The Dirtbags open the campaign against Wichita State this weekend with opening day ceremonies on Friday at 6 p.m. LBSU is coming off a disappointing 29-27 season last year. Milt Stark's contributions to the sport goes well beyond his playing career. He also went 5-0 in 1977 and 3-0 in 1979. The format for the Sunday program was purely recreational and on a drop-in basis. Jack Randall was inducted into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame in 1973. In center field, Jashia Morrissey-Jakel, Kyle Ashworth and Tyler White are all battling for playing time. If we finish first or fifth, we still have a 90% transfer rate.. After playing high school baseball in Bakersfield with Ted Williams, among others on the Hawaiian Islands during World War II, Lucky joined the Nitehawks in 1952. Teams compete in 19 sports at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level. Most softball teams last a few years and then just drift apart from lack of interest. A good softball game is played in about one and a half hours. at. 2/21/2023 9:23:00 AM Baseball lore says that the greatest umpires are never noticed. There is no additional information to display. Martinez has brought winning expectations, but also a winning culture. The Beach is also returning six offensive starters highlighted by junior outfielder Sara Olson and sophomore infielder Jacquelyn Bickar. On April 6, 2007, it was announced that Dan Monson (formerly of Gonzaga University and the University of Minnesota) would become Long Beach State's next head men's basketball coach, succeeding Larry Reynolds. Director of Athletic Academic Services. LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Head Coach Kim Sowderrecorded her 500th career victory at Long Beach State during Sunday's 2-1 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. It's just that when I was little, I had two choices: I could curl up and die, or I could live. After the hiring of Dave Snow as head coach in 1989, the LBSU baseball team has become one of the most successful teams in the school's athletic history. Assistant Athletics Director, Chief Financial Officer, SWA. Even before his time as head coach, he laid deep roots in the Long Beach baseball community as a player at St. Anthony High School, Long Beach City College, and at Long Beach State. She has been a successful high school and private coach since her playing career ended. It changed my life. The Official Athletic Site of the LSU, partner of WMT Digital. The energy and competitiveness in our intrasquad scrimmages has been great.. . He led Mary Star to the 1952 world title and was inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame in 1976. Thats why Division 1 bouncebacks like Lakewoods Alejandra Mota (UC Davis) have picked LBCC. Long Beach State Rowing, also known as Beach Crew, was initially a varsity sport but has since become a club sport following nationwide changes to the organization of collegiate rowing following the introduction of Title IX. The Long Beach State Beach men's volleyball team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 219 (.654) through eleven appearances.[20]. Sandra Shirley-Ross' service to Long Beach State hasn't stopped since she arrived as a freshman in 1990. George Allen, the famed Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins coach, had a short one-year tenure at Long Beach State. Skip to main content. He currently has 763 career victories and a career winning percentage of .620, all at Long Beach State. Bonvicini guided the Beach to Final Four appearances in 1987 and 1988. [24] The team was co-founded by Bill Lockyer, a local businessman of Long Beach, and Dr. Ludwig Spolyar, a campus activities adviser. UH has strong athletic programs and is joining the Big 12 Athletic . Long Beach State is home to one of the top women's volleyball teams in the nation. Export. Last year we had big outside expectations and we were too focused on the results part of it, Valenzuela said This year theres no expectations. P- Ashley Hester, So. By participating, you could win one of three $1,000 prizes or a Scotts Miracle-Gro gift pack. As of the end of the 201819 season, the team has won thirteen Big West tennis titles since 2002 and qualified for thirteen NCAA tournament championships since 2002; advancing to the Round of 32 three times. Ramirez. Lauderback has been a perennial at NCAA championship events, including several College World Series. [11] The Dirtbags nickname referred to a gritty, team first style of play taught by Coach Snow and subsequent coaches. As the original owner of what is now Joe Rodgers Field, he donated the land to the City of Long Beach for recreational softball play. Congratulations to our Athletes of the Week and thanks to Naples Rib Company for their sponsorship. Its a hungry group, its just not loud. The women's basketball team had its greatest success during the 1980s when coached by Joan Bonvicini for 12 years. . Kostrencich, Shelby In her 16 seasons at the helm of the Long Beach State softball program, four-time Big West Coach of the Year Kim Sowder has continued a Beach tradition of winning and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Help keep The562 accessible to the entire community by giving what you can to support our work. He led the Nitehawks as one of their front line pitchers during their glory years. We have to go out and prove it.. Long Beach State men's and women's basketball teams compete in the Big West Conference. Haddad, Lilyanna He's won numerous awards for his writing as well as the CIF Southern Sections Champion For Character Award, and is the author of three books about Long Beach history. People at LBCC really wanted to help me and they did. Unlike all other Long Beach State sports teams, the baseball team unofficially goes under the moniker "The Dirtbags." Keep The562 Free to Read! This pitcher was a two-time CIF player of the year at Millikan in 1983 and 1984 and led the Rams to the 1983 CIF title. Hopkins signed with the Boston Red Sox organization and played professional baseball for five years after graduating from Wilson High School. Long Beach State Rowing, more popularly known as "Beach Crew," was founded in the fall semester of 1957, and continues to be one of the oldest, continuous, collegiate sports on campus. . Thanks to John Martin for the video, visit the562.org to find out how you can support publicly-funded sports coverage. This new facility is beautiful. http://the562.org. Junior Calvin Estrada had [], Get ready: Long Beachs best sports coverage is coming back to a screen near you. Our pitch is simplewe remain true to who we are. Friday, March 3. Quinlan, Shannon Gonzales is a transfer who led CSUN with 70.2 innings pitched two seasons ago before also taking last season off. Softball Head Coach 985-1506 985-1506: kim.sowder@csulb.edu: Panita Thanatharn: Associate Head Coach 985-2100 985-2100: panita.thanatharn@csulb.edu: Kevin Castillo: Assistant Coach 985-8565 985-8565: Kevin.Castillo@csulb.edu: Mariah Ramirez: Volunteer Assistant Coach 985-8565 985-8565: Mariah.Ramirez@csulb.edu He also served as Vice President of the ISC from 1952 to 1967. Ive said before that this is one of the best collegiate teams Ive ever seen, he said. She is a regional executive for the American Softball Association working out of Long Beach. Joe Rodgers was inducted to the ISC Hall of Fame in 1970 and he has also been inducted into the Helms Hall of Fame. [31], Long Beach State won 3 national championships at the NCAA Division II level.[31]. Under her tutelage, the 49ers have posted the four highest batting averages in the history of the program. Cecil, Jacquelyn This left-hander was the mainstay of Long Beach State's first team to advance to the College World Series, posting 20 wins in 1986. 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Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast. Long Beach State head coaches are paid an average of about $12,000 more per year than their Big West Conference colleagues. Devotion to the team was Red's strongest attribute. The Long Beach State Beach men's cross country team appeared in the NCAA tournament six times, with their highest finish being 10th place in the 197172 school year. Clint was the consummate team player who went on to coach and teach the game he loved for many years. Its going to be something special, for sure.. Returning Dirtbags starters Jonathon Long and Connor Burns made the team. Below are five national club team championships won at the highest collegiate level. He soon became the Nitehawks batboy and carved out a roster spot for himself as a high school teenager in 1950. He was named to the Western Softball Congress All-Star team 15 times and was a member of six International Softball Congress World Tournament winners. Pinch-hitter Shaq [], The562s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2022-23 season is sponsored byMarilyn Bohl. New Coach jobs added daily. 2020 Top 50 College Softball Programs Countdown: 46-50 We kick off our ranking of the nation's Top 50 College Softball Programs with an in-depth look at teams ranked in the 46-50 range. Cardinal Gibbons football team gets state championship rings (Apr. Perez, Teah She was also named 2nd Team All-Big West in '93 and '94. In her third Olympics, in 2004, Lisa was 4-0 and batted .545. Patty Gasso set the standard for Long Beach City College softball when she arrived in 1990. Sickles was named first-team All-American and first-team All-State along with South Coast Conference Player of the Year. The Long Beach State Dirtbags only managed four hits against Arizona State on Tuesday at Blair Field, but they were inches away from walking off winners in the bottom of the ninth inning. She still ranks high on the school's all-time career top ten lists, including second in stolen bases, third in hits and eighth in batting average (.271). 9 a.m. SB. A Long Beach Fire Captain for 31 years, Lucky was instrumental in bringing the ISC World Tournament to Joe Rodgers and Blair Field in 1976. That goes for softball, too. In addition to his duties as softball coach and instructor in the Physical Education Department, Pete also makes it a priority to serve the local community. [26] In 2020 it was announced that Marine Stadium will once again host Olympic Rowing in 2028. As a team, Long Beach State led the Big West with a 1.78 ERA in conference play, and led the league with 163 strikeouts as well as holding league opposition to .221 hitting. All of the guys we brought in are top tier talents, great athletes and great teammates, Saldivar said. She threw a school-record 38 shutouts, three no-hitters and set a school record with a career 0.48 career ERA. Thies, Eryka JJ Fiddler is an award-winning sportswriter and videographer who has been covering Southern California sports for multiple newspapers and websites since 2004. After attending Long Beach State and creating the first full sports page at the Union Weekly Newspaper, he has been exclusively covering Long Beach prep sports since 2007. on Long Beach State Softball Season Preview 2023, Keep The562 Free to Read! The men's volleyball competed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and now in the Big West Conference. While Red was worrying about schedules and players, Connie spent week nights and weekends in the concession stand at Joe Rodgers Field making nickels and dimes to keep the Nitehawks financially afloat. Weber State University. Salazar, Selena A lot of blind people can outshine me in 5000 different ways. 15 USC at 7 p.m. Click here for our previews of the game. His other senses allowed him to see the games he was calling in a different way from the rest of us. In 1986, he pitched all six games while leading the Long Beach Snappers 60+ team to a World Series title. Kelly Ford, who has enjoyed success as a collegiate athlete, community college head coach, and a Division I head coach, enters her 11th season as the head coach of the softball program at Cal State Fullerton for the 2022-23 season. A member of 10 world championship teams, he was named "All-American" 12 times and participated in 23 International Softball Congress world tournaments as a player. Assistant Coach. The moment you become a parent, your life is transformed forever. Coming out of the service in 1946, Clint resumed his pre-war softball career by joining up with Joe Rodgers and the newly formed Long Beach Nitehawks. She was one of just nine Americans chosen to work at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and is expected to work the 2008 Games in Beijing. Martinez has led a brick-by-brick revamp of the Vikings program that changed her life when she arrived fresh out of St. Josephs. The 1998 squad led the nation in fielding with a school record .978 fielding percentage. Head Softball Coach Ohio Christian University Circleville, Ohio Featured! (); : [26] Marine Stadium was built for the 1932 Olympics and is listed as a historic landmark by the State of California. This Long Beach State Dirtbags season will start with a lot of question marks and coach Eric Valenzuela likes that for his program that has 34 new players on the roster. $5K Birthday Fundraiser, organized by Mike Guardabascio, P2S, Inc. Returns As Sponsor of The562s Dirtbags Coverage for 2023 Season, Long Beach State Dirtbags Bats Quiet In Loss, Long Beach State Mens Basketball Upsets UC Irvine In Overtime, Long Beach State Dirtbags Cant Catch No. Join NRPA this September and host a Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz to engage your community in nature, learn about pollinators and collect valuable data to help manage your parks. Upon Weather's retirement, he was succeeded by assistant Troy Buckley in 2010. http://the562.org. Matt Fuerbringer: Current Long Beach State assistant volleyball coach currently serving as an assistant coach with the USA men's volleyball team Riley Gibbs: Wilson alum who's a rising star on the USA Sailing team Tyler Hildebrand: Long Beach State alum currently serving as the director of USA Beach Volleyball As a sophomore in 1993, she earned first-team All-American and first-team All-State honors. The official 2023 Softball Roster for the Long Beach State University Dirtbags . Our girls were unhappy with the Super Regionals, they wanted a state berth, said Martinez. The562s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2022-23 season is sponsored byMarilyn Bohl. Introduced to softball on the recreational fields of Long Beach and Lakewood, Lisa is without question softball's most famous, and successful, representative. Long Beach State has appeared in the NCAA tournament 25 consecutive times under Gimmillaro from 1987 to 2011, only missing the tournament under his tenure in 1986 and 2012. Nicki is arguably the greatest pitcher the Long Beach City College softball program has ever seen. That set me on the path to be successful and not worry about other people. All that talent doesnt mean anything if you dont play as a team. Fernandez, Mo Kevin Castillo enters his seventh season at the Beach, and returns for his fourth as an assistant coach following a promotion in 2018. He took over the Lakewood program and became a leader as the sport began its transition from recreational GAA programs to organized CIF teams. In addition to NCAA-sanctioned sports, Long Beach State also fields numerous competitive club sports teams, such as rugby, ice hockey, ultimate, soccer, crew, skiing and many others. He was an excellent bunter and slap hitter while wearing the Nitehawk uniform for 28 seasons. He was a softball star in the '30s then he crossed over to baseball. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. She also ranks third in career doubles with 18, fifth in hits with103 and is eighth all-time with 59 RBI. Following the 1994 season, she accepted the head coaching position at the University of Oklahoma and for the past 10 years has molded the OU softball program into a national power. Shadie will long be remembered as one of the best hitters to play softball at Long Beach City College. 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