Hornet Hype was created as a space in which Sacramento State fans can keep up with the latest news about the Hornets. This page will provide news and notes from throughout the department as well as keep you updated on other issues related to the sporting world.
October 7, 2008 Hornet assistant men's soccer coach Matt McDougall has resigned with the Stockton Cougars for the 2008-09 season. A 2005 Sacramento State graduate, McDougall has started 11 games in goal for the Cougars during his two previous stints with the team, from 2006-08, when the team was part of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He started four matches during the 2007-08 campaign before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus prior to a Cougar match.
“I’m coming in open minded about the change,” said McDougall about the Cougars’ transition to the PASL-Pro in a press release available at the Stockton Cougars official website. “The Cougars, to me, are the team to lead the way in the PASL-Pro. The Stockton Cougars will make a bigger name for themselves now and eventually bring this league up to its highest potential.”
McDougall was a two-time all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for the Hornets, and holds both the single season and career save records for the program. He currently serves as the second assistant and goalkeepers coach of the Sacramento State men's soccer team, while also coaching goalkeepers at San Juan Soccer Club.
September 24, 2008 Congratulations go out to former Hornet Pedro Lupercio, who was signed by the Stockton Cougars (formerly the California Cougars) of the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL-Pro) on Tuesday.
Lupercio was the 11th overall selection by the Cougars in the 2007 College Entry Draft of the now defunct Major Indoor Soccer League. Lupercio scored three goals during the 2007-08 season in 18 games before suffering a season ending knee injury.
“I had a lot of fun last season,” said Lupercio in a press release available at the Stockton Cougars official website. “But, I was surprised at how different things were. I thought my rookie season would be more like college, but the speed of the game was a lot different and the guys were bigger and stronger than I was.”
PASL-Pro is a newly formed arena soccer league that is made up of eight U.S. teams and four Canadian teams. The league has partnered with the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League (CMISL) and Liga Mexicana de Futbol Rapido (LMFR) in order to create a true North American league. PASL-Pro is the direct result of 10 successful seasons of the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier). PASL-Premier is the nation’s top amateur arena soccer league. PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier are members of Federacion Internacional de Futbol Rapido (FIFRA).
September 11, 2008 Sacramento State men's soccer team has several events coinciding with their home match against Saint Mary's on Sunday, Sept. 14. The biggest will be a halftime exhibition by TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer), which is a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by youth soccer association volunteers. The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl, who has a mental or physical disability. The goal of the organization is to enable the thousands of young athletes with disabilities to become valued and successful members of the US Youth Soccer family. More information on the program can be found here.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Hornets enter the weekend with a 3-0-1 record, which marks the best start in school history.
September 9, 2008 For those of you who were not able to attend last Saturday's football game at Colorado State. Check out the YouTube clip of Tony Washington's amazing touchdown reception here.
Its been a busy week for the Hornets north of the border. Charles Roberts was dealt to the B.C. Lions in a blockbuster CFL trade which featured the league's last two leading rushers. Also, QB Ricky Ray needs one passing touchdown to tie Warren Moon for the Edmonton Eskimos franchise record.
September 8, 2008 Hornet junior center fielder Tim Wheeler was named the 22nd best prospect in the Cape Cod League by Baseball America today. Baseball America ranked the top 30 prospects for the Cape Cod League, and the top 10 prospects in 18 other summer college leagues, in which only two players from the Western Athletic Conference were honored. Wheeler was a Cape Cod All Star and team MVP for the Orleans Cardinals, leading his team in hits and leading the Cape Cod League in stolen bases. He earned first team all-WAC honors in 2008, batting .330 with 16 extra base hits and 43 RBI.
September 3, 2008
The Sacramento State Hornet Baseball Program is hosting its 17th Annual Golf Classic on Friday, October 10 at the Lincoln Hills Golf Club. The entry fee for the tournament is $195, and includes 18 holes of golf, cart access, tee prizes and an awards dinner. For more information on the tournament, access the tournament's online flyer or contact head coach John Smith at (916) 278-7225.
August 21, 2008
Former Hornet slugger David Flores was named the Most Valuable Player of the New York-Penn League All Star Game, which took place on August 19. Flores, a member of the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Houston Astros organization, connected on the game winning hit, a walkoff two-run double, giving his National League squad a 4-3 victory. The complete game story, including a video interview with Flores, can be accessed by clicking here August 15, 2008
Current Sacramento State softball player Jamie Schloredt and former Hornet Amy Hillel helped lead the Nor Cal Heat women’s fast pitch team to the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) “A” national championship on Aug. 8-10 in Salem, Ore. The Heat went 4-0 at the twelve-team, double elimination event and combined to outscore its opponents, 19-4, over the four games.
Schloredt, who enters her senior season with the Hornets, was the tournament’s top hitter after batting .538 (7-for-13) with five home runs and 13 RBIs. Hillel, who played at Sacramento State from 2002-05, started all four games at third base and hit .250. Both players were placed on the first team All America team for their efforts.
A three-time first team all-Pacific Coast Softball Conference selection, Schloredt was named the PCSC’s Player of the Year and second team all-West Region in 2008 after batting .408 with 12 home runs and a .513 on-base percentage. She is already the Sacramento State career leader in home runs (25), RBIs (112), batting average (.368) and walks (77).
Hillel, who is third all-time at Sacramento State with 445 career assists, has now been a part of back-to-back national championship winning teams. Last season, she played for Storm USA (Corona, Calif.), which won the national title. On that team, Hillel was a second team All America selection.
August 12, 2008
Keeping up with the Olympic spirit, we have our first trivia question on Hornet Hype this year. The first three people to respond with the correct answer will have their name posted on the site. The question is...Name the last Hornet to compete in the Olympics, the sport in which he/she competed in and the country he/she represented. All answers can be submitted to hornethype@gmail.com.
The most interesting quarterback battle at football practice recently might not have involved a current Hornet player. On Tuesday, head coach Marshall Sperbeck was watched by his father, Dick, and brother-in-law Ken O'Brien. O'Brien, who began his college career at Sacramento State but finished at another nearby institution, played for the New York Jets from 1984-1993. The combination of Marshall and O'Brien would make the Sperbeck family nearly unbeatable in a Thanksgiving family game.
August 8, 2008
As volleyball camp opens on Saturday, here are three intriguing items to keep an eye on as the team gets ready for its season opener Aug. 29:
1) For the first time in 32 years, Sacramento State begins the season with a new head coach. Ruben Volta, who takes over for Hall of Fame coach Debby Colberg, will try and lead the team to its 12th straight Big Sky Conference championship.
2) The Hornets lost four starters and a libero from last year’s team, setting up a number of battles for starting positions. The three players almost certain of starting are senior setter Rose Burke, junior outside hitter Desiree Hoyum and sophomore middle hitter Maddison Thivierge. Senior Katie Van Der Wende will step into the vacant libero spot. Sophomore Anna Schoener would have started next to Thivierge in the middle, but will use a medical redshirt after injuring her knee during the offseason. Cayti Crowton, Eryn Kirby and Whitney Mendivil will compete for the other starting outside hitter position while freshmen Kelsey Elston, Olivia Moss and Shannon Wilson will compete for the other starting middle hitter position. Fourth-year senior Brittany Ferguson is the front runner to play on the right side, with a number of players also competing for the spot. Should Volta decide to run a 6-2 offense, junior setter Melissa Melcher and Burke will take up the setter positions. If the Hornets employ a traditional 5-1 offense, Melcher will play the right back defensive position, as could newcomer Breanne Menees.
3) The Hornets have long been known as an excellent ball control team, and that includes ranking among the top 21 teams in the nation in digs per game each of the last three seasons. Will that defense continue to be sound despite the team losing its three primary passers from last season (Jennifer Ferguson, Missie Stidham and Chelsea Goodsell)?
August 7, 2008
Fans of the Big Sky Conference will have a reason to feel a little prouder on Friday, August 8, when a former student-athlete from the league will lead the USA’s Olympic contingent into China’s National Stadium during the event’s opening ceremonies.
Former Northern Arizona standout Lopez Lomong has been selected by his team captains to serve as the team’s flag bearer for an opening ceremony that will be watched by an audience in the billions.
Hornet fans might remember that Lomong first came into the national spotlight at Sacramento State’s AG Spanos Sports Complex in June of 2007.
Competing as a sophomore for NAU at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Lomong surprised many in the track and field community by winning one of the tightest 1500 meter races in recent history. In a race that was shown live to the nation on CBS, he downed a talented field that included 2006 champion Vincent Romo in a race where the top four spots were separated by less than nine-tenths of a second.
To read more about Lomong’s story on the Big Sky Conference website, click here.
August 6, 2008
It has been a busy couple of days for Hornet alumni. Chad Worthen, who ran track and cross country for two years in the mid 1990's began the stretch by winning the San Francisco Marathon over the weekend. A story from the San Francisco Chronicle can be seen here.
For the second time this season, former Hornet QB Ricky Ray has been named the Canadian Football League Offensive Player of the Week. Ray earned the most recent award after passing for 392 yards and two touchdowns and running for two more scores in a win over B.C The official CFL release can be seen here.
Heather LeMaster was not the only former Hornet golfer to compete at the U.S. Women's Amateur this week. Tracy Nichols, who competed for Sacramento State for two seasons (2001-02 & 2002-03) advanced to the round of 32 with a 2-up win over Sara-Maude Juneau on Wednesday. Nichols was three down through the first five holes but rallied to move ahead 2-up following the 11th. After Juneau squared the match on the 13th, Nichols won the final two holes for the victory. She will face Breanne Loucks on Thursday. Nichols is still tied for the top 36-hole score in school history at 149.
August 4, 2008
After spending just two games with the San Francisco Giants rookie league club in Arizona, former Hornet hurler Mitch Lively was called up to the Class A Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League. Lively threw a scoreless inning with two strike outs in his first appearance for the club on August 3.
To follow Lively and the other four Hornets currently playing professional baseball, check out the Hornets in the Pros page. Clicking on each players name brings up their current Minor League statistics as well as a breakdown of their last 10 games.
August 1, 2008
Kellis Robinett of the Idaho State Journal is in the process of breaking down all nine Big Sky Conference football teams. Robinett provided his in-depth look at the Hornets this afternoon in his blog.
Sacramento State assistant women's soccer coach Maureen Whitney, who in the offseason is a member of the California Storm of the Women's Premier Soccer League, was named second team all-WPSL today. Whitney, a defender who was the league's MVP in 2005, was also named first team all-Pacific Conference by the league. The 51-team WPSL, which is based in Sacramento and has teams located from coast-to-coast, wraps up its 2008 season in Natomas this weekend with the WPSL Final Four. More info can be found at the league's official website.
July 31, 2008
Sacramento State director of golf David Sutherland has been serving as co-host on the Rise Guys radio show on KHTK 1140 AM during the week. Sutherland will complete his duties on Friday.
July 28, 2008
Congratulations to former Hornet Gabe Jacobo, who was called up today from the Rookie League Orem Owlz to the Single A Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League. Jacobo went on a tear last week, hitting three home runs over a two-game span while increasing his season average to .327. In 36 games, Gabe hit seven home runs, collected 16 doubles, and added 32 RBI. Jacobo was in the starting lineup in his first game today with the Kernels, after joining the team on the road in the state of Michigan after playing a game in Utah for the Owlz last night.
Further congratulations are extended to former Hornet hurler Mitch Lively, who recently was signed by the San Francisco Giants and assigned to their Arizona Rookie League team. After rehabbing an elbow injury, Lively was pitching for the independent San Angelo Colts of United League Baseball following his departure from the Colorado Rockies organization in the spring. Lively collected three saves in 11 appearances, striking out 18 in 12.2 innings pitched without surrendering a single walk. The Colts story on Lively's signing can be accessed here.
July 27, 2008
Sacramento State center fielder Tim Wheeler, who will be a junior this coming fall, went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the Cape Cod All Star game on Saturday night, leading his eastern division squad to an 8-6 victory. Wheeler's two-bagger came in the bottom of the eighth inning with his team trailing 6-1, igniting a seven run rally to give his team the victory. Both all-star teams will be honored at Fenway Park on Wednesday during the Red Sox clash with the Angels.
Wheeler's regular Cape team, the Orleans Cardinals, earned the number one summer league ranking in the country for the first time on Sunday. The rankings, compiled by Perfect Game USA, order the top 16 teams in the country, regardless of league. The Cape Cod League, which is generally regarded as the top collegiate summer league, has three teams in the current rankings. The Cardinals have a 22-10-2 record, leading the eastern division of the league. They have 11 regular season games left on the schedule, and are in good shape to make the Cape playoffs, which begin August 8.
The Sacramento native and product of El Camino High School is hitting .268 with three home runs and 14 RBI in the pitching-dominated wood bat league.
July 21, 2008
Here are a few thoughts from the opening 24 hours of the Big Sky Kickoff in Park City, Utah…
Surprisingly, defense is the focus with the player representatives, as five of the nine play on that side of the ball. The heavy emphasis in on linebacker with Cyrus Mulitalo, Bobby Daly (Montana State), Andy Schantz (Portland State) and Joe Kenney (Northern Colorado). Montana safety Colt Anderson rounds out the defensive players.
The offensive representatives are Alexis Anderson (FB, Eastern Washington), Northern Arizona tight end Shaun Fitzpatrick, Idaho State receiver Eddie Thompson and Bryant Eteuati (KR/WR, Weber State).
Mulitalo claimed the prize for most impressive meal at Sunday night’s player and media dinner. The senior took down an order of Buffalo wings, a combo plate of sirloin and prawns, a “side” of lobster tail and an order of desert.
Monday morning address from Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton featured the announcement that NCAA will expand the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs to 20 teams in 2010. Automatic berths will also be awarded to the Big South Conference and the Northeast Conference. The format will see eight teams play the opening weekend with the top 12 teams having byes.
Big Sky Officials Coordinator Doug Toole spoke on upcoming rule changes and rules of emphasis for the 2008 season. The biggest change will be an NFL style play clock which will set at 40 seconds for most plays immediately after the previous play ends. Following a timeout, penalty and a handful of other situations the play clock will start at 25 seconds. This rule will not be in play in the final two minutes of each half.
Other changes include:
• Chop blocks will be called anywhere on the field when two players perform a high-low block with the low block coming below the thigh. In the past, there were exceptions to this rule that have now been removed.
• A kickoff out of bounds will result in the receiving team getting the ball 30 yards from the spot of the kick. From a normal kickoff at the 30-yard line, the receiving team will now have the option to take the ball at its own 40 which is five yards further that last season.
• Horsecollar tackles will now be called in the college game. However, you can still tackle inside the shoulder pads on runners that are between the tackles and quarterbacks in the pocket.
• The 5-yard face mask penalty has been removed. All face masks will be 15 yards. The penalty will only be called when the safety of the ball carrier is at risk.
• Spearing will be a rule of emphasis.
• There will be no more sideline warnings. Penalties will be called against a team when players or coaches are outside of the box during play. The first two infractions will cost 5 yards and anything after that will be a 15-yard penalty.
July 18, 2008
Congratulations to former Hornet pitcher Ethan Katz who continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Katz, who missed all of last year, was called up to Single-A Asheville after baffling opponents with Tri-Cities. In 8.1 innings of work, he allowed just two hits and one earned run while holding the opposition to a .074 average. His ERA was 1.08 and his WHIP was a paltry 0.48. Katz played for the Hornets in 2004 and 2005 and led the team in wins both years. Two of his most memorable victories came against Stanford and Arizona.
For a complete look at the four former Hornets currently playing Minor League Baseball click here.
Stay tuned for updates from the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff which begins on Sunday from Park City, Utah. The event features the head coach and a selected player from all nine teams that will meet with media from throughout the league. Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton will also give his state of the league address and a representative from the officials will speak on rule changes and rules of emphasis for the upcoming year.
August 15, 2008
