COLLEGE UPDATE:
GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.
Kris Kauppila (Crescenta Valley High, 2008) freshman shortstop, University of Portland baseball: Kauppila, the reigning All-Area Baseball Player of the Year selection, has adjusted well to the early stage of his collegiate career. Last year’s All-Area Baseball Player of the Year clubbed a home run in his first collegiate at bat to spark Portland to a season-opening 4-2 victory against Utah Valley on Friday. He homered on a full-count pitch to left field in the bottom of the first inning.
Kauppila, who helped Crescenta Valley win four consecutive Pacific League championships, helped the Pilots (2-1) then split a doubleheader against Utah Valley on Saturday. They won the first game, 7-2, before suffering a 6-5 loss in 11 innings in the nightcap.
In the first game, Kauppila posted a pair of hits and scored a run.
In the second game, Kauppila collected two hits in five plate appearances. He scored a run and drove in a run.
Entering today’s nonconference contest against George Fox University, Kauppila is batting .454 (five for 11) with two runs batted in and two walks.
Jeanine Deno (Crescenta Valley High, 2004) senior guard, Cal Baptist women’s basketball: Deno, a former All-Area Girls’ Player of the Year, finished with 19 points to help the Lancers pick up a 74-70 road victory against The Master’s College on Thursday in a Golden State Athletic Conference contest. Deno also contributed five rebounds to help Cal Baptist improve to 17-10 and 9-8 in the conference.
The Lancers once trailed, 64-54, with less than six minutes left. Deno made a pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining to give Cal Baptist a 71-70 lead.
Deno contributed 10 points and seven rebounds to spark the Lancers to a 73-55 conference home victory against Hope International on Feb. 17.
Entering today’s road conference game against Point Loma Nazarene, Deno is averaging 11.1 points per game in 26 games played this season. She’s also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Shana Palencia (Hoover, 2006) junior driver, Bucknell women’s water polo: The former All-Area and All-Pacific League standout scored a career-high four goals — all with the man-advantage — Sunday to spark the Bison to a 14-13 victory against Harvard in a Princeton Invitational match. Bucknell (6-5) won three of its four matches in the invitational.
In an earlier invitational match Sunday against Marist College, Palencia tallied three goals to spur Bucknell to a 13-10 victory. On Saturday, she scored one goal in Bucknell’s 9-8 sudden-death overtime win against Wagner College before notching four goals in the Bison’s 10-9 loss to Brown.
Palencia has registered 16 goals and 15 assists.
