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Collegian sports
Two-team race in
Big West baseball
• Snow's 49ers and
Fresno State will
go down to the wire
ByDougMcLeod
Collegian Sports Writer
Long Beach Stale head coach
Dave Snows "Snow Machine" is
living up to its preseason hype,
which makes the 49ers no
surprise as the favorite as Big
West Conference play gets
underway following last
weekend!
opening games.
Snow, who enters his third
year at the Beach, has talent
which he considers the strongest
Long Beach State has ever seen.
"I'm real opinmistic about this
team,' he said, "we have
pitching depth, but our biggest
concern was replacing our entire
infield.1
If Snow was concerned, all his
worries have disappeared After
the 49i;rs goi oft lo a 4-6 start,
they have gone 22-3 over the
last 25 games, and have vaulted
all the way to a No. 5 ranking in
the ESPN/Collegiate Baseball
poll.
Long beach is coming off a
three game sweep of UWC rival
Nevada-Las Vegas this past
weekend, which put them in a
first-place tie with Fresno State
after the Bulldogs swept the
University of Pacific this past
weekend in Stockton.
A look at the conference by
teams, strengths, and projected
finish in the Big West.
Long Beach State (26-9, 3-0 in
Big West)— Snow's 49ers have
snow-drifted everyone they
have played of late, mostly
behind the play of designated
hitter Scott Talanoa, who has
been hitting well over .450.
Junior All-American pitcher
Andy Croghan (4-D has
rebounded from off-season
shoulder surgery to anchor the
49crs pitching corps. Steve
Whitaker, Steve Trachsel, and
Todd Taylor have all pitched
impressively, which makes it no
wonder that the relief pitchers
for the Beach have yet to record
a save. Infieldcr Jason Ciambi is
looking like he may better last
years' second best finish in
conference batting averages
(.422) after losing out to
departed teammate Don Barbara
last season. The 49ers lead the
Big West with a .339 team
batting average, which makes it
no wonder that they are 26-9.
Projected Conference Finish —
19-2 (1st)
Fresno State (21-11, 3-0) The
24th-ranked Bulldogs had
dropped five of their previous
seven games before sweeping
conference doormat UOP this
weekend. The Bulldogs seemed
to get back on the hitting track
after collecting 21 hits to
throttle the Tigers 18-2 on
Saturday,
The FSU pitching staff
consists of onlv three specific
starters: Big West top pitcher
Bobby Jones, Jim Patterson and
Robbie Saitz. As a team the
Bulldogs have the best defensive
team in the conference, but they
cannot afford Jason Woi>d, Mike
Noel, and Todd Johnson to go into
slumps simultaneously like they
did last month when they went
11-6. Look for Wood, Chris
Falco, Johnson, James VVheaton,
and Philip Romero to have big
conference games, and for the
pitching staff to come around,
with the possible inclusion of a
fourth starter, be it Johnson or
freshman Steve Soderstrom.
Zeroin
Kale Henry/ 77»e Collegian
Fresno State women's tennis playei Kim Kubar keeps an eye on the ball in practice.
Projected Conference Finish—
16-5 (2nd)
California State University,
Fullerton (17-13, 2-1)— The
Titans could finish anywhere.
"I am looking at exciting
things happening this season,"
said 15-year head coach Augie
Garrido, who just collected his
900th win as a collegiate coach.
including two national titles at-
CSUF.
And, when Augie gets excited,
the Titans win. And win. And
win. With Garrido returning for
his second stint as Titan skipper
after three years at Illinois, the
Titans once again could be the
class of the conference. While
they possess no players that are
truly franchise player^,
personnel like shortstop Phil
Nevin (.354, 22 RBI), Frank
Charles (.333, 29 RBI) and Matt
Hattabaugh (.337, 19 RBI) give
the Titans solid players which
could lead the rest of the team to
lofty heights. Pitcher James
See PREVIEW, page 6
Do you know him? Chances are, probably not
By John Welsh
Chris Branam knows Jim Sweeney.
But Fresno State's head football
coach probably couldn't tell you who
Branam is.
Chris Branam knows Margie
Wright. I'm pretty sure FSU's
Softball head coach wouldn't be able
to let you know who Chris Branam is.
If Jeopardy had a category asking
all the head coaches at Fresno State,
Chris Branam would pull off the easy
sweep.
Alex Trebek: "This FSU head
coach works with women and
racquets."
Chris Branam: "Who is Irene
Hams?"
Trebek: "This FSU head coach
works with mat men."
Branam: "Who is Dennis
DeLiddo?"
Chris Branam would not choke. No
upsets here,
But who is Chris Branam? Does
FSU water polo coach Tom Milich
know? Do you think Milich cares?
He should care, but he'll keep his job
regardless if he knows Branam is The
Doily Collegian's Sports Editor.
Make thai was the sports editor.
Chris Branam's last night was
Tuesday. He's gone. Outta here. The
buzzer has sounded, the gun fired.
Tum out the lights. Dot the
paragraph with the final period.
Branam's knowledge goes way
beyond naming head coaches. He can
tell you who some FSU assistant
coaches are, too. He could tell you
who Staeey Cornaggia is and let you
know that the FSU women's
basketball player was named to the
1990 National Strength and
Conditioning Association All-
American Team. I'm almost sure
Cornaggia doesn't know Branam. I
know they've never dated. Sports
Editors don't have dates. They
usually have very minimal social
activity. Working close to 60 hours a
week, five nights a week keeps you
inactive in the active department.
Branam could tell you that Julie
Smith leads the FSU Softball team in
batting average. He can tell you
RaeAnn Pifferini plays shortstop and
also sneak in such information as the
Bulldogs's No. 2 ranking in the
country.
Chris Branam could tell you
wrestler Jon Picrro became Fresno
State's first conference champion
since 1988 when he captured the Pac-
10 title at 142 pounds Feb. 24. Branam
could tell you Harold Zinkin
qualified for the '91 NCAA
Championships and he's only a
sophomore.
But Branam has walked off the
court. He's cleared the field. He's
through the tunnel and out the gate.
For Chris Branam, the ball diamond
is seemingly miles away as far as
this paper is concerned, but it will
always be across the street for him.
Chris Branam is no Jim Murray or
Mike Downey and The Los Angeles
Times won't be pounding on Branam's
door now that he's a free man. It's
probably safe to say Scott Ostler
doesn't think his job at The National
is in jeapordy because Chris Branam
isn't writing sports for The Collegian
anv more.
Would you believe Branam even
did stupid things? Holy Toledo! He
actually made mistakes. Sometimes
he did things to get me mad. For
almost two semesters as the sports
editor, Branam bled Bulldog sports.
He tried to cover all the bases. He
upset people and praised some, too.
Branam may have not have been the
best sports editor Fresno State ever
had, and he may not have been the
See WELSH, page 6
Object Description
| Title | 1991_04 The Daily Collegian April 1991 |
| Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
| Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
| Publication Date | 1991 |
| Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
| Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
| Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
| Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
| Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
| Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
| Language | eng |
Description
| Title | April 3, 1991, Page 5 |
| Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
| Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
| Publication Date | 1991 |
| Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
| Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
| Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
| Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
| Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
| Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
| Language | eng |
| Full-Text-Search | Collegian sports Two-team race in Big West baseball • Snow's 49ers and Fresno State will go down to the wire ByDougMcLeod Collegian Sports Writer Long Beach Stale head coach Dave Snows "Snow Machine" is living up to its preseason hype, which makes the 49ers no surprise as the favorite as Big West Conference play gets underway following last weekend! opening games. Snow, who enters his third year at the Beach, has talent which he considers the strongest Long Beach State has ever seen. "I'm real opinmistic about this team,' he said, "we have pitching depth, but our biggest concern was replacing our entire infield.1 If Snow was concerned, all his worries have disappeared After the 49i;rs goi oft lo a 4-6 start, they have gone 22-3 over the last 25 games, and have vaulted all the way to a No. 5 ranking in the ESPN/Collegiate Baseball poll. Long beach is coming off a three game sweep of UWC rival Nevada-Las Vegas this past weekend, which put them in a first-place tie with Fresno State after the Bulldogs swept the University of Pacific this past weekend in Stockton. A look at the conference by teams, strengths, and projected finish in the Big West. Long Beach State (26-9, 3-0 in Big West)— Snow's 49ers have snow-drifted everyone they have played of late, mostly behind the play of designated hitter Scott Talanoa, who has been hitting well over .450. Junior All-American pitcher Andy Croghan (4-D has rebounded from off-season shoulder surgery to anchor the 49crs pitching corps. Steve Whitaker, Steve Trachsel, and Todd Taylor have all pitched impressively, which makes it no wonder that the relief pitchers for the Beach have yet to record a save. Infieldcr Jason Ciambi is looking like he may better last years' second best finish in conference batting averages (.422) after losing out to departed teammate Don Barbara last season. The 49ers lead the Big West with a .339 team batting average, which makes it no wonder that they are 26-9. Projected Conference Finish — 19-2 (1st) Fresno State (21-11, 3-0) The 24th-ranked Bulldogs had dropped five of their previous seven games before sweeping conference doormat UOP this weekend. The Bulldogs seemed to get back on the hitting track after collecting 21 hits to throttle the Tigers 18-2 on Saturday, The FSU pitching staff consists of onlv three specific starters: Big West top pitcher Bobby Jones, Jim Patterson and Robbie Saitz. As a team the Bulldogs have the best defensive team in the conference, but they cannot afford Jason Woi>d, Mike Noel, and Todd Johnson to go into slumps simultaneously like they did last month when they went 11-6. Look for Wood, Chris Falco, Johnson, James VVheaton, and Philip Romero to have big conference games, and for the pitching staff to come around, with the possible inclusion of a fourth starter, be it Johnson or freshman Steve Soderstrom. Zeroin Kale Henry/ 77»e Collegian Fresno State women's tennis playei Kim Kubar keeps an eye on the ball in practice. Projected Conference Finish— 16-5 (2nd) California State University, Fullerton (17-13, 2-1)— The Titans could finish anywhere. "I am looking at exciting things happening this season," said 15-year head coach Augie Garrido, who just collected his 900th win as a collegiate coach. including two national titles at- CSUF. And, when Augie gets excited, the Titans win. And win. And win. With Garrido returning for his second stint as Titan skipper after three years at Illinois, the Titans once again could be the class of the conference. While they possess no players that are truly franchise player^, personnel like shortstop Phil Nevin (.354, 22 RBI), Frank Charles (.333, 29 RBI) and Matt Hattabaugh (.337, 19 RBI) give the Titans solid players which could lead the rest of the team to lofty heights. Pitcher James See PREVIEW, page 6 Do you know him? Chances are, probably not By John Welsh Chris Branam knows Jim Sweeney. But Fresno State's head football coach probably couldn't tell you who Branam is. Chris Branam knows Margie Wright. I'm pretty sure FSU's Softball head coach wouldn't be able to let you know who Chris Branam is. If Jeopardy had a category asking all the head coaches at Fresno State, Chris Branam would pull off the easy sweep. Alex Trebek: "This FSU head coach works with women and racquets." Chris Branam: "Who is Irene Hams?" Trebek: "This FSU head coach works with mat men." Branam: "Who is Dennis DeLiddo?" Chris Branam would not choke. No upsets here, But who is Chris Branam? Does FSU water polo coach Tom Milich know? Do you think Milich cares? He should care, but he'll keep his job regardless if he knows Branam is The Doily Collegian's Sports Editor. Make thai was the sports editor. Chris Branam's last night was Tuesday. He's gone. Outta here. The buzzer has sounded, the gun fired. Tum out the lights. Dot the paragraph with the final period. Branam's knowledge goes way beyond naming head coaches. He can tell you who some FSU assistant coaches are, too. He could tell you who Staeey Cornaggia is and let you know that the FSU women's basketball player was named to the 1990 National Strength and Conditioning Association All- American Team. I'm almost sure Cornaggia doesn't know Branam. I know they've never dated. Sports Editors don't have dates. They usually have very minimal social activity. Working close to 60 hours a week, five nights a week keeps you inactive in the active department. Branam could tell you that Julie Smith leads the FSU Softball team in batting average. He can tell you RaeAnn Pifferini plays shortstop and also sneak in such information as the Bulldogs's No. 2 ranking in the country. Chris Branam could tell you wrestler Jon Picrro became Fresno State's first conference champion since 1988 when he captured the Pac- 10 title at 142 pounds Feb. 24. Branam could tell you Harold Zinkin qualified for the '91 NCAA Championships and he's only a sophomore. But Branam has walked off the court. He's cleared the field. He's through the tunnel and out the gate. For Chris Branam, the ball diamond is seemingly miles away as far as this paper is concerned, but it will always be across the street for him. Chris Branam is no Jim Murray or Mike Downey and The Los Angeles Times won't be pounding on Branam's door now that he's a free man. It's probably safe to say Scott Ostler doesn't think his job at The National is in jeapordy because Chris Branam isn't writing sports for The Collegian anv more. Would you believe Branam even did stupid things? Holy Toledo! He actually made mistakes. Sometimes he did things to get me mad. For almost two semesters as the sports editor, Branam bled Bulldog sports. He tried to cover all the bases. He upset people and praised some, too. Branam may have not have been the best sports editor Fresno State ever had, and he may not have been the See WELSH, page 6 |
