Spring Break
Three Sac State teams continue season
Christopher Neuschafer
Issue date: 1/7/09 Section: Sports
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Women's Basketball
The women's basketball team is currently suffering from a losing streak that head coach Dan Muscatell attributes to a primarily new team.
"We're getting good production from Atty Boyer who just came off of surgery and still isn't fully recovered," Muscatell said. "She's getting stronger with every single game."
Muscatell said the team needs to work to get the younger players and those on the bench to a level where they can substitute ang give veteran players a break. He said the team's six starters are playing 22 minutes during each game. The next highest played per game is only 12 minutes.
"I am unbelievably pleased with how the team has been playing defensively," Muscatell said. "The biggest thing we need to improve offensively is ball security."
The team has suffered an average of 20 turnovers a game this season. Muscatell believes this is causing the losses, since the team has been holding opponents to between 50-60 points per game on defense.
The Hornets will begin their conference play at 7:05 p.m. on Friday at Portland State and again at 2:05 p.m. on Sunday at Eastern Washington.
Men's Basketball
The men's basketball team started its season with only four returning players from the 2007 season, which ended conference play with a record of 2-14. The team began its 2008 season with an entirely new coaching staff and 12 new players.
The four returners are senior shooting guard Loren Leath, senior forward Donald Thomas, senior center Randy Adams and junior center Just Eller.
The 2008 roster has 16 players, which includes four seniors, 11 juniors and one sophomore. Head coach Brian Katz was unable to sign any high school players for this season due to being signed as head coach so late last year.
"You will see plenty of high school players signed in the future," Katz said.
The Hornets first conference games are both at home on Friday at 7:05 p.m. against Portland State and Sunday at 2:05 p.m. against Eastern Washington.
Women's Rowing
The women's rowing team has already competed twice this season at home in Lake Natoma for the Head of the American and again at the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival.
The first meet of the year was an encouragement to the team. The team placed fifth in the novice collegiate eight out of 11 teams and fifth as well in the collegiate pair out of 13 teams. The collegiate pair was Sacramento's B team seniors Alicia Tarkenton and Kellie Cook.
The team raced a novice eight in the Newport Festival and finished the 2.7-mile course in 18:49, which placed the team in eighth place. The Hornets were only seven minutes behind Stanford B. There were 21 boats competing in the race.
The team will be training and conditioning throughout January and February to prepare for their home scrimmage on Feb. 28.
Head coach Mike Connors said the team is making changes in its training routine, in an effort to improve performance.
"Last season, the team would row in the morning and weight train in the afternoons," Connors said. "This year, we go from the water straight to the weights."
The women's rowing team resumes its season on March 3 at Santa Clara.
Baseball
After going 14-17 in conference play in the 2008 season, the Hornet's baseball team is looking to make some big changes this year.
"The one big time player we have returning is Tim Wheeler," said head coach John Smith. "He is projected to go in the top three rounds of this year's draft. He is a guy to watch for sure."
Wheeler, who is a junior center fielder, was a preseason All-Western Athletic Conference selection before the 2008 season. He hit a 218 during the 2008 season, with 1.24 hits per game and a .74 rbi per game.
Smith said the team will be starting a lot of younger players on the field, as many of last year's starters were not eligible to play in the 2009 season.
"We are young on the mound, but it should be fun to watch the team develop," he said.
The Hornet's season officially begins on Feb. 20 at Arizona.
Softball
After completing the team's fifth 30-win season and setting 12 team records, the softball team is returning in February to hopefully shatter even more records.
The Hornets ended their 2008 season 14-6 in Pacific Coast Conference play. With an almost perfect 7-1 home streak, and 7-5 away record, the Hornets were able to grab hold of the team's third NCAA Division I Regional appearance.
The winning season left head coach Kathy Strahan with a career 703 victories and multiple returning varsity players for the Hornet's 2009 season.
Strahan recommends that fans keep an eye on senior catcher Jamie Schloredt, senior left-fielder Izmena Cabrera, senior second baseman Whitney Loomis and sophomore pitcher Megan Schaefer.
"Jamie Schloredy is one of the best catchers in the country," Strahan said. "(She is) the best power hitter to wear a Sac State softball uniform."
Strahan said Loomis showed great leadership skills while working as co-captain with Cabrera, "who will help lead the team throughout the season."
"Schaefer saw significant action as a freshman last year," Strahan said. "We will need a solid mound performance from her this year to be successful."
The softball season officially starts on Feb. 2 at Pacific. Conference play doesn't begin until April 4, when the Hornets will host San Diego.
Gymnastics
Women's gymnastics starts the 2009 season with loads of experience, as a number of veterans from last year's team are returning this season to help reclaim the title at the Western Athletic Conference Championships. The conference will take place in March in Sacramento.
The team placed in fourth last year, which ended a three year championship streak. The Hornets are now looking to correct that error by winning the championships in March by claimingtheir eighth title in 10 years.
"The biggest thing about this year's team is the returning players that were outstanding in the last couple of years," said head coach Kim Hughes. "Marina Borisova and Amber Basgall are both looking really good at this point."
Hughes also mentioned that junior vault Eryn Stubblefield, junior bars Laruen Dyson and sophomore balance beam Lissa Zamolo will all be making a comeback this season.
"Amber, who is recovering from surgery, was only doing two events last year and will be returning this year doing all four events," Hughes said.
Freshman Cayla Boyce is a walk-on this season and will be starting for the team.
"We've filled in most of the gaps we were missing last year," Hughes said. "Many of our girls have upped the difficulty of their routines."
The gymnastic season starts on Saturday at Cal Berkeley.
Track & Field
Returning as conference champions from the 2008 season, the Sacramento State Indoor Track & Field team is looking to defend its title. With only a few away meets starting Jan. 31, the team doesn't have many opportunities to qualify for the championships.
"Our indoor season is comprised of only three indoor meets in which to attain qualifying marks for the Big Sky Conference championships," said Kathleen Raske, director of track & field. "Our budget doesn't allow more meets."
The team's three meets are within three weekends of each other, and are all away. The team will compete at Washington State, Boise State and Washington.
In 2008, there were more than 80 members on the men and women's teams combined. Some of the key returning players for the women's team are junior distance runner Renisha Robinson, senior thrower Monica Gomez, senior pole vault Ericka Violett and junior sprinter Victoria Humphrey.
Returning competitors on the men's team include senior jumper Emilio Hernandez, junior hurdles/sprinter Ronal Brookins, senior long-jumper David Houghton and senior pole vaulter Jimmy Williamson.
"We will (hopefully) have many qualified for the conference championships..." Raske said.
Christopher Neuschafer can be reached at cneuschafer@statehornet.com
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