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
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
As promised, yours truly will upload some of his favorite sports photos from the spring season. The first installment is of the Orange Coast College softball team in practice and in a game against Saddleback College. Next photos will be from the baseball season and the next blog entry will be about incoming recruits for the softball team. Once again, the OCC Sports Blog now has a photo album on Picasa and I will update it frequently. The softball photos are at http://picasaweb.google.com/coastreportsports/2009SpringSoftball#
By
Tony Lee
On
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Orange Coast College softball team played a game earlier today against Santa Ana College. The lady Pirates lost 5-1 - the lone run scored by Kayse Potter. Coast players Kursten Evanski (left) and Sarah Munson (right) are here after the game to support the men’s volleyball team. Do you guys come to a lot of the volleyball games?Sarah: Yes we do.Kursten: Yeah.Do you guys wish you had this many people for your softball games.Sarah: Yeah, maybe we’d win then. Yesterday we had a class come watch us for extra credit. It’s so sad. Talk about the game a little bit.Kursten: They met with the ball so that was all we could do. They hit a few shots up the middle and we had some errors.Did you guys have chances to rally or anything like that?Kursten: We had a few of them but when we hit the ball sometimes, they were hard hits, but we hit it straight to them. But I don’t think we could be mad because we put the balls in play. When’s your next game?Both: Friday (at 3 p.m.).Against?Sarah: Santiago (Canyon College).Kursten: Our last two games are at home.What do you want to say to the fans so they’ll come to the game?Sarah: We’re good looking.Kursten: That’s all you need.[Photo by Tony Lee]
By
Tony Lee
On
Thursday, April 09, 2009
[Photo courtesy of Orange Coast College]
The girls practice and play hard everyday trying to get better - even if they are not going to make the playoffs and the season is coming to an end.
The lady Pirates are still looking for its first Orange Empire Conference win but trust me, it's not due to a lack of effort or talent. Here's what Evanski told me about the game. Me: hey I just saw ur facebook status...does that mean u guys won ur first conference game?Kursten: no we lost 7 to 8 but it was amazing. everyone had heart the whole game they all really wanted it. sarah pitched her soul out yesterday, candice (No. 19 in the first row) hit a three runKursten: home run which brought in me who hit a shot out to left center and kiele (right of Evanski in the second row) who hit a hard ground single. then sarah got hit in the inner tigh. and it was so nice toKursten: here the opposing team get chewed out because of how well we played. it really turned some heads. but if i could replay that entire game againKursten: i would. im so proud of these girls for all of those 7 am practices and it finally showed what we are capable of.Kursten: I could honestly and would brag about that game all day. people would get annoyed but i don't care :-)Kursten: and it wasn't just one person who contributed. it was EVERYONE!!!!!!!The lady Pirates' next game is at home against Saddleback College on April 13 at 3 p.m. Everyone come support the ladies and cheer them on to hopefully its first OEC win.
By
Tony Lee
On
Thursday, April 02, 2009
First, I want to apologize to the OCC baseball team for showing up. I’m almost 100 percent convinced that I am bad luck.
And it's not March anymore so the March "Mustache Madness" doesn't apply. I want to desperately blame it on the change of the months but that would be as ridiculous as someone wearing blue shoes with orange shoelaces as good luck.
...Moving on.
I want to give a shout out to four members of the OCC softball team Kayse Potter, Maddie Page, Kiele Brown and Kalyn Lee for stopping by, saying hi and hanging out with me.
Also, Page would like the world to know that Cypress College always seems to hit two home runs against her. Maybe she doesn’t want the world to know but I’m sharing it nonetheless.
I know the softball girls personally and they are the coolest set of girls you’ll ever meet. I say more of us go to the softball games to support them.
I also want to give a shout out to OCC track and field rock stars Brianna Vanderwal and Liana Fuentes for stopping by. If you didn’t know, Vanderwal and Fuentes qualified for the upcoming California State Meet about a week ago at the Southern California Heptathlon Championships.
I want to give thanks to all the players and coach John Altobelli for the interviews. I also want to thank Tony Altobelli for helping me fill in the blanks when I was busy with interviews or updating the blog.
And I also want to clear something up.
Through my interview questions, I realized that I may have insinuated I blamed the loss on OCC pitcher Calvin Drummond. That’s 100 percent not the case.
If any of the players, coaches or fans thought I was being a jerk by asking those questions that way, I apologize and that wasn’t my intent.
Drummond actually pitched a great game and even had a no hitter going through the fifth inning.
And finally, thank you to the four people that picked up the Coast Report newspaper located next to my little station and tens of others that picked up the flyer on the OCC sports blog.
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.
