12:25pm | Sometimes anticipation is better than actualization.
It was still mid October but the crack of the alloy and the big yellow sphere were present Friday afternoon in the sunshine of the 49er Softball Complex. This was one of the legal fall exhibition games, Fullerton College came to campus and brought with them ex Niner stars Sue Trubovitz and Speedy Mendoza. Erin Jones-Wesley got the start but after four innings LB Coach Kim Sowder was getting anxious to see her new look defense. In four innings facing the freshmen all American, the visiting Hornets had only put four balls in play so for Sowder it was time to work the rest of the Beach bullpen. They take notes but don’t keep score.
Come Saturday we were still on the same calendar (and more in the center of the 323 manicured acres of Long Beach State) but it was basketball buzzing around. The ladies of hoop have less pressure on them but offered both lay up lines and chow lines to their 49er faithful Saturday morning. After they were done Dan Monson’s defending regular season Big West Champions took over. The Monson Maniacs are loaded and ready to face the reality that the BWC is a one bid league. Last years odd loss to UCSB denied the hopeful hoopsters and their fans the dream of a ticket to the NCAA Big Dance. Anything less this spring would be a major disappointment.
This year’s LB men’s lineup has a mix of veterans and some needed newcomers to provide the depth that was missing on last year’s team. The new faces are folks like JC combo James Ennis, walk on Peter Pappageorge, and highly rated freshmen guards Michael Caffey and Shaq Hunter. These guys are mostly backups for all world Casper Ware (who wore out and cramped up a bit in the BWC tourney) and some added offense to replace Greg Plater, the sharp shooting and graduated guard.
The returning big guys are well thought of especially all conference talents Larry Anderson, TJ Robinson and Eugene Phelps. The new guys include two 6-9 prospects, redshirt Nick Shepherd and slightly built Rwandan Gatete Djuma, but insiders expect improvements by returnees such as burly Edis Dervisevic (6-8, 245) and Kyle Richardson (6-7, 235) to solidify the paint.
That covers the anticipation note; sadly the actualization reality isn’t quite as pleasant especially for women’s soccer that plummeted in 48 hours from first to fourth. Friday night the potent offense that enjoyed 6-0 shutouts twice lost 1-0 to CSUN and on Sunday 2-0 to Irvine. The fight is now on to finish in the BWC top four and get a lease on post season life via the BWC tourney.
The other fall entry of note is women’s volleyball (12-6, 6-2 and for the moment first in the Big West). Cheered by the return of Caitlin Ledoux and the play of middle Haleigh Hampton (24 kills and 12 blocks in the two matches, hitting .413) the Beach won twice at home over UC Davis, 3-0 and Pacific, 3-1. Note the “at home”. This weekend is the toughest trip on the schedule–at Cal Poly Friday, 7 p.m. in San Luis Obispo and at UC Santa Barbara Saturday, 7 p.m. in Santa Barbara. Last month UCSB beat the Beach in the Pyramid and it took five games for the 49ers to get past SLO.
It may have been a necessity to protect the bad wheel of Janisa Johnson but the strategy by BG to put Bre Mackie in the front row while using Janisa in the back worked well. That made a huge front line of 6’2, 6’2, 6’1, 6’6, and 6’3 which in return present a terrific block advantage. (On the season the Beach has 218 blocks to 157 for the opposition.
DUSTING BIG NAMES: Tampa Bay Ray manager Joe Madden was part of the full house for a surprise birthday party at the Acapulco Inn for super booster Don Heckman, founding father of baseball’s left field loonies (who actually sit where ever they want.) His muscle Ron Ogle got it all going, and was there wearing a UCSB baseball cap because that is where his son Riley played.
A lot of former Dirtbag players were there. Speaking of which that was Detroit Tiger Adam Wilk doing duty in the Pyramid Ticket Office while he is back in town mopping up some units.
Men’s volleyball Coach Andy Read has the Beach boys hitting well and finished the USC Fall Tournament with a 5-1 record as it defeated Stanford, Cal Baptist and Lewis before falling to Pacific on Saturday. Matches were the best of three sets with the first two played to 25 points and the third to 15 points. If a match was decided after two sets, the teams could elect to play the third set. This weekend the tourney action moves to the Beach starting on Saturday, On Sunday LB’s fundraising tournament is at the HB Pier, the Annual Fall Four Halloween Tournament.
“Moneyball,” a film about Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane and his unorthodox use of baseball statistics, starred Brad Pitt and Mike Weathers and Long Beach State’s Blair Field. The retired Bag skipper had a bit role as Ken Macha.
“I believe all of the spring training scenes were filmed at Blair,” said Cameron Ungar, LBSU director of event services. Ungar said that the school is approached about filming opportunities on a regular basis. “LBSU is located in the ‘TMZ’ (30-mile zone) so it is convenient and cost-effective for production companies to work on our campus,” he said. The film, which grossed $20.6 million in its opening weekend.
Bill Weiman (Uncle of former Dirtbag Adam Heether) reports that his nephew “has been in the A’s minor league system the last 2 years and has many of the “Money Ball” attributes (high OBP, OPS, average pitches per at bat).
The ticket and marketing folks have package for your November entertainment. The price is $419 and you get the following: Spot in the 49er Athletic Club Golf Tournament on Nov. 7; Ticket to the 49er Hall of Fame Dinner & Reception on Nov. 9; Ticket to the Women’s Basketball opener vs. Utah Valley on Nov. 11; Admission to the Homecoming Tailgate BBQ outside the Walter Pyramid on Nov. 12 and ticket to the Men’s’ Basketball game against Idaho on Nov. 12. Call 562-985-4662 to sign up.
Best of the Beach players this week include senior Rosa Del Toro (Women’s Cross Country) who set a school record in the 5K with a time of 17:09, finishing in fourth at the Bronco Invitational and Senior water polo star Aleksandar Petrovic who scored five goals in the Concordia match, bringing his season total to 40.
This week also has campus action in Women’s Soccer vs. UC Riverside Friday at 3 p.m., Men’s Water Polo taking on UC Santa Barbara Saturday, 12 p.m. in the campus Pool and Women’s Tennis at ITA West Regionals Thursday through Monday in San Diego
Paul Goydos is battling some injuries but cashed at the Shriners tourney in Nevada, winning $255, 000 with a 66-66-66-68. Now the question remains, how will Paul like the remodeled platinum row basketball seats that now are chairs only, no table for his drinks, eats, game program and blackberry?—DR DAN