Wildcats kick off 2010 season Friday at Mizuno Best of the West Invitational

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Wildcats kick off 2010 season Friday at Mizuno Best of the West Invitational

Bec Johnson and Charlotte Honciano exchange high fives.

Seniors Bec Johnson (L) and Charlotte Honciano lead the 2010 Chico State softball team in season-opening action Friday.

2/3/2010 12:29:11 PM

CHICO – The Angel Shamblin era of Chico State softball officially gets underway this Friday as the Wildcats travel to Turlock to open the 2010 season at the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational. The tournament, hosted by Cal State Stanislaus, will see the ’Cats participate in six games over the three-day event, and will serve as the team’s lone non-conference tune-up before California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play begins Feb. 12.

Shamblin, in her first season as Chico State head coach, leads a Wildcat squad that features 11 letterwinners, including seniors Rebecca Johnson, Christine Johnson and Charlotte Honciano. The 2010 edition of the ’Cats will look to improve on last season’s 19-36 record, and thanks to a productive fall season, the team is feeling optimistic about turning its’ fortunes around.

“The thing that we noticed most was that our girls were relaxed,” Shamblin said about the team’s fall preparations. “They were relaxed in their at-bats and playing defense, which definitely made a difference. Everybody’s been working hard. [The players] have verbally told us they want to be successful; they want to have a good experience with the program…so that tells us they’re pretty excited and positive about what we have going.”

First baseman Rachel Failla, the Wildcats’ home run leader in 2009, is back for her second season, as are fellow sophomores Jessie Minch (SS), Kelly Head (OF), Jenna Wermes (C/1B), Jessica McDermott (RHP), Reina Andreatta (C) and Sam Quadt (OF). Junior utility player Christina Wieck rounds out the returners.

Among the newcomers to the Chico State roster are junior transfers Courtney Brock (SS/C) and Sarah Marcia (right-handed pitcher), and freshmen Kacie McCarthy (RHP), Caitlin Byrne (LHP/OF) and Maddi Hillier (1B/OF).

The Mizuno Best of the West Invitational will take place at Turlock’s Pedretti Park. The 12-team field includes nine CCAA schools.

Chico State opens up the season Friday at 1:15 p.m. against UC San Diego, followed by a 3:30 p.m. tilt with San Francisco State. Saturday, the Wildcats take on host Cal State Stanislaus at 1:00 p.m., then at 3:30 p.m. square off against West Virginia’s Davis and Elkins College. The ’Cats wrap up the Best of the West Invitational Sunday with games at 9:30 a.m. against Grand Canyon University and Cal State Monterey Bay at 2:00 p.m.

Tournament scores, results and updates will be available online throughout the weekend at www.warriorathletics.com/bwi.

Jan

February 2012

Mar

Sat, Feb. 04, 2012

Softball
vs Dominican University
10:00 a.m.

Softball
vs Western Washington University
2:30 p.m.

Softball
vs Humboldt State
4:45 p.m.

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Wildcats of the Week

Amir Carraway

Men's Basketball

Amir Carraway capped a strong weekend with team highs of 16 points and seven rebounds in the Wildcats’ huge win against Humboldt State Saturday night to earn Wildcat of the Week honors for the second time this season.

The sophomore from Vallejo made two game-sealing free throws with 21 seconds left to finish the night 6-of-7 from the free throw line and pulled down key rebounds on two of the Lumberjacks’ last three possessions. He also set the screen on Jay Flores’ dagger 3-pointer with 40 seconds left.

Carraway finished with 10 points and four rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes due to foul trouble during the Wildcats’ loss to Sonoma State the night before.

The 6-foot-5 forward leads the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game and ranks second in scoring at 10.6 points per game a season after averaging just 1.4 points and one rebound in only 5.4 minutes a night. He’s now led the team in scoring five times and rebounding six this season.

Carraway and the Wildcats, among four teams tied for second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings, trail conference co-leaders Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Dominguez Hills by just one game. They’ll welcome Cal Poly Pomona to town Friday night and San Francisco State Saturday.

Caressa Williams

Women's Basketball

For much of the season, redshirt freshman Caressa Williams has been sitting at the end of the Chico State women’s basketball team bench, seeing very little on-court action. But the former Paradise High School star continued to work hard on her game, and the extra effort has paid off in recent weeks with significantly more playing time. After a string of short but impressive relief roles, Williams delivered a breakout performance Saturday against Humboldt State, posting career highs in scoring and rebounding in the Wildcats’ 90-67 thumping of Humboldt State. Her strongest effort to date makes Williams the latest Wildcat of the Week.

Williams shot over 58 percent (7-of-12), averaging just under 10 points and five rebounds in Chico State’s two weekend contests. She began the weekend with a solid outing Friday against Sonoma State, contributing five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 16 minutes of action. Saturday, though, she was a major part of the Wildcat reserves combining to score 51 in the team’s convincing 23-point win over Humboldt. Williams played 24 minutes, scoring 14 points and hauling in seven rebounds – both career highs – connecting on five of her seven field goal attempts. She also chipped in with an assist and a steal in addition to shining on the defensive end.

Williams’ productive weekend saw her season scoring average more than double, rising from 1.6 to 3.6 points per game. Overall, she is shooting 50 percent from the field and is averaging two rebounds a contest.

Chico State is back in action this weekend, hosting Cal Poly Pomona Friday and San Francisco State Saturday at Acker Gym. Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 5:30 p.m.

2.3.12 | Softball

Wildcats open 2012 season this weekend ranked No. 15 in the nation

CHICO – With 12 seniors on the roster and coming off back-to-back NCAA Championship Tournament appearances, the Chico State softball team has high expectations for itself as the 2012 season unfolds this Saturday and Sunday in Turlock at the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational. The Wildcats aren’t the only ones anticipating big things – the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has designated Chico State as the No. 15 team in the country, according to the organization’s Division II preseason poll announced Wednesday.

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1.18.12 | Softball

Conference coaches choose Chico State to finish second in CCAA in 2012

WALNUT CREEK – The 10 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) softball head coaches hit it right on the head a year ago when they picked Chico State to finish third in the conference in the CCAA’s preseason coaches’ poll. The Wildcats are hoping they are just as accurate for the upcoming 2012 season – Angel Shamblin’s squad has been picked to finish second in the latest CCAA preseason poll, released Wednesday.

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12.22.11 | Softball

Wildcats once again dip into prep ranks for 2013 recruits

CHICO – When you have 11 players leaving your program at once, you’re almost forced to undergo an immediate youth movement. Such is the case with the Chico State softball team, which will lose nearly two-thirds of its roster following the 2012 season. Head Coach Angel Shamblin has already infused the Wildcats with some outstanding young talent for the 2013 season and beyond, with high school standouts Desiree' Gonzalez, Brittanie LaMotte, Devyn Quevedo and Brooke Langeloh the latest batch of recruits to sign their National Letter of Intent to play at Chico State.

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12.13.11 | Softball

’Cats corral early commitments for 2013 season

CHICO – With no less than 11 seniors on the current roster, the Chico State softball team will have more than a few holes to fill following the upcoming 2012 season. In the spirit of the holidays, Wildcat Head Coach Angel Shamblin has aggressively gone out shopping for new talent, and has wrapped up what she thinks are three winners, as high school standouts Cheyenne Sandoval, Allison Cook and Amanda Cordeiro have signed their National Letter of Intent to join Chico State in 2013.

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12.8.11 | General

Rising in the fall

While the leaves have been falling in the City of Trees, the citiy's University, Chico State, has been rising toward the top of the list of the nation’s best NCAA Division II athletic programs. The Wildcats finished the fall ranked second in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup fall standings, released Thursday.

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10.14.11 | Softball

“A walk is as good as a hit” – especially to end Alzheimer’s disease

CHICO – The season doesn’t start until February, but the Chico State softball team is not sitting idly by during the fall months. Head Coach Angel Shamblin’s 2012 squad has begun workouts in earnest and will play its first games of the fall Saturday at a tournament in Roseville, but earlier this month the Wildcats briefly put their bats and gloves aside to give back to the community by participating in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Chico’s Bidwell Park.

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9.21.11 | General

President Zingg, Director of Athletics Barker presented with Commissioner’s Cup

LONG BEACH — Chico State President Paul J. Zingg and Director of Athletics Anita Barker were presented with the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Commissioner’s Cup at the conference’s Presidents/Chancellors Group meetings Wednesday in Long Beach. The Wildcats won the award last spring for their achievements during the 2010-11 academic year.

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