COLLEGE UPDATE:

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes playing at the collegiate level.

Kris Kauppila (Crescenta Valley High, 2008) freshman shortstop, University of Portland: Kauppila, the reigning All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, was named a member of the 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-Americans. Kauppila was one of eight shortstops named to the team.

“I heard about it and I’m pretty happy,” Kauppila said. “I got text messages from my teammates, and I got fired up.

“You still have to continue working hard every day, even after getting this award. It’s one of the best honors I’ve ever gotten.”

Kauppila, who also earlier earned All-West Coast Conference honorable mention along with being named to the conference’s all-freshman team, started every game at shortstop for Portland. The All-CIF pick batted .336 with a team-leading 72 hits, 46 runs, 20 doubles and 22 multiple-hit games.

Kauppila, who started all 51 games, collected four home runs, 21 runs batted in, 104 total bases, 21 walks and eight stolen bases.

Chris Warters (Glendale Community College, 2006) senior first baseman, Lee University: Warters drove in 81 runs this season en route to earning All-American honorable mention for the Flames, who finished the campaign at 53-14.

Warters, who batted .433 (101 for 233) with 18 doubles, four triples and 18 home runs this season, registered 163 runs batted in during his two seasons with the Tennessee-based team that finished third in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics World Series. He also walked 44 times and had a .777 slugging percentage in 67 games played.

Warters, who earned a spot on the World Series All-Tournament team, earlier received All-Southern States Athletic Conference first-team accolades.

Lee lost to eventual-champion Lubbock Christian and runner-up Point Loma Nazarene in the 10-team World Series, which was played in late-May in Lewiston, Idaho.

Brian Bistagne (Glendale Community College, 2006) senior shortstop, Lee University: The former St. Francis High standout and a former All-Western State Conference pick at Glendale college helped the Flames (53-14) reach the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics World Series in Lewiston, Idaho in May.

In 67 games played this season, Bistagne batted .364 (84 for 231) with seven home runs and 42 runs batted in. He collected 18 doubles, three triples and was hit 16 times by a pitch. He walked 38 times, registered a .481 on-base percentage and had a .558 slugging percentage.

Bistagne received All-Southern States Athletic Conference second-team honors for the Flames, who fell to eventual-champion Lubbock Christian and runner-up Point Loma Nazarene in the 10-team World Series.

Ashleigh Viers-Gordillo (Crescenta Valley High, 2008) freshman infielder/outfielder, Boise State University softball: Viers-Gordillo, a former All-Area Softball Player of the Year, helped the Broncos finish 22-30 and 4-16 in the Western Athletic Conference in their inaugural season. She batted .279 (38 for 136) with three home runs and 25 runs batted in.

Viers-Gordillo had four doubles and scored 21 runs in 51 games played. In the field, she didn’t commit an error. She finished with 237 putouts and seven assists.

The Broncos finished seventh in conference before going 1-2 in the conference’s tournament in May.