Kauppila enjoys big week at plate
GLENDALE — The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.
Lonnie Kauppila (Glendale native, Burbank High, 2010) freshman infielder, Stanford University baseball: Known for his quick hands on the infield, Kauppila scooped up a couple of impressive awards over the past week, as Collegiate Baseball named the former Crescenta Valley and Burbank standout its National Player of the Week and the PAC-10 Conference named him Conference Player of the Week.
Kauppila’s week, spanning March 27 through Sunday, saw the Cardinal second baseman go 15 for 20 with no strikeouts over a home game against Saint Mary’s and a three-game PAC-10-opening series at Washington State.
Kaupplia went four for six with two doubles, two runs batted in and three runs scored in the team’s 16-14 win over St. Mary’s on March 29. In helping the Cardinal (14-7) take two out of three from the Cougars, Kauppila went three for four with a run in a 10-8 loss on Friday before collecting six hits in as many at bats and driving in four runs in a 22-3 landslide win Saturday night.
In Sunday’s finale, Kauppila collected two more hits and scored a run in a close 4-3 win.
The torrid streak raised Kauppila’s batting average from .196 to .364 and into sixth place on the PAC-10 hitting charts. He has 12 RBIs on the season and has scored 11 times.
Stanford begins a three-game PAC-10 set with USC on Friday.
Heather Brusokas (Glendale High, 2006) senior shortstop, Davenport University softball: Two big days at the plate propelled Brusokas to Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for the week spanning March 27 through Sunday.
In helping the Panthers sweep doubleheaders with Concordia University on Friday and Madonna University on Saturday, the former Nitro went eight for 13 with five RBIs over the four games.
Brusokas was particularly good in both games against Concordia, going three for four with two RBIs, a run and a stolen base in the opener, a 5-4 win, before going two for two with a triple, two RBIs and four runs in the nightcap, which saw Davenport post a 5-3 win.
Brusokas leads the Panthers (18-12, 6-0 in conference), who have won 10 straight, with a .429 batting average on the season, with team highs in home runs (eight), RBIs (31), runs (36) and stolen bases (10).
Jason Ochart (Hoover High, 2008) junior outfielder/pitcher, San Francisco State baseball: Ochart enjoyed a spectacular performance Sunday for the Gators during a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. home game.
He impressed with the bat and on the mound for San Francisco State in a 4-3 win against Cal State San Bernardino in 12 innings.
Ochart drove in a pair of runs, stole two bases and scored one run for the Gators.
He drove in a run with a grounder to cut the lead to 2-1 in the first inning before scoring on a hit to knot the game at 2. Ochart then tied the game at 3 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
He then came on in relief in the 12th and picked up the victory. Ochart retired the side on 11 pitches and registered a strikeout.
San Francisco State was swept in a association doubleheader by host Cal State Chico on Tuesday. The Gators opened with an 8-1 loss before falling, 7-6, in the finale.
Playing right field in the first game, Ochart went hitless in three plate appearances. He started on the mound in the second game and didn’t get a decision. The right-hander gave up four runs (all earned) and five hits in four innings. Ochart struck out four and walked three.
Ochart has hit one home run and driven in six runs. On the mound, he’s 2-0 with a 2.55 earned-run average in seven appearances. In 24 2/3 innings, Ochart has allowed 24 hits, struck out 14 and walked 11.
The Gators are 11-20, 6-18 in the association entering today’s association game against visiting Cal Poly Pomona.
Garrett Salzman (St. Francis High, 2008) junior catcher, Macalester College baseball: Salzman has an eight-game hitting streak going, during which the Scots have gone 3-7 to fall to 8-8.
In a doubleheader sweep of Augsburg University on Monday, Salzman, who is batting a team-high .396 with 10 RBIs and 10 runs, was three for three with a double and a hit by pitch in the first game and 1-4 with a single and walk in the second game.
The Scots take on Wisconsin-Superior in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest Saturday.
