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Another Griffin knows way to San Jose
State as Birrenkott signs
By John O. Rollo - Special
to EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College sophomore JARED
BIRRENKOTT, a left-handed
hitting catcher, became the second member of the Griffins' 2004
baseball squad
to commit to a 4-year college as he signed a national letter of
intent on Tuesday
(Nov. 18) to attend San Jose State University. Birrenkott will
have two years
of eligibility remaining when he enrolls in the fall 2004 semester.
"I'm really excited about going up
there," Birrenkott declared. "I took a
recruiting trip there and was thrilled. They have excellent facilities
and a
top program. I think I'll fit in well there. I was told that I
was their top
recruit as a catcher."
Birrenkott expects to major in Communications
at San Jose State. He will join
two former teammates, DAVE JOLLIFF and DIEGO LOPEZ at the school,
as well as
ex-Grossmont High School baseball player TYLER FERNANDES.
Birrenkott will be the sixth Grossmont College
baseball player to attend San
Jose State. In addition to Lopez and Jolliff, ex-Griffins NICK
GUERRA and
CARLOS TORRES are senior members of this year's Spartans squad.
CHRIS YERKE
(Grossmont College class of 1994) also attends San Jose State.
A graduate of Granite Hills High, Birrenkott
batted .315 with 8 HR and 48 RBI
during the 2003 season. He was drafted during the 2002 major league
draft in
the 42nd round by the Philadelphia Phillies but did not sign.
"It was a true family decision,"
Birrenkott stated about his signing. "My
parents - Randy and Kelly - were with me right from the beginning,
as was my
sister Erica. They made my choice easy.
"I'm glad the decision is done. It
should make it very easy to concentrate on
the upcoming (Grossmont) season without any distractions."
Grossmont assistant coach RANDY ABSHIER praised Birrenkott's decision.
"I'm very happy for Jared," Abshier,
the Griffins' pitching coach, said. "He
has shown good power and is a true team player. I feel he will
be a team
leader."
(11-26-03)
Lawford will take his game to Texas Tech
after '04 season
By John O. Rollo - Special
to EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College sophomore ADAM
LAWFORD a right-handed pitcher on
the Griffins' baseball team, has reached a decision regarding
his collegiate
future. Lawford, who prepped at Hilltop High in Chula Vista, Tuesday
morning
(Nov. 18) signed a national letter of intent to attend Texas Tech
in Lubbock,
Texas. When he arrives at Texas Tech in the Fall of 2004, Lawford
will have two
years of eligibility remaining.
Lawford (6-foot-3, 165 pounds) was 6-5 with
a 2.51 ERA as a freshman with the
Griffins during the 2003 season. His selection of Texas Tech pleased
both
Grossmont head coach ED OLSEN and pitching coach RANDY ABSHIER.
"We think it's terrific," Olsen
enthused. "Adam made tremendous progress
throughout last season. He got much stronger as the season went
on. I know
Texas Tech likes what they've seen of him."
Abshier agreed, commenting "He was
our go-to-guy last season. Adam has
dominant stuff. Selecting a school early like this should take
a lot of
pressure off him. I expect him to have an outstanding season."
Lawford, who plans to major in either communications
or physical education at
Texas Tech, acknowledges that his parents, Scott and Gail, and
sister Deanne,
played a big role in his deciding to become a Red Raider.
"We talked about this just about every
night," he said. "All the pluses and
minuses were evaluated, everything was considered. They played
a big part in
the decision.
"I'm really looking forward to pitching
for Texas Tech next season. They have
a good program (former Griffins JEFF KARSTENS and ANDY MARTIN
pitched there
last year, and San Diego City's Juan Razo is there now) and the
Big 12
(Conference) is probably the best in the nation. I'm really excited
and now I
can just concentrate on pitching for Grossmont this season."
Texas Tech assistant coach/recruiting coordinator
Darren Hayes feels Lawford
will fit in well with the Red Raiders.
"We've had some interest in him for
quite some time," he remarked. "I feel he
is a really dependable guy. I expect him to be a starter for us,
a pitcher
who will eat up a lot of innings.
"We have a good relationship with Grossmont
College. We know what kind of
guys Ed Olsen and Randy Abshier produce. "Skip" is a
good baseball guy."
Lawford enteres the 2004 season following
a 2003 campaign that saw him author
six complete games and log 82 strikeouts in 100 innings.
(11-20-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Three Grossmont College Griffins
were named to the All-Pacific
Coast Conference baseball team as selected by the circuit's six
head coaches.
Catcher-designated hitter JARED BIRRENKOTT (Granite Hills HS,
346, 9 HRs, 39
RBI), outfielder DARREN ROBERTS (.366, 9 HRs, 42 RBI) and utilityman
JEFF ST.
PIERRE (.296, 7 HRs, 27 RBI) earned first-team berths on the elite
21-player
team.
Grossmont players receiving honorable mention
are: outfielder CHRIS VAN STORY
(Monte Vista), pitcher ADAM LAWFORD, outfielder JOSH CHILTON,
and first
baseman FRANK LOPEZ (Helix).
Eleven other players with East County ties
were named to the team. See
complete team below.
(05-07-03)
ALL-PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL 2003
PLAYER OF THE YEAR John Rumsey, San Diego Mesa COACH OF THE YEAR Bob Vetter, Palomar FIRST TEAM PITCHERS Name College Yr. High School/Prev. College Eric Sanchez Southwestern Fr. Eastlake Jon Fleming Palomar So. Valley Center Jeff Teasley San Diego City Fr. Grossmont RELIEF PITCHER Carleton Hargrove San Diego City Fr. Hoover Edgar Galindo Southwestern So. Sweetwater CATCHERS Sean Richardson Palomar So. Vista John Jaso Southwestern So. McKinleyville FIRST BASEMAN Brian Matsumoto San Diego Mesa So. Santana INFIELDERS Joe Ramos Palomar So. Mt. Carmel Matt Smith Imperial Valley So. Justin Paige San Diego Mesa So. West Hills Aaron Garcia Palomar Fr. Grossmont Matt Giuliano Palomar So. Valley Center/U of Sioux Falls John Ray San Diego City So. Farmington (NM) OUTFIELDERS Scott Robinson Palomar Fr. Rancho Bernardo Adrian Molina Southwestern Fr. Montgomery Preston Chandler Imperial Valley Fr. T.J. Merritt San Diego Mesa So. St. Augustine Darren Roberts Grossmont So. Westview (OR) DESIGNATED HITTER Jared Birrenkott Grossmont Fr. Granite Hills UTILITY Jeff St. Pierre Grossmont So. W. Vancouver SFC HONORABLE MENTION GROSSMONT: Chris Van Story, Fr., OF, (Monte Vista); Adam Lawford, Fr., RHP, (Hilltop); Josh Chilton, Fr., 2B/OF, (Poway); Frank Lopez, So., 1B, (Helix). OTHER EAST COUNTY HONORABLE MENTION PICKS SAN DIEGO CITY: Sean Hull, So., C, (Monte Vista); Ryan Philben, Fr., SS, (Helix). SAN DIEGO MESA: Dan Bruckart, Fr., LHP, (Valhalla); Alec Harris, Fr., RHP, (Helix). SOUTHWESTERN: Randy Aguiar, So., LHP, (El Capitan).
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA - The Grossmont Griffins are
a little sick of seeing
Southwestern's John Jaso with a bat in his hands. For the second
time in
three days, Jaso supplied the key hits Thursday (May 1) as the
Jaguars edged
the visiting Griffins 4-2 in the Pacific Coast Conference regular-season
finale for both clubs.
Jaso ripped a 2-run home run in the 1st
inning off Grossmont starter and
loser ADAM LAWFORD. The Southwestern sophomore later walked and
scored what
proved to be the winning run in the 5th inning. He tormented the
Griffins for
6 consecutive hits - three home runs, three doubles - scored 6
runs and
chalked up 4 RBI in the last two games.
Southwestern (26-17, 16-9) finished the
PCC season in second place and now
advances to the SoCal Regional playoffs next week. San Diego City
(22-17,
15-10), which began the day tied with the Jaguars for second place,
was
pummeled by conference-champion Palomar 12-0 in Thursday's finale,
and
finished 3rd.
It was a disappointing campaign for Grossmont
(22-20-1, 10-15), which
finished 5th after capturing back-to-back conference crowns. It
also marks
the first time in 7 years the Griffins failed to make the playoffs.
The Griffins did not go quietly. After falling
behind early, Grossmont fought
back to tie it 2-2. MATT CASTILLO cracked an RBI double to cut
the Jags
advantage in half in the 3rd inning. Doubles by FRANK LOPEZ and
LARRY PIERCE
pulled the Griffins even in the 5th.
JARED BIRRENKOTT and Lopez had three hits
apiece for the Griffins. Pierce
pounded 2 doubles.
Lawford, meanwhile, turned in his second
straight complete game, striking out
8 Jaguars in the process.
(05-01-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Credit the Grossmont Griffins
for not going down easily. Facing a
Southwestern College crew in a must-win situation, the Griffins
- looking to
be spoilers - held leads of 3-0 and 4-3 in Tuesday's (April 29)
final home
game of the season. But the visiting Jaguars proved how determined
they are
to make the SoCal Regional playoffs as they scored twice in the
9th inning to
edge the Griffins 7-5.
Southwestern (25-17, 15-9) remained tied
with San Diego City College (22-16,
15-9) for second place and the final guaranteed playoff position
allotted to
the PCC. If these teams are tied after Thursday's (May 1) regular-season
finale, the Jaguars will get the playoff nod for having won the
season series
between the two. The Knights knocked off Palomar 10-4 Tuesday
at Morley
Field. They'll need another conquest of the Comets in Thursday's
finale to
keep their playoff chances alive.
Thus, Grossmont - two-time defending champion
of the PCC - has one final
chance to vent its frustration when the Griffins (22-19-1) travel
to
Southwestern for Thursday's finale at 2 p.m.
The difference in Tuesday's game was Southwestern
sophomore JOHN JASO, who
slugged two home runs and a pair of doubles, scoring 4 runs and
driving in
two. It was Jaso's homer off Grossmont closer DIEGO LOPEZ leading
off the 9th
inning that broke a 5-5 tie.
A bases-loaded single by ZACK MACEDO and
2-run single by ERIC SMITH helped
Grossmont take a 3-0 lead over the visiting Jaguars in the opening
inning.
Jaso homered off Grossmont starter JEFF
PIERSON to spark a 3-run 4th to pull
the Jaguars even.
The Griffins regained the lead in the bottom
of the 4th as FERNANDO REZA
walked, advanced to second on CHRIS VAN STORY's sacrifice bunt
and scored on
JOSH CHILTON's double.
RBI singles by Jorge Bravo in the 5th and
Sergio Flores in the 7th gave
Southwestern a 5-4 edge heading into the 8th.
Van Story squared things at 5-5 for the
Griffins with a home run to right
field. Van Story was 3-for-3 in the game.
Jaso decided matters an inning later.
(04-29-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Although this has been something
less than a monumental season for
the Grossmont Griffins, freshman pitcher ADAM LAWFORD continues
to impress.
The hard-throwing 6-foot-3 right-hander was bringing the heat
Saturday (April
26) as the Griffins chewed up hapless Imperial Valley 13-3 at
Noel Mickelsen
Field.
Lawford was throwing between 86-to-89 mph
in the 6th inning and reportedly
was buzzing the ball in the 91-93 range in the early innings.
He struck out 7
and walked none, as he pocketed his 6th win and 4th complete game.
Word is
Lawford could draw a call in the June draft.
MATT CASTILLO sparked a 7-run 2nd inning
with a two-run triple as the
Griffins (21-18-1, 10-13) put this one out of reach in a hurry.
It was 12-0
after three frames.
For IVC, it hasn't been a season of highlights.
One noteworthy string come to
an end for the Arabs' Matt Smith who had 14 consecutive hits before
grounding
out in the 1st inning.
Grossmont closes out the season with a pair
of games against
Southwestern, which is battling San Diego City College for second
place and
the final guaranteed SoCal Regional playoff berth. Tuesday's (April
29)
contest is at Mickelsen Field, while Thursday's (May 1) finale
is on the
Jaguars' field in Chula Vista.
(04-26-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College sophomore DARREN
ROBERTS hit for the cycle
Thursday (April 24) as the Griffins rolled over winless Imperial
Valley in a
Pacific Coast Conference game at Noel Mickelsen Field. Roberts
is only the
second player in Grossmont history to accomplish the feat.
The right-hand hitting Roberts - whose father,
Dave, was the San Diego
Padres' No. 1 draft pick in 1972 - completed his Cycle the hard
way. That is,
he tripled to right-center field in his final at-bat in the 8th
inning.
Roberts began his roll with a single to
center in the 2nd inning, doubled
down the left field line in the 5th, and launched a long 2-run
home run in
the 6th.
El Capitan alum GARY TAYLOR is the only
other Grossmont College player to hit
for the Cycle. He did so in a 1996 game at Imperial Valley.
Roberts raised his season average to .385
(47-for-122), which includes 9 home
runs and 42 RBI.
The Griffins had to scramble a bit to beat
the Arabs for the 4th time, as the
game was deadlocked at 2-2. Grossmont broke it open by hanging
up a 5-spot in
the bottom of the 6th.
LARRY PIERCE ignited the Griffins' winning
rally with a double to the fence
in left-center field. ZACK MACEDO followed with his first collegiate
home
run, giving Grossmont the lead for keeps.
SERGIO POMPA (3-1) scattered six hits and
did not allow an earned over 6
innings to pick up the win in what was his first college start.
DIEGO LOPEZ
needed just 34 pitches to sail through the final three innings
to earn the
save.
The Griffins host Imperial Valley on Saturday
(April 26) at noon.
(04-24-03)
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - The Grossmont Griffins are no
doubt happy they won't have to face
San Diego City pitcher JEFF TEASLEY anymore this season. For the
third
consecutive start, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound right-hander padded
his record at
Grossmont's expense, claiming a 5-4 nod in Tuesday's (April 22)
Pacific Coast
Conference contest at Morley Field. While Teasley, a Grossmont
High alum, was
improving his personal pitching mark to 9-2, the Knights (20-15,
13-8) were
moving into a tie with Southwestern for second place.
Helix product RYAN PHILBEN singled and scored
the winning run as the Knights
scored three in the bottom of the 6th to erase Grossmont's 4-2
lead.
The Griffins gave Teasley his toughest test
this time around, however, taking
a 1-0 lead on FERNANDO REZA's RBI triple in the 2nd inning. Grossmont
made it
2-0 an inning later on DARREN ROBERTS' two-out double and JARED
BIRRENKOTT's
single.
SDCC cut the lead in half on an RBI single
by Philben off the Griffins'
hard-luck starter ADAM LAWFORD in the 4th inning.
Grossmont was denied a run in the 5th inning
after MATT CASTILLO, Roberts and
Birrenkott put together singles only to have Castillo cut down
at the plate
on a throw from right fielder Jason Ray to catcher SEAN HULL (Monte
Vista
HS). Roberts scored later in the same inning on FRANK LOPEZ's
sacrifice fly,
stretching Grossmont's edge to 3-1.
After SDCC scored on a wild pitch in the
5th, DAVE JOLLIFF drilled a solo
home run in the 6th inning giving the Griffins back their 2-run
margin.
In the bottom of the 6th, John Ray tripled
past Roberts in center field, and
then scored on Josh Allen's base hit. Philben reached on an infield
single.
Allen and Philben executed a double steal, putting the tying run
at third and
the go-ahead run at second. Anthony Schroth singled in Allen with
the tying
marker and Philben carried home the game-winner on Jason Ray's
sacrifice fly.
Grossmont touched Teasley up for 12 hits
in 7 innings, but 10 Griffins went
down on strikes against the big starter and 6 more whiffed against
reliever
Carlton Hargrove.
Lawford struck out 9 and walked none in
the freshman right-hander's third
complete-game effort for Grossmont (19-18-1, 8-13).
The Griffins host Imperial Valley Thursday
(April 24) at 2 p.m. and again
Saturday (April 26) at noon.
(04-22-03)
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - MATT CASTILLO broke a 7-7 tie
with an RBI single in the 7th
inning and the Grossmont Griffins continued on to a 12-7 victory
over Los
Angeles City College in Wednesday's (April 16) final round of
the
rain-shortened Noel Mickelsen Invitational. The game was halted
after 8
innings at Morley Field because of darkness.
Castillo, who was 3-for-4 with a pair of
doubles, ripped a two-out shot off
the glove of shortstop Julio Morales to score FRANK LOPEZ from
third with the
go-ahead run. Lopez had doubled in JARED BIRRENKOTT with the tying
run
earlier in the inning.
Grossmont (19-17-1) broke the game open
with 4 runs in the 8th inning.
Birrenkott keyed the rally with a double to left center that scored
JOSH
CHILTON (double) and DARREN ROBERTS. Lopez and FERNANDO REZA closed
out the
inning with RBI singles.
DIEGO LOPEZ pitched three overpowering innings
of shutout relief. He did not
allow a baserunner and struck out 4. He was rewarded with his
4th win for his
efforts.
Grossmont has five games remaining, beginning
with Tuesday's (April 22)
Pacific Coast Conference game against San Diego City at Morley
Field. First
pitch is 2 p.m.
(04-16-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - It was brief, but effective.
For one of the few times this season
the Griffins made the most out of the minimum. They parlayed one
hit - JARED
BIRRENKOTT's 8th home run of the year - and five shutout innings
by JEFF
PIERSON into a 1-0 victory over visiting Monterey Peninsula (18-15)
in
Monday's (April 14) opening round of 16th annual Mickelsen Invitational.
Birrenkott blasted a 1-0 pitch to dead center
field in the second inning for
his 4th game-winning RBI.
Pierson, a sophomore left-hander, surrendered
a pair of singles and 3 walks,
but was supported by an error-free defense and two double plays
as Grossmont
(18-17-1) snapped a three-game losing streak.
The game was originally slated for a 10
a.m. start, but the first pitch did
not come until 2 p.m. due to rain and sloppy field conditions.
The rain
intensified and brought a halt to the game after 4 ? innings.
Inclement weather has cancelled Tuesday's
(April 15) and Wednesday's (April
16) games at Grossmont's Mickelsen Field. Griffins coach ED OLSEN
is looking
into the possibility of playing at Barona's Casino Diamond or
at Morley Field
in Balboa Park.
(04-14-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - If the Grossmont Griffins fail
to make the Southern California
Regionals playoffs one person they can blame is San Diego City
College
pitcher JEFF TEASLEY. The Knights' 6-foot-6 right-hander out of
Grossmont
High turned in two overpowering victory performances, including
Saturday's
(April 12) stellar 7-inning stint, which resulted in a 15-5 Pacific
Coast
Conference romp over the Griffins at Noel Mickelsen Field.
Teasley (8-2) limited the Griffins to 5
hits and 2 runs, while walking one
and striking out 7. It was Teasley's second win in as many starts
against
Grossmont (17-17-1, 8-12).
SDCC riddled Grossmont starter DIEGO LOPEZ
for 11 runs and 13 hits in the
first three innings to decide the issue.
DAREEN ROBERTS rocketed his 8th home run
of the season with two Griffins
board in the 8th inning, but it was much too little, too late.
CHRIS VAN STORY, the Griffins' hottest hitter
of late, was 2-for-3 with two
doubles against the Knights. He is 10-for-14 with five extra-base
hits in his
last four games
East County products RYAN PHILBEN (2-for-6,
2 runs), SEAN HULL (2-for-6, 2
RBI) and RICK LEDESMA (1-for-3, 1 RBI) played key roles for the
Knights
(17-14, 12-8).
The Griffins will host the 16th annual Noel
Mickelsen Invitational on April
14-15-16. The 5-team cast includes Monterery Peninsula, Los Angeles
Pierce
(Woodland Hills), Los Angeles City, San Diego City and Grossmont.
The
Griffins will be featured in the 10 a.m. game all
three days, facing (in order) Monterey, LACC and L.A. Pierce.
(04-12-03)
EastCountySports.com
SAN MARCOS - Palomar College scored five
runs in the bottom of the 8th inning
to break a 7-7 tie Thursday (April 10) and continued on to defeat
the
visiting Grossmont Griffins 12-9. The loss - Grossmont's 5th in
as many
starts against the Comets - mathematically eliminated the two-time
defending
Pacific Coast Conference-champion Griffins from this year's pennant
race.
The Comets (18-11, 16-3) clubbed four home
runs - two by Scott Robinson - to
beat the Griffins (17-16-1, 8-11) at their own game. The biggest
swat of the
four circuit clouts was Carlos Medina's three-run shot in the
pivotal 8th
inning.
CHRIS VAN STORY, the Griffins' hottest hitter
of late, ripped a two-run
double off the left field fence in the 9th inning. But Grossmont's
comeback
bid fizzled out after that.
Van Story, a freshman out of Monte Vista,
was 3-for-5 with a triple against
the Comets Thursday. He is 8-for-11 with three extra-base hits
and six RBI
the last three games.
Palomar's five-game sweep marks the first
in 13 years that a PCC opponent has
denied the Griffins a single victory in a conference season series.
The Griffins, who are four games out of
a playoff spot with six PCC games
remaining, host San Diego City College on Saturday (April 12)
at noon.
(04-10-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Grossmont College's DARREN ROBERTS
drove in 5 runs with a pair of
doubles and his 7th home run of the year Tuesday (April 8), but
it wasn't
enough to keep the Griffins' four-game winning streak intact as
visiting
Palomar prevailed 14-10. By losing to the Pacific Coast Conference-leading
Comets (17-11, 15-3), the Griffins dropped three games back in
the race for
second place and a guaranteed playoff spot.
Twice the Griffins came from behind, wiping
out deficits of 2-0 and 4-3. But
Palomar broke a 4-4 tie with 2 runs in the 6th and then erupted
for 8 runs in
the 8th inning to turn the game into an apparent rout.
Down 14-4 as they entered the bottom of
the 9th , the Griffins (17-15-1,
8-10) refused to go quietly. CHRIS VAN STORY sparked what was
to be a 6-run
inning with the first of his two singles in the 9th and the third
of his four
hits in the game. MATT CASTILLO was then hit by a pitch, and both
runners
moved up 90 feet on JOSH CHILTON's groundout.
JEFF ST. PIERRE, the PCC's Male Athlete
of the Week, doubled to right-center
field scoring Van Story and Castillo. CHARLES TEACHOUT kept the
inning alive
by drawing a two-out walk and then Roberts unloaded a 3-run shot
over the
left field fence, cutting the margin to 14-9.
A Palomar error and wild pitch kept the
door open for the Griffins, who
scored their final run on singles by FERNANDO REZA and Van Story.
After falling behind 2-0 in the 2nd, the
Griffins rebounded for 3 runs in the
3rd frame on an RBI single by FRANK LOPEZ and a two-run double
by Roberts.
Six Grossmont errors sabotaged the work
of four Griffins pitchers, who were
tagged for 7 unearned runs.
Grossmont plays its final game of the season
against the first-place Comets
Thursday (April 10) in San Marcos at 2 p.m. Grossmont has not
been swept in a
season series by a PCC opponent since 1990 when Palomar turned
the trick. The
Comets have won the first four from the Griffins this spring.
(04-08-03)
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - When you're hot, you don't want
days off. That's why the Grossmont
Griffins, who have won six of their last eight and four straight,
invited
Cass Street of the San Diego Adult Baseball League over for a
non-conference
contest on Saturday (April 5). Turns out it wasn't much of a contest
as the
Griffins rolled 18-4 at Noel Mickelsen Field.
CHRIS VAN STORY's first collegiate home
run - a three-run shot in 2nd inning
- gave Grossmont a 4-2 lead it wouldn't lose. FRANK LOPEZ slugged
his
club-leading 9th home run and BILLY STYERS, used primarily as
a pinch runner,
was 2-for-2 with his first college homer.
OSCAR OCHOA - the first of six Grossmont
pitchers - gave up 2 runs, but
struck out 7 in three innings.
All the Griffins were used in Saturday's
game in some capacity. Starting
pitcher ADAM LAWFORD got his first at-bat - as a pinch-hitter
for JARED
BIRRENKOTT - in the 8th inning. Lawford was hit by the first pitch
thrown to
him.
Grossmont coach ED OLSEN, who underwent
arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday
(April 4), attended the game on crutches.
The Griffins (17-14-1), who are two games
out of playoff range, play perhaps
their biggest three games of the season next week beginning Tuesday
(April 8)
when they host Pacific Coast Conference-leading Palomar at 2 p.m.
The Comets
host the Griffins on Thursday (April 10) in San Marcos before
Grossmont
returns home to entertain San Diego City College on Saturday (April
12).
(04-05-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The race for second place in
the Pacific Coast Conference race
heated up a few more degrees Thursday (April 3) as the Grossmont
Griffins
edged San Diego Mesa 8-7 on DAVE JOLLIFF's RBI single in the bottom
of the
10th inning. It was the third time in four days the Griffins had
beaten the
Olympians, pulling Grossmont to within two games of second place
and the
final regional playoff berth.
Mired in a season-long slump, Jolliff was
batting a paltry .179 when he lined
a 2-0 pitch into left field with one out and the bases loaded
in the bottom
of the 10th. LARRY PIERCE, who began the inning with an infield
single,
scored the winning marker.
Jolliff provided the spark for Grossmont's
tying rally in the bottom of the
9th inning after the Olympians had scored 3 runs in the top of
the frame to
take a 7-6 lead. Facing Helix alum ALEC HARRIS, Jolliff walked
on a 3-2 pitch
to get the Griffins going. JEFF ST. PIERRE's one-out single to
right field
to put runners at the corners.
DARREN ROBERTS lifted a towering pop-up
into short right field that second
baseman Greg West made the catch while back-pedaling, falling
down in the
process. By the time West got back onto his feet, Jolliff tagged
and scored
the tying run.
Mesa first baseman BRIAN MATUSMOTO (Santana
alum) drove in three runs with a
single in the 3rd, his fifth home run in the 5th inning, and a
sacrifice fly
in the 9th. JUSTIN PAIGE (West Hills alum) blasted a solo homer
- his 4th of
the year - in the 5th inning to give Mesa a 4-3 edge at the time.
Grossmont has won 31 of 33 games from Mesa
over the last six seasons,
including 4 of 5 this spring. The Griffins (16-14-1, 8-9) have
won 5 of 7
versus all-comers and are one game behind fourth place Mesa (20-11,
9-8) and
two back of Southwestern (19-12, 10-7) and San Diego City (15-13-1,
10-7).
Eight games remain on the PCC slate - including two each with
SDCC,
Southwestern and first-place Palomar.
The Griffins take a break from conference
activity to host a local semipro
team on Saturday (April 5) at noon.
(04-03-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN DIEGO - There is something about the
San Diego Mesa College Olympians
that brings out the best in the Grossmont Griffins. Sparked by
JEFF ST.
PIERRE's 3-run home run, the Griffins came from behind Tuesday
(April 1) to
knock off Mesa 10-6 for the second day in a row. It was the 3rd
time in four
Pacific Coast Conference meetings and the 30th time in the last
32 starts
that Grossmont has beaten Mesa.
With nine Pacific Coast Conference games
remaining, Grossmont (15-14-1, 7-9)
is only 3 games out of 2nd place and a guaranteed berth in the
Southern
California Regionals. The Griffins are just two steps out of third
place,
currently occupied by Mesa (20-10, 9-7) and San Diego City (14-13,
9-7).
After riddling the Olympians 18-8 on 21
hits on Monday, the Griffins scored 3
runs in the top of the 1st inning without benefit of a hit Tuesday
at Mesa.
That advantage was short-lived, however, as Mesa pushed across
2 runs in the
second and 2 more in the 3rd . Santana High alum BRIAN MATSUMOTO
keyed the
uprising in the 3rd with a leadoff double, one of two he had in
the game. He
scored the tying run on the front end of T.J. Merritt's 2-run
double that
gave Mesa the lead.
Momentum swung back into Grossmont's corner
when the Griffins scored 5 runs
in the 7th. ERIC CALLOWAY walked, advanced to second on a wild
pitch and to
third on FERNANDO REZA's bunt single.
Then came one of those key plays that aren't
reflected in the box score. JOSH
CHILTON tapped a grounder to shortstop Frankie Ibarra, who elected
to throw
to the plate. Calloway, however, beat the throw and the game tied
4-4.
Former Griffin JESSE BRIERLY replaced starter
Eric Sherman on the mound and
was greeted by St. Pierre's 7th home run that cleared the right
field fence.
JARED BIRRENKOTT added an RBI single later in the inning, giving
Grossmont an
8-4 edge.
Matsumoto ripped a one-hop shot to center
field for a ground-rule double and
eventually scored on an infield out in the bottom of the 7th,
slicing the
Grossmont lead to 8-5.
Grossmont added a pair of insurance runs
in the 9th. ZACK MACEDO and
Birrenkott clubbed back-to-back doubles for one run. A second
tally scored on
a throwing error.
West Hills alum JUSTIN PAIGE picked up an
RBI with a single in the bottom of
the 9th, but Grossmont reliever SERGIO POMPA finished off the
Olympians by
striking out the side. Pompa pitched the final 4 innings to earn
his second
win without a loss.
These same two teams close out their season
series Thursday (April 3) at
Grossmont at 2 p.m.
(04-01-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The Grossmont Griffins won a
marathon over visiting San Diego Mesa
on Monday (Mar. 31), and thus kept their flickering playoff hopes
alive.
Taking more than 3 hours, 30 minutes - while their four pitchers
delivered
231 pitches and issued 19 walks - the Griffins pounded the Olympians
18-8 at
Noel Mickelsen Field. With 10 Pacific Coast Conference games remaining,
Grossmont (14-14-1, 6-9) is only four games out of second place
and a
guaranteed berth to the Southern California Regionals.
After JARED BIRRENKOTT belted a two-run
home run - his 7th of the season - in
the first inning, the Griffins broke the game open with 10 runs
in the second
frame. JEFF ST. PIERRE's grand slam was the key blow in the big
inning, which
called 15 Grossmont batters to the plate. LUKE McROBERTS and FERNANDO
REZA
also contributed two-run singles in the 2nd inning.
Reza spearheaded the Grossmont onslaught
with a 5-for-5 effort, which
included 3 doubles, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.
Grossmont catcher LARRY PIERCE was 3-for-5,
including his first collegiate
home run and three RBI. Birrenkott totaled 4 RBI for his efforts
and first
baseman ZACK MACEDO was 3-for-6.
The Griffins totaled 21 hits, with eight of the nine starters contributing.
Reliever JEFF PIERSON struggled with his
control, but picked up his 3rd win
in five decisions, allowing the Olympians (20-9, 9-6) just one
run and 2 hits
over 3 2/3 innings.
These same two teams play at Mesa on Tuesday
(Apr. 1) and again on Thursday
at Grossmont. Both games start at 2 p.m.
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI - Sophomore first baseman
FRANK LOPEZ has been lost to the
club indefinitely. Lopez, who leads the Griffins in home runs
with 8,
suffered a dislocated shoulder in a collision at the plate in
Saturday's
(Mar. 29) game at Southwestern . . . The Griffins will host the
16th annual
Mickelsen Invitational on April 14-15-16. The 5-team cast includes
Monterery
Peninsula, Los Angeles Pierce (Woodland Hills), Los Angeles City,
San Diego
City and Grossmont. The Griffins will be featured in the 10 a.m.
game all
three days, facing (in order) Monterey, LACC and L.A. Pierce.
(03-31-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
CHULA VISTA - Four errors led to four unearned
runs, and 13 runners left on
base led to further frustration for the struggling Grossmont Griffins,
who
dropped a 6-3 Pacific Coast Conference decision Saturday (Mar.
29) at
Southwestern College.
Two more of the Jaguars' East County products
played prominent roles in
Grossmont's latest setback. Sophomore southpaw RANDY AGUIAR (El
Capitan
High) limited the Griffins (13-14-1, 5-9) to two runs and 6 hits
in 5 2/3
innings as he posted his 5th win in seven decisions. Aguiar struck
out 6 and
walked 3.
Former Christian High standout CHRIS DENHART
contributed an RBI single to the
Jaguars' 4-run first inning, which was aided by two Grossmont
errors.
Denhart's RBI triple made it 6-0 for the Jaguars (19-10, 10-5)
in the 5th
inning.
The Griffins had a major opportunity to
break through when they loaded the
bases on a double by DARREN ROBERTS and walks to ZACH MACEDO and
JARED
BIRRENKOTT (Granite Hills) with nobody out in the 6th inning.
LARRY PIERCE
(Helix) lined a double to right, scoring Roberts to shatter the
shutout.
However, Macedo was erased at the plate attempting to score from
second base
on a throw from right fielder JASON BALSLEY (Mount Miguel).
Grossmont generated a second run in the
6th when ERIC CALLOWAY and CHRIS VAN
STORY drew back-to-back walks to force home a run. Down 6-2, the
Griffins
brought tying run to the plate, but could not connect.
Birrenkott slugged an RBI single with one
out in the 7th, again bringing the
tying run to the plate. But Southwestern ace reliever Edgar Galindo
came on
to blank Grossmont over the final 2 2/3 innings to earn his 8th
save.
It was a tough loss for Grossmont starter
ADAM LAWFORD (5-3), who surrendered
6 runs (four unearned) and 6 hits in six innings to be slapped
with the loss.
The Griffins will play San Diego Mesa three
times next week - Monday (Mar.
31) at Grossmont, Tuesday (Apr. 1) at Mesa and Thursday at Grossmont.
All
games start at 2 p.m.
ELSEWHERE:
SAN DIEGO CITY 11, PALOMAR 8: Grossmont
High alum JEFF TEASLEY posted his
7th win in eight decisions as San Diego City (13-13, 8-7) helped
tighten the
PCC race by knocking off the first-place Comets (14-11, 12-3)
at Morley
Field. Monte Vista High alum SEAN HULL belted a 2-run home run
to propel the
Knights into a 3-1 first-inning lead.
Former Grossmont High standout AARON GARCIA
was 4-for-5 in a losing cause for
Palomar, which fell for only the second time in its last 14 games.
(03-29-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Jack Spradlin would probably
like to see more of the Grossmont
Griffins. The Southwestern College southpaw has beaten the Griffins
in each
of his two starts against them, including 5-3 in Thursday's (Mar.
27) Pacific
Coast Conference contest at Noel Mickelsen Field.
A pair of East County high school standouts
played key roles in helping
second-place Southwestern (18-10, 9-5) beat the Griffins (13-13-1,
5-8).
JASON BALSLEY (Mount Miguel) started a 4-run 3rd inning with a
single to
left. After Grossmont starter JUAN VELASQUEZ hit Adrian Molina
with a pitch,
BOBBY ARMSTRONG (Granite Hills) loaded the bases with a bunt single.
Balsley scored on a sacrifice fly, and then
the track meet started. A delayed
steal of second base by Armstrong led to Molina's steal of home
for a 2-0
Southwestern lead. John Jaso tripled over the center-fielder's
head to score
Armstrong. A throwing error on the relay allowed Jaso to score
for a 4-0 lead.
Singles by JOSH CHILTON, JEFF ST. PIERRE
and LUKE McROBERTS coupled with two
Southwestern errors allowed the Griffins to cut the deficit in
half.
A solo home run to left by Armstrong made it 5-2 in the 7th.
Grossmont's DAVE JOLLIFF countered with
his 4th home run leading off the 8th
inning.
The game was played in one hour and 49 minutes.
These same teams will meet again at Southwestern
on Saturday (Mar. 29) at
noon.
(03-27-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Revitalized by a resounding two-game
sweep of hapless Imperial
Valley, the Grossmont Griffins find themselves only 2 1/2 games
out of second
place in the Pacific Coast Conference race.
DARREN ROBERTS continued his torrid hitting
to lead the Griffins to a 12-2
victory over the visiting Arabs on Tuesday (Mar. 25). The sophomore
center
fielder went 3-for-5, driving in 5 runs with his 11th double and
6th home run
while raising his season average to .447. In his last three games,
Roberts is
8-for-13, with three homers, 4 doubles and 11 RBI.
Grossmont leadoff man JOSH CHILTON clubbed
a pair of two-run singles and
FRANK LOPEZ slugged two doubles in the onslaught.
DIEGO LOPEZ, a product of Calexico High,
allowed 2 hits and no earned runs in
a six-inning stint that produced his third win in six decisions.
He struck
out 8.
The Griffins (13-12-1, 5-7) rattled a pair
of IVC pitchers for 18 hits in a
game called in the bottom of the 7th due to the conference's mercy-rule,
implemented this season especially for the outmanned Arabs who
are down to 13
players. Grossmont has outscored the Arabs 40-3 in three games.
A strong showing in its next 5 games - two
with Southwestern and three with
Mesa - will go a long ways in determining if the Griffins stay
in the hunt
for a possible playoff berth. That journey starts Thursday (Mar.
27) when
Southwestern (17-9, 8-5) visits Noel Mickelsen Field
at 2 p.m.
(03-25-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
IMPERIAL- For all the frustration the Grossmont
Griffins have suffered this
year, they found a team in far worse shape when they traveled
to Imperial
Valley College for a Pacific Coast Conference makeup game on Monday
(Mar.
24). This was no contest. The Griffins took a 10-0 lead after
one inning and
by the time the game was called due to a mercy rule, Grossmont
had rolled up
a 27-1 rout. And that was after using 19 players in the 7-inning
game.
Catcher LARRY PIERCE went 5-for-6 to lead
a 26-hit assault on four IVC
pitchers. DARREN ROBERTS drove in 5 runs with 3 doubles and his
5th home run
of the season, while JARED BIRRENKOTT batted in 4 runs with his
6th home run
and a double. FRANK LOPEZ launched his club-leading 8th home run
and DAVE
JOLLIFF hit a three-run shot. FREDDY REZA joined the home run
parade with a
three-run drive in the 7th inning.
ZACH MACEDO was 3-for-6 and scored 4 runs
for the Griffins (12-12-1, 4-7),
who pounded out 10 doubles to go with their 5 home runs.
The Giffins host Imperial Valley (0-16,
0-12) again Tuesday (Mar. 25). Game
time is 2 p.m.
KING KARSTENS -
Texas Tech junior JEFF KARSTENS continues to rate as one of
the top pitchers in the Big 12 Conference. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound
right-hander, who helped lead the Griffins to back-to-back PCC
pennants,
picked up a win and a save as the No. 23-ranked Red Raiders (19-9)
won two of
three games over No. 19 Texas A&M last weekend (Mar. 21-23)
in Lubbock,
Texas. After saving a 5-4 win with 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief
on Friday,
Karstens pitched the final 5 innings of a 6-4 win over the Aggies
in Sunday's
(Mar. 23) series finale. He allowed 5 hits and one earned run,
while striking
out 2.
Karstens leads Texas Tech in wins - he's
6-0 - and in saves (4). His 3.48 ERA
is second-best on the club.
Reports are that Karstens' fastball has
been clocked as high a 92 mph, which
certainly should enhance his chances come June.
(03-24-03/Rev. 03-25-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - A mix-up in the schedule left
Grossmont College without an
opponent Saturday (Mar. 22) at Noel Mickelsen Field. Imperial
Valley was
slated to visit the Griffins for a Pacific Coast Conference contest,
but
coach Dave Drury forgot that he and Grossmont coach ED OLSEN had
switched
home dates in their first two scheduled meetings.
Rainy weather made Grossmont's diamond unplayable
for the March 1st game
originally scheduled for Mickelsen Field. So the Griffins traveled
to Brawley
to beat IVC 11-0. Thus, the Arabs were, in turn, slated to come
to Grossmont
on Saturday.
Grossmont will now host winless Imperial
Valley on Monday (Mar. 24) and then
travel to the desert on Tuesday (Mar. 25) for the rematch. Both
games begin
at 2 p.m.
ELSEWHERE:
Southwestern 8, San Diego City 6: Former Mount Miguel High standout JASON
BALSLEY belted a pair of doubles and scored the go-ahead run as
the Jaguars
knocked off the Knights on Saturday (Mar. 22).
Palomar 5, San Diego Mesa 3: The Comets won their 10th straight and are
running away with the PCC pennant. Palomar plowed through three
former East
County pitchers - DANIEL BRUCKART (Valhalla, 3-3), JESSE BRIERLY
(Helix) and
ALEC HARRIS (Helix) - for a 10-hit to support the complete-game
pitching of
Jon Fleming.
(03-22-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Although the Pacific Coast Conference
season has not yet reached
its midway point, the Grossmont Griffins have all but been eliminated
from
any realistic shot at a third straight pennant. Even a berth in
the Southern
California Regionals doesn't look too promising at the moment.
Perhaps a
spoiler's role would be more fitting for this struggling ball
club. Nothing
seemed to work for Grossmont on Thursday (Mar. 20) as the Griffins
were
overmatched by pitcher Joe Woerman of the visiting San Diego City
College
Knights, 7-2.
Pro scouts believe Woerman will go early
in the June draft. The 6-foot-3,
200-pound right-hander out of Coronado High gave a masterful performance
against the Griffins, spinning seven shutout innings while striking
out 11.
He allowed only two hits - a 2nd-inning single to JOSH CHILTON
and a
7th-inning single to JERAD BIRRENKOTT.
Grossmont (11-12-1, 3-7) collected 6 hits
in two innings against reliever
Brian Bruggeman, scoring its only 2 runs in the bottom of the
9th. DARREN
ROBERTS ruined the shutout with his 5th home run of the season
to left field.
The Griffins produced their final run with two outs on consecutive
singles by
Birrenkott, ZACK MACEDO, Chilton and LUKE McROBERTS.
Former Helix High standout RYAN PHILBEN
was 2-for-5 for the Knights (12-9,
7-3), and 4-for-9 in the past two games against Grossmont.
Grossmont hosts winless Imperial Valley
on Saturday (Mar. 22) at noon. The
same two clubs will then meet in Brawley on Tuesday (Mar. 25)
at 2 p.m.
(03-20-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN DIEGO - Former Grossmont High standout
JEFF TEASLEY rationed the
Grossmont Griffins to 3 hits while striking out 10 Tuesday (Mar.
18) as host
San Diego City College (11-9, 6-3) won the Pacific Coast Conference
game 6-3
at Morley Field.
The Griffins (11-11-1, 3-6) committed three
consecutive errors to open the
door to a 5-run first inning for the Knights, who then cruised
behind their
6-foot-6, 240-pound righthander to the victory.
All of Grossmont's runs came in the 6th
inning. Teasley hit CHUCK TEACHOUT
with a pitch, surrendered a base hit to CHRIS VAN STORY and JEFF
ST. PIERRE
followed with his 5th home run. That burst chopped the Knights'
advantage in
half.
Grossmont pitchers ADAM LAWFORD and PAUL
SCHLEIFER deserved a better fate as
they scattered 8 hits and allowed only 2 earned runs.
San Diego CC visits Grossmont on Thursday
(Mar. 20) at 2 p.m.
(03-18-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN MARCOS - It took the Grossmont Griffins
22 innings to score their first
run against the Palomar Comets this season. When FRANK LOPEZ broke
the spell
with a solo home run in the 4th inning of Thursday's (Mar. 13)
Pacific Coast
Conference game, it began what would be a 10-run outing for the
Griffins.
Turns out, that wasn't enough. Grossmont blew a 2-run lead in
the bottom of
the 10th, falling to the first-place Comets 11-10.
"We have no relief pitching at all,"
Grossmont coach ED OLSEN grumbled.
"None!"
Converted infielder DAVID JOLLIFF worked
three innings in relief, and had a
shot at nailing down his first victory. He might have had a better
fate had
it not been for a costly walk and a throwing error on an attempted
sacrifice
bunt in the decisive 10th. The sophomore right-hander gave up
a two-run
single to Sean Richardson that tied the game 10-10 and then surrendered
a
game-winning single to Jeff Cummings with one out.
Grossmont (11-10-1, 3-3) rallied from deficits
of 4-0, 6-2 and 7-5, staging a
two-out rally in the 9th to force overtime. Lopez, who clubbed
his second
home run of the game and seventh of the season in the 6th inning,
kept the
Griffins alive with a single. OSCAR OCHOA pinch ran for Lopez,
advanced to
second on a wild pitch and scored on MATT CASTILLO's single to
tie the game.
"They tried to give us the game, and we gave it back," Olsen said.
In the top of the 10th, pinch-hitter CHUCK
TEACHOUT led off with a base hit.
He advanced into scoring position on ERIC CALLOWAY's bunt. JOSH
CHILTON drew
a two-out walk. Palomar plated the runs for the Griffins with
a throwing
error and a wild pitch. The Griffins narrowly missed tacking on
a third run
when LUKE McROBERTS was thrown out at the plate attempting to
score from
second on JERAD BIRRENKOTT's base hit.
Birrenkott finished 3-for-6, including his
5th home run and 2 RBI. Castillo
and Lopez also had three hits apiece for Grossmont.
Grossmont draws a bye on Saturday (Mar.
15), before hosting San Diego Mesa on
Monday (Mar. 17) at 2 p.m.
(03-13-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Palomar's Robert Anaya fired
a 4-hit shutout as the visiting
Comets blanked Grossmont College - for the second time in as many
meetings -
9-0 Tuesday (Mar. 11) at Noel Mickelsen Field. It's the fourth
time in 21
games that Grossmont has been shut out this season.
"I've never been shut out more than
three times in a season," Grossmont coach
ED OLSEN said. "We're just not hitting."
Fact is, the Griffins advanced only one
runner as far as third base against
Anaya, who struck out 7 and walked 2.
Joe Ramos and Matt Guilliano slugged solo
home runs for Palomar (7-9, 5-1),
which moved back into the Pacific Coast Conference lead.
Grossmont (11-9-1, 3-4) travels to San Marcos
to face Palomar on Thursday
(Mar. 13) at 2 p.m.
(03-11-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The Grossmont Griffins climbed
back into the Pacific Coast
Conference pennant race Monday (Mar. 10) as they knocked off previously
undefeated San Diego City College 8-5 at Noel Mickelsen Field.
The Griffins
jumped on SDCC starter Chris Blanton for five runs in the opening
frame and
then held on for their second straight victory.
DARREN ROBERTS keyed the first-inning uprising
with a two-run triple to
right-center field, driving in JOSH CHILTON and JEFF ST. PIERRE
who opened
the frame with back-to-back singles. FRANK LOPEZ followed with
an RBI double
and eventually scored on MATT CASTILLO's sacrifice fly. Two walks
and an
error handed the Griffins (11-8-1, 3-3) a fifth run.
CHRIS VAN STORY, who reached base in all
four of his at-bats, gave the
Griffins a 6-0 lead with a run-scoring single in the 3rd.
After the first-place Knights (10-7, 5-1)
capitalized on Grossmont errors,
walks and hit batsmen to chop the deficit to 6-4 in the top of
the 5th, Lopez
launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to swing
the momentum
back to the Griffins.
SERGIO POMPA pitched four strong innings
of relief to log his first college
win. CHRIS MILLER got the final three outs to earn his second
save.
Grossmont hosts second-place Palomar on
Tuesday (Mar. 11) at 2 p.m.
(03-10-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
(Updated on 03-9-03) SAN DIEGO - Grossmont
College's ADAM LAWFORD bested San
Diego Mesa's DANIEL BRUCKART in a Pacific Coast Conference pitching
duel won
by the Griffins 3-1 Saturday (Mar. 8) on the Olympians' diamond.
Both
pitchers are now 4-1.
Lawford, who pitched a 3-hitter, retired
19 in a row - from the 3rd inning
until one out in the 9th. He went on to complete the game.
Grossmont's JEFF ST. PIERRE followed JOSH
CHILTON's single with his 4th home
run in the first inning off Bruckart, a Valhalla High alum.
Bruckart went the distance, allowing only 4 hits while striking out 10.
Santana alum BRIAN MATSUMOTO accounted for two of the Olympians three hits.
It was a major victory for Grossmont (10-8-1,
2-3), which had been shut out
in its previous two outings. Mesa fell to 12-5, 2-2.
Grossmont hosts San Diego City on Monday
(Mar. 10) and Palomar on Tuesday
(Mar. 11). Both games start at 2 p.m.
(03-08-03/Rev. 03-09.03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
CHULA VISTA - For the first time in recent
memory, the Grossmont Griffins
suffered back-to-back shutout losses. It was host Southwestern's
turn to deal
the visiting Griffins a string of nine consecutive zeroes Tuesday
(March 4)
en route to a 5-0 Pacific Coast Conference victory. After going
unbeaten in
its first nine starts, Grossmont has lost 8 of its last 9.
Jack Spradlin and Edgar Galindo combined
to blank the Griffins on five hits
for Southwestern (12-4, 3-1). Spradlin spun the first eight innings,
striking
out 10. Coupled with Monday's loss at Palomar, Grossmont batters
have been
limited to 7 hits while striking out 25 times.
DARREN ROBERTS accounted for two of the
Griffins' hits with a double and a
single against Southwestern.
Grossmont pitchers DIEGO LOPEZ and JEFF
PIERSON handcuffed Southwestern on 4
hits over the first 7 innings, allowing only one unearned run.
The Jaguars
broke the game open with 4 runs in the 8th.
Former Griffin JASON BALSLEY was 2-for-4
with a double, two RBI and a stolen
base for the Jaguars. Christian High alum CHRIS DENHART also ripped
a double
for Southwestern.
Next up for the Griffins is a home game
against San Diego Mesa on Thursday at
2 p.m.
(03-04-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN MARCOS - Grossmont College suffered
from a case of too much Jon Fleming
and Charlie Watson in Monday's (March 3) make-up game at Palomar.
That is,
the visiting Griffins, who haven't practiced for more than a week
due to
inclement weather, not only struck out 14 times at the plate,
but also
committed 5 errors that led to 5 unearned runs as the Comets collected
an 8-0
Pacific Coast Conference victory.
The Griffins, who travel to Southwestern
on Tuesday (March 4), have lost
seven of their last eight. Yet, they are a single victory away
from moving
back into the PCC race.
In Monday's makeup, the Griffins (9-7-1, 1-2) offered little resistance.
"Only two balls we hit reached the
outfield," Grossmont coach ED OLSEN said.
"Burt Fleming threw a great ballgame against us. He had a
very good slider,
and we took everything. We weren't aggressive at all."
Grossmont's offensive output consisted of
a double by JARED BIRRENKOTT and
singles by FRANK LOPEZ and JEFF ST. PIERRE.
Sean Richardson was 3-for-4 with a home
run and 3 RBI to lead the Comets
(4-9, 2-1), who also received a double and stolen base from Grossmont
High
alum AARON GARCIA.
(03-03-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
IMPERIAL- After eight days without facing
live pitching, the Grossmont
Griffins traveled more than 300 miles round trip to resume the
rain-interrupted Pacific Coast Conference season Saturday (March
1) at
Imperial Valley College. The Griffins (9-6-1, 1-1) came home with
an easy
11-0 victory, which snapped their six-game losing streak. What
transpired in
the process, however, was hardly what Grossmont coach ED OLSEN
had in mind.
The game was halted with two outs in the
top of the third inning after
Imperial Valley relief pitcher Neal Norris was struck in the face
by a line
drive off the bat of Grossmont first baseman FRANK LOPEZ.
"That ball - off a metal bat like that
- had to be traveling between
120-to-130 mph," Olsen said. (Norris) didn't have a chance.
It was a rocket
that hit him in the cheekbone. He went right down and the ball
ricocheted
over to the first baseman."
Paramedics were summoned to the IVC baseball
field to tend to Norris, who was
covered with blood and appeared to have suffered a shattered cheekbone.
"It was pretty upsetting to everybody
there," Olsen said. "Their players were
gathered behind the mound, praying for their teammate. Lopez went
out and
told the guy he was sorry. It was a terrible thing to have happen."
At the request of IVC coach Dave Drury, the umpires called the game.
"There was no sense continuing," Olsen agreed.
After MATT CASTILLO tripled and scored on
DARREN ROBERTS' sacrifice fly in
the first inning, the Griffins broke the game open with 10 runs
in the
second. Roberts and JARED BIRRENKOTT each clubbed an RBI double
in the big
inning. Birrenkott was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles in the abbreviated
contest.
ADAM LAWFORD pitched two hitless innings
and struck out three in a game that
could be ruled a forfeit or resumed the next time the Griffins
visit Imperial
Valley. For now, though, it's a victory the Griffins needed badly.
The Griffins visit Southwestern on Tuesday
(March 4) and then go to Palomar
on Wednesday (March 5) for a makeup game. Both games start at
2 p.m.
(3-01-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Grossmont College shored up its
defense and hit two home runs, but
still came up short in dropping a 6-5 decision to visiting San
Diego Mesa
College in Saturday's (Feb. 22) Pacific Coast Conference opener
at Noel
Mickelsen Field.
It was the 6th straight loss for the Griffins
(8-6-1, 0-1) - Grossmont's
longest losing streak since 1982 - and only the second time in
29 games that
Mesa had beaten the Griffs. Unlike in their past few games, however,
the
Griffins did not give this one away although they added to their
frustration
by leaving the tying run at third base in the 7th, 8th and 9th
innings.
Valhalla High alum DAN BRUCKART collected
his third win in four decisions
despite surrendering 7 hits and 5 runs in 6.1 innings. The freshman
left-hander struck out 7 and walked 2. Two familiar faces finished
the job
for the Mesa (11-3, 1-0), as ex-Griffin JESSE BRIERLY spun two
shutout
innings and Helix High alum ALEC HARRIS got the final two ground
outs with 7
pitches to earn his third save.
Grossmont wiped out an early 1-0 deficit
with three runs in the third inning.
DAVE JOLLIFF lined a 1-2 pitch from Bruckart over the left field
fence for
his second home run to tie it at 1-1. JEFF ST. PIERRE singled
up the middle
and advanced to second on MATT CASTILLO's sacrifice bunt. DARREN
ROBERTS then
broke the tie with a two-run home run to right-center field. Roberts
is
4-for-9 with two homers and 6 RBI in his last two games.
Grossmont's DIEGO LOPEZ could not protect
that lead, however, as the
Olympians roughed him up for 6 runs and 13 hits in six innings.
Ryan King tripled to the fence in dead center
field leading off the 5th
inning. Santana High product BRIAN MATSUMOTO followed with a RBI
double to
right-center, slicing the Grossmont lead to 3-2. After Lopez uncorked
a wild
pitch, West Hills grad JUSTIN PAIGE ripped a two-run single to
left, putting
Mesa on top 4-3.
The Olympians increased their advantage
to 5-3 in the 6th and later in that
inning Matsumoto smashed a solo home run to right center giving
Mesa a
three-run cushion.
Grossmont came back for two runs in the
7th inning as Roberts doubled in a
run and JARED BIRRKENKOTT cashed in another with a sacrifice fly.
Grossmont travels to Palomar on Tuesday
(Feb. 25) for a 2 p.m. game against
the Comets (2-9, 0-1) in San Marcos.
(02-22-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Grossmont, which has won or shared
the Pacific Coast Conference
pennant the past two seasons, will be hard-pressed to make it
a 3-Peat. The
Griffins, who began the 2003 campaign with eight wins and a tie,
have
suddenly lost five in a row. They blew a two-run lead in the 9th
inning of a
6-4 loss to visiting Irvine Valley Thursday (Feb. 20) at Noel
Mickelsen Field.
It looked as if Grossmont starter JUAN VELASQUEZ
was going to put the
finishing touches to a nifty 4-hitter as he took a 4-2 lead into
the 9th
inning. When the freshman right-hander hit the first Irvine batter
on a 2-2
pitch to start the final frame, closer CHRIS MILLER replaced him.
Miller's
second pitch hit the first batter he faced to put the tying runs
on with
nobody out.
Things got worse from there as the Griffins
misplayed back-to-back bunts for
errors. That brought one run in and left the bases loaded. Third
baseman ERIC
CALLOWAY successfully handled Keith Smith's squeeze but for the
first out,
but the tying run scored. Miller eventually closed out the inning
by serving
up a double-play grounder, but not before Mike Swain gave the
Lasers (5-6-1)
the lead with a two-run single to right.
DARREN ROBERTS carried the offensive torch
for the Griffins. He tied the game
2-2 with a solo home run to right-center in the 6th inning. The
son of the
San Diego Padres' 1972 No. 1 draft choice Dave Roberts, then stroked
a
two-run single in the bottom of the 8th inning to give Grossmont
a 4-2
advantage.
Grossmont's first run came in the third
inning on singles by LUKE McROBERTS,
CHRIS VAN STORY and JEFF ST. PIERRE.
The Griffins must now look ahead to the
start of the PCC season on Saturday
(Feb. 22) when they host San Diego Mesa at noon. Although the
Griffins have
beaten SDM 27 of the last 28 meetings, the Olympians (10-3) are
a vastly
improved team and figure to be the No. 1 challenger to favored
Palomar for
this year's conference laurels.
Some might argue whether Palomar should
be the favorite given that Comets won
only two of their 10 pre-season games. On Thursday, they were
clubbed by
Golden West 18-13 - one of several ranked teams Palomar has faced
this
spring. Forget all that. When it comes time to play for keeps,
always count
the Comets in.
(02-20-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
MONTEREY PARK - The Grossmont Griffins'
skid continued Tuesday (Feb. 18) as
they dropped a 6-0 decision at East Los Angeles College. It was
the fourth
loss in the last five starts for the Griffins, who came in with
a .370 team
batting average. Grossmont won an earlier meeting between the
two teams 6-2.
The Grossmont coaches supplied no information about the game.
The Griffins (8-4-1) host Irvine Valley
on Thursday (Feb. 20) at 2 p.m.
Grossmont opens the Pacific Coast Conference campaign on Saturday
(Feb. 22)
against Mesa at Noel Mickelsen Field at noon.
(02-18-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
BAKERSFIELD - All things considered it was
a rough road trip for the
Grossmont Griffins, who dropped three of four games at the Bakersfield
College Light Brigade Tournament this weekend. The tourney concluded
Sunday
(Feb. 16) with the Griffins falling to Los Angeles Pierce College,
4-2.
"We continue to get good pitching,
but our defense hurt us and we're not
hitting with men on base," Grossmont coach ED OLSEN said.
It's not so much that the Griffins (8-3-1)
are committing errors in bundles,
but when they do boot one it usually proves costly. Eleven errors
in three
games led to 14 unearned runs in the tournament.
The Griffins own a team ERA of 3.20 and
a team batting average of .370.
They've clubbed 16 home runs in 12 games.
Left-hander JEFF PIERSON (Granite Hills
HS) was tagged with the latest loss,
despite scattering 6 hits over 7 innings. He walked four and two
of them were
cashed in for runs. Pierson also notched 4 strikeouts.
Grossmont managed to play error-free against
Pierce, but the only offense
they had was a two-run home run by JEFF ST. PIERRE.
There was a scary moment for the Griffins
in the second inning Sunday when
catcher JARED BIRRENKOTT was hit by a pitch above the elbow of
his throwing
arm.
"It really swelled up, but the trainers
up there (at Bakersfield) didn't
think anything was broken," a relieved Olsen said. "He'll
probably be out
at least two or three days."
The Griffins have games at East Los Angeles
on Tuesday (Feb. 18) and a home
against Irvine Valley on Thursday (Feb. 20) at 2 p.m. Grossmont
opens the
Pacific Coast Conference campaign on Saturday (Feb. 22) against
Mesa at Noel
Mickelsen Field at noon.
(02-16-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
BAKERSFIELD - One of coach ED OLSEN's primary
concerns going into the season
was whether his Grossmont Griffins had enough leather to keep
their defense
in tact. For the first 9 games, Grossmont's defense was secure
and the
Griffins were undefeated. It's been a different story in the Bakersfield
College Light Brigade Tournament this weekend.
After splitting a pair of tournament tilts
on Friday, the Griffins
self-destructed against the tournament host on Saturday (Feb.
15) as the
Bakersfield Renegades rolled to a 12-4 victory. Four Grossmont
errors opened
the floodgates to eight unearned runs.
To make matters worse, the Griffins, who
battered Bakersfield pitching for 16
hits, left 14 runners on base for the second straight game.
The highlight for the Griffins (8-2-1) was
the hitting of DARREN ROBERTS, who
went 4-for-5 with a home run and 8 RBI. That raised his season
average to
.533 (16 for 30).
(02-15-03Revised 02-16-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
BAKERSFIELD - The Grossmont Griffins continued
to flex their offensive
muscles in Friday's (Feb. 14) opening round of the Bakersfield
College Light
Brigade Tournament as they belted Canada College of Redwood City,
12-2.
However, later in the day the Griffins suffered their first loss
in 10 games,
falling to Moorpark of Thousand Oaks 6-5.
JARED BIRRENKOTT led the Griffins' charge
at the Light Brigade. The redshirt
freshman from Granite Hills High slugged his 4th home run, drove
in 4 runs
and went 3-for-6 against the Canada Colts. That hitting spree
boosted
Birrenkott's batting average to .432 and lifted his RBI total
to a team-high
15.
That was more than enough support for ADAM
LAWFORD, who picked up his second
win in three starts. The freshman right-hander out of Hilltop
High struck out
10.
The Griffins (8-1-1) would have remained
unbeaten had they not caved in on
defense against Moorpark. Four errors led to five unearned runs
for the
Raiders, who were limited to 4 hits by freshman right-hander JUAN
VELAZQUEZ.
"We threw the ball all over the yard,"
said Grossmont assistant coach RANDY
ABSHISER. "Juan pitched better than score shows."
Sophomore CHUCK TEACHOUT was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI for the Griffins.
Grossmont continues play in the Bakersfield
Light Brigade Tournament Saturday
(Feb. 15).
GRIFFIN GRAFFITI -
GC first baseman FRANK LOPEZ (Helix HS) was named the
Pacific Coast Conference's Male Athlete of the Week (Feb. 3-8).
The 6-foot-1,
225-pound Lopez launched 4 home runs and drove in 13 runs as the
Griffins won
the SWC Jaguars Classic championship with a four-game sweep .
. . Former
Griff outfielder TRAVIS UDVARHELYI, the 2002 PCC Most Valuable
Player, is
batting .304 for Long Beach State, the No.9-ranked team in the
nation. His
roommate, junior right-hander SCOTT SHOEMAKER, has earned one
save, struck
out 5 and compiled a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings of relief work for
the 49ers
(a.k.a. Dirt Bags) . . . Grossmont's game with Long Beach CC scheduled
for
Wednesday (Feb. 12) was rained out. No makeup date has been set.
(02-14-03)
Grossmont College center fielder Chris
Van Story (16) leaps up to rob an Orange Coast hitter of a grand
slam during Sunday's (02-09-03) championship game of the SWC Jaguar
Classic won by the Griffins 11-5 at Noel Mickelsen Field. (Photo
by Travis Downs)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The numbers are impressive to say the least. Considering the Grossmont Griffins are averaging 11 runs per game, have eight hitters batting above .400 and 12 above .300, it should not be surprising that the Griffins have won two tournament championships and are unbeaten in their first eight games.
The numbers game doesn't stop there. Grossmont has compiled a .358 team batting average and slugged 13 home runs.
"We're making big plays defensively, everybody in the lineup is hitting and we're getting decent pitching," Grossmont coach ED OLSEN said after the Griffins swept a pair of teams ranked in the state's top 20 during Sunday's (Feb. 9) final day of the SWC Jaguars Classic at Noel Mickelsen Field.
The Griffins (7-0-1) overcame a 2-0 deficit to edge No. 20 East Los Angeles College 5-2 in Sunday's opening game and then pounded out 15 hits to crush No. 11 Orange Coast 11-5 in the nightcap.
The four-game sweep brought the Griffins their third SWC Jaguars Classic championship in the 25-year history of the event. A week ago, Grossmont won the High Desert Classic crown.
If the SWC Classic selected an MVP Grossmont's sophomore first baseman FRANK LOPEZ (Helix HS) would be a leading candidate. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Lopez launched 4 home runs and drove in 13 runs in the four-game set.
Canadian JEFF ST. PIERRE keyed Grossmont's come-from-behind win over East Los Angeles (4-2-2) with a lead-off home run in the 6th inning, slicking the Huskies lead in half at 2-1. It was the first of two round-trippers St. Pierre hit on the day.
The dramatic conclusion came in the 8th inning when Grossmont pushed across 4 runs. DARREN ROBERTS' RBI double tied the East L.A. game 2-2 and JARED BIRRENKOTT's sacrifice fly gave the Griffins the lead. Lopez then provided some breathing room as he belted a two-run home run over the left field fence.
Sophomore right-hander DIEGO LOPEZscattered 10 hits and allowed only two runs in 8 innings as he logged his second win in as many starts. CHRIS MILLER pitched in with a scoreless 9th inning to earn his second save.
Grossmont put on an offensive show against two-time defending tournament champion Orange Coast (6-2) in the nightcap.
The Griffins made their intentions known early on, as Castillo deposited the second pitch of the game out of the yard. Lopez and JOSH CHILTON (Poway HS) followed with RBI singles to make it 3-0 in the top of the first.
It wasn't until the top of the 6th when the Griffins punched in six runs after two outs that Grossmont could feel any sense of comfort. A two-run single by ERIC SMITH (Patrick Henry HS) followed by a two-run double by FREDDY REZA (Mount Miguel HS) gave the Griffins an 8-2 lead. Castillo added an RBI single and an Orange Coast error swelled Grossmont's edge to 10-2.
Although he struggled with his control, JEFF PIERSON (Granite Hills HS) allowed only 3 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings as he posted his second win in as many starts. Once again, it was Miller in the end, as he finished the job with 2 scoreless innings in relief.
The defensive play of the tournament belonged
to Grossmont center fielder CHRIS VAN STORY (Monte Vista HS),
who robbed Orange Coast of a grand slam home run by reaching over
fence to make a catch that denied the Pirates what
appeared to be a grand slam.
"That was one of the greatest catches I've ever seen in college baseball," said Olsen, who is in his 21st season at the Grossmont helm. "His arm was over the fence above his elbow when he caught that ball."
Next up for the Griffins is a home game
against Long Beach City College on Wednesday (Feb. 12) at 2 p.m.
(02-09-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - Maybe the Grossmont Griffins aren't stocked with a bevy of big-name stars. When it comes to swinging the bat, though, these guys are making solid contact. Averaging 12 runs per game en route to a 5-0-1 start, the Griffins lowered the boom on visiting Merced 17-8 in Saturday's (Feb. 8) second round of the SWC Classic at Noel Mickelsen Field.
The Griffins shattered a 6-6 tie with 11 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning. Sixteen batters stepped to the plate, the first 12 reaching base. This frame was a thing of beauty for coach ED OLSEN's squad.
Grossmont loaded the bases on consecutive singles by MATT CASTILLO, JEFF ST. PIERRE and JARED BIRRENKOTT. That set the stage for FRANK LOPEZ's third home run in two days - a grand slam over the right-center field fence.
LUKE McROBERTS chipped in with a two-run double and Castillo singled in a pair in his second at-bat of the inning. Birrenkott drove in a run with a single in his second trip to the plate and pinch hitter FREDDY REZA plated a run with a sacrifice fly. The Griffins totaled 8 hits in that wild inning, which also included a trio of errors by the visiting Blue Devils (2-5).
Lopez is 4-for-10 with 10 RBI in his last two starts, while Birrenkott, who was 5-for-6 Saturday, is batting at a .480 clip (12-for-25) with 3 homers and 11 RBI.
DARREN ROBERTS, son of the San Diego Padres' 1972 No. 1 draft pick DAVE ROBERTS, enjoyed a break-out day for the Griffins. He was 4-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI.
Castillo joined Grossmont's home run parade with a solo shot in the 5th inning, while JUAN VELASQUEZ worked 8 frames to pick up his second win as many starts.
The Griffins wrap up the SWC Tournament
on Sunday (Feb. 9) by hosting East Los Angeles at 11 a.m. and
Orange Coast at 2 p.m.
(02-08-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - FRANK LOPEZ and JARED BIRRENKOTT combined for 6 hits and 9 RBI Friday afternoon (Feb. 7) as undefeated Grossmont College opened the annual Jaguars Classic with a 13-5 romp over El Camino at Noel Mickelsen Field.
Lopez launched a pair of home runs and went 4-for-5 with 5 RBI. It was his three-run home run to center field that allowed Grossmont (4-0-1) to erase a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
DAVE JOLLIFF rifled a two-run homer to left on a 1-2 pitch, giving Grossmont a 6-3 cushion in the 4th inning. A solo homer by Lopez made it 7-3 in the 5th.
Birrenkott blasted a three-run double to break the game open in the 6th inning. That blow followed his RBI single in the first frame. He leads the club with 10 RBI in five games.
Grossmont added three more runs in the 8th on RBI singles by Lopez and KEVIN McGHEN, and a sacrifice fly by JUAN VELASQUEZ.
ADAM LAWFORD scattered 10 hits and struck out 8 over eight innings to log the win.
The tournament resumes Saturday (Feb. 8)
when the Griffins take on Merced at 2 p.m. Grossmont plays a pair
on Sunday (Feb. 9) with games against East Los Angeles at 11 a.m.
and Orange Coast at 2 p.m. All three games are at Grossmont's
Noel Mickelsen Field.
(02-07-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
(UPDATED) VICTORVILLE - Aiming to prove that their fast start is no fluke, the Grossmont Griffins open their home season this weekend when they host four games in the Southwestern Jaguars Classic. The Griffins take on El Camino Friday (Feb. 7) at 2 p.m., Merced on Saturday (Feb. 8) at 2 p.m., and then closes out the series on Sunday (Feb. 9) with games against East Los Angeles at 11 a.m. and Orange Coast at 2 p.m.
The Griffins won the High Desert Classic for the second time in a row with a 3-0-1 record, knocking off host Victor Valley 6-4 in Saturday's (Feb. 1) finals.
JARED BIRRENKOTT clubbed his third home run in four games as the Griffins battered Antelope Valley 10-3 to advance to the championship game against Victor Valley.
Grossmont coach ED OLSEN was surprised that the Griffins are off to such a fast start.
"I would have been happy if we went 2-2," Olsen said. "The key is all of our pitchers went 7 innings."
CHUCK TEACHOUT also homered for the Griffins.
Shortstop FREDDY REZA initiated three double
plays in the championship game, and KEVIN McGHEN made a game-saving
catch to save the victory over Victor Valley.
(01-31-02/Revised 2-04-03)
EastCountySports.com staff report
VICTORVILLE - One of coach ED OLSEN's concerns heading into this season was whether Grossmont College would be able to generate the long ball. After all, hitting home runs has been a trademark in Olsen's 20 years at the Griffins' helm. Eleven of the past 13 seasons, Grossmont has paced the Pacific Coast Conference in home runs.
Having averaged more than 50 homers the past six seasons, including hitting 59 a year ago, the two-time PCC-champion Griffins opened the 2003 season with a bang in Friday's (Jan. 31) first two rounds of the High Desert Classic.
JARED BIRRENKOTT blasted a pair of home runs in his Grossmont debut, as the Griffins tied Ventura 8-8 before burying Barstow 18-3.
LUKE McROBERTS also joined Grossmont's home run parade as he launched a drive over the 410 sign in straightaway center field in his first collegiate at-bat.
Birrenkott, a Granite Hills High alum who transferred to Grossmont after red-shirting at San Diego State last year, was 2-for-4 against Ventura. The Griffins overcame a 6-5 deficit in the 7th inning, but had to settle for a tie when the game was halted after eight innings due to a tournament time limit.
Propelled by Birrenkott's two-run homer in a 17-hit attack, the Griffins breezed past Barstow. McRoberts, also a Granite Hills product, was 2-for-4 with three RBI as the Griffins scored 15 runs in the final three frames to break a 3-3 tie.
Sophomore KEVIN McGHEN (Santana HS) went 4-for-4 and scored 5 runs, while ERIC SMITH (Patrick Henry HS) was 2-for-4 with 5 RBI for Grossmont.
JUAN VELAZQUEZ, a 6-foot-4 right-hander out of Montgomery High, pitched 7 innings to log the Grossmont win.
Grossmont concludes the High Desert Classic
on Saturday (Feb. 1) with games against Antelope Valley and host
Victor Valley.
(02-01-03)