Baird Tabbed To Take Over the Cardinal Softball Program

Danielle Baird, a native of Sedro Woolley, was recently hired to take over the Skagit Valley College Softball Program. Coach Baird most recently was an assistant coach at Bellevue Community College for two seasons.

Prior to assisting at BCC, Danielle played at the University of Oregon from 2003-2006. While at Oregon, the Ducks earned regional berths from 2003-2005, and she was honored as a scholar athlete in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

At Sedro Woolley high school, Danielle helped the Cubs to four consecutive league titles, and a 3rd place finish at state her senior year. She was also a 4-time all-conference selection.

Coach Baird received a degree in Political Science form the University of Oregon, is a licensed real estate agent, and is also a certified trainer.

Danielle replaces Denny Zylstra who has retired after serving two stints as the Head Coach of the Cardinal Softball Team.

Ryan Verdugo Selected In The 9th Round Of The MLB Draft

Former Skagit Valley College Baseball Player Ryan Verdugo was selected today in the 9th round of the MLB draft by the San Francisco Giants. Verdugo, a left-handed pitcher, played for Skagit Valley College during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Following the 2007 season Ryan was named the Skagit Valley College Male Athlete of the Year; an award that considers athletic achievement, character, and academic succes. Following his career at SVC Ryan was selected in the 47th round by San Francisco but chose to accept a scholarship to play at Louisiana State University. Verdugo is currently leading the Tigers in innings pitched and ERA and will be the opening game starter for LSU this weekend in the NCAA SuperRegionals against the University of California at Irvine. The winner of the 3 game series, being played at LSU, will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Newman and Harty named 07/08 Athletes of the Year

Sophomores Caitie Newman and Ben Harty were named the Skagit Valley College Athletes of the Year for the 2007/08 School Year. Newman was a 3 sport athlete; competing in basketball, volleyball and tennis; and Harty was a 2 year starter for the Cardinal Baseball team. The selections were announced at last nights annual All Sport Banquet held in McIntyre Hall on the Mt. Vernon campus of Skagit Valley College.

A complete write up will follow shortly

Cardinal Baseball Bows Out At The Conference Tournament

The day one loss sent the Cardinals into the losers bracket where they would again play the 9:30 AM game against Pierce College. The game was tied at 1-1 through the fifth when both teams had to endure a 1 ½ hour rain delay. After the game got going again, it didn't take long for Skagit to wake up as the Cardinals scored 4 runs in the 7^th, two in the 8^th, and 2 in the 9^th. Ben Harty hit a two-run blast to break the tie in the 7^th and spur the Cardinal offense. Skagit collected 16 hits as they won 9-3 behind a strong pitching effort of Trent Line. Line pitched 8 2/3 innings and struck out 6 to pick up the win.

The win over Pierce forced a match up with Northern Region foe Edmonds CC. Edmonds took control early with 2 runs in the first; the second run scoring on a throwing error. The Tritons scored one more on a fielding error in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Skagit then erupted for 6 runs in the 4^th inning on 3 hits. Edmonds seemed to be in melt down mode, but quickly answered with 4 runs in the top of the fifth as the Cardinals gave up a based load triple. Edmonds led 7-6 after their half of the fifth, but Skagit added one in the bottom of the fifth on an Eddie Sobczak sac fly to tie the game. Skagit nearly ended the game in the bottom of the 9^th with the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on the batter, but the batter and umpire differed on the location of the pitch, and as usual, the umpire wins. Edmonds then scored one run in the top of the 10^th, and the Cardinals could not answer.

The Skagit Valley College baseball ended their season with a record of 16-8 in league play and 29-16 overall.

Ben Harty and Trent Henderson were both named Second Team All NWAACC selections, and Kyle Boe was selected for the NWAACC All Tournament team as well. Boe hit .375 in the Cardinals three games, scoring 3 runs and driving in two and he also had some strong defensive plays in right field as well

Day and Time Set For Northern Region Baseball Playoffs

May 13th, 2008

Due to conflicting uses at the Everett Memorial facilities, the Northern Region Baseball Playoffs will begin on Friday, May 16th at 11AM. The games will be played at Everett Memorial Stadium. Skagit and Everett will play the first 2 games in a best out of 3 series. Should the teams split on Friday, the series will shift to Skagit for a 4PM elimination game on Saturday, May 17th.

The winner of the series will earn the #2 seed out of the Northern Region for the NWAACC Baseball Championships.

The #2 seed from the Northern Region will open NWAACC Tournament play on Thursday, May 22nd at 9:35 AM against a yet to be determined #1 seed from the Southern Region.

Baseball Heads To The Playoffs, Softball Finishes Strong, Tennis and Golf Head East for NWAACC Championships

May 12th, 2008

The Cardinal baseball team headed into play last weekend knowing that a four game sweep of Shoreline would at the very least force a tie for a playoff spot with Bellevue.

On Saturday the Cardinals hung on in game 1 for a 2-1 win behind the strong pitching of Tyrell Poggemeyer. Tyrell collected his 7^th win of the season in a complete performance that featured 6 strikeouts and no walks. The Cardinals collected two hits apiece from Kyle Boe, Trent Henderson, and Aaron Headrick, with Boe driving in both runs. The victory was a little bit easier to come by in the second game as the Cardinals won by a score of 11-6. It was a two-run game in the seventh before the offense pushed 3 more runs across in the bottom of the 8^th. The Cardinals got a good pitching performance from Trent Line who went 7 2/3 innings to pick up his 7^th win of the season. Kyle Humphrey and Aaron Headrick drove in 3 runs apiece in the victory. Kody Koopmans picked up a save as well pitching the final 1 1/3 innings.

The team traveled to Shoreline on Sunday knowing that Bellevue had won both of their games on Saturday. It looked like two wins would be necessary to force a tie. Chad Nading took the mound for Skagit in game 1 as the Cards eventually won by a score of 8-5. Catcher Mike Chiarelli drove in 2 runs in the win and Chad Gert picked up a save with 2 innings of work on the mound. It then came to Brett Ferguson to take the mound in game 2 and keep the Cardinals playoff hopes alive. Ferguson took that challenge and threw 5 innings before handing it over to Kelly Wells, and Kody Koopmans to finish game. The Cardinals won by a score of 16-9. The offensive output featured homeruns by Mike Chiarelli, Kyle Boe, and Ben Harty who hit is 9^th of the season. Tanner Leighton and Kyle Boe collected 4 hits apiece, Boe drove in 5 runs, and Harty drove in 4 runs. Kyle Boe hit for the cycle as well with a triple in the 1^st, single in the 2^nd, double in the 3^rd, and capping it off with a home run in the 5^th inning.

As it turned out, Bellevue dropped two games at home to Douglas on Sunday which left Skagit alone in 3^rd in the Northern Division. The Cardinals will now play Everett in best 2 out of 3 series to determine the 2nd seed from the North to the NWAACC tournament

The baseball team finished with a league record of 16-8; one win better than last season; and 26-14 overall.

Softball

The Cardinal softball team picked up 3 wins over the weekend to finish strong at the end of the season. On Friday the women headed over to Olympic CC and split games with the Rangers. Skagit dropped the first game 1-0 behind and the turned around and won the second game 3-2, with Ashley Sullivan picking up the win. The team then turned around and played at Peninsula in Port Angeles on Sunday. The women won the first game 19-0 behind 22 hits. Jessica Lindquist picked up the win, and Chantal Hughes was 4 for 5 on the day. In the second game on Saturday the Cardinal women won 6-2. Skagit collected 12 hits in the win with Chantal Hughes going 4 for 5 once again and Ashley Sullivan picking up another win. The women also pick up two forfeit wins over Edmonds today. The Tritons do not have enough healthy players to field a team to complete their season. The Skagit softball team finished with a league record of 16-12 and were 22-26 overall.

The softball team had a much improved season and looks to build to a tournament bid next year.

Congratulations the Head Coach Denny Zylstra, Assistant Coaches Dave McNeil and Bob Hickman, and the entire 2008 Softball Squad.

Tennis

The Cardinal tennis team wrapped up league play recently and will head to the conference tournament in Spokane on Thursday.

Last Thursday the women hosted Green River and lost 8-1. The one win was Caitie Newman and Azusa Takahashi winning at #2 doubles.

On Friday both teams played host to Treasure Valley. The women won 9-0 and the men lost 7-2. Caitie Newman won at #1 singles and Michelle Klein won at #2 singles. Klein and Alyssa Hendrickson came together to win at #1 doubles. On the men's side, Joel Anderson won at #5 singles and Wade Wyrick and Andrew Brannan winning at #2 doubles.

Both teams were back in action on Monday against Green River. Both teams lost, with the women dropping the contest 5-4 and the men losing 9-0. In the women's match Azusa Takahashi won at #3 singles, Missi Parr won at #5 singles, and Holly Olson won at #6 singles.

The men finished with a record of 1-4 and the women finished 4-2 as they head into NWAACC tournament play.

SVC Running Club

Cross Country Coach Noelle Ware has started a running club at Skagit Valley College. Any interested runners can meet Friday's at 3PM @ the North gym entrance on the Mt. Vernon Campus. Plan on running aapproximately 3-5 miles.

Contact Coach Ware at noelle.ware@skagit.edu if you have any questions.

Spring Sports Update

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Well, it's long overdue for a spring sports update, and much has been going on as of late (despite the weather).

Softball

The softball team is off to a good start, and was aided by a no-hitter yesterday thrown by Ashley Pearson against the Edmonds Tritons. The Cardinals won two games yesterday by scores of 9-0 and 11-2. Those wins came after a split with Shoreline on Saturday. The Cardinal softball team is now 7-7 in league play and 12-10 overall. They are currently tied for 4^th place, only 2 games out of second.

The softball team will head over to Selah, WA this weekend to play in the NWAACC Crossover with 20 other teams.

Baseball

The baseball team split games with Everett CC over the weekend. The Cardinals took 2 games at Everett on Saturday with a bunch of runs on the board. Skagit won game 1 13-4, and took the 2^nd game 14-8. Ben Harty had two home runs on the day, Eddie Sobczak and Kyle Humphrey added 1 each, and Aaron Headrick hit 3 doubles and drove in 4 runs in game 1. Tyrell Poggemeyer threw a complete game to start the day, and Trent Line threw 5 innings in game two to pick up the win as well. Day 2 was not as fortunate as Skagit dropped both games by scores of 4-0 and 9-5. The Cardinals are now 3-5 in league play and 13-10 overall. Things won't get easier this weekend as Skagit takes on another league rival in Edmonds.

Skagit will host a doubleheader on Saturday at 1PM and then travel to Edmonds for a 1PM doubleheader on Sunday.

Tennis

The tennis teams are 3 matches into the league schedule with the men standing at 0-3 and the women at 1-2. The Skagit women are coming off of a 8-1 victory over Spokane on Saturday at home Skagit was led by Caitie Newman at #1 singles with a 6-1, (3-6), 6-1 victory. Alyssa Hendrickson and Michelle Klein continued the success at #1 doubles with a 6-0 victory.

The men's and women's tennis teams will be traveling to Shoreline on Wednesday for a 1:30 match, and will then host them on Saturday.

Golf

The golf team was on the road this weekend playing in the Bigfoot Invitational hosted by the Community Colleges of Spokane. That followed the Bellevue Invite last weekend, and a 2^nd place finish for the men. Adam Brisben led the way with a 3^rd place finish and Ryan Karsen was only 1 stroke behind in 4^th place overall. Kalan Smith finished in 1^st place overall for the women with an 84. Golf standings carry over from the fall, and the men are now 5-5 in league play. The women do not have enough players to field a complete team and score in the team standings.

The golf teams will travel to Tacoma for a league match on Monday, April 21^st.

Other News

The 2007 Skagit Valley College Male Athlete of the Year, Ryan Verdugo, threw a complete game on Sunday for the Louisiana State University Tigers. He gave up only 2 hits in a victory over the 18^th ranked Ole Miss baseball team. Ryan has started 9 games this season for LSU and is 6-2 with a 2.82 Earned Run Average.

Our sports teams are beginning to see Letters of Intent returned for the 08/09 campaign as well. The most recent signees are Shante Scott of Snohomish (women's basketball), Lauren Slaymaker of Grace Christian in Alaska (volleyball), and Shelbi Vopnford of Mount Vernon (volleyball). We expect to see manyVolleyball To Host Open Gyms

The Skagit Volleyball Team will be hosting open gyms for any student-athlete interested in playing intercollegiate volleyball at Skagit Valley College in the fall of 2008. If your are interested, show up in the college gym during the following times:

Sundays: Jan. 6th, 20th, Feb. 10th, 24th all 6-7:30 PM
Wednesdays: Jan. 16th, 30th, Feb. 6th all 4:30-6:00 PM

If you have questions or need directions, you may contact head coach Kelsey Savage at Kelsey.Savage@skagit.edu or 425-319-3175

Skagit Wins The 34th Annual Turkey Tournament
The Skagit Valley College Men's Basketball Team opened up their season with two wins and The Turkey Tournament Championship. Skagit Valley College has been hosting the Tournament for the past 34 years and returned the Championship to it's rightful place; at home. Skagit opened up the tournament with a 100-92 win over Green River as Chris Zeringer led the way with 19 points. In the Championship game Skagit fell behind big early, but rallied for an 80-78 win over Wenatchee Valley College. Chris Zeringer and Daniel Davidson were named to the All-Tournament Team, and Kohl Baxter was named the tournament MVP; an award received by Head Coach Roger Valentine in the first Turkey Tournament.

Cardinal Baseball Players Sign Early
Sophomores JJ McLeod of Burlington HS and Ben Harty of Newport HS (Bellevue) both signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA early signing period. McLeod will be attending Liberty University and Harty will attend New Mexico State University beginning in the fall of 2008. Liberty is a Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia and has made a strong committment to athletic succes in the Big South Conference. New Mexico State University is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and is a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Two Cardinal Volleyball Players Recieve Post-Season Awards
Sophomores Rachel Hills and Krystal Rouselle were selected as Northern Region All-Stars by the region coaches. Hills was a first-team selection and Rouselle a second team selection. Both will recieve automatic selections for the Sophomore All-Star Game and should be joined by some additional sophomore teammates when those selections are announced.

Thursday, November 1st, 2007

Cardinal Volleyball Headed To NWAACC Tourney
The Skagit Valley College Volleyball Team eliminated Shoreline from playoff contention as they clinched their own spot in the 2007 NWAACC Tournament. This year's tournament will be hosted by Mt. Hood CC in Gresham, OR November 15-17. The Cardinals have been led by a talented group of 6 sophomores and 5 freshman. This is the 2nd consecutive tournament bid for the Lady Cardinals.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Ryan Verdugo and Jennifer Kramer named Skagit Valley College Athletes of the Year

Baseball player Ryan Verdugo and 3 sport athlete Jennifer Kramer received the honor at the annual All Sports Banquet on the campus of Skagit Valley College.

Ryan Verdugo is a sophomore left-handed pitcher from Lake Stevens, WA had a record of 7-2 with a 2.57 ERA and 86 strikeouts during the 2007 campaign. Verdugo did not pitch in 2006 due to Tommy John Surgery early in the fall of his freshman year, This injury is a potential career ending one, and with his hard work, dedication, and committment to a strict rehabilitation plan, Verdugo made a full recovery with a top velocity of 91 mph. Verdugo helped lead the Cardinals to a record setting season, including a school record 35 wins, and a 2nd place finish at the NWAACC tournament; the best finish in school history. Verdugo is well liked and respected by his teammates, maintained a 3.35 GPA, was selected as an NWAACC Scholar Athlete, and has received an athletic scholarship to attend Louisiana State University.

Jennifer Kramer was a three sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball, and tennis. Her most outstanding succes was on the volleyball court where she was a team captain, Northern Region sophomore all-star and two year most inspirational selection by her teammates. She was a leader on and off the court who was known for her ever present smile and friendly attitude and personality. Kramer was well liked by her coaches and teammates, and spent time coaching basketball for Skagit County Parks and volleyball for Skagit Volleyball Camps. She maintained a 2.8 GPA and will pursue a career in the fashion industry. Her school of choice is still undecided and she is weighing the possibility of playing volleyball at a 4-year school as well.

We would like to extend our congratulations to these to outstanding Cardinals and all of the Cardinal student-athletes who competed during the 2006/07 school year. We wish them continued succes and look forward to having them return as alumni and support Cardinal Athletics.

Women's Hoop Heads to the NWAACC Championships

11/15/2006

The North West Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) has released the divisional all-league selections for volleyball and Skagit Valley College has received four Northern Division selections. Sophomore Francis Farani was voted the Northern Region MVP by the other coaches in the region, freshman Rachel Hills was a 1^st team selection, and freshman Ashley Janz was a 2^nd team selection.

In addition, Head Coach Kelsey Swapp was selected as the Northern Region Coach of the Year by her peers. This is quite an honor, and very deserving for Kelsey. It is truly a reflection of her commitment and dedication to Skagit Valley College, as well as a reflection of the support and commitment she receives from the team and Lianna Neyens and Nancy Anderson who have assisted her this year. Congratulations to Kelsey on her first coach of the year selection!

The final volleyball poll of the regular season was released on Nov.13th, and the Cardinal women were ranked 5^th in the NWAAAC heading into the conference tournament. The Cardinal women will travel to Spokane on Wednesday and will open tournament play at 2PM Thursday against Pierce College.

11/7/06
The Skagit Valley College Volleyball team completed their regular season schedule on Monday, November 6th with a win over Bellevue CC. The Cardinals posted a record of 11-1 in league play are 19-9 overall and the final league win secured the 1st league title for Skagit since 2000. Skagit will travel to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) tournament open play on Thursday, November 16th at 2:OO PM against a yet undetermined opponent.

Congratulations to Head Coach Kelsey Swapp, Assistant Coach Lianna Neyens and the 2006 Squad!