Shearer Does Her Share, Playing Three Sports at CS San Bernardino

You might call senior Tammy Shearer of Cal State San Bernardino a player for all seasons.

In an age of specialization in college athletics, when playing two sports is a little unusual, Shearer starts for the Coyotes in three sports.

For the last two years, Shearer, 22, has played soccer, basketball and softball for San Bernardino.

She competed in more sports in high school at Norco, playing tennis, softball, basketball and running track.

“I didn’t play soccer because the season overlapped (with basketball),” she said. “But if I could’ve worked it out, I would have played that, too.”

Since she was a child, Shearer says, she has wanted to compete in as many sports as possible.

“My mom was the real sports fanatic in the family,” she said. “I just followed in her footsteps. I just like to play everything. I feel I can play anything that a guy can play.”

Shearer may not be the best athlete on any of her teams, but her coaches agree she has made a noticeable impact in the success of her school’s athletic program.

All three of the teams for which she plays have posted winning records. The soccer team was 9-6-1 and barely missed an NCAA Division III playoff berth; the basketball squad was 24-4 and finished third in the Division III West Regional playoffs; and the softball team is 23-14 and hoping for a playoff berth.

“I see Tammy as a catalyst on any team she plays for,” softball Coach Sue Strain said. “She may not always grab the headlines, but she will always give 110% of herself. To me, that’s the quality of a real star, the unselfishness to let others bask in glory while you just keep doing your job for the good of the team.”

Her efforts have not gone completely unnoticed, particularly in softball where she has a .300 batting average and has made the NCAA Division III All-West Region softball team the last two seasons as a second baseman.

Playing forward in soccer, she was the team’s second-leading scorer with four goals and 10 points and was team captain. Shearer also averaged 7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds at forward in basketball.

She also carries a full load of classes, has a 3.0 grade-point average and delivers an early morning newspaper, as she has for 10 years.

Shearer said she delivers 250 newspapers from about 3 a.m to 4:30 every morning and then catches a little more sleep before heading off to school.

The paper route, she adds, allows her to practice her throwing motion for softball.

“Instead of throwing them overhand, I use the flick and that’s where the paper route comes in handy,” she said. “That’s how I throw when I’m playing.”

Unless the softball team qualifies for the Division III playoffs, Shearer’s season will come to an end when San Bernardino visits the University of San Diego today for a doubleheader.

But that will not be the end of her athletic career with the Coyotes. Shearer still has two years of eligibility remaining in soccer and expects to play at least next season while she pursues her teaching credential.

With the regular season winding down, Azusa Pacific became the first college division baseball team in Southern California to clinch a conference title.

The Cougars wrapped up the Golden State Athletic Conference title by sweeping Southern California College on Saturday in Costa Mesa, 5-2 and 6-4.

Azusa Pacific, which has a 30-10 overall record and is 15-3 in the GSAC, struggled early in the season with seven losses in its first 12 games.

But since then, the Cougars have won 25 of 28 and have a 10-game winning streak. They also have improved their team batting average from .275 to .327.

Azusa Pacific is expected to play host to the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 playoffs May 10-12.

Two other teams from the Southland, Cal State Northridge and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, are closing in on conference baseball championships.

Claremont has the easier task. The Stags can clinch the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title by sweeping Caltech, 0-15 in conference play and 9-22 overall, in a three-game series Friday and Saturday.

The Stags are 18-15 overall and 11-4 in the SCIAC. La Verne is second in the SCIAC at 13-5 and has completed its conference schedule.

Northridge has a tougher task to clinch its first CCAA title since 1981 in its final year in the conference before moving to NCAA Division I next season.

The Matadors, ranked No. 5 in Division II, are 18-6 in the CCAA--31-16 overall--after sweeping a three-game series from UC Riverside last week. Riverside, ranked No. 16, is 17-8 in the conference and 33-15.

But Northridge must play five of its last six conference games on the road, three at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Friday through Sunday and two at Cal State Los Angeles next week.

College Division Notes

Carlos Salazar, first baseman and designated hitter for the Azusa Pacific baseball team, tied a school record with his 19th home run of the season in a 17-3 victory over Point Loma Nazarene last week. That ties him with Rob Amble (1984) and Paul Moskau (1975), who went on to pitch for the Cincinnati Reds. Salazar, who is hitting .428 with 60 runs batted in, is also well on his way to breaking the school record for slugging percentage at .949.

The Cal State San Bernardino baseball team strengthened its hopes for an NCAA Division III playoff berth by sweeping UC San Diego in a doubleheader Saturday, 3-2 and 5-4. The Coyotes, 22-12 overall, visit Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in a critical matchup today at Claremont. . . . The Cal State San Bernardino men’s golf team is ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division III and No. 1 in the West with a 15-0 record in dual matches. San Bernardino is expected to receive a bid to the Division III national tournament when selections are announced in mid-May.

Pomona-Pitzer is the favorite heading into the SCIAC women’s tennis championships Friday and Saturday at Pomona-Pitzer. The Sagehens, led by Shelley Keeler in singles and Keeler and Caryn Cranston in doubles, are 10-0 in conference play and 15-6 overall. . . . Claremont-Mudd-Scripps is considered the team to beat in the conference men’s tennis tournament Friday and Saturday at Redlands. The Stags, ranked No. 4 in Division III, are led by Lance Au in singles.