Burbank High graduate Jordan Card enjoys big season for Regals

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.

Jordan Card (Burbank High, 2011) sophomore, Cal Lutheran women’s water polo: During her second season, the former Pacific League Player of the Year got but four starts during the Regals’ 28-game 2013 season.

Yet, Card still dazzled every time she got into the water, leading Cal Lutheran with 46 goals, seven more than former Pacific League rival Adrienne Ingalla of Crescenta Valley, who was second-best with 37.

Card started in four games, but played in all 28 and also tallied 10 assists and 21 steals, as the former All-Area selection clearly had a big year.

Card’s biggest day of the season came March 9 in a double dip against Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Baptist. In a 13-8 win over San Bernardino, Card scored a season-high six goals and came back to score a hat trick in a loss to Cal Baptist.

Kassy Uchida (Burbank High, 2010) junior, Utah State softball: It was a rough season for the Aggies, but Uchida still held her own and made a good showing.

She hit .276 (37 for 134) in 53 games with 47 starts. She added 19 walks for a .366 on-base percentage. She also had eight runs and six runs batted in.

Utah State went just 11-43 and 5-16 in the Western State Athletic Conference.

Meli Sanchez (Burbank High, 2010) junior, Cal State East Bay softball: Hitting at the heart of the order, Sanchez made a solid debut after transferring from East Los Angeles College.

Sanchez was one of just four members of her team to start all 52 games. In the process, she hit .288 (45 for 156) with 18 runs, seven doubles and 17 RBI. She ended her year on a high note, going two for three with a run and two RBI in the final game of the season against San Francisco State on April 27 in a 5-3 win. In all, Sanchez ended the season on a high note, going seven for her last 13 and notching 20 hits over her last 14 games, hitting safely in all but three of them.

The outfielder made just one error and garnered a .985 fielding percentage for a Cal State East Bay squad that went 17-35 and 11-25 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

Paul Frias (Burbank High, 2012) freshman, Fullerton College baseball: Fullerton came up just short of winning the California Community College Athletic Assn. championships, losing to Cypress, 10-3, on May 19 in the title contest.

It certainly wasn’t for lack of contribution from Frias, however.

The catcher went three for four with a run scored and a pair of doubles as he concluded an absolutely clutch run through state. In four games, Frias went 11 for 18 with three runs and three runs batted in.

The former All-Pacific League and All-Area honoree hit .383 on the season, tallying 41 hits in 107 at-bats in 36 games. He added 23 runs, 17 RBI, six doubles, 14 walks and a .489 on-base percentage.

Frias was key in leading Fullerton, which went 32-15 and 15-6 in conference, to an Orange Empire Conference crown and was rewarded for his efforts with a first-team all-conference selection.

Haley Schulman (Burroughs High, 2012) freshman, Antelope Valley College softball: A season after she was voted the Pacific League Player of the Year, Schulman was named to the Foothill Athletic Conference first team.

As she did for Burroughs, Schulman was vital in the circle and at the plate.

At the plate, Schulman hit .311 (38 for 122) with 23 runs scored and 35 RBI in 39 games. Schulman added six doubles and six home runs. She was particularly potent in conference play, hitting .426 with 18 RBI, 14 runs and seven extra-base hits in 14 games.

Pitching-wise, Schulman was 4-2 in conference with a 2.43 earned-run average and 39 strikeouts through 46 innings. On the season, Schulman was 6-7, pitching 93 innings, striking out 87 to 75 walks and tallying a 4.06 ERA.

AVC finished the year 19-20 and 10-4 in conference.

Natalie Ficocelli (Providence High, 2011) Pasadena City College softball sophomore: The first baseman has the honor of becoming the first player in the two-year history of head coach Brittany Williams to earn a scholarship, as Ficocelli will attend NAIA school William Penn University in West Des Moines, IA. Ficocelli was the Lancers’ starting first baseman this past season and an All-South Coast Conference honorable mention.

Ficocelli, a two-year letterman at PCC, will try to help William Penn (32-21) rebound from a fourth-place finish this past season in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

As a sophomore, Ficocelli came on strong the last month of the season and finished with a .328 batting average, one homer, six doubles and 15 RBI. She led the team in fielding percentage with a .986 mark, with just two errors in 144 chances.

“Natalie is a smart player who was easy for me to coach because she listened to our guidance and worked hard to improve her overall game,” Williams said in a press release. “What will be great for her is to get to play with a familiar face in Brittany Skoien at the next level. It will help her adjust to life outside of California. I expect both to be big contributors at William Penn.”

Michael Alcaraz (Burbank High, 2011) Pasadena City College men’s soccer sophomore: Alcaraz earned a non-athletic scholarship to attend and play at Division III Manhattanville College in New York.

Alcaraz was an All-South Coast Conference first-team selection who added four assists on offense and was the Lancers’ clear-out specialist and often marked the opposing team’s top attacker. Alcaraz was also effective on throw-ins and was part of defense that allowed only 1.30 goals per contest in 21 matches.

Alcaraz was a two-year starter for the Lancers and was recently awarded the school’s Horrell Scholarship award for outstanding athletic achievement and sportsmanship.