By
Tony Lee
On
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The men's basketball team will start its season by going away for the Ventura Tournament on Nov. 5-7.The Pirates' first home game, held at Peterson Gym, will be on Nov. 12 against Moorpark College at 7:30 p.m.Its first home Orange Empire Conference game will be on Jan. 6 against Riverside Community College at 5:30 p.m.As reported earlier, head coach Steve Spencer said "I don’t guarantee somebody who’s on the team last year that they’re going to be on the team.”But I have a feeling sophomore Martin Whitmore (right), who led the Pirates with 15.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last year, will lace-up for Spencer for 2009-10.For the entire men's schedule, click here.
On the other hand, the women's head coach Mike Thornton said in an earlier report that he almost has his roster set already and will have more of a practice, rather than tryouts, during the summer.One of the returners will be sophomore starter Jenna Lujan (left). In 32 games, she averaged 6.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.Thornton's team start off the season at the Santa Barbara Tournament on Nov. 13-15.The lady Pirates' first home game is on Dec. 11 against Mt. San Jancito at 7 p.m. and will return home on Jan. 6 to play its first home OEC game against RCC at 7:30 p.m. For the entire women's schedule, click here.[Photos by Hank Schellingerhout]
By
Tony Lee
On
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The sounds of helmets and pads banging against each other will fill up the LeBard Stadium at Orange Coast College soon.But it'll be quieter at OCC this year since the Pirates will be without Dean DeLeone (No. 46), last year's Southern California National Division, Southern Conference's Defensive Player of the Year.In azcentral.com, Bob Young wrote about the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder junior-transfer DeLeone and how he's the oldest player on the Arizona State University's football team.In fact, today (Aug. 13) is his 26th birthday and I figure the OCC Sports Blog should celebrate his birthday with a post.As a Pirate in 2008, DeLeone had 78 total tackles (32 solo) with 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, five pass breakups, seven quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, according to OCC's Sports Information Director Tony Altobelli.DeLeone was also a force on special teams and averaged 37.7 yards per return and, I am proud to say I've witnessed this, had a 97-yard return for a touchdown.Happy birthday Dean. Coast will miss your presence on the gridiron this season.[Photo courtesy of Hank Schellingerhout]
By
Tony Lee
On
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I’m going to make a prediction: Even though the OCC softball team lost captains Nicole Silva and Kasey Potter for the 2010 season, the lady Pirates will not go winless in the Orange Empire Conference again.Some may think that’s a bold statement but the lady Pirates were the most injury-plagued team in all of OEC and had to play several games with exactly the minimum number of players allowed to compete.For 2010, depth won’t be a problem because head coach Ruby Rojas said she was determined to have a busy recruiting season. As a result, six new lady Pirates will join Rojas next year.
The highlight of the incoming six freshmen recruits are shortstop Myranda Hoggatt (pictured), second baseman Jordan Malavar and pitcher/first baseman Stephanie Engle from the 2009 Edison High School championship team.But it wasn’t easy recruiting all three. Rojas was at their games, talking to them personally and convinced them to come to Coast, despite OCC’s win-less conference record.“I kind of didn’t look at OCC at first,” Hoggatt said. "I kind of didn’t want to go to OCC until I started talking to Ruby, but it seems like she can turn the program around.”Malavar added it’ll be a challenge but also fun to turn the program around.“Maybe they may not have a winning record but we’re all out there having fun, getting great education, we’re all going to transfer out, we all have a goal,” she said. “As long as we can communicate, I think we can turn it around.”Hoggatt said “I’m actually stoked” and Malavar said “That’s awesome” when asked about coming to OCC and playing with close friends, but both will have to work hard off the field for that to happen.Malavar, a self-proclaimed nerd, will be a political science and sociology major and hopes to transfer to an east coast university.Hoggatt will also have a demanding schedule as a chemical engineering major.“OCC is, I think, the No. 2 school for transfer rates and after talking with Ruby, she really seemed to care about we wanted to transfer, getting our academics done,” Malavar said. “We’re definitely on the same level coaching wise and school wise and I thought it would be a perfect match.”All three Edison recruits will also be reunited with former teammate Sarah Munson - a sophomore pitcher for Coast.Other freshmen recruits are Cheyanne Tovar, from Rojas’ high school alma mater - Mater Dei, Trea Steele from Esperanza High School and Tracy Valdez from FVS.For the 2010 season, look for the lady Pirates to not only win a game, but compete for the OEC championship.[Photo courtesy of Myranda Hoggatt]
By
Tony Lee
On
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
After throwing his worst game as a professional in his last start, Brett Wallach pitched his career-best Tuesday (Aug. 11) to help his Ogden Raptors beat the Helena Brewers, 16-6.Wallach, the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, pitched a career-high 3.0 innings of scoreless ball Tuesday by allowing only two hits, no walks and two strikeouts.This was his seventh start for the Raptors and in his seven games, Wallach is 0-1, has an ERA of 5.62 (9 earned runs in 14.1 innings pitched) and allowed 15 hits, nine walks with 11 strikeouts.Antonio Castillo (4-2) earned the win and Joseph Paxson (3) earned the save for the Raptors Tuesday. Brewers' Nicholas Bucci (6-1) got his first loss of the season.[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]
