Gamespeed

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Gamespeed's Burns Performing well as an Aztec

MV grad Burns is making name for himself in the net

By Dave Carpenter

STAFF WRITER

Article Launched: 10/18/2007 03:02:46 AM PDT
Alumni notebook

By Dave Carpenter

STAFF WRITER

The recognition keeps getting greater for Monte Vista High School graduate Brad Burns. The San Diego State redshirt freshman was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week, College Soccer News National Team of the Week and Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week Oct. 8 and 9. Burns, a goalie, made a season-high seven saves to earn his fifth shutout in six games in the Aztecs' 1-0 win over then No. 14-ranked UCLA on Oct. 6. The win gave San Diego State its sixth straight game without a loss, and first win over the Bruins since 1989.

The week prior, Burns was named Pac-10 Player of the Week. It was Burns' first career weekly award. He helped the Aztecs to a 0-0 tie in double overtime with then-No. 25 UC Irvine on Sept. 29. Burns played all 110 minutes in the net and made four saves, including a diving stop in the 12th minute.

Over the weekend, No. 24 San Diego State upset No. 8 Cal 3-2 and No. 21 Stanford 2-0. Burns made four saves against Cal but did not play against Stanford. Burns is 6-1-2 with 33 saves this season and has allowed just 0.73 goals per game with five shutouts. San Diego State is 7-2-2 overall, 3-0-0 in the Pac-10.

GAMESPEED OWNER, Aaron Thigpen placed 2nd for the silver medal in the World Masters Champiohships in Riccione, Italy on Sept 11th.

Having not competed abroad since 1996 I may have underestimated the effect of jet lag and travel in general on my body. In my heat I had cramps. In the final my legs were heavy and I stumbled out of the blocks, but I was able to recover and move into second. The experience taught me to look a little more closely at how and when you travel. Things such as sleep patterns and diets can be greatly effected and hurt performance. I did do some things but maybe more can be done. Lessons to other athletes:

Try to pick a competion friendly travel schedule. Arrive more than 24hours early if possible.
Not just hydrate, super hydrate with sports drinks. Water hydrates but depletes minerals which causes cramps and pulls.
Try to figure a way to keep you natural sleep pattern.
If you are going to site see plan those days ahead or after competition.
Bring suppplements, diets vary region to region and country to country. I found it hard to find chicken and beef. My protein supplements were not enough.

But all in all it was a great experience and my hats off to my competitors for running well and competing fiercely. Great fun and I wouldnt trade it for the world. I told them payback comes at the World Indoor Championships in France in March!! Ill take 5-6 weeks off then Im back in the saddle!!

Congratulations to Marquis for his sensational pro season debut for the Single A Mariners.

Stats

ERA:
2.36
W-L:
2-0
SV:
0
SO:
29
Full Name: Marquis R Pettis

Born: 09/09/1982

Birthplace: San Leandro, CA

College: Diablo Valley Col

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 180

Bats: R

Throws: R

Marquis had an 2.36 ERA through 26 innings. In first professional season, went 1-2 for the AZL Mariners...appeared in 16 games...struck out 15 batters in 28 innings...held batters to a .206 AVG. Marquis cruised between 88-92mph and had a high of 93mph. Converted from the outfield Marquis went through the Gamespeed summer conditioning program.

His father a former major leaguer for Seattle says" Gamespeed and pitching coach Jeff Pick made all the diffrence in the world for my son". Thanks.

BSAL MVP Ashley Jackson

Bruins headed back to finals

Jackson tosses one-hitter and belts three-run homer

By RYAN GARNER/Times-Herald sports writer

Article Launched: 05/25/2007 07:53:15 AM PDT

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_5986630

Section tournament victories shouldn't look this easy.

Whether pitching, hitting or fielding, St. Patrick-St. Vincent High's softball team made everything look simple on Thursday afternoon.

Ashley Jackson pitched a one-hitter and her teammates came through with several clutch hits, capturing an 8-0 win over St. Vincent of Petaluma in the North Coast Section Class A semifinal.

Jackson continued her lengthy string of dominance from the pitcher's mound, hurling a no-hitter into the seventh inning and striking out 10 batters. She also excelled at the plate, smashing a three-run homer to the deepest park of the park in the first inning to open the scoring.

"I hit a couple last year, but that's my first one this year," said Jackson, who finished 2-for-2 with four RBI. "That's the hit I've been looking for all year."

Several St. Pat's bats came to life against St. Vincent. Junior Kristin Skinner went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and three runs, while Vanessa Barrera, Jackie Domecus and Camilla Martinez each finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. St.. Vincent's lone hit

Bruins rout Marin Academy in NCS opener

By RYAN GARNER/Times-Herald sports writer

Article Launched: 05/23/2007 07:48:42 AM PDT

St. Patrick-St. Vincent High's star pitcher Ashley Jackson is polite, well-spoken and confident. She pitches pretty well, too.

Speaking with reporters following Tuesday's 6-0 win over Marin Academy, the Bay Shore Athletic League Most Valuable Player handled questions almost as deftly as the 21 hitters she had just retired.

Asked if she had even broken a sweat, the talented senior remarked "Yeah, I did. It's kinda hot today."

Heat may have been the only difficulty Jackson faced, striking out 12 batters as St. Pat's opened its North Coast Section Class A title defense with a decisive victory.

"Ashley pitched well again for us, and that helps us out a lot," said St. Pat's head coach Rich Gigliotti. "It's a good feeling, knowing if we can put up five or six runs she'll get us the win."

Sophomore Taylor-Anne Harris also had a strong game for the Bruins, finishing 2-for-2 with two doubles and two runs hitting out of the ninth spot, while junior Kristin Skinner drove three runs across, going 2-for-4 at the plate.

Marin reached base on a few hard ground balls and defensive lapses, but only advanced one runner into scoring position and never posed a serious threat against the Bruins.

"We didn't play our best, and we probably made more errors today than we have in the last month," Gigliotti said. "But if we were going to scuffle we had to scuffle in this game."

Neither team could mount any offense in the early going, but St. Pat's erupted for a five-run outburst in the third inning. Harris led off with a double, Chelsea Carlay reached base with a single, and Skinner brought both runners home with a drive to center field.

The Bruins' hit parade continued, with Jackie Domecus, Camilla Martinez and Mallorie Wilson driving runs across in succession, giving St. Pat's a commanding 5-0 lead. Skinner brought Harris home again in the sixth to cap the scoring.

Coming into the NCS tournament as the top seed, the Bruins (22-1) know they're going to get a strong effort from each opponent. Last season they were the hunters, entering postseason play as the third seed, but this year they've become the hunted, thanks to Jackson's strong pitching and a 15-1 record in BSAL play.

"I'm sure every team is out to get us, and they all want to knock us off. If I was playing me I'd be out to get me," Jackson said. "It feels good to get this one out of the way, and it's behind us now so we can focus on the next game."

St. Pat's returns to the field again Thursday afternoon, hosting St. Vincent in a quarterfinal match. The teams haven't faced each other this season, but squared off in last year's NCS championship game, which St. Pat's won 7-0.

"We need to play a lot better than we did today, because it's going to be a tough game on Thursday," Gigliotti said.

Hadley Swanson CYO Girls Track Athlete of The Year

This phenominal 11 year old has personal bests of:

100m: 13.9

200m: 29.5

400m: 64.7

HJ: 4' 4"

LJ: 13' 11"

Record Setting Relay

The St. Monica's CYO track and field team from Orinda/Moraga broke the meet record in the 400 meter relay on April 14 at the Mary Chatterton Memorial Relays at Diablo Valley College. Natalie Garrett, Christina Romak, Emma Eppley and Hadley Swanson combined to run the distance in 1:40.03. The previous record was 1:41.34.

"It is a joy to work with Hadley she has a joy and enthusiam for running that is rarely seen and is equally matched by her abilities. We could be reading about her for a long time to come. "

Aaron Thigpen, Gamespeed

MCHS sophomore takes state long jump title, school record

To great lengths

By John Henry, Photographer/Feature Writer

Friday, May 25, 2007

It only took her two years, and now she's at the top.

Moffat County High School sophomore Erin Urbanoski jumped 17 feet, 7 3/4 inches Saturday at the 4A State Track and Field Championships, taking first place in the long jump and breaking her own school record.

Urbanoski said winning was her goal, but she wasn't sure what kind of competition she would be up against.

"It was fun, but it took awhile for it to actually set in," she said.

Urbanoski comes from a family of track stars and constantly gets support and tips from her sisters.

"She's got a lot of natural ability," her high school jump coach Ken Olinger said. "The biggest credit goes to her parents. They push her to do well in track. That's what it takes sometimes."

Urbanoski said both of her sisters were track athletes.

"They were giving me pointers and supporting me," she said.

Last year, Urbanoski finished first in regional competition, qualifying for state, but wasn't able to compete due to injury.

This year, she took third in the regional competition, something, her coach said, made her hungrier for the state title.

"Knowing what other people can do makes you really give your best," she said.

In the fifth grade, she started getting her feet in the sand, competing with a USA Track and Field team in Colorado Springs.

She moved on to compete with the Craig Middle School. Now, she's on top of the charts at MCHS. Next, maybe college.

"She's got a lot of room to grow, too," Olinger said.

Next year, she strives to jump 18 feet -- and defend her state title.

"My sister ran for CSU -- now it's my turn," she said. "That's the goal at least."

John Henry can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 209, or jhenry@craigdailypress.com.

James Darnell Selected All SEC Second Team Honors

In his first year at the hot corner, sophomore James Darnell has been a productive part of the Gamecock lineup with a .337 batting average (67-for-199) to go along with 18 home runs and 59 RBI. Darnell was the team's best hitter in conference play batting .367 (44-for-120) against SEC teams with 10 HR and 36 RBI as well. Darnell had a stretch of four consecutive games with a home run in April that was one short of a school record.

James also has been invited to play on Team USA in the Pan American Games

UCLA's Brandon Crawford Selected to Golden Spikes Award Semi-Finalist List

Bruin shortstop among 50 candidates eligible for coveted award

May 1, 2007

DURHAM, N.C. - UCLA sophomore shortstop Brandon Crawford has been selected as a semi-finalist for the 2007 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. This season marks the 30th consecutive year in which the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award has been presented to the nation's premier amateur baseball player..

Crawford has been named as one of 50 semi-finalists for the Golden Spikes Award. The Pleasanton, Calif., resident is joined by two other premier shortstops on the semi-finalist list - Todd Frazier (Rutgers) and Josh Horton (North Carolina). Five Pac-10 players, including Crawford, are represented on the watch list. Arizona State's Eric Sogard and Brett Wallace, California's Tyson Ross and Arizona's Preston Guilmet have also been tabbed semi-finalists.

The Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist list marks the second such "watch list" to which Crawford has been named. Last week, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association tabbed Crawford to its annual Dick Howser Trophy Watch List.

Crawford has helped lead UCLA to the top of the Pac-10 standings with a 10-2 conference record. The sophomore from Pleasanton, Calif., currently leads the Bruins with 58 hits, 40 runs scored, 14 doubles, two triples, 41 RBI, 91 total bases and nine stolen bases.

Crawford has had at least one hit in 35 of the Bruins' 42 games this season. He has tallied a team-best 19 multi-hit games, including a season-high four hits in UCLA's 16-11 win at Stanford on March 31.

His two-out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning against East Carolina on Feb. 18 helped catapult UCLA out of a 7-5 deficit and allow the Bruins to sweep the visiting Pirates with a 9-7 victory. When UCLA trailed crosstown rival USC, 6-4, with two outs and two runners on base in the top of the ninth, Crawford drilled an 0-and-2 pitch to left field for a base hit to tie the game, 6-6. One batter later, Crawford scored the go-ahead run from second base on an infield single as the Bruins held on to win, 7-6, on April 14.

Named the Bruins' team MVP in 2006, Crawford played an instrumental role in guiding UCLA to the 2006 NCAA Regionals. As a freshman, he hit at a .318 clip with six home runs and 30 RBI.

UCLA has posted a 24-18 record this season and has won 16 of its last 20 games. The Bruins return to action at UC Irvine on Tuesday, May 1, at 6 p.m.

http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/050107aac.html

Brett Wallace Named Pac-10 Player of the Year

Sophomore becomes 12th Sun Devil to win the award

May 23, 2007

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State sophomore first baseman Brett Wallace has been named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year, the conference announced today. Wallace becomes the 12th Sun Devil to earn the honor, and the first since Dustin Pedroia in 2003.

Wallace (Sonoma, Calif.) currently leads the Pac-10 in batting average (.425), RBI (73) and home runs (15) and has helped Arizona State clinch at least a tie for the Pac-10 title.

"Brett has taken another step forward in the line of great Sun Devils," said 2007 Pac-10 Coach of the Year Pat Murphy. "He came in and immediately contributed as a freshman, upped his game as a sophomore and will no doubt continue to improve. He is all about the right things. This is a great honor for a great young man."

Wallace joins an illustrious list of former Sun Devils to earn the award. Former Pac-10 Player of the Year Sun Devils include Mike Sodders (1981), Alvin Davis (1982), Oddibe McDowell (1984), Linty Ingram (1988), Paul Lo Duca (1993), Jacob Cruz (1994), Willie Bloomquist (1999) and Casey Myers (2000 &2001).

http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/052307aai.html

Diallo Fon Named All Pac Ten Honorable Mention

TUCSON, Ariz. – It took a monster night from Diallo Fon and some outstanding bullpen work to help the Arizona baseball team slip by Morehead State, 5-4, at Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium on Tuesday.

The victory, Arizona’s third straight, improved the Wildcats to 17-6 on the year, while the Eagles dropped their third consecutive contest and fell to 4-14.

Fon, who made his second career start in left field on Tuesday, single-handedly equaled MSU’s run total, going 4 for 5 at the plate with four runs scored, a triple and three stolen bases on the night. The redshirt freshman transfer from Vanderbilt scored single runs in the first, third, fifth and seventh innings to rally the Cats to a 4-4 tie and eventually the win.

Sophomore Brad Glenn chipped in with a hard-hit run-scoring infield single in the seventh to score C.J. Ziegler from third to hand UA a 5-4 edge.

From there on it fell on relievers Cory Burns and Daniel Schlereth to carry the Wildcats to victory.

Burns (2-1) picked up his second win of the year by tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings before giving way to Schlereth in the ninth. The Wildcat closer, who has successfully converted his last 10 save tries dating back to last season, moved into a tie for second all-time at Arizona with his 14^th career save with a hitless inning of work.

Michael Bottoms was charged with the loss after giving up three runs on six hits over four innings of work.

MSU took advantage of a walk and an error by UA starter Ryan Perry to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first, and then added a third run off of him in the third on another walk and a two-out single by Ryan Kinder to make 3-1.

After a Fon run in the home half of the third cut the lead to 3-2, the Eagles added another score off of defensive snafu in the fourth. With runners on second and third with one out, MSU’s Trent Hanna hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Chris McCaslin get thrown out at home by shortstop Robert Abel.

During the rundown to get McCaslin at the plate, Hanna advanced towards second and drew a throw from catcher Dwight Childs. As Hanna retreated back towards first, Marc Midden easily trotted home from third to an uncovered plate for the Eagles’ fourth run of the night.

Arizona and Morehead State will meet up for the final game of the two-game set on Thursday at 4 p.m. Freshman right-hander Jason Stoffel is the scheduled starter for the Wildcats.

Alexis Nordine

Alexis Nordine Signs With Notre Dame . Congratulations to Alexis on the opportunity to run track/cross country at the University of Notre Dame.

Alexis is ranked 5th in the girls 800m with a time of 2:19.98.

DFAL Cross Country League Championships Finished 3rd with a time of 18:43

NCS Div I
Finished 5th
with a time of 18:55

State Championships Div I 76th out of 200 plus competitors with a time of 19:41

Carter comes thorugh in PCL Champioships

TUCSON -- Chris Carter smacked a two-run single in the eighth inning Tuesday as the Tucson Sidewinders rallied for a 3-1 win over the Round Rock Express in Game 1 of the PCL Championship Series.

Carter's hit came off split-fastball specialist Travis Driskill and provided the victory margin.

"He has a good splitter and I knew I would see a few of them," Carter said. "When I got two strikes on me, I just battled and swung at anything close and finally just got enough of one to get a base hit."

Karl Bolt of the Air Force Academy makes a spectacular catch.

Karl's playing the GAMESPEED way. All out!!!!

Gamespeed's Mickell Escobar leads Heritage ti NCS 2A Softball

The 2-year-old school captures its first section title with its 1-0 victory against Piedmont

By Curtis Pashelka, CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Article Launched: 05/27/2007 03:06:15 AM PDT

John Rebstock grabbed the North Coast Section 2A East Bay championship plaque, lifted it high above his head and was immediately mobbed by the entire Heritage High School softball team.

Such a scene would have been nearly impossible to envision when the Patriots held their first practice in early February with only three players having any type of competitive softball experience.

Yet here they were 31/2 months later, near home plate of Cal's Levine-Fricke Field on Saturday, clutching the section championship after a 1-0 win over Piedmont in the 2A East Bay final.

"If you would have seen us (in February), you would have bet a lot of money that we couldn't be here," Rebstock said. "But these kids have worked hard. We've learned to play catch and do all the little things.

"We're not spectacular to look at, we have two or three kids that play year-round. But the rest are good athletes, hard workers and smart kids."

Pitcher Mickell Escobar, one of the few Heritage players with past experience, had arguably her best effort of the season as she allowed just two hits and struck out 11.

Piedmont's Mina Duffy was equally as impressive, perhaps more so, as she also allowed just two hits and struck out 18.

But it was a Highlanders defensive miscue that led to the game's only run. Maddi Hancock sent a ground ball to Highlanders second baseman Diana Fong, whose throw to first wound up in the Piedmont dugout to allow Hancock to go to second base.

Hancock moved to third on a bunt. With two outs, Katee Wiley went after Duffy's first pitch and singled to right field to score Hancock from third for a 1-0 Heritage lead.

That left it up to Escobar. She allowed one-out singles in the fifth and seventh but retired the last two batters of each inning to give No. 1 Heritage (21-5) the win and the 2-year-old school's first section title in any sport.

"We knew we could do this. Everyone else had doubts," said Escobar, who was 20-4 in the circle this season. "We knew they were the No. 2 seed and that it was going to be a tough game. We struggled at first, but we started to put the ball in play and put some pressure on their defense."

It's the second straight year that Piedmont (21-5) has lost in the final. The Highlanders were the No. 1 seed last season but lost to No. 7 Albany 5-4.

"I knew it was going to be a pitching duel. Mina had 18 strikeouts and you can't ask for much more than that," Piedmont coach Kristen Morley said. "Ball bounces our way, we have a win. Ball bounces their way like it did, they have a win."

St. Patrick-St. Vincent 2, Clear Lake-Lakeport 1: The host Bruins (24-2) hadn't given up more than two runs in any game this season. But that was all the offense the Cardinals (27-0) needed in a victory in the NCS Class A championship.

The win avenged a loss to St. Patrick in last year's semifinal. Making her final high school start, Bruins pitcher Ashley Jackson struck out 10 and allowed four hits, but issued five walks against the patient Cardinals.

"Ashley didn't have her best stuff today, and she probably had more walks than any other game this season," St. Patrick coach Rich Gigliotti said. "We knew it was going to be close, and they have a really tough pitcher. We just couldn't get that one big hit."

-- Ryan Garner, MediaNews staff

Glads land player, closer, coach of year honors

By Steve R. Waterhouse, STAFF WRITER

Article Launched: 05/17/2007 02:39:54 AM PDT

IT'S BUSINESS as usual for the Chabot College baseball team.

After dropping their first game to Skyline in the best-of-3 Northern California Regional playoffs, the Gladiators bounced back on Saturday and won two games to advance to the Super Regionals for the third year in a row.

"We talk about the relentless pursuit of excellence," Chabot coach Steve Friend said. "We talk about holding our standards to a very, very high level — not in terms of results, but in terms of commitment and work ethic."

The No.3-seeded Gladiators (34-12) travel to the host site, Fresno City, where they will play in a four-team, double-elimination format.

Up first for Chabot will be an 11 a.m. game against No.9 Cosumnes River (25-20) on Friday. No.2 Fresno (39-6) will take on No.11 Santa Rosa (22-17) at 3 p.m.

Play will resume Saturday with games at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. If necessary, a Sunday game is slated for 11 a.m.

The Gladiators went 24-3 in Coast Conference play to claim their 17th conference crown in school history — and a storied history it is.

Entering this year, 126 Chabot players have been drafted, and the list will most certainly grow this year. The program has had 91 Division I transfers since 1989, with 71 scholarships received in the past five years.

Chabot has had 20 conference players of the year, including this year's recipient, sophomore shortstop Rylan Sandoval.

The Gladiators have had 16 players make it to the major leagues.

They have won 30 or more games and have won eight NorCal championships in the last 18 season. There also have been five Final Four appearances.

"There is a lot of tradition that started way back," Friend said. "We've had some outstanding players and some outstanding teams. When guys come here, it's expected of them."

The Closer of the Year went to Chabot's Eric Basurto and the Coach of the Year went to Friend.

This year's first-team all-conference selections are Erik Stavert (pitcher), Bryce Mendonca (infield), Rob Learned (first base), Zack Cadet (outfield) and Kevin Santiago (designated hitter).

Second-teamers are Rob Waite (pitcher), Jeff Bernacil (infield) and Charles Roberson (outfield).

Honorable mention selections are Tyler Rogers (pitcher), Stephen Gatehouse (outfield), Matt Dejesus (designated hitter), Robert Chimpky (closer), John Anderson (relief pitcher).

Staff writer Steve R. Waterhouse can be reached by e-mail at srwaterhouse@angnewspapers.com or by calling (510) 353-7024.

Thief on the Basepaths:

Junior outfielder, Michelle Smith is leading the Pac-10 in stolen bases with 30 on the season and is only three stolen bags from tying the ASU single-season record of 33, set by Kristin Farber in 2004. She also had a career game against Stanford where she hit two triples in back-to-back at-bats, bringing in all three runs for
the Sun Devils in their 3-1 win against the Cardinal.

Mitchell Petrak Post Season Honors

Bay Counties League (BCL) - East 2006 Leagues Most Valuable Player

Contra Costa Times 2006 Prep Baseball - Second Team Selection

CalHiSports.Com 2006 All-State Baseball Team - Small School Division

Mitchell Petrak was voted Bay Counties League (BCL) - East / League MVP by the league coaches

Gamespeed Athletes Junior College ALL-BVC

First Team Brandon Gregorich (Los Medanos)
Second Team Chris Bodislaugh (Los Medanos) Pitcher

Alika Okamitsu selected to Norcal State Soccer team

Chabot College baseball team, which advanced to the Northern California regional playoffs, had several of its players be honored

The baseball team, which advanced to the Northern California regional playoffs, had several of its players be honored

— notably first baseman Geoff Byrns. Byrns, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore from Clayton Valley High, led the state with 17 home runs, 70 RBIs and a .788 slugging percentage. He was named the Northern California Player of the Year and was the winner of the Northern California Big Stick award. Byrns also earned Northern California All-American distinction along with Castro Valley product Andy Darnell. Byrnes will be attending Texas Tech University this fall.

Darnell, a sophomore who was in the top five in the state in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage, also was a Northern California All-American. The 6-2, 230-pounder was drafted in 2004 out of high school in the 25th round by the Houston Astros. He recently signed with the club and is set to report to the organization on June3.

Gamespeed Athlete named Contra Costa Times Female Athlete of the Week

Jackson played an integral role in the Bruins' winning their first NCS Class A title. In the 13-0 first round win over Fort Bragg, she was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. In a 3-1 semifinal win over Clear Lake-Lakeport, she pitched a complete game with six strikeouts and no earned runs. In the 7-0 championship win over St. Vincent-Petaluma, she had 12 strikeouts and at the plate went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Steve Fischback of Las Lomas High

is one of 80 national nominees for Sports links 4th annual All American Baseball Game. To be broadcast on Fox Spots Net inJune.

Mitchell Petrak leads the Bay Area Outright

Well, your Gamespeed off season training has really produced for Mitchell. His power is unreal, hitting the snot out of the ball, batting .563 at this point and tied for the State of California RBI lead with 44. He's leading the Bay Area outright.

He's dying to get back to work at Gamespeed, he's very motivated.

Congratulations to our Track & Field NCS bound athletes:

Andrew Mobley, Cal High, 100/200m
Alexis Nordine, SRV, EBAL Champ 800m

Congratulations to Gamespeed’s Demetrius Williams
4th round pick of the NFL Baltimore Ravens.

Gamespeed helped Demetrius lower his 40yd time from 4.60 to 4.40

Gamespeed's Brandon Crawford Shines offensively as Freshman for UCLA

Brandon is one of many collegiate freshman making noise in their first starts of the year!
Keep Their Headz Ringin:

Freshman shortstop Brandon Crawford has emerged as a consistent offensive threat for the Bruins out of the nine-hole in the lineup. Crawford leads the team with a .391 batting average (9-23), with four RBI, four runs scored, and a team-best two base swipes. The 6-foot-2 left-handed hitter also collected his third triple of the season against UC Riverside, which is currently tops in the Pac-10 Conference. Crawford is riding a team-best five-game hitting streak, and has recorded a hit in six of the seven games this year.

Middle Infield Production: Shortstop Brandon Crawford and senior second baseman Sean Smith are making quite the combination up the middle for UCLA. Combined, the duo is batting .372 (16-43) with three triples, two doubles, nine runs scored, five RBI, two stolen bases, and a .509 on-base percentage. In the dirt, the two own a combined fielding percentage of .984, converting 61 of a possible 62 chances up the middle.

Gamespeed James Darnell sparks South Carolina Win

Freshmen Spark Gamecocks To 8-3 Win Over Elon.Freshman infielder James Darnell hit a three-run homer in Sunday's win over Elon.

Feb. 12, 2006

Box Score

Columbia, S.C. - Freshmen infielders Reese Havens and James Darnell drove in five fifth inning runs Sunday to lead South Carolina to an 8-3 win over Elon and a 2-1 advantage in the three game season opening baseball series.

Shortstop Havens singled with the bases loaded to drive in two and second baseman Darnell followed with a three run home run as the Gamecocks erased a 3-2 Elon advantage to lead 7-3. Senior catcher Ian Paxton homered in the eighth inning for the final Gamecock run.

Left-hander Forrest Beverly pitched five plus innings to earn the win. Elon starter Steven Hensley was charged with the loss.

Beverly allowed five hits, all of them in the third inning when Elon scored its three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Beverly retired the first seven batters that he faced but five of the next six hit singles. Chris Price drove in two with a one out bases loaded hit and Grant Rembert's infield single plated the final Elon run.

Beverly then retired the next seven Phoenix batters but was relieved by freshman Mike Cisco when Beverly walked Price to lead off the Elon sixth inning. Cisco, grandson of former major league pitcher and coach Galen Cisco, retired nine consecutive batters before leaving after the eighth inning.

South Carolina left four base runners stranded over the first three innings before scoring twice in the fourth to cut the Elon lead to 3-2. Michael Campbell walked and scored on a double by Havens, the first of three runs batted in by the freshman shortstop. Havens moved to third on a hit by Darnell and scored on a ground out by Trent Kline.

All eight of South Carolina's runs batted in were by the seventh, eighth and ninth slots in the batting order, three each by seventh and eighth hitters Havens and Darnell and one each by catchers Kline and Paxton, batting ninth.

Darnell played briefly as a substitute in the first two games of the Elon series but homered in his first collegiate start. He is from Danville, California. With Darnell at second base, Havens, from Sullivan's Island, at shortstop, and Justin Smoak of Goose Creek at first base, three fourths of South Carolina's starting infield Sunday were true freshmen.

South Carolina had 12 hits to six for Elon. Havens, Darnell and senior third baseman Neil Giesler each had two. Senior right fielder Mark Stanley had a double. Elon's six hits were by six different players. The only Phoenix extra base hit was a double by pinch hitter Jordy Snyder.

Gamespeed Alum Stephanie Marshall Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week

Stephanie had a great 1st weekend competing in college. She was 3-0 over the weekend.
A graduate of College Park High in Pleasant Hill. Stephanie had a great 1st weekend competing in college. She was 3-0 over the weekend. Steph was the winning pitcher over St. Mary's, San Jose State, and University of San Diego.
She allowed 1 earned run in 12+ innings of pitching and also recorded 12 strikeouts. Her team finished the weekend 4-0 for their best start ever.

For her efforts Stephanie was recognized as the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week. Stephanie is the first UC Riverside pitcher ever to earn that honor.

Sanchez, Marshall Lead Highlanders' Sweep of Big West Player of the Week Honors

(Feb. 13, 2006) -

The UC Riverside Highlanders swept the Big West Player of the Week honors Monday, as senior third baseman Melissa Sanchez won Player of the Week and freshman hurler Stephanie Marshall won Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced.

Marshall, a freshman from Concord, CA, went 3-0 in her first weekend of collegiate competition, allowing just eight hits and one earned run in 12.1 innings of relief work. Marshall struck out 12 and walked three as she helped UCR to a 4-0 record.

• Marshall got her first collegiate win with 3.2 innings of five-hit shutout work against USD Friday.

• On Saturday she came in in relief of starter Sara Radabaugh, who had surrendered five first inning runs against San Jose State before being struck in the face by a line drive. Marshall surrendered just two runs, one earned, in 6.1 innings of work, allowing just two hits. The Highlanders rallied from the early deficit to post a 9-7 win.

• Marshall came into a bases loaded situation in the fifth inning against St. Mary's, but worked out of it allowing just a pair of runs to score on a bloop single. UCR trailed 8-4 at the time, but the Highlanders rallied with five runs, four on the Sanchez slam, in the top of the sixth. Marshall then took over, retiring the side in order in the sixth and seventh, striking out three of the final four batters to clinch the win.

Gavin Beeman receives Scholar-Athlete Award

Acalanes QB Gavin Beeman received the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Scholarship

Athlete are selected for theri football prowess, achievement in the calss, school, and community leadership by committees of educators , officials, and sportswriters. Each honoreee will receive a $1000 scholarship and be honored at a February banquet.

Congratulations Gamespeed Athletes Commit to Colleges

Gamespeed athletes sign letters of intent during the NCAA's early signing period

Nick Buchta (San Ramon Valley) Baseball Okalhoma St
Zack Buchta (SRV) Baseball St Marys
Bryan Diemer (Acalanes) Baseball CAL
Steven Fischback (Las Lomas) Baseball Cal Poly Obispo
Brett Jackson (Miramonte) Baseball CAL
Greg Redig (Miramonte) Baseball CAL

CC Times Athlete of the Week: Chris Bodislaugh

The Freedom High grad now at Los Medanos College connected on 17 of 30 passess for 351 yards and five touchdowns to help lead the Mustangs to a 45-44 win over Laney College.

Chris Lubanski: 2005 Player Of The Year for the High Desert Mavericks.

The Kansas City Royals have announced that Chris has been selected the 2005 Player Of The Year for the High Desert Mavericks....

The Kansas City Royals have announced that Chris has been selected the 2005 Player Of The Year for the High Desert Mavericks. Leftfielder Billy Butler shares this season's honors with Chris for High Desert. Pitcher John Gragg III was chosen as the Mavs' Pitcher Of The Year for this past season.

Overcoming an early spring offensive drought, Chris heated up and stayed very consistent throughout the summer hitting .360 in June, .368 in July, .345 in August, and .357 in September to finish at .301 for the regular season with 28 home runs (2nd in the league), 116 RBI's (1st in the league), and 14 stolen bases. He helped lead the Mavericks to the California League South Division second half title, and the Mavs' first postseason series since 2001.

In the best-of-three playoff contest against the Lancaster JetHawks last week, Chris went 4 for 4 in the first game with two home runs, 5 for 6 in game two, and capped off his surge by hitting for the cycle in the series finale (won by Lancaster in extra innings). Chris finished the playoffs having gone 13 for 15 (an .867 average) with three home runs and 9 RBI's.

This is Chris' second consecutive Player Of The Year award; he enjoyed similar honors with the Burlington Bees of the Midwest League in 2004. Each year, the Royals recognize outstanding achievement in the minor league system by selecting Players and Pitchers Of The Year for each of its farm affiliates. This year's award winners will be formally honored in Kansas City on September 22 and 23.

Players will visit local youngsters at the Children's Mercy Hospital, and tour the Negro League Museum with Kansas City baseball legend Buck O'Neil. Players will receive their awards in an on-the-field ceremony at Kauffman Stadium prior to the Royals/Indians game on Friday, September 23. Chris then returns to Arizona for Instructional League until mid-October at the Royals' Surprise, AZ Spring Training/Minor League complex.

GAmespeed Owner Aaron Thigpen Sets100m Masters American Record at National Meet in Hawaii

Gamespeed's own Aaron Thigpen won the 40-44 national title and set an American record of 10.80 in the process.

Day One (Heats)

Several athletes scorched the track in the first round of the men's 100m dash. Aaron Thigpen (Brentwood, Calif.) highlighted the sprints after he ran 10.80 to set an American record in the M40 age division. The 40-year-old, Thigpen bettered the 10.87 set in 1989 by Eddie Hart of California.

Day Two (Final)

The 1987 WAC 100m champion, Aaron Thigpen (Brentwood, Calif.) ran the fastest time by anyone in the men's 100m final. The 40-year-old ran a windy 10.73 (+2.4) to win the M40 age division title.

Thigpen is the prime candidate to break the Eddie Hart’s venerable American mark (10.87) in the men’s 40-44 100m (Thigpen ran a 10.79 at Modesto earlier this year and a 10.34 in 2003). Thigpen, who was ranked fifth in the world in the indoor 60 in 1993 and has been on many national teams.