In the winter when LMU (now 21-18) had a weekend out of West Coast Conference play available, they dialed up Long Beach State (21-21) for some nearby baseball for teams that frankly must win their conference to earn post season. These out of conference deals really aren’t that important because they offer no RPI boost and little of importance to alumni, boosters, big media, etc. This is really the last three of four, (LMU defeated Long Beach State on April 17, with a walk-off with a 5-4 ninth inning victory) and comes up just before their BWC stretch drive battles with UC Davis, CSUN and Fullerton. “I thought when they called that taking the Friday off wouldn’t be such a big deal,” Beach skipper Troy Buckley said, “but if we are careful how we use our pitchers I think we will be okay.”
Beach Court Queens to Volley It Up Against Arkansas in NCAA Tennis
The longest journeys begin with a single step. Long Beach State women’s tennis has figured out how to get in the NCAA post season door but so far hasn’t been able to move past the first round. This year may be different when the Beach starts the NCAA Tournament in Southern California, traveling the short run to UCLA and a match with SEC toughened but beatable (Arkansas 12-13) in Westwood on Friday, May 11.
Big West First Place 49ers Seek Revenge, RPI Boost, and Ruins for the Bruins
In this odd 2012 world of college baseball (low budgets and slow bats,) the 49ers now go out of conference but hardly out of town playing four of its six remaining non-conference games this week, hosting No. 10-14 UCLA on Tuesday before playing a non-conference split series with Loyola Marymount from Saturday to Monday. Saturday’s game with the Lions will start at 5:30 p.m. on Blair Field. The teams will play at 3:00pm on Sunday at Page Stadium, and then return to Blair Field on Monday to close the series with a 6:30pm start.
Searching for the Benjamins, Trophies, and Diamond Stars
Outfielder Josh Guerra, hit .500 with a double, triple and home run.[/caption]
As I build to my Post deadline for the Dust Plus column, I sort through my contacts from a posse that passionately follows all things Long Beach State. This weekend they kept saying, “It’s all about the Benjamins.”
St. Anthony High School Names New Basketball Coach
According to a release from St. Anthony High School, Eric Cooper has been named Head Basketball coach for the Saints.
LBCC Knocks Compton Outta the Park
Long Beach City College sophomore pitcher Steven Gallardo had a historical afternoon as he tossed a 10-inning no-hitter over El Camino College-Compton Center this afternoon in a 1-0 South Coast Conference win at LBCC’s Joe Hicks Memorial Field.
This Week In LBSU Athletics, April 30
Everything you need to know about upcoming CSULB athletic events.
Sand Volleyball with a Diff: Four Players, Some FIFA Luster, and a Millikan Guy in Goal
Millikan graduate and USA Beach Soccer goalkeeper, Michael McAndrews, (son of the former CSULB academic advising legend Merry Eyeman) will be heading to Brazil for the May 2012 Mundialito de Clubes, an annual international competition that takes place between top international beach players.
Maybe Sometimes You Shouldn’t Root for the Hometown Boys
The Los Angeles Lakers, Long Beach’s unofficial hometown NBA team, opens the playoffs tomorrow without the laughably-named Metta World Peace. The fact that this thug is a Laker at all ought to make the team just a little harder to root for.
LBCC Softball Split Non-Conference Games
The Long Beach City College softball team split a pair of non-conference games against San Diego County opponents, picking up a 7-3 win over San Diego Mesa College while falling to Palomar College 4-0 to close out the 2012 regular-season schedule on Wednesday at home.