Bad News for Foes: Yorke Intends to Get Better

Robyn Yorke is gaining confidence, which is one of the last things Western Athletic Conference pitchers want to hear.

Yorke, an All-American sophomore right fielder at Fresno State, already is more confident than her opponents would prefer. And more talented.

Most of the Bulldogs’ foes probably don’t think she can improve in these areas. Not that Yorke doesn’t work hard, mind you, because she definitely does.

But when you hit better than .500, steal bases, are equally accomplished on defense and win awards, people tend to hope you can’t do much more. So has Yorke peaked?

No way, she said.

“I always expect myself to do really well, but you can always do better,” said Yorke, a former Marina High standout. “I’m a very consistent hitter and I’ve hit like this my whole life, but my focus is a lot better right now.

“Now I know that I can hit any pitch that’s pitched to me no matter where it’s pitched.”

Yorke has hit at a torrid pace all season for Fresno, which is 23-4 and ranked third in the nation in the USA Today/National Softball Coaches Assn. poll. She leads the Bulldogs with a .505 batting average (48-95), has scored a team-high 26 runs and is five for five in stolen bases. She also has 13 runs batted in.

“I have a lot of speed and that allows me to do different things,” she said. “I can bunt, I can slap, I can also hit for power.”

Last week, the coaches’ association named Yorke its national player of the week. This followed her selection as the WAC’s top player over the same stretch.

“I’ve had such high expectations since the beginning of the season, so what I’m doing now doesn’t really surprise me,” said Yorke, a former Times all-county player.

Not even a little surprised?

“It does a little,” she said. “Sometimes I kind of sit back and look at what I’m doing like, ‘Wow.’ ”

At times this season, Yorke has felt unstoppable, she said.

“Sometimes when you’re feeling really good, it doesn’t matter where the defense plays you because you feel you can hit it by them,” she said. “You feel you have the advantage.”

So how can Yorke improve?

“Lots of ways,” she said. “I could get on base every time instead of just a few times every game.”

*

Blue Devil: Cherokee Parks played his final game at Duke last week in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Parks, a senior power forward from Marina High, will leave Duke having won a national championship. This season, Parks led Duke with averages of 19 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Selected second-team All-ACC, Parks increased his scoring and rebounding averages each season. Parks is second on Duke’s all-time list for blocked shots with 231.

Parks’ next stop: the NBA.

*

Keeping Track is a regular column in The Times following the progress of former Orange County athletes competing for colleges elsewhere. Readers with information for this feature may reach Jason Reid at (714) 966-5847 or send it by FAX: (714) 966-5663.