1995_03 Insight March 1995

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Sports
MARCH 1,1995
Softball trio earning label: nations best outfield'
♦ Laura Berg, Robyn
Yorke and Jenifer Henry
have already earned the
respect of the country
By Robbie Mirier
Sports Editor
Before thc 1995 softball season,
coach Margie Wright tabbed Laura
Berg. Robyn Yorke and Jenifer Henry
thc "best defensive outfield in thc
Sixteen games through the season
and the trio's hitting a combined .497
at the plate. So how does Wright label them now?
"From what I've seen, there's no
question that ihcy are lhc best all-
around outfield in the nation."
And what do Berg, Yorke and Henry
think?
When asked if they thought they
were the best outfield in thc nation,
ihe three answered almost in unison.
"Yes!"
And how long can they keep il up?
"All year," the three said again in
unison.
"Our outfield is one unit," Wright
said. "When you see one of them in
the outfield, you see ihe three of them.
They're a really tight group."
The trio believes that learn concept
is what makes them thc best defensive outfield in the country. When the
batter steps up to the plate, the menial thought is not. "I'm not going to
let this ball get by me." Instead, Berg.
Yorke and Henry are thinking. "We're
not going lo let Ihe ball get by us."
"We're the only ones out ihere to
stop it from going to thc fence." said
Berg, a sophomore left fielder. "We
always back up the other two to make
sure wc cut the ball off. Even in practice, that's our goal: don't let thc ball
reach the fence."
Fresno State pitchers can rest assured that not many balls will get by
this speedy group. Berg and Yorke
tear up the tracks in the field in much
thc same way they rip up the base
pads on offense. And Henry, according to Wright, "has ihe ability to get
tremendous jumps on the ball in center field."
"They all have their own certain
strengths." Wright added. "But as a
group, they can cover the outfield
better than anyone."
Even on offense, thc emphasis is
tcam-orienied. In an era where statistics are everything and the most commonly-used pronoun is "I," Berg,
Yorke and Henry use the word "wc."
"We work really well together," said
Yorke. the first CSUF freshman to
earn first-team All-American honors
last season. "We all have different
roles, but the same goal of winning."
The I -2-3 punch at the top of thc
lineup starts with Berg. Thc left-
handed sophomore jumped into thc
starting lineup in her first collegiate
game and hasn't missed a start since.
Balling leadoff. Berg has led the team
in runs (20). total bases (42). doubles
(4). triples (5). hits (tied wilh Yorke.
28) and is second behind Yorke with
a .500 batting average.
"1 can slap the ball, hit away for
power; il depends on where the defense is played." she said.
Yorke. batting .519. follows Berg in
the lineup. The younger sister of
e     m itcici n a    From left to right, junior Jenifer Henry and sophomores Laura Berg and Robyn Yorke, have been tabbed by many the 'best outfield in
See OUTFIELD, page 9    (he nat|on .
Home-field advantage huge for Fresno State
♦ Fresno State's seven top
crowd-draws have a combined . 736 winning percentage at home during
the last decade
By Robbie Miner
Sports Editor
See if this scenario makes sense.
The Fresno State's men's basketball
team (6-10. 12-13) should be favored
to beat New Mexico Thursday.
Meanwhile. New Mexico (8-8. 13-
13) could realistically be the favorites to win Ihe entire WAC tourna-
If this sounds ludicrous, it's because
one very important piece of information is left out — the location of the
games.
The Bulldogs are 9-5 at Selland
Arena this year, compared to 3-8 on
the road. New Mexico, which will
host the WAC tournament March 8-
11, was 15-1 at The Pit in Albuquerque last year.
"The home court advantage makes
10 to 15 points difference when you
play at The Pit," said CSUF men's
basketball coach Gary Colson. "UNM
could perceivably finish sixth in the
conference and be Ihe odds-on favorites in Las Vegas to win it all |WAC
tournament]."
The reason thc tournament will be
held on the Lobos' home court.
Colson believes, is as ludicrous as the
idea of the post-season tournament in
the first place.
New Mexico received the tournament
draw because of economics. As a result, the l.obos will receive an upper
edge over thc other nine WAC teams.
Post-season tournaments in ciol-
lege basketball send the winners lo
Ihe NCAA field-or-64 in laic
March, rather than ihe winners of
conference play. This loo may be
unfair and an issue of economics ...
nevertheless, it's a reality thai
Colson also believes is unlikely to
change.
"New Mexico pulled off a coup."
Colson said, ihe ninth winningest
coach in Division I men's basketball.
"I hope the Lobos beat BYU or Utah
just to show ihe NCAA how stupid
this is [playing at The Pit). Home
court advantage is lhat big."
Fresno Stale and New Mexico don't
have the only basketball teams that
dominate at home.
BYU is 66-10 at the Mamott Center during the last five years under-
coach Randy Reid.
Utah hasn't lost at home once this
year.
And national power-houses with on-
campus arenas like Berkeley and
UCLA lose at home even less frequently than Fresno Slate wins on the
road.
The Bulldogs are 144-154 over thc
past 10 seasons, bul when they're
away from Selland. they're 39-108.
Thai's a difference of 43 percentage
points (.695 at home. .265 on the
road).
That scenario of New Mexico losing lo Fresno Slate and winning the
WAC tournament probably doesn't
sound as strange as it did.
While the advantage in "home-field
advantage" may have a grealer emphasis in men's basketball than other
sports, Colson's team isn't Ihe only
one that tears it up in Fresno.
During thc lasi 10 years, the seven
largest crowd-draws at CSUF (mens
and women's basketball, football,
baseball, softball. soccer and volleyball) have together compiled an over
all home record of 950-341-4 (.736).
In contrast, ihose seven sports have
a record of 707-618-17 (.537) on the
road.
"Anytime you have fans like we
have in Fresno, it's going to be very
difficult for opposing teams to come
in here." said women's basketball
coach Linda Wundcr.
Softball coach Margie Wright, who
has guided her Lady Bulldogs to College World Series appearances seven
of the last eight seasons, said she believes Fresno teams have an even
greater advantage at home.
"CSUF is a very unique institution
and community." Wright said.
"There's no comparison anywhere in
thc nation to that of the support of the
Red Wave."
unlike any other in the nation.
Having the nicest facilities in which
to play and drawing the largest crowds
does more than just give thc home
team an advantage. It creates a feeling of pride and sense of need among
young players.
"The big crowds really help thc
adrenalin flow of the younger athletes." Wright said. "If we're down
by one run in the bottom of the ninth
and 1,000 fans are cheering like
crazy, it helps."
It also helps in one other major aspect — recruiting.
"We've lost so many recruits because of our facilities," Colson said.
"You don't want to show them an
empty, downtown gym [Selland
Arena|. And youdefinitely don't want
sea of red each home game. This
year's football recruiting class is believed to be one of the top junior college classes in the nation. In 15 seasons at the "Doghouse." Jim
Sweeney's Bulldogs are 77-16-2
(.830).
The soccer team may not draw the
30.000-plus fans that football does,
but it still ranks near thc top of the
country in attendance. CSUF soccer
has averaged almost 2,000 fans a
game since moving its games to Bulldog Stadium in 1981.
"When you're playing one of the top
teams, it [playing in a large stadium]
brings your intensity to another level."
according to junior forward Erik
Farfan.
Since its construction in 1979. the
Team records during last decade
Team                        Home
Away     Percent Difference
Men's Basketball        105-46 (.695)
39-108 (.265)         +.430
Football                     59-7-2 (.896)
28-22-1 (.564)        +.332
Women's Basketball  91-35 (.722)
79-107 (.425          +.297
Baseball                      291-115-1 (.717)
110-106 (.509)       +.208
Soccer                          100-21-8 (.832)
68-32-16 (.704)      +.128
Softball                      240-54-1 (.817)
278-106 (.723)       +.094
Volleyball                   64-63 (.504))
105-137 (.439)       +.065
Photo by Kori Rlanda/Inslght
Fresno's Red Wave faithful pack into Selland Arena during halftlme of a men's basketball game
against Cal State Northridge.
The softball program has compiled
a 240-54-1 home record (.817) over
the last decade. Il also has produced
the best road record of any Fresno
State team (278-106. .723).
It should come as no surprise thai
Wright's squad excels at home. They
have led the nation in fan attendance
during the past eight years. At times
last season, some fans sat on the
shoulders of others just to get a
glimpse of the action.
Starting in spring 1996, a new staic-
of-the-art facility should be ready to
replace thc old Bulldog Diamond.
Featuring 2,628 permanent seat-back
chairs including 388 box scats,
sunken dugouts, lights and more, the
"Crown Jewel" will provide thc Lady
'Dogs with a home-field advantage
to take them to the North Gym."
At least Colson has Selland Arena.
The women's basketball team must
play their home games in that booming. 2.026 capacity arena.
"It's easier for other learns to adjust
to the North Gym, because it's more
like a high school gym," Wunder said.
If the intimidation factor's noi working, there must be other factors that benefit the Bulldogs because they're 91 -35
(722) at home since 1985. compared
to a 79-107 record (.425) on the road.
Recruiting definitely becomes
easier when you have a 41,031-seat
football stadium overflowing with a
"Doghouse" has produced a dynasty
of winning that's been the envy of all
who have faced thc wrath of the Red
Wave. Sweeney's army defeated
Montana State 21-14 on Nov. 15,
1980, in the first game played in the
new stadium. Since then, the football
and soccer teams have combined for
a 203-42-10 home record (.832).
"Thc home-field advantage is such
a psychological thing that no one can
pinpoint it," Colson said. "There are
so many intangibles."
Whatever the reasons for it, there's
no disputing thc accuracy of the saying: Home-fieldreally is an ad\antage\
w
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