Upset City!!!!

Saturday night the volleyball team took on top CCAA ranked Cal State San Bernadino at home. In an intense 5 game match, East Bay won it, taking the final set 15-13. The baseball team provided most, if not all, of the noise to help propel the team to victory. The x-factor? Has to be el equipo de beisbol.

Keith "Pac Man" Schwecke aught up with me for a quick inerview:

Question: How has the baseball team influenced the volleyball game atmosphere?

KS: We make it feel like we actually have a legit fan base, make the game more exciting and fun.

Q: Obviously all of the team's success cannot be attributed to the fans, but how do you think the team helps the girls play better?

KS: Well they are not used to having a crowd cheering them on like we do, so it must get them pumped and they give it all they have.

Q: How can East Bay help bring fans into sporting events?

KS: Sell alcohol.

Q: What flavors?

KS: The golden nectar called beer.

For more on Pioneer athletics, check out our website at csueastbay.edu

Walk-off win in Soccer!?

That's what the girls team did yesterday against CSU San Bernardino. With about a minute and 45 seconds remaining in double over time, Kara Yamamoto netted home the game winner sending the team into a frenzy. The fans wanted to rush the field, but the big crowd had to be contained by security and university officials...it was the place to be in Hayward, CA.

Earlier in the weekend, the volleyball team beat Cal State LA in front of a raucous East Bay audience as the fans, generated by the baseball team, helped propelled the women to their 11th win, 3rd straight. It can be argued without the vocal leadership of Aaron Brown and Keith Schwecke, the team may not have had the same success to the rate that they did Friday night. Players of the game=these two men.

Go Pios.

Battle of the Bay starts big weekend

A big weekend of sports started today as the soccer teams took on S.F. State in a Battle of the Bay game. Battle of the Bay is a new idea that started last year as CSU East Bay moved into the CCAA. The way it works, each time a school wins, they get a point towards their overall record against the opposing school. For sports that play each other multiple times, each win counts as half a point. Since SFSU won today in both men and women's (1-0 and 2-0) soccer, they have half a point for each sport. The first school to 5.5 total points will take home the covenant Bay Trophy.

In other news, cross country is running in Santa Barbara at Westmont. The men's golf team goes to the great Western Washington in the beautiful BELLINGHAM, Washington and the women's team is at the less foresty state of Arizona. Check out the full write ups for your Pio Athletics.

Rivarly Renewed

The men and women soccer teams won 3 out of their 4 combined games while on the road at Sonoma State and Humboldt. The men's team ended their first conference road trip by putting 3 goals away against the Lumberjacks. The girls got back to their winning ways and swept the road trip by winning both of their bids.

Fun fact, men's head coach, Andy Cumbo, coached at Humboldt State 2 years ago prior to getting the head coaching job at East Bay, and assistant coach Keith Lambert played his college soccer there, so this win meant more than just a notch in the 'W' column. In their lone meeting last year, Humboldt State won 3-1, so now bragging rights belong to the Pios.

In other news, the San Diego Chargers got back to their dominate style of play and beat the Jaguars 38-13. I guess there were other NFL games, but I'm sure you guys only want to hear about the Chargers.

Pio Profile #1

Each week I am going to do what I am gonna call, the "Pio Profile" which is just a question and answer sesh with a different athlete. I think we have some really good teams/players that go unrecognized, plus it will be fun to hear about how the different teams practice, stories from road trips, pre-game rituals etc. So for the first ever inaugural Pio Profile, I figured it would make sense to talk with an athlete who is currently playing in the Fall season, so I talked to my good friend from the men's golf team, A.J. Warren. A.J. Is in his first year playing on the golf team, and played at THE Castro Valley High School prior to arriving with the Pioneer golf team this Fall. Here's what he had to say...

Question: What is the hardest part about transitioning from individual competition in the summer, to team play while in college?

A.J. : I think it's now that after the round there are teammates to pick me up if I play poorly or celebrate with if I do well, and also know that all my shots count for the team and are important no matter how poor I'm playing.

Q:Do you have any pre-shot rituals?

A.J.: Rituals? no, I do have a pre-shot routine, I always take a few practice swings til I feel comfortable.

Q: It has been rumored that Tiger Woods only uses 10 balls when he is at the range, because after he hits them, he runs and collects all of them, runs back, and takes 10 more swings, and repeats this while at the range. What is the craziest thing you have done/seen to practice?

A.J.: I have seen guys swing from their knees, I have actually done it too.

Q: How does this help?

A.J.: It helps make sure that your swing is on plane cause if it's not, you'll either miss the ball or hit the ground.

Q: Gotcha. Ok last question. I am really good at Tiger Woods golf, the video game and consistently shoot in the 60s, how will this translate to my real golf game and how long will it take me to get on the PGA Tour?

A.J. : It will make you an excellent golfer right now, and you should sign up for q school right now...

Thank you A.J. The men's team is headed up to Santa Rosa tomorrow where they will be playing the Sea Wolves of Sonoma State.

Pitchers hitting in NCAA baseball?

Score from Wednesday's Duel in Diego: CSU East Bay wins it in 5 sets! Brii Bryant, Ariel Ajagu, and newcomer Katie Allen put up some big numbers. 4th year seniors Lauren Massa and L-Town's very own Roxanne Neely made big contributions. I "watched" the game online, and nothin like yelling a a computer screen when the score was 12-11 in the 5th set haha

Question, what is more entertaining, watching a designated hitter hit a 430 foot home run, or watching a starting (or relief pitcher for that matter) try to make solid contact and make a productive out? I dunno, but I always enjoy watchin a starting pitcher awkwardly stand at home and take a hack or two. Even better, it is cool to see a pitcher get on base,or even better, see a REFIEF pitcher get on base. Heath Bell, the Padres closer, had the bases loaded in the top of the 9th the other night and lined out to right on a 3-2 count. That is always interesting. What do you think? How would college pitchers fair with 2, maybe 3 at bats each start?

Women's Volleyball

The women's volleyball is taking on the Tritons of UCSD tonight. It will be a big game as UCSD is ranked and it is the first CCAA road game for the girls. They are well coached by Jimmy Spagel though and so I think the girls will win in an epic 5 set game.

In other news Keith Schwecke's contract dispute has ended. He arrived on campus late Tuesday night after coming to terms with the baseball front office staff earlier this summer, and signed a one year deal worth a new pair of Mizuno cleats in the spring. Schwecke, a Senior, will help anchor the pitching staff in the 2011 season.