College Update: Former Falcons finding plenty of collegiate success
The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.
Elliot Surrey (Crescenta Valley High, 2012) UC Irvine baseball sophomore: For the second time in its history, the UC Irvine baseball team is headed to Omaha for the NCAA Division I World Series.
After Surrey set the table with an outstanding start in leading the Anteaters to an 8-4 win Friday over host Oklahoma State at the Stillwater Super Regional, ace Andrew Morales took to the hill and threw a shutout, pacing a 1-0 win to eliminate OSU and send UC Irvine to Omaha.
UCI (40-23) will begin play in the eight-team, double-elimination World Series against Texas (43-19) at noon PDT Saturday.
Surrey allowed two unearned runs in seven innings on Friday, striking out five and allowing five hits.
In three postseason appearances, he’s 2-0 with a save.
For the season, Surrey is 8-4 with a 1.99 earned-run average, having thrown 108 1/3 innings with 70 strikeouts to 27 walks.
Sabrina Hatzer (Crescenta Valley High, 2012) Los Angeles Valley College water polo sophomore: Just as she was at Crescenta Valley High, Hatzer was lauded for her excellence in the pool at L.A. Valley.
In 2012, she was an All-Western State Conference selection and an All-American and in this past 2013 season, she was the All-WSC Player of the Year and an All-American once again.
For the 2014 season, she’ll try to earn accolades as a member of the Cal State East Bay women’s water polo squad. Hatzer, as announced via press release Monday by former Crescenta Valley High and current L.A. Valley water polo Coach Pete Loporchio, will be joined by Monarchs teammates Savannah Simmons, who went to Burroughs High, and fellow Falcons alumna Nayiri Kechichian.
The trio keyed the Monarchs’ march to the Western State Conference title in 2013.
Kechichian was an All-American in 2013 and is a two-time all-conference pick.
In her sophomore 2013 season, she had 94 goals, 60 steals and 30 assists, while Hatzer tallied 104 goals, 105 steals and 61 assists.
Cal State East Bay finished as the runner-up in the Western Water Polo Assn. tournament championship to UC San Diego, concluding its 2014 season at 17-14.
John Salas (Crescenta Valley High, 2009) Cal State University Northridge baseball senior: Salas wrapped up his two-year career with CSUN after transferring from College of the Canyons.
Salas appeared in the Matadors’ final game of the season, a 6-0 loss to Cal State Fullerton on May 24. Salas, allowed a hit, but tossed 1/3 of an inning and didn’t allow a run.
His final four appearances were out of the bullpen as he split time all season between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He made 10 appearances in relief and 10 starts.
Overall, he finished with a 4.24 ERA with a 4-4 record. Over 51 innings, he issued just nine walks to 33 strikeouts. Salas’ best performance of the season came in a 7-1 nonconference win over Utah Valley on March 10, as he went the distance, allowing one unearned run. He struck out a career-high seven, walked one and allowed four hits.
CSUN finished 18-38, 6-18 in the Big West Conference.
Salas’ two-year stretch saw him go 8-10 with a 3.78 ERA. He struck out 85 and walked 21 in 131 innings.
Katie Benson (Crescenta Valley High, 2013) Cal State University Bakersfield water polo freshman: An All-Area first-team selection last season, Benson found a share of success in her first season at the collegiate level with a struggling Bakersfield squad that went 12-22 and 0-6 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Benson saw action in 29 games, scoring 13 goals on 45 attempts. She also had 14 assists, 22 steals, 10 drawn ejections and eight blocks.
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Follow Grant Gordon on Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon.