Pioneer Points
Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis.
- April 5, 2010
April showers seem to have arrived at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥, much to the dismay of our baseball and softball teams. Hopefully, though, the weather will begin to look up as we close in on the homestretch for the spring sports seasons and look ahead to two important events at the conclusion of the season, the 2010 Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and our Student-Athlete Awards Banquet.
All of our spring sports have been very busy over the past few weeks, with baseball, softball, water polo, golf and track all in the thick of their seasons. The Pioneer baseball team has won four of its last five games, including three of four in a series with Cal State Monterey Bay. Junior Nick McManus became the first East Bay player to earn Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week honors this year, after leading the Pioneers with a .583 average and 13 RBI in the four victories. On the softball diamond, East Bay reached the Bronze Bracket final, playing eight games in three days at the Mizuno Tournament of Champions in Turlock, and will play 10 games over the course of the next week.
In the pool, the Pioneer water polo team carries a record of 20-9 into its final two regular season games. The squad has won four of its last five matches and will meet UC San Diego this Friday (April 9) for Senior Day at Pioneer Pool, where Lauren Merrill, Jenna Casady, Brianna Finney and Lauren Griffin will be honored for their last home game as Pioneers. Meanwhile, on the golf course, the Pioneer women recently competed in the Golfmart Lady Otter Invitational at Cal State Monterey Bay, and the men are preparing for this month's CCAA Championships in Paso Robles. The ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ track team is also hard at work, competing in two meets in Southern California in the coming week and training for the CCAA Championships next month in La Jolla.
Though the final stretch for spring sports will provide plenty of excitement and entertainment, the Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame Induction is sure to bring up plenty of old memories and create new ones, as well. This year's Hall of Fame class includes five former standout student-athletes and one former coach in women's volleyball and softball player Angel Alcorcha, baseball player Archie Gilbert, women's track and field athlete Miloe McCall, men's track and field athlete Darryl Robinson, women's basketball player Leah (Thornton) Pero and men's and women's soccer coach Colin Lindores.
A two-sport athlete at then-Cal State Hayward, Alcorcha (1996-99) was a two-time All-Nor Cal Athletic Conference (NCAC) First Team selection at outside hitter, leading the Pioneers to a 44-22 record during her two seasons. An Association of Division III Independents first-team All-Independent selection, Gilbert (2002-05) hit .358 over four seasons as a Pioneer, writing his name into the record books as one of the most prolific hitters and base stealers in ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ history. McCall (1983-87) was a four-time NCAA Division II national qualifier and two-time All-American in the high jump and triple jump for the Pioneer track and field team, capturing four consecutive NCAC titles in the triple jump and earning All-America honors twice.
A transfer from Cal State Fullerton, Robinson (1976-77) was a two-time All-American for the Pioneer track and field team, setting school records in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault events, claiming two Far West Conference (FWC) titles and helping lead the Pioneers to the NCAA team title in 1976. Pero (2002-05) played three seasons at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥, earning NAIA All-America and Cal Pac MVP honors, while helping the Pioneers to 59 wins and finishing her career ranked among the top 10 in nearly every offensive category in the Pioneer record books. Lindores, was head coach of the ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ men's soccer team from 1976-89 and the women's team from 1982-89 and 1997-98. In 11 years at the helm for the Pioneer women, Lindores led the team to six straight NCAC championships and the 1988 NCAA Division II national title, while he led the Pioneer men to seven NCAC titles and five NCAA Tournament berths.
With all these Pioneer greats being honored, it is sure to be a memorable night and the entire university community is invited to share in the festivities during the week of May 10. The six inductees, as well as the 1988 ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ women's soccer national championship team, will be honored at a reception and dinner to be held in the University Union on the Hayward campus on May 15 at 6 p.m. Online registration is available on the ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ Athletic Department website.
As the spring draws to a close, I hope we can all take advantage of improving weather to get out and support the Pioneers. With several home contests remaining and the prospect of the 2010 Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony on the horizon, this spring should provide plenty of excitement and entertainment for everyone at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥. Go Pioneers!