Casey, Concordia remain alive
GLENDALE — The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.
Danny Casey (Glendale Community College, 2009) senior infielder, Concordia University, Irvine baseball: Casey and the Eagles remain alive in their bid to win the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics World Series at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. Casey, a former All-CIF pick, and Concordia picked up a 7-4 victory against Oklahoma City University in an elimination game Tuesday afternoon.
Casey went hitless in three plate appearances, but the third baseman did score a run in the top of the second inning. Casey drew a walk and scored to give Concordia a 4-0 lead. The Eagles scored six runs in the inning.
The game was suspended temporarily in the seventh because of lightning in the vicinity.
Concordia (41-19) will participate in another elimination game at 3 p.m. today at the same venue.
After suffering a 9-3 loss to Embry-Riddle on Saturday, Casey and Concordia staved off elimination Monday with a 7-5 victory against Oklahoma Baptist University.
Casey, a La Crescenta resident, finished with two hits and scored a pair of runs to help propel the Eagles. He singled and scored in the second and sixth innings.
Mark Saatzer (St. Francis High, 2010) freshman utility player, Chapman University baseball: It proved to be quite a banner season for Chapman, which saw its season come to a close Tuesday with an 18-5 loss to top-seeded Marietta College in the if-necessary championship game of the NCAA Division III championship game at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Earlier Tuesday, Chapman (37-13) forced the extra game with a 15-4 win against Marietta.
Saatzer, a reigning All-Area second-team honoree, went hitless in five at-bats during the final game. He also had nine putouts while patrolling first base. In the earlier game, Saatzer had one hit and scored twice. He also had eight putouts.
Marietta broke the game open in the third, as it scored seven runs to take a 9-1 lead.
In another elimination game Monday, Saatzer came through with three hits in Chapman’s 3-2 win against Buena Vista University. He had a game-tying single in the seventh.
Saatzer finished the campaign batting .317 (60 for 189) with nine doubles and five stolen bases. He scored 33 runs in 48 games.
Lonnie Kauppila (Glendale native, Burbank High, 2010) freshman infielder, Stanford University baseball: The reigning two-time All-Area Player of the Year will be returning to the Southland. Stanford (32-20) learned where its playoff run will begin after the NCAA Regionals were unveiled Monday and it will take part in the four-team Fullerton regional at Cal State Fullerton beginning Friday. Second-seeded Stanford and top-seeded Fullerton will be joined by third-seeded Kansas State and fourth-seeded Illinois. The Cardinal will met Kansas State at 4 p.m. Friday with the game being shown live on ESPNU.
Kauppila went hitless in four plate appearances during Stanford’s 4-2 road victory against rival California in the first game of a PAC-10 doubleheader Saturday.
Through Saturday, Kauppila is batting .288 (53 for 184) with one home run and 20 runs batted in. He’s registered eight doubles and scored 20 runs in 51 games.
Kathryn Poet (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2007) senior outfielder, Missouri softball: For the third season in a row, Poet and the Tigers will participate in the Women’s College World Series. Fifth-seeded Missouri punched their ticket to the World Series on Sunday with a 6-3 win against 12th-seeded Washington in the Super Regionals at Columbia, Mo.
It will mark the sixth World Series appearance in Missouri’s history. Missouri (52-8) will meet fourth-seeded Florida in an opening-round game at 6:30 p.m. PDT Thursday in Oklahoma City. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Poet, a former All-Area selection, didn’t compete in the contest or in Missouri’s 4-0 victory against Washington on Saturday. She last appeared as a pinch runner during Missouri’s 7-3 victory against DePaul in an NCAA Regional contest May 22.
Through Sunday, Poet is batting .225 (nine for 40) with one home run and eight runs batted in. She’s scored six runs in 35 games.
Amy Bishop (Glendale High, 2008) junior infielder, California softball: Bishop, a former All-Area pick, will make her first trip to the Women’s College World Series. The Golden Bears advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2005 — and 11th overall — with a 9-0 win against Kentucky in the Super Regionals in Lexington, Ky., on Sunday.
Bishop didn’t play in Sunday’s game for the Bears, who quickly regrouped after suffering an 8-0 loss to Kentucky earlier Sunday. California posted a 1-0 opening-round victory against Kentucky on Saturday. Bishop didn’t participate in the first two games.
Bishop hasn’t received much playing time for the Bears (44-11). Seventh-seeded California will meet second-seeded Alabama in an opening-round game of the World series at 10 a.m. PDT Thursday in Oklahoma City. The game will air on ESPN2.
Through Sunday, Bishop is batting .091 (1 for 11) in 13 games.
