Meaux’s stellar day leads UCSB
GLENDALE — The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.
Jesse Meaux (Glendale High, 2007) senior pitcher, UC Santa Barbara baseball: Meaux, a former All-Area first-team honoree, enjoyed a career performance during a nonconference contest against Sacramento State on March 4. The right-hander struck out eight and didn’t issue a walk in the Gauchos’ 4-2 home win against the Hornets.
Meaux, who is among the top 50 seniors ranked by Baseball America after getting drafted in the 44th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft in June by the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched 8 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs and six hits in a 105-pitch effort. He retired 17 in a row before getting into a jam in the ninth. Connor Whalen relieved Meaux and walked the next batter before Greg Davis came in to get a game-ending double play for the save.
“Jesse was dominant for eight innings,” UCSB Coach Bob Brontsema said on the university’s website. “Sacramento State did a good job of being aggressive in the ninth, but Greg came into a very difficult situation and handled it like the veteran that he is.”
Meaux’s previous high in strikeouts was seven, set last season against Westmont College.
Meaux pitched Friday against the University of San Francisco in the AT&T Classic at AT&T Park in San Francisco and didn’t factor in a decision in Santa Barbara’s 3-2 defeat. He gave up a pair of first-inning runs, but quickly settled down. Meaux allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits and faced 23 batters in five innings. He struck out three and yielded two walks.
Through Friday, Meaux is 1-1 with a 3.48 earned-run average. In 20 2/3 innings, Meaux has allowed 19 hits, eight earned runs and struck out 13.
Santa Barbara (6-5) will meet Louisiana-Lafayette at 11 a.m. today and Rice at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Sara Hollar (Flintridge Prep, 2007) senior, Wheaton College women’s swimmer: Hollar, a La Crescenta resident, was among five Wheaton College women’s swimming and diving athletes who recently received New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference accolades for the winter quarter.
It marked the third time Hollar has earned the honor.
According to the college’s website, student-athletes picking up the award are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better upon completion of the 2010 fall semester, attain at least a sophomore year standing and participate on a varsity team for the entire season.
Five athletes represented the women’s swimming and diving team for the third season in a row. The program has produced at least three academic all-conference honorees for nine straight years.
Hollar helped the Lyons to an 8-5 record in dual meets and finish fourth out of 10 teams at the conference championship.
At the conference championships at Mount Holyoke College on Feb. 20, Hollar finished seventh in the 200-yard butterfly in 2 minutes 12.71 seconds. On Feb. 19 at the conference championship, Hollar teamed with Nicole Zais, Stephany Perkins and Elle Van Cott to place third in the 200-yard medley relay (1:49.18.)
Lonnie Kauppila (Burbank High, 2010) freshman infielder, Stanford University: Kauppila, the reigning All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, has received some playing time for Stanford during the first month of the season.
Kauppila, who played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Crescenta Valley High before transferring to Burbank, finished with two hits and drove in a run to help Stanford earn a 9-2 nonconference road victory against Texas on March 5. On March 4, Kauppila had a hit and drove in a run in Stanford’s 4-3 loss to Texas.
In 10 games, Kauppila is batting .233 (seven for 30) with one home run and five runs batted in. He’s recorded two doubles and scored a pair of runs. On defense, Kauppila has made one error in 39 chances. Kauppila has 20 assists and 18 putouts.
Stanford (6-5) will next face Michigan in a nonconference home contest at 6 p.m. Friday.
Jonathan Alpizar (Glendale Community College, 2010) junior distance runner, Cal State San Marcos: Alpizar, who earned All-American status in the men’s steeplechase last season with the Vaqueros, continues to excel.
The Burroughs High graduate placed fifth in the 3,200-meter race in 8 minutes 52.20 seconds at the San Diego Collegiate Challenge at the University of San Diego on March 5. San Marcos placed fifth in the eight-team meet with 50 points.
