during the game," Fauria said. "Things happen with coverages, with personnel. I was happy to finally run it; it was kind of bittersweet, being at the end of the game and down by a little bit, but I was still happy. The monkey's off my back."

Fauria did not expect it to take quite so long.

He entered the season with lofty expectations after transferring from Notre Dame and redshirting last season. Hampered by injuries early in the season and under-utilized after the team's switch to the Pistol offense, though, Fauria has only two catches for 11 yards, including the touchdown.

The Crespi High School graduate and former No. 11-rated tight end in the country by Scout.com said he's looking forward to making more of an impact next season as a junior, when he'll be competing for time with senior Cory Harkey.

But he has one game left this year, UCLA's matchup with crosstown rival USC at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

He's hoping to find similar success as his former Fighting Irish teammates, who defeated the Trojans last Saturday 20-16.

"I've been to two schools that have this rivalry against USC, so I just don't like them," Fauria said. "I actually got to attend the game. It was good to see them have success. Even a piece of me kind of having success, too. I played with those guys; `I ran that play before, I used to catch that ball."'

A lot to play for

With both teams' postseason fates sealed - USC's by way of NCAA sanctions, UCLA's by way of an under-.500 record - Saturday's game really is only for city bragging rights.

"The USC rivalry, this is the championship, this is the Rose Bowl," senior defensive tackle David Carter said. "Bragging rights for everything, for the city. I don't want to go to the market and see someone in an SC jersey and say `Eww,' I want to go and say "Ha!' "

Bumps and bruises

Neuheisel said freshman defensive tackle Cassius Marsh and sophomore cornerback Andrew Abbott have progressed during the concussion protocol and likely will play against the Trojans.

 

Oregon football: Bryan Bennett is ready in case of emergency

Freshman Bryan Bennett is ready to go if Oregon needs him

By Adam Jude | The Register-Guard

Published: Thursday, Nov 11, 2010 05:02AM

As a prep sophomore, Bryan Bennett was the JV quarterback at Crespi High in Encino, Calif., called up to varsity for the season opener, expecting to hold a clipboard and signal in some plays from the sideline.

He was only there, you know, just in case.

Six plays into Crespi’s season, senior quarterback Kevin Prince went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, ending his season.

“My eyes went like this,” said Bennett, forming circles around his eyes the size of softballs.

Three years later, Bennett finds himself in a similar situation at Oregon, a rookie suddenly thrust into a prominent role after a knee injury to a senior quarterback.

“It’s a little weird that it’s kind of happened again,” said Bennett, a 6-foot-2, 183-pound true freshman. “It’s crazy how football is like that. One play, and someone gets thrown into the spotlight.”

That one play against Washington last Saturday ended the career of Nate Costa, a senior who had already come back from three major knee injuries to serve as an invaluable backup quarterback and captain.

Costa’s end signals an accelerated start for Bennett, who moves to No. 2 on the depth chart for the nation’s No. 1 team.

“I can’t let it overwhelm me,” he said.

There is no question that burgeoning star Darron Thomas is the starting quarterback heading into Saturday’s game against California in Berkeley, and the Ducks (9-0, 6-0 Pac-10) certainly hope that won’t change as they move toward a possible berth in the BCS national title game.

The reality, however, is that backup quarterback has proven to be one of Oregon’s most important positions in recent years. Not since Kellen Clemens in 2004 has Oregon had the same quarterback start every game. (And does anyone need another reminder of 2007?)

“Hopefully we can keep Darron protected enough that he’ll make it the rest of the season,” senior center Jordan Holmes said. “But with this system and quarterbacks carrying the ball, they’re not quite built like running backs or tight ends or wide receivers, so sometimes they’ll take the worst of a big hit.”

Already this season, Thomas has had an injury scare after falling awkwardly on his right (throwing) shoulder in the first half against Washington State on Oct. 9. Costa was a superb in relief, throwing for 151 yards and one touchdown and rushing for 84 yards and another score to lead the Ducks to the road win.

The question is, could Bennett do the same, if necessary?

The young quarterback believes that he can. Teammates and coaches say they have faith in him. And his recent history suggests he’s capable.

Expectations were high for Crespi in 2007, with Prince, the future UCLA quarterback, and a handful of other future college players — including current Oregon freshmen Hroniss Grasu, a center, and receiver Blake Stanton — filling a “loaded” roster, Crespi athletic director Matt Luderer recalled.

Then Prince went down on the first series of the first game, and Bennett was “thrown in with the sharks,” Luderer said.

Directing the veteran squad, Bennett responded by throwing for 2,133 yards with 17 touchdown and 14 interceptions that season, helping Crespi finish 11-3. In the playoffs, Bennett helped Crespi beat the state’s No. 1 team, Mater Dei, which was led by the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, Matt Barkley, en route to the California Southern Section championship game, where Crespi lost to Long Beach Poly.

“He’s been in this position before and succeeded,” Luderer said. “He’s a special kid. … I know it’s a cliché to say this, but I never saw anyone here work harder than Bryan.”

Those qualities carried over when Bennett arrived on the UO campus in June. He quickly took on a leadership role with the incoming class, gathering phone numbers of fellow freshmen and making sure they knew where to be, and when they should be there.

In fall camp, Bennett beat redshirt freshman Daryle Hawkins for the No. 3 job, and he’s traveled with the team to every road game. Hawkins, who has been used mostly as a receiver and running back this season, will move to No. 3 on the QB depth chart.

“I’ve got total confidence in Bryan,” UO coach Chip Kelly said. “I hope we don’t have to play him; if we do, that means something happened to Darron. But if he’s got to go in a game, we’re confident that he can do it for us.”

The plan from the beginning was to redshirt Bennett this season, thus saving a year eligibility, and he’s on track to do that.

But, now that the freshman is the primary backup, Kelly has been peppered with questions this week about whether he will keep Bennett’s redshirt on, so to speak. Would it be better, he’s been asked, to give Bennett some game experience, you know, just in case?

“I am not worried about the 2014 season,” Kelly said. “I keep getting this question, ‘Are you going to burn his redshirt?’ Our goal is to win the football game, and if Bryan Bennett is going to help us win the football game this Saturday, you’re going to see him.”

Bennett would prefer to keep his redshirt status, but he also said he wants what’s best for the team.

“If the coaches ask me to play, I’m going to play,” he said. “And I’m going to prepare to play, because I don’t want to get my number called and not be ready.”

Until this week, Bennett was running the scout-team offense during practices, but he has been studying film and attending meetings with the rest of the quarterbacks.

This week, he has been running the second-string offense, and during the team’s final two-minute drill Wednesday — despite a sack on the opening play — he scrambled for two long running plays to put the offense into position for a long “game-winning” field goal by Rob Beard.

“I’ve been watching film with everybody all year, but to actually come in here and do it in practice helped me grasp it a lot more,” Bennett said.

Especially helpful has been Costa, who has served as a mentor.

“I’ve taken him under my wing and shown him the ropes, shown him what it’s like to be a college football player,” Costa said. “He still has a lot of learning to do, but so far he’s made a lot of great progress. I’m going to continue to watch over him and make sure he’s doing the right things.

“He’s got a special career ahead of him, so we’ve just got to keep him on the straight and narrow.”

Costa and Bennett had dinner together Monday night, where the senior tried to prepare the freshman for what to expect in his new, more-meaningful role.

And if anyone knows how to handle that role, it’s Costa, who had reassuring words about the rookie taking his place.

“If he gets thrust into the spotlight,” Costa said, “I guarantee you he’ll be fine.”

 

UCLA FOOTBALL: Prince done for the season

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

Posted: 10/23/2010 11:03:07 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES - UCLA sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince is out for the rest of the season after arthroscopic surgery Saturday to determine the extent of a torn meniscus in his right knee, likely injured during the second quarter of the Bruins' 34-12 victory over Texas in Week 4.

In addition to the repair of the meniscus, doctors performed microfracture surgery to stimulate the growth of new cartilage on the former Crespi quarterback.

Prince, who has dealt with numerous injuries in his two seasons as starting quarterback, missed the Bruins' 60-13 loss at No. 1 Oregon on Thursday, as well as the team's 42-28 victory over Washington State in Week 5.

Backup sophomore Richard Brehaut took over in both, completing 16 of 23 passes for 159 yards against the Ducks but throwing an interception that proved particularly costly because it came when the Bruins were driving toward the red zone on their first drive.

"We moved the ball great all day long, but when it came down to stick it in red zone or finish a drive out, we couldn't find ways," Brehaut said. "We have to go in and watch that film and we have to figure out why we can't do that."

Also, an MRI Saturday confirmed middle linebacker Patrick Larimore's dislocated left shoulder, separated during the second series against Oregon. A UCLA official said that Larimore would likely be sidelined for three weeks for "rest and rehab."

jon.gold@dailynews.com

 

This is the race that Matthew Caires just got back from competing in.  The conditions were really something.  His team placed 72 out of an International Unlimited competition.  The video's really show what it was like out there with 16 foot swells.

 

 

 

Zeenni Earns Big West Conference Weekly Award

Freshman goalkeeper named Defensive Player of the Week after posting back-to-back shutouts | Oct. 18, 2010

DAVIS, Calif. - Freshman goalkeeper Omar Zeenni was named the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week, it was announced Monday by the conference office.

Zeenni concluded the week with back-to-back shutout victories after UC Davis defeated UC Riverside in overtime by a score of 1-0 Wednesday and took a 1-0 double overtime win over Cal State Northridge Saturday. UC Davis is currently riding a three-match win streak in which all three games have been shutouts.

Against UC Riverside Wednesday, Zeenni faced eight shots from the Highlanders and recorded one save in over 96 minutes of action. In Saturday's matchup with Cal State Northridge, Zeenni posted three saves, including key blocks late in the game to prevent the Matadors from scoring.

Zeenni has faced 30 shot attempts from opposing teams and has not allowed a goal in that span of time.

The Arcadia, Calif. native is the first Aggie freshman to win the award since UC Davis officially joined the Big West Conference in 2007.

Zeenni has appeared in seven matches this season and owns a 0.54 goals against average after allowing only three goals in nearly 500 minutes in the net. He has recorded 13 saves.

UC Davis is currently 5-8 overall and stands in fourth place in the Big West Conference with a 3-2 record.

The Aggies take on UC Santa Barbara Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. at Aggie Stadium before a 1 p.m. matchup with Cal Poly Sunday.

 

UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Prince trying to play catch-up

By Vincent Bonsignore, Staff Writer | Updated: 10/13/2010 10:52:51 PM PDT

Practice had been over for more than 10 minutes Wednesday at UCLA's Spaulding Field, but Bruins quarterback Kevin Prince still was hard at work and getting in a few more throws with teammate Cory Harkey.

In college terms, this was more makeup work than extra credit, with Prince trying to catch up after losing so much practice time to an oblique injury suffered in training camp and knee and shoulder issues during the season.

Prince has started five of the Bruins' six games - he sat out the other with knee swelling - but his performance has been uneven. The chemistry in the passing game isn't nearly what anyone hoped it would be at this point in the season.

The numbers reflect that, with Prince throwing for more than 100 yards just once this year, and that was in the opening loss to Kansas State.

The former Crespi High standout won't use the injuries as an excuse for why he has failed to take control of the starting quarterback job, or why he'll spend the next week fending off backup Richard Brehaut for the starting nod next Thursday at Oregon, but when you miss three weeks of training camp and another week during the season, it has to have some effect.

"Needless to say, it's been tough to get the practice time in that I need," Prince said. "And missing as much time as I did in training camp stinks.

"But that's not an excuse. You have to roll with it and do the best you can."

That means accepting he and Brehaut are competing for the starting gig this week, and every day he comes to practice is another opportunity to either distance himself from Brehaut or lose ground to him.

Prince is doing his best to not let the pressure get to him.

"The best guy is going to play," Prince said. "And I'm just focused on what I have to do to be healthy enough to play the game and being ready to go out there and perform the way I need to.

"Regardless of who's out there playing Thursday night, I have to go out there and do what I have to do."

Head coach Rich Neuheisel essentially declared the position up for grabs after Prince completed just 13 of 31 passes for 99 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, in the Bruins' 35-7 loss at Cal on Saturday.

With the Bruins facing a bye week in advance of their game at Oregon, he felt the time was right to give Prince and Brehaut an opportunity to compete for the job on equal ground.

"I just think it's fair, the right thing to do," Neuheisel said. "I think both guys are deserving of playing time, but they both need to know they have to (perform)."

Neuheisel knows exactly what he's looking for from either candidate

"Consistency," he said. "Ultimately, for us to be good, for any offense to be good, you have to have your trigger man be consistent."

For Brehaut, it's the chance he's been hoping for. The sophomore from Alta Loma started in place of an injured Prince against Washington State two weeks ago and led the Bruins to the 42-28 win while throwing for 128 yards.

This week, he gets a chance to win the job outright.

"I haven't had a chance for open competition since I got here," Brehaut said, "so it's exciting to get to come out here, do my best, make the most of it and prove to the coaches that I can be the guy."

Back in the swing

The Bruins practiced for the second time after losing to Cal and will be back on the field today before taking the next two days off.

They'll return to work Sunday in preparation for their game in Eugene.

For UCLA, getting on the field was therapeutic after the loss in Berkeley.

"We need to get back out here and be with one another," Neuheisel said. "After you take one on the chin like that, you just have to get back out there."

He was impressed with the intensity.

"You (hope) everybody is ready to get going, but you know it when you see guys come out here and bust their tails, doing everything they can to be better," Neuheisel said.

 

Van Dykes to marshal Reyes Adobe Days

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

ALL IN THE FAMILY—Reyes Adobe Days Grand Marshals Wes Van Dyke, left, and Barry Van Dyke, far right, flank Agoura Hills Mayor Pro Tem Harry Schwarz. The Van Dyke father and son may be joined by patriarch Dick Van Dyke during the Saturday morning parade. JUDI UTHUS/Special to The Acorn Barry Van Dyke and his son Wes will be the grand marshals of the sixth annual Reyes Adobe Days in Agoura Hills. A kickoff for the event was Aug. 17 at the historic Reyes Adobe rancho and museum.

Reyes Adobe Days is a threeday, city-sponsored family festival featuring entertainment, music, cultural activities and recreation for all ages.

The festivities will run from Fri. through Sun., Oct. 1 to 3.

Mayor Pro Tem Harry Schwarz introduced the Van Dykes to guests at the kickoff. He said that, in addition to the father and son representing this year’s festivities, other family members, including actor Dick Van Dyke, may participate in the parade on Saturday morning.

Barry Van Dyke told the group that he first visited Agoura in the 1960s when he was a member of a rock ’n’ roll band that performed at Paramount Ranch. “It was the sticks at the time,” he said. He eventually settled in Agoura Hills to raise his family.

“I’ve lived in Agoura Hills for 35 years,” Van Dyke said. “Even today it still has that rural feel, like I am 100 miles away from it all. Agoura Hills has maintained a lifestyle worth celebrating. I’m flattered to be asked to be part of the celebration.”

Van Dyke is an actor best known for his role as Lt. Detective Steve Sloan on TV’s “Diagnosis: Murder.” His own father, Dick Van Dyke, played Mark Sloan, his character’s father. Barry Van Dyke also wrote and directed several episodes of the series.

Barry Van Dyke said he expects the entire Van Dyke family to join in the Reyes Adobe Days fanfare.

“We’ll have a flatbed truck for the whole clan,” he said, adding that his father’s barber shop quartet, “The Vantastics,” may join the festivities.

Schwarz shared his memories of the Adobe back in the days when the home and barn were shuttered and members of a historical society had given the site an “F” grade.

Times have changed—in May the historical site was designated by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution as historically significant because of its location on the El Camino Real route and its link to the nation’s past.

The family festivities will start on Fri., Oct. 1 with the Fiesta at the Adobe for seniors, a Mexicanstyle luncheon and tour of the Reyes Adobe historical site, including the 1850s rancho and museum.

On Friday evening, the Art Scene will open. Wes Van Dyke, 24, is this year’s featured artist. Wes Van Dyke has sold more than 50 oil and acrylic pieces to collectors across the country.

Other master artists to be featured in the artists enclave set up in the Reyes Adobe barn include award-winning painter Barron Postmus, artist Linda Block and sculptor Joe Wertheimer.

Indoor and outdoor metal sculptures, pottery, mobiles and other artwork will also be showcased. Artisans Row will feature jewelry, crafts, ceramics and other handcrafted items for sale by local artists. A student art exhibit is also being planned.

“We hope to show parents and kids how many ways you can make a living as an artist,” said Constance Jolcuvar, chair of the Reyes Adobe Days art committee and co-founder of the Art Scene, a nonprofit organization that serves as an umbrella group for art in Agoura Hills.

The public is invited to attend the Night at the Adobe on Friday evening. The event will feature an artists reception and wine tasting.

Saturday’s events start at 8 a.m. with the Reyes Adobe Days Run, followed by the annual parade. The one-mile procession will feature floats, music, vintage cars, equestrians, bands and circus-style entertainment. This year, the parade will follow a new route from Yerba Buena Elementary School in the 6900 block of Reyes Adobe Road to the Reyes Adobe Historical Site at Rainbow Crest Drive.

Day at the Adobe is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Families will be treated to experiences of California culture past and present, with interactive historical demonstrations, pony rides, a petting zoo, hands-on games from days gone by, a beer garden, farmers market and more.

Live entertainment will be showcased on both days of the event, and on Sunday the band Savor will perform a tribute to the legendary group Santana. At 3 p.m. Sunday, Tombstone Shadow will perform a tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“It’s going to be a real treat,” Schwarz said, adding that past events have attracted more than 15,000 people from throughout the region.

For tickets to special events, entry forms or further information, call the Agoura Hills Recreation Center at (818) 597-7361 or visit www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us.

 

Mr. Prince, it's your turn.

By Jon Gold, Staff Writer

UCLA's passing offense has been anemic and is ranked No. 118 out of 120 teams in the country. Georgia Tech and Army, at 119th and 120th, respectively, are rushing offenses that have attempted a combined 54 passes. Prince has completed just 24 of 55 attempts for 258 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

But the Crespi product appears fully recovered from back and shoulder issues that plagued him for nearly a month during fall camp and early in the season.

The passing offense was crisp and efficient in practice as the Bruins prepared for Texas' phenomenal secondary of cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams and safeties Blake Gideon and Christian Scott. Brown, Williams and Gideon were named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list.

"No. 1, we have to hit passes that are open," UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said. "Whether it's accuracy or protection or route-running, we have to hit things that are open. We have to continue to see how people are playing us, on any given day, and be able to dial up what we need to take advantage of."

 

Shortstop Trevor Plouffe talks about pinch runing for Jim Thome while Danny Valencia explains how the team fed off their screaming fans. Click the link below to watch the video courtesy of Fox Sports North.

http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/pages/video?PID=A_KL0pwBzEYob4yhBtaZ9UNTddnCKbBH

 

Crespi graduate Healy recognized as top prospect

Former Crespi High baseball standout Ryon Healy was named the California Collegiate League's top prospect by Baseball America.

Healy, who is a freshman at Oregon, hit .360 with a league-best 17 doubles and 38 RBIs this summer while playing third base for Conejo. In limited pitching opportunities, he hit 95 mph on the radar gun.

One scout said the 6-foot-4 Healy's best attribute will eventually be his long-ball power. The magazine said Healy's swing, size and position evoked comparisons to Evan Longoria and Scott Rolen from league managers.

 

Oregon Ducks baseball: Freshmen Ryon Healy, Stefan Sabol draw attention in summer league

Jim Beseda, The Oregonian

EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon freshmen Stefan Sabol and Ryon Healy were named the top prospects in their respective summer collegiate leagues by Baseball America on Thursday, as the baseball publication began releasing its annual evaluation of top prospects.

After recently graduating from Aliso Niguel High School, Sabol spent his summer playing for the Cowlitz Black Bears of the West Coast League, and was also named the top prospect in the WCL by Perfect Game Crosschecker.

Playing in a league filled with mostly college sophomores and juniors, Sabol hit .236 with 11 RBIs, 13 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple and one home run while drawing 20 walks. Sabol, who is one of three incoming catchers on Oregon's roster, was drafted in the 17th round by Atlanta in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The Aliso Viejo, Calif., native was ranked by Rivals.com as the 15th prospect in 2010 Rivals High Top 100 Baseball Prospect Ranking, and was an Aflac All-American during the summer of 2009. He was named to the 2010 All-CIF Southern Section Division II second team following his senior season at Aliso Niguel High School, and was co-MVP of the South Coast League along with current Oregon freshman Aaron Jones. Sabol helped the Wolverines to the SCL championship, while leading the league in home runs (10) and stolen bases (16).

Healy, a right-handed pitcher and infielder, played for the Conejo Oaks of California Collegiate League after graduating from Crespi Carmelite High School. The two-way player was named to the CCL All-Star Game, and led the league in doubles (17) and RBIs (38).

Following his senior season at Crespi High School, the West Hills, Calif., native was named to the 2010 Daily News Baseball All-Area second team. He helped lead the Celts to the Mission League championship, and was named second team all-Mission League.

In 2009, Healy was the CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year, and was named the 2009 Daily News Player of the Year, as well as the 2009 Mission League MVP.

Healy was also rated by Perfect Game Crosschecker as the California Collegiate League's sixth-top prospect.

Sabol and Healy were not the only student-athletes from the Oregon baseball program receiving accolades this summer.

Junior pitchers Tyler Anderson and Scott McGough spent their summer playing for the Collegiate National Team, and last week Baseball America had both slingers ranked in its "Team USA Top 20 Prospects" evaluation.

The duo helped Team USA win the silver medal at the FISU World University Baseball Championships in Tokyo, Japan after traveling to Cary, N.C., Omaha, Neb., and Taipei, Taiwan.

Anderson, a Pac-10 First Team selection in 2010, was rated as the No. 8 prospect on the 2010 CNT by Baseball America after finishing his summer with a record of 1-0 on the mound and a 0.00 ERA in three starts.  Anderson pitched in two combined shutouts, and in 16 total innings on the mound, allowed just six hits and three walks while striking out 14.

McGough, a right-hander and Pac-10 honorable mention selection in 2010, was rated by Baseball America at No. 16. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native was 1-1 on the mound with a 0.82 ERA in five relief appearances and a total of 11 innings of work. McGough pitched in one combined shutout and struck out 13.

Oregon junior right-hander Madison Boer spent his second consecutive summer
pitching for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. The Ducks' right-hander, who emerged as Oregon's closer late last season, was rated as the No. 10 prospect in the league according to both Baseball America and Perfect Game Crosschecker.

After picking up five saves in UO's last five wins of the season, including two at the NCAA Regionals, Boer took that momentum into his summer. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native was 4-1on the mound with five saves in 14 appearances and 20 and 1/3 innings pitched. He recorded 26 strikeouts, held opposing batters to a .219 clip and posted a 0.89 ERA.

Oregon freshman catcher Aaron Jones graduated from San Clemente High School, and spent his summer playing in the West Coast League for the Kelowna Falcons. He was picked by Perfect Game Crosschecker as the 11th-rated prospect in the nine-team WCL.

During his senior season for the Tritons, Jones was named to the 2010 All-CIF Southern Section Division I First Team, and was named Co-MVP of the South Coast
League -- sharing the award with Sabol. The San Clemente, Calif., native was named to the MaxPreps California All-State Baseball first team, and was also named the Orange County Register all-county team. He broke the San Clemente school record for home runs (9) and RBIs (35) in a season, and was drafted in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft in the 38th round by the Boston Red Sox.

Oregon freshman infielder Tyler Kuresa graduated from Oakmont High School and
was then drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB
First-Year Player Draft. Kuresa spent his summer playing for the Oahu Padddlers
of the Hawaii Collegiate League, and was voted as the league's No. 3 prospect by
Perfect Game Crosschecker.

Kuresa was named to the MaxPreps California All-State Baseball second team and
was a Sacramento Bee All-Metro first team selection. The Roseville, Calif., native played in the Optimist All-Star Game and led the Sierra Foothill League batting .447.

The University of Oregon baseball team is back on campus, and begins practice on
Monday.

A list of prospects for all 18 summer leagues is available on www.baseballamerica.com but requires a subscription.

BASEBALL AMERICA SUMMER PROSPECT LISTS

West Coast League
No. 1 - Stefan Sabol

California Collegiate League
No. 1 - Ryon Healy

Northwoods League
No. 10 - Madison Boer

Collegiate National Team
No. 8 - Tyler Anderson
No. 16 - Scott McGough

PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER SUMMER PROSPECT LISTS

West Coast League
No. 1- Stefan Sabol
No. 11 - Aaron Jones

California Collegiate League
No. 6 - Ryon Healy

Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League
No. 3 - Tyler Kuresa

Northwoods League
No. 10 - Madison Boer

 

Griffinathletics.com Ryan Lannutti: Men's Soccer - 9/8/2010Link to Full Bio Game -Winner Earns Lannutti A CACC Honorable Mention  New Haven, CT – (9/8/2010) – Chestnut Hill College captured a 2-0 advantage and an eventual 2-1 victory over the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown thanks to a game-winning strike from sophomore forward Ryan Lannutti (Calabasas, CA). For his efforts, Lannutti was rewarded with an honorable mention among the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) weekly award winners for the week ending on September 5. Lannutti took only one shot at the Pitt-Johnstown Kickoff Classic, but he made it count and helped Chestnut Hill College (1-1) to a 2-1 victory over the hosting Mountain Cats. At 33:36, Lannutti completed a cross from freshman midfielder Chris Wilson (Willow Grove, PA), extending the Griffin advantage to 2-0. The Mountain Cats closed the gap to 2-1 by halftime, but the Griffin defense held on in the second half to preserve the win. Lannutti finished his freshman season as the Griffins third leading scorer with three goals; including the lone tally in a 1-0 conference shutout of Philadelphia University on October 6, 2009. The men’s soccer team returns to campus to host the University of the District of Columbia in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Victory Field #1 on Thursday, September 9.

 

By Jon Gold Staff Writer for the Daily News

UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel set a hard deadline for quarterback Kevin Prince's return on Friday after the team had a relatively light scrimmage at the Rose Bowl that was closed to the public and media.

Neuheisel said Prince, a sophomore from Crespi who is nursing a strained oblique muscle, would need to return by Wednesday to be available for the Bruins' season opener Sept.4 at Kansas State.

Prince has been sidelined since the second practice of fall camp Aug. 10 and experiences pain only when he attempts a hard throw.

Neuheisel initially was tentative about setting a date for Prince's return - UCLA will go with sophomore Richard Brehaut if Prince can't play - and said, "I'm going to let a few more days go by before we make that decision. Coaches always say you want them there by Wednesday, and that's what I'd say. Obviously, you'd like to see him earlier."

Prince missed much of last week after the pain continued during increased work Tuesday. During Wednesday's and Thursday's practices, Prince threw little but did extensive work with the first unit during team drills, primarily handing off, and was with the starting group during Thursday's walkthrough.

Brehaut, who played sparingly as a true freshman last season, has looked impressive in the fall as the added reps have boosted his confidence.

"I thought he was really good again," Neuheisel said of Brehaut's performance in the scrimmage, "I think he had a TD pass, completed 65-70 percent of his passes. (He) looked very sharp."

Friday's scrimmage was more of a walkthrough, Neuheisel said, with 70-75 plays. Tackling was limited as the Bruins attempt to protect the team from the same fate of junior center Kai Maiava, who suffered a broken ankle during the team's scrimmage at Drake Stadium last Saturday.

"I'm trying to make sure we get everybody to the dance," Neuheisel said. "Every time people go to the ground, people are susceptible. That's how we lost Kai Maiava. (But) now we're going to have to work really hard this week with tackling."

 

By Stephanie Bertholdo, The Acorn

ALL IN THE FAMILY—Reyes Adobe Days Grand Marshals Wes Van Dyke, left, and Barry Van Dyke, far right, flank Agoura Hills Mayor Pro Tem Harry Schwarz. The Van Dyke father and son may be joined by patriarch Dick Van Dyke during the Saturday morning parade. JUDI UTHUS/Special to The Acorn Barry Van Dyke and his son Wes will be the grand marshals of the sixth annual Reyes Adobe Days in Agoura Hills. A kickoff for the event was Aug. 17 at the historic Reyes Adobe rancho and museum.

Reyes Adobe Days is a threeday, city-sponsored family festival featuring entertainment, music, cultural activities and recreation for all ages.

The festivities will run from Fri. through Sun., Oct. 1 to 3.

Mayor Pro Tem Harry Schwarz introduced the Van Dykes to guests at the kickoff. He said that, in addition to the father and son representing this year’s festivities, other family members, including actor Dick Van Dyke, may participate in the parade on Saturday morning.

Barry Van Dyke told the group that he first visited Agoura in the 1960s when he was a member of a rock ’n’ roll band that performed at Paramount Ranch. “It was the sticks at the time,” he said. He eventually settled in Agoura Hills to raise his family.

“I’ve lived in Agoura Hills for 35 years,” Van Dyke said. “Even today it still has that rural feel, like I am 100 miles away from it all. Agoura Hills has maintained a lifestyle worth celebrating. I’m flattered to be asked to be part of the celebration.”

Van Dyke is an actor best known for his role as Lt. Detective Steve Sloan on TV’s “Diagnosis: Murder.” His own father, Dick Van Dyke, played Mark Sloan, his character’s father. Barry Van Dyke also wrote and directed several episodes of the series.

Barry Van Dyke said he expects the entire Van Dyke family to join in the Reyes Adobe Days fanfare.

“We’ll have a flatbed truck for the whole clan,” he said, adding that his father’s barber shop quartet, “The Vantastics,” may join the festivities.

Schwarz shared his memories of the Adobe back in the days when the home and barn were shuttered and members of a historical society had given the site an “F” grade.

Times have changed—in May the historical site was designated by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution as historically significant because of its location on the El Camino Real route and its link to the nation’s past.

The family festivities will start on Fri., Oct. 1 with the Fiesta at the Adobe for seniors, a Mexicanstyle luncheon and tour of the Reyes Adobe historical site, including the 1850s rancho and museum.

On Friday evening, the Art Scene will open. Wes Van Dyke, 24, is this year’s featured artist. Wes Van Dyke has sold more than 50 oil and acrylic pieces to collectors across the country.

Other master artists to be featured in the artists enclave set up in the Reyes Adobe barn include award-winning painter Barron Postmus, artist Linda Block and sculptor Joe Wertheimer.

Indoor and outdoor metal sculptures, pottery, mobiles and other artwork will also be showcased. Artisans Row will feature jewelry, crafts, ceramics and other handcrafted items for sale by local artists. A student art exhibit is also being planned.

“We hope to show parents and kids how many ways you can make a living as an artist,” said Constance Jolcuvar, chair of the Reyes Adobe Days art committee and co-founder of the Art Scene, a nonprofit organization that serves as an umbrella group for art in Agoura Hills.

The public is invited to attend the Night at the Adobe on Friday evening. The event will feature an artists reception and wine tasting.

Saturday’s events start at 8 a.m. with the Reyes Adobe Days Run, followed by the annual parade. The one-mile procession will feature floats, music, vintage cars, equestrians, bands and circus-style entertainment. This year, the parade will follow a new route from Yerba Buena Elementary School in the 6900 block of Reyes Adobe Road to the Reyes Adobe Historical Site at Rainbow Crest Drive.

Day at the Adobe is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Families will be treated to experiences of California culture past and present, with interactive historical demonstrations, pony rides, a petting zoo, hands-on games from days gone by, a beer garden, farmers market and more.

Live entertainment will be showcased on both days of the event, and on Sunday the band Savor will perform a tribute to the legendary group Santana. At 3 p.m. Sunday, Tombstone Shadow will perform a tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

“It’s going to be a real treat,” Schwarz said, adding that past events have attracted more than 15,000 people from throughout the region.

For tickets to special events, entry forms or further information, call the Agoura Hills Recreation Center at (818) 597-7361 or visit www.ci.agoura-hills.ca.us.

 

Football: Oregon State turns to local products

Freshmen Kevin Cummings (Encino Crespi) and Obum Gwacham (Chino Hills Ayala) have been making positive impressions at receiver during practice at Oregon State

Oregon State Coach Mike Riley told OregonLive.com about the 6-foot-5 Gwacham: "I have anticipated redshirting him because I think there's a ton of development left in that guy but if he keeps going like this, we might change our minds."

Cummings, a greyshirt, is expected to play immediately.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

Oregon football: Freshman Bryan Bennett makes a good first impression at quarterback

Published: Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 6:46 PM     Updated: Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 8:22 AM

Ken Goe, The Oregonian

EUGENE — Freshman quarterback Bryan Bennett took the snaps as Oregon's third-string quarterback on Tuesday.

Bennett, who played last season at Crespi High in Encino, Calif., throws a nice ball. He showed command of the offense and the field presence of a veteran.

"Bryan understands the learning curve a little bit and has a pretty good grasp of what we're doing," UO coach Chip Kelly said. "We're just trying to see where he is and how he fits. We're trying to get him some reps early and see how this thing shakes out. I've been really impressed with him so far. It's how many reps can we get him, so he gets up to speed."

Because he is an incoming freshman, Bennett is off-limits to the media for the first two weeks of fall camp. At the moment, his play is speaking loudly.

"For two days in, he is a real knowledgeable kid," Kelly said.

-- Ken Goe; follow him on Twitter.

 

PAINTER: Sophomore quarterback Prince taking steps to become king of UCLA's offense

By Jill Painter, L.A. Times Columnist

Crespi grad becomes student of the game, becomes physically bigger ... and hopes to be better

UCLA has a bigger version of Kevin Prince this year. The Bruins hope he's a better version, too.

Prince, a sophomore whose career has been sidetracked by knee, shoulder and jaw injuries, must have a successful season for UCLA to have a successful season.

He knows it. Everyone on the UCLA football team knows it.

Sure, UCLA has a new variation of the "Pistol" offense aimed at getting the running game going, but if it works, it's a win-win.

Prince will benefit, too.

If the Bruins are a threat to run consistently, it will open up the passing game and take the pressure off Prince.

Prince, a Crespi High graduate, started last season at 205 pounds and was up to 215 by spring. He's 6 feet 3 and 230 pounds, which makes him a better fit for the offense in which he'll be running more and absorbing more hits.

Not that he's ever been afraid to take a hit.

"Obviously people can see I'm not afraid to shy away from hits," Prince said on UCLA's first day of practice Monday. "That's the high school kid in me being able to take on guys. I realize I can't take on middle linebackers anymore. That's not the smart way. You'll see me sliding and running out of bounds."

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow was glad to hear it.

"He doggone better," Chow said. "Or he won't be in there."

Most college football teams ride the arm of their quarterback, and the Bruins will be no different.

Prince welcomes the pressure and expectation and has a similar inner drive to achieve.

So when safety Rahim Moore gave Prince atape of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and asked him to watch it, Prince didn't flinch and take it on like he did opposing linebackers last year. UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel and Chow are the ones grimacing when Prince lowers his shoulders.

Prince could have tossed the tape and sneered at Moore for thinking a safety had a clue about his position, but Prince took Moore's advice. He watched that Brady film session, one in which defensive coaches from an opposing NFL team broke down his strengths and weaknesses and found it to be helpful.

Moore wants Prince to be the best quarterback he can be, and he figured if he could incorporate a little Brady in his game, then the Bruins would benefit.

"Any kind of advice I can get from anybody, especially from a guy like Rahim Moore, I welcome it with open arms," Prince said. "It was interesting to see how good you have to be and how defensive coaches break down what you can do. It's something you don't get to see all the time."

Prince and Moore, voted two of the team's captains by their teammates, have a special connection.

Prince continually asks Moore if he's selling his fakes after practice, and Moore asks Prince to critique the way he covers receivers.

Moore wants to know what he can do to get better, even trying to up the ante from his 10 interceptions last year.

Prince welcomes the critiques. He's in the spotlight, whether he's back in shotgun formation (where he'll be in the "Pistol" offense) or on campus.

"I wanted him to learn from those tapes," Moore said. "I told him, `The whole Bruin Nation revolves around you. You're the man, Kevin. The camera is on you out there.' He knows that. Kevin is a great guy. He put in a lot of work in the offseason. When you see that, it's a great feeling."

Prince was in his second year in the program last year and while the Bruins made a bowl game, it was by the hair on their chinny chin chin.

They went 0-5 in October. It's hard to have the clout and guts to call out teammates when you're short on experience, but this year is different, and Prince has more in his leadership arsenal.

"When guys aren't doing things right, (I can) get in their faces a little bit whether that be on or off the field," Prince said. "I feel you kind of have the right to step in there and say something where as a redshirt freshman, maybe you didn't. It's like, 'Who's this redshirt freshman telling me what to do?' It's a little different situation."

Prince completed 56 percent of his passes last year and threw for 2,050yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Prince knows those mistakes were too costly. He said he's let those things go, but he rattles off the mistakes he made at Cal, Oregon and USC as though UCLA lost all of those games Saturday.

"There's a few games that you take away my mistakes personally, and we're in it," Prince said. "Right away, the USC game I threw an interception for a touchdown. Against Oregon, there was the pick six.

"And even Cal, I threw an interception for a touchdown on an audible. We were driving to tie it up. If I can make a little better decision, a little better throw, then we're in a much better situation down the stretch. It's going to take a more accurate quarterback."

UCLA is focused on improving the running game all right, but this team needs its quarterback to contend for a Pac-10 championship.

"I'm fired up about our quarterback," Neuheisel said. "I think his numbers were fairly, fairly good for a guy who hadn't played. Remember, he didn't play as a senior (at Crespi) High School. He lost his senior year to a knee injury. For a guy who hadn't played on two seasons, to come in and play like he did was admirable. Certainly there were growing pains, but I do believe he's done the necessary work to master the offense, especially in the throwing game.

"He'll come into his own in this running game because he's got the measurables to be successful as a quarterback for this style of offense. It's fun now to finally have an experienced quarterback coming back to play. That coupled with experience on the offensive line lends to more optimism."

 

Crespi alumnus Trevor Plouffe hits his first Major League homerun!!!

Click here to view the video from MLB.com.

 

CHATTER: Gilmartin, UCLA pair make U.S. national team

By Erik Boal, Daily News Staff Writer

Crespi of Encino graduate Sean Gilmartin, a Florida State junior outfielder/ pitcher, along with UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole and catcher Steve Rodriguez were among the 22 players selected to USA Baseball's Collegiate National team, comprised of the country's top non-draft-eligible college players.

The Americans will play a five-game series against Korea before squaring off against a Japanese Collegiate All-Star team in a one-game, international friendly July 21 at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.

The U.S. will then travel to Taipei, Taiwan, for a four-game series against Chinese Taipei beginning July25. The team concludes its summer season at the FISU World University Championships in Tokyo, Japan, from July 30-Aug. 7.

 

Former Brewers pitcher says he's looking to move on, help Cardinals

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel

St. Louis — No one was in need of a fresh start more than Jeff Suppan.

Unable to live up to a four-year, $42 million contract - at the time, the largest in club history - the veteran right-hander had to be a bit relieved when the Brewers released him on June 7. Suppan had been banished to unfamiliar bullpen duty and was being booed regularly by the home fans.

Now back with St. Louis, where he pitched so well for three years to earn that deal with the Brewers, Suppan is trying to get his feet back on the ground.

"It probably helped in the transition to have been here before," Suppan said Thursday before the start of a four-game series between the Brewers and Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

"A lot of the same guys are here. I thought this would be a good situation for me to be in. I didn't really think about playing anywhere else."

Suppan has made modest gains in four starts with the Cardinals, going 0-2 with a 4.19 ERA. At the time of his release, he was 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA in 15 games with the Brewers, including two starts.

Big things were expected of Suppan when he signed his free-agent deal before the 2007 season. But his career trended downward in Milwaukee, resulting in a 29-36 record and 5.08 ERA in 110 games.

It got so bad that the Brewers finally opted to absorb the final $10 million they owed Suppan, including a $2 million buyout of his option for 2011.

Asked about getting the phone call that day from Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, Suppan said, "I wasn't surprised. There's always that possibility on any team you're on.

"I'm looking to move on. I can't change what happened in Milwaukee. When I'm 50 years old, it still happened. I was disappointed in how it turned out. I'm looking now to improve and help the Cards to win."

Suppan said he didn't think he put extra pressure on himself to live up to that contract but conceded that he might have.

"I knew what the contract meant and what the Brewers were looking for," he said. "There's pressure in this game everywhere. It's how you handle that pressure.

"It wasn't for lack of effort. I did everything within my power to be ready when I took the mound. I had some different things happen. I'm accountable. I know what they gave me and I know what I was supposed to do. That was frustrating on my end."

As for the intense booing by Brewers fans at the end, Suppan said, "That's a part of life. They have every right to cheer or to boo, to express how they feel. I was trying to stay focused. I wanted to do well. It created a little different environment.

"It didn't change what I did or how I worked and prepared to pitch. I tried to keep things small, focus on each day. If I didn't do that, it would have made it harder. I handled it the best I could. We're all human beings; we all have feelings."

Hart hopeful: Unlike leftfielder Ryan Braun, who appears headed to his third consecutive election to the All-Star Game in fan balloting, rightfielder Corey Hart has no idea what his chances are of making that squad. But he is hopeful for a spot either through player voting or selection by manager Charlie Manuel.

"That's one of the things outside of team goals that you hope for," said Hart. "I feel like I've earned a spot."

Entering play Thursday, Hart was tied with three others for the NL home-run lead with 18 and ranked second with 60 runs batted in. He was third with a .571 slugging percentage.

Hart made the NL squad in 2008 in the "All-Star Final Vote" online balloting by fans for the last roster spot. He'd rather it not come down to overtime again to make the team.

"There's a lot less stress (to be selected initially)," he said. "It would be nice to make it. I don't know what's going to happen. It would be nice to be voted in by the players."

If Hart is named to the NL team, he said he would be open to participating in the Home Run Derby, though he said he's not a home-run hitter.

"Why not?" he said. "This might be my only chance to do it."

 

Meet Brett Schirripa, now playing in his 3rd year at Pepperdine.

 

Baseball: College World Series is loaded with local players

The College World Series begins on Saturday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, with lots of former Southern California high school standouts in action.

Of course, UCLA has the most locals on its roster. Coach John Savage has built his team around players from Orange County and Los Angeles County. Former Orange Lutheran pitcher Gerrit Cole should get the call on the mound when the Bruins play Florida at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Florida State, which plays TCU at 11 a.m. on Saturday, has former Encino Crespi pitcher Sean Gilmartin. He's the lone player from California on Florida State's roster.

Top-seeded Arizona State plays Clemson Sunday at 4 p.m. and has a key player from Southern California in infielder Zach Wilson from Long Beach Wilson. He's batting .352 with eight home runs. Sophomore infielder Austin Barnes from Riverside Poly has 22 RBIs.

Jarrett Semler, a pitcher from Cypress College and Glendora High, has made 12 appearances for Oklahoma, which plays South Carolina Sunday at 11 a.m.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

J.J. Hardy goes on DL; Trevor Plouffe called up

The shortstop is still not ready to play, however.

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

The Twins placed shortstop J.J. Hardy on the 15-day disabled list following Thursday's game, because his bruised left wrist hasn't improved enough for him to contribute.

To replace Hardy, the Twins called up shortstop Trevor Plouffe from Class AAA Rochester. Plouffe will head right for the starting lineup, playing alongside third baseman and fellow rookie Danny Valencia.

Hardy, who landed on the DL and missed 12 games last month because of the same injury, will have his wrist immobilized for about 10 days to let the bruise heal. Hardy is batting .217 with three homers and 13 RBI.

"We have been fighting this long enough," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He's got a little bit of time here. Let's try to get him healthy."

Plouffe is batting .280 with six homers and 30 RBI for Rochester. He was 3-for-13 last month in a short stint with the Twins.

 

By Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Jeff Suppan is coming back to the St. Louis Cardinals.

He will be joining the team in Phoenix and hopes to be active early next week. He will be signing for the pro-rated minimum, his agent Scott Leventhal said.

Suppan has not officially signed yet because the Cardinals have to work out some issues with the 40-man roster.

He was released by the Brewers on Monday after going 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA in 15 games.

Suppan pitched for the Cardinals from 2004-06 and was 44-26 with a 3.85 ERA, the best 3-year span in his career. He was the MVP in the 2006 NLCS, winning Game 7 over the Mets.

Suppan signed with the Brewers as a free agent in December of 2006. He was 29-36 with a 5.08 ERA in Milwaukee.

He is 35.

 

Round 41, Kevin Williams, 2B, Crespi Carmelite (Calif.) High: Williams will likely stay in the area even if he doesn't sign. He's committed to UCLA.

 

Draft Day Three: The Hunt For Hidden Gems

Chris Jung, Director of High School Sports

Late rounds historically lead to productive players

Rounds 31-50

Mark Payton, CF (St. Rita High School); drafted 945th by the Minnesota Twins

Patrick Farrell, C (Regis University); drafted 962nd by the New York Mets

Steven Mazur, RHP (University of Notre Dame); drafted 988th by the Baltimore Orioles

Ryan Cole, RHP (St. John's University); drafted 1023rd by the Houston Astros

Xavier Esquivel, RHP (Loyola Marymount University); drafted 1024th by the San Diego Padres

Tyler Powell, RHP (Belmont Abbey College); drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays

Esteban Gomez, 1B (Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School); drafted 1053rd by the Houston Astros

John Spatola, OF (Boston College); drafted 1058th by the Chicago White Sox

Rob Gariano, RHP (Fairfield University); drafted 1084th by the San Diego Padres

David Whitehead, RHP (Archbishop Moeller High School); drafted 1086th by the Toronto Blue Jays

John Leonard, RHP (Boston College); drafted 1098th by the San Francisco Giants

John Fasola, RHP (Walsh Jesuit High School); drafted 1102nd by the Los Angeles Dodgers

Shane Rowland, C (Tampa Catholic High School); drafted 1103rd by the Boston Red Sox

Nick McCoy, C (University of San Diego); drafted 1105th by the New York Yankees

Brian Streilein, RHP (Villanova University); drafted 1113rd by the Houston Astros

Cameron Hobson, LHP (Dayton University); drafted 1135th by the New York Yankees

Noah Mull, LHP (Wheeling Jesuit University); drafted 1144th by the San Diego Padres

Jake Wark, 1B (Jesuit High School); drafted 1154th by the Atlanta Braves

Carson Vitale, C (Creighton University); drafted 1156th by the Texas Rangers

Thomas Bourdon, OF (Northwest Catholic High School); drafted 1163rd by the Boston Red Sox

Alexander Rivers, RHP (Santa Clara University); drafted 1169th by the Kansas City Royals

Steven Matre, RHP (College of Mount St. Joseph); drafted 1192nd by the Los Angeles Dodgers

Brandon Berl, RHP (St. Mary's College); drafted 1206th by the Toronto Blue Jays

Brian Smith, LHP (St. Mary Catholic High School); drafted 1210th by the Chicago Cubs

Kevin Williams, SS (Crespi Carmelite High School); drafted 1252nd by the Los Angeles Dodgers

Cole Tyrell, SS (University of Dayton); drafted 1264th by the San Diego Padres

Louie Lechich, LHP (St. Mary's High School); drafted 1265th by the Oakland A's

Michael Aviles, RHP (St. Thomas Aquinas College); drafted 1272nd by the Oakland A's

James Roberts, RHP (Archbishop Mitty High School); drafted 1278th by the San Francisco Giants

Timothy Chadd, 1B (Bishop Carroll Catholic High School); drafted 1281st by the Philadelphia Phillies

Daniel Slania, RHP (Salpointe Catholic High School); drafted 1283rd by the Boston Red Sox

Corey Litrell, LHP (Trinity High School); drafted 1286th by the Washington Nationals

Blake Bell, RHP (Bishop Carroll Catholic High School); drafted 1303rd by the Detroit Tigers

Christopher Edmondson, LF (Le Moyne College); drafted 1309th by the St. Louis Cardinals

James Hodgskin, LHP (Bishop Moore School); drafted 1311th by the Philadelphia Phillies

Matthew Chavez, RHP (University of San Francisco); drafted 1328th by the Chicago White Sox

Ryan Morrow, C (St. Mary's University); drafted 1334th by the Atlanta Braves

William Harford, C (University of Notre Dame); drafted 1357th by the Cincinnati Reds

Gregory Greve, RHP (Walsh Jesuit High School); drafted 1368th by the San Francisco Giants

Michael Francisco, LHP (Villanova University); drafted 1371st by the Philadelphia Phillies

Erick Fernandez, C (Georgetown University); drafted 1376th by the Washington Nationals

Lawrence Pardo, LHP (Christopher Colubmus High School); drafted 1383rd by the Houston Astros

Tyler Skulina, RHP (Walsh Jesuit High School); drafted 1385th by the Oakland A's

Connor Smith, RHP (Blessed Trinity High School); drafted 1386th by the Toronto Blue Jays

Alex Schmarzo, RHP (St. Mary's College); drafted 1438th by the Baltimore Orioles

Christopher Bradford, LHP (Monsignor Pace High School); drafted 1440th by the Cleveland Indians

Austin Smith, 1B (Pensacola Catholic High School); drafted 1442nd by the New York Mets

Daniel Child, RHP (Jesuit High School); drafted 1444th by the San Diego Padres

Patrick Brady, UTL (Bellarmine University); drafted 1452nd by the Seattle Mariners

Robert Shultz, RHP (Eastside Catholic High School); drafted 1492nd by the Los Angeles Dodgers

Mark Eveld, C (Jesuit High School); drafted 1502nd by the New York Mets

David Vazquez, 2B (Archbishop McCarthy High School); drafted 1508th by the Chicago White Sox

Cody Gabella, SS (Burlington Notre Dame High School); drafted 1514th by the Atlanta Braves

Daniel Carney, 1B (Notre Dame High School); drafted 1517th by the Florida Marlins

Golden Tate, CF (University of Notre Dame); drafted 1518th by the San Francisco Giants

Weston Hoekel, RHP (Bishop Kenny High School); drafted 1523rd by the Boston Red Sox

 

Baseball: Lots of locals in college baseball playoffs

With eight Pacific 10 Conference schools selected for the NCAA baseball playoffs that begin Friday, there's going to be lots of former Southern California high school standouts in action throughout the country, and not just from the Pac-10.

Two former Encino Crespi pitchers, Tyler Johnson from Stony Brook and Sean Gilmartin from Florida State, are key performers for their playoff-bound teams. Johnson is 9-3 and Gilmartin 7-7.

Three members off Los Angeles Loyola's 2007 Southern Section Division 2 championship team are in the playoffs. Steve Selsky (Arizona), Kevin Muno (San Diego) and Kevin Grove (St. John's).

Cal State Fullerton gets to host a regional, and its No. 1 pitcher is former Alhambra standout Noe Ramirez, who's 10-1 with a 2.50 ERA.

UCLA is seeded No. 6 nationally and will host a regional Friday. Its strength is pitching, behind Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran), Trevor Bauer (Newhall Hart) and Rob Rasmussen (Pasadena Poly).

If UCLA and Fullerton win their regionals, they'd meet in a best-of-three series for a spot in the College World Series.

So watch out for the Southern California influence in the college baseball playoffs.

Here's the bracket link.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

Contra Coast Times, Associated Press

The late Pat Tillman and former 49er Randy Cross were among the 14 newly elected members of the College Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday by the National Football Foundation.

Tillman (Leland High-San Jose) played linebacker for Arizona State from 1994-97 and gave up an NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the Army in 2002. He was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004.

"He would have been truly honored to be included alongside these other great players," Tillman's widow, Marie, said in a statement.

Cross was an All-America guard on the 1975 UCLA team that capped its season by upsetting Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. He went on to be named an All-Pro six times and win three Super Bowls with the 49ers.

Other players elected were running backs Sam Cunningham of USC and Jerry Stovall of LSU, receivers Desmond Howard of Michigan and Clarkston Hines of Duke, quarterback Mark Herrmann of Purdue, center Ronnie Caveness of Arkansas, defensive linemen Dennis Byrd of North Carolina State and Ray Childress of Texas A&M, defensive back Chet Moeller of Navy and linebacker Alfred Williams of Colorado.

Coaches elected were Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin and Gene Stallings of Alabama and Texas A&M.

They'll be enshrined at the hall in South Bend, Ind., in the summer of 2011.

 

Bruin Named to College Football Hall of Fame

Offensive lineman Randy Cross ('73-75) is latest Bruin in HoF

Former UCLA and NFL football standout Randy Cross has been selected to the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, it was announced today. The 2010 class includes 12 players and two coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision. Cross is the 13th Bruin to be selected for the NFF Hall of Fame. The list includes nine other players (Troy Aikman, 2008; Gary Beban, 1988; Kenny Easley, 1991; Tom Fears, 1976; Bill Kilmer, 1999; Donn Moomaw, 1973; Jerry Robinson, 1996; Al Sparlis, 1983; and Kenny Washington, 1956) and three coaches (Terry Donahue, 2000; Tommy Prothro, 1991; and Red Sanders, 1996).

Cross lined up at both center and guard for UCLA in the 1973-74-75 seasons for coaches Pepper Rodgers ('73) and Dick Vermeil ('74-75). He started 28 of his 34 career games for the Bruins, including his final 23 straight, and was named a first-team All-American in 1975. UCLA posted a record of 24-7-3 during his career. Cross was a member of the 1976 UCLA Rose Bowl team that defeated top-ranked Ohio State in Pasadena by a score of 23-10.

Cross went on to be selected in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played guard and center for 13 seasons with San Francisco, from 1976-88, and was on teams which captured the 1982, 1985 and 1989 Super Bowl Championship. Cross was selected to three Pro Bowls (1982, 82, 84) in his career and earned All-Pro honors in six seasons. He was a four-time first-team All-NFC performer and played his final NFL contest during a 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1989 Super Bowl. Cross was voted the 49ers' Man of the Year in 1985 for his extensive work in the community.

Cross has continued his association with the game of football as an announcer for college and NFL games. He worked from 1989-93 as an analyst on CBS Sports' coverage of the NFL. He then covered NFL games for NBC before going back to CBS in 1998 as one of the studio analysts on The NFL Today show. Cross returned to the CBS broadcast booth in 2002 for its coverage of the NFL. He currently co-hosts a program which airs on Sirius Radio's NFL Network. In 2009, Cross began work as an analyst for CBS College Sports TV in its coverage of the U.S. Naval Academy's football games.

Cross was chosen from the national ballot of 77 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees. A player must have received first-team All-America honors by an NCAA recognized selector and becomes eligible for consideration ten years after his final year of intercollegiate football has been played. While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime importance in the selection process, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed.

"I'm extremely proud and humbled to be selected and to be part of such a special College Football Hall of Fame class," said Cross. "My teammates at UCLA share in this honor, for without their help and influences, this would not be possible. To them, I say thank you."

"My late father, Dennis Cross, raised me to be a Bruin and my mother, Rita, was manager at Dykstra and Sproul Residence Halls on campus, so UCLA has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. Joining some of the legendary Bruins in the College Football Hall of Fame is a dream come true for a young boy who grew up in Tarzana. "

"Coaches from UCLA shaped me as a young man, taught me lessons, on and off the field, and helped in life well after I left Westwood. I owe those men --- Steve Butler, Moe Freedman, Terry Donahue, Pepper Rodgers, Dick Vermeil and Bobb McKittrick --- more than I can ever repay."

The new class of NFF Hall of Famers, which features players Dennis Byrd,dt-NC State, Ronnie Caveness,c-Arkansas, Ray Childress,dl-Texas A&M, Cross,ol-UCLA, Sam Cunningham,rb-Southern California, Mark Herrmann,qb-Purdue, Clarkston Hines,wr-Duke, Desmond Howard,wr-Michigan, Chet Moeller,db-Naval Academy, Jerry Stovall,hb-LSU, Pat Tillman,lb-Arizona State, Alfred Williams,lb-Colorado and coaches Barry Alvarez-Wisconsin and Gene Stallings-Texas A&M/ Alabama, will be honored at an induction dinner on Dec. 7, 2010 in New York City. The induction ceremony will be held at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN in July of 2011.

 

UCLA's Cross, USC's Cunningham receive Hall passes

L.A. Times Staff and Wire Services

Randy Cross, the UCLA All-American offensive lineman out of Crespi High of Encino, and Sam "Bam" Cunningham, the bruising USC fullback who is credited with helping integrate the game in the South, were among the 14 players elected to the College Football Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Cross, now an analyst for CBS on the NFL and college football, played on the 1976 Rose Bowl championship Bruins team as a guard, starting 28 of his 34 career games, including the final 23. He also played center.

A second-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1976, he played 13 years, made three Pro Bowls and played on three Super Bowl teams.

"I'm extremely proud and humbled to be selected to be a part of such a special College Football Hall of Fame class," said Cross, who lives near Atlanta, in a statement through CBS. "My teammates at UCLA share in this honor and without their help and influences this would not be possible. To them I say thank you.

"My late father, Dennis Cross, raised me to be a Bruin and my mother Rita was manager at Dykstra and Sproul residence halls on campus, so UCLA has been a part of life since I can remember. Joining some of the legendary Bruins in the College Football Hall of Fame is very much a young boy growing up in Tarzana dream come true.

"Coaches from UCLA shaped me as a young man, taught me lessons on and off the field and helped in life well after I left Westwood. I owe those men, Steve Butler, Moe Freedman, Terry Donahue, Pepper Rodgers, Dick Vermeil and Bobb McKittrick more than I can ever repay."

Cunningham, out of Santa Barbara, was an All-American in 1972 when the Trojans won the national title. He scored four touchdowns in the 1973 Rose Bowl - a modern-day record - and was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1992.

On Sept. 12, 1970, he ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns against an all-white University of Alabama team in Birmingham as USC beat the Tide 42-21.

Jerry Claiborne, a Bear Bryant assistant, said: "Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King did in 20 years."

Wilbur Jackson, the first African-American offered a scholarship at Alabama, watched the game from the stands, ineligible to play as a freshman due to NCAA rules at the time.

Cunningham co-authored a book on the game, "Turning Of The Tide: How One Game Changed The South," that is currently in development for a movie.

Cunningham went on to play for the New England Patriots, rushing for more than 5,400 yards and 49 touchdowns. He's the older brother of former UNLV and NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham.

Cross and Cunningham will be joined in the College Hall of Fame by late linebacker Pat Tillman (Arizona State), Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver Desmond Howard (Michigan), defensive tackle Dennis Byrd (North Carolina State), center Ronnie Caveness (Arkansas), defensive lineman Ray Childress (Texas A&M), quarterback Mark Herrmann (Purdue), wide receiver Clarkston Hines (Duke), defensive back Chet Moeller (Navy), halfback Jerry Stovall (LSU) and linebacker Alfred Williams (Colorado). The newly elected Hall of Fame coaches are Barry Alvarez and Gene Stallings.

The newest class will be inducted in December in New York and enshrined at the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., in the summer of 2011.

 

Baseball: Something for the alumni to get excited about

I don't think there's anything more exciting than when alumni from the same high school get to face off in the major leagues.

That's what happened the other night when Trevor Plouffe of the Minnesota Twins hit against pitcher Jeff Suppan of the Milwaukee Brewers. Two Encino Crespi grads going at it. Plouffe struck out and hit a double. I'd say he's going to let Suppan have it when they see each other in the off season.

Just think of the pride from Granada Hills Kennedy grads when San Diego Padres pitcher Jon Garland goes against Garret Anderson of the Dodgers. And who are Westminster La Quinta grads going to root for when it's pitcher Ian Kennedy of the Arizona Diamondbacks against Ian Stewart of the Colorado Rockies?

And what are Woodland Hills El Camino Real grads going to do when Brewers pitcher Randy Wolf faces Conor Jackson of the Diamondbacks?

I got to cover each player when they were in high school, and it's fun to see their development, and even more fun when two players from the same high school compete against each other.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

Baseball: Trevor Plouffe gets two hits in debut for Twins

Former Encino Crespi standout Trevor Plouffe, a first-round draft pick in 2004, made his major league debut Friday night for the Minnesota Twins and came away with a single and double and two RBIs in his team's 15-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

He also made some important plays at shortstop.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

Trevor Plouffe would like to follow Span's lead

By JOE CHRISTENSEN, Star Tribune

In Twins center fielder Denard Span, Trevor Plouffe sees a fellow first-round draft pick who struggled in the minors before finally proving the naysayers wrong in 2008.

This winter, Plouffe (pronounced PLOOF) spoke with Span and said, "I'd really like to do what you did."

So far, so good. After performing well at Class AAA Rochester, Plouffe made his major league debut Friday night as the Twins' starting shortstop and went 2-for-5 with an RBI single in the first inning and an RBI double in the fourth.

Plouffe also handled every ball hit to him, repeatedly drawing cheers of "Plouuuuufe!" from the fans.

Plouffe, 23, was the Twins' first-round pick in the 2004 draft out of Crespi Carmelite High School in Southern California. He was among the youngest players at each level as he climbed through the organization and entered this year as a .256 career minor league hitter.

He batted .260 for Rochester last season. It was much like when Span batted .267 for Rochester in 2007. Span was the Twins' first-round pick in 2002, and that was the low point before he reached the majors the next year.

"Some guys had written him off, maybe said he didn't get to Minnesota quick enough, and he's really turned into an All-Star player," Plouffe said. "Before the season, he said, 'All you've gotta go do is play hard, do well in Rochester and you'll get your opportunity.' "

Plouffe was batting .303 with 11 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 38 RBI for Rochester before getting promoted.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said Plouffe needed to be more consistent at shortstop, especially with his throws, but the whole staff saw a more mature player this spring. "When I sent him down this spring, I said, 'We'll see you in the big leagues this year,' " Gardenhire said. "I really believed that."

 

Baseball: Ex-Crespi standout Plouffe called up to majors

Trevor Plouffe, a first-round draft pick from Encino Crespi in 2004, was called up by the Minnesota Twins Thursday night.

Plouffe is hitting .303 in Triple A. He has been patiently working his way up through the minors. He even has his own blog here.

Plouffe was a standout pitcher and shortstop for the Celts, leading them to a Southern Section championship his junior year.

-- Eric Sondheimer, L.A. Times

 

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