July 5, 2007

SPORTS

Much work lies ahead for Pioneer boys’ hoops team

Mustangs looking to replace key starters during 2007 summer league season

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

The 2007 boys’ summer league basketball season has presented a familiar challenge for Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich – finding capable starters for the upcoming regular season.

Shawn Bundlie is one of three players looking for playing time at the point guard position during summer league play. Photos by Dan Miranda

Following the 2006-07 season, the Mustangs lost a total of eight seniors to graduation, including players who saw significant minutes in Mike Collins, T.J. Watson, Matt Montelongo and Gilbert Mendoza. Still, Berticevich said he’s confident that this year’s task of finding a group of new starters will work out just fine, just as it did the year before, when the Mustangs were faced with having to replace their entire starting lineup.

“It’s been like that the last three years and we’ve been handling it okay,” Berticevich said. “Usually, when you lose five senior starters and some key players off the bench, you figure it’s going to be a rebuilding year. It hasn’t been that way the last two years and I don’t think it’s going to be so this year.”

Berticevich noted that this summer’s task in finding starters is already well underway, with incoming seniors Andrew Springer and Nick Maggipinto – two players who received starts and contributed significant minutes last season – looking to help fill the void in the 2007-08 starting lineup. Still, both players will have to help pick up the slack as team leaders and in other areas of the game, Berticevich said. Specifically, Berticevich said Springer, a forward, will be counted on as a key piece of the puzzle on both offense and defense.

“He’s capable of being one of the better players in the league,” Berticevich said of Springer. “…He needs to be the go-to guy. He’s our biggest guy and our strongest guy at the post. He needs to be consistent every game and hopefully he’s up to the challenge. I think he is.”

Pioneer forward Mike Beltramo is one of several players vying for significant playing time with the Mustangs this coming season. Beltramo, known as a capable scorer, must work on improving his defense during summer league play, according to head coach Joe Berticevich.

Another player vying for a starting spot is incoming senior forward Mike Beltramo, a player known for his offensive abilities. Berticevich said that while Beltramo is capable player on offense, it’s his defense that will need some polishing this summer, much like the rest of the team.

“We all know he can shoot; if you leave him open, he’s going to knock it down. That’s not going to be a problem,” Berticevich said of Beltramo. “What we need to do as a team is to be better defensively and right now in summer, we’re struggling with that. …With Mike, he needs to step up that part of his game, and he knows that.”

Another key spot open this summer is the point guard position, which was manned last season by Montelongo. So far, Berticevich noted, Shawn Bundlie, a returning player who will be a senior next season, as well as incoming frosh/soph players in Nick Sarabia and Jason Berticevich – Joe Berticevich’s nephew – are all vying for the job. Berticevich said that while it’s too early to tell who might see time at the spot, he’s not overly concerned either.

“Competition will take care of that,” Berticevich said of the point guard position. “…Whether it’s by committee or if one guy takes the lead, with the other guys supporting. We’ll be fine at that position. It’s going to take some time, but I’m confident in what we can do and I’m confident that we’ll be competitive in our league.”

And while Berticevich said he’s looking forward to seeing what his team can accomplish this summer, he’s also looking forward to the chance to coach his nephew, an incoming sophomore guard, in 2007-08.

“It’ll be fine,” Berticevich said of coaching his nephew this coming season. “He’s the type of player I like to coach. He’s a hardnosed player, similar to Nick Maggipinto. He’s coachable and he’s a good player. He’s athletic and he’s just going to get better.”

Almaden’s AAA South Cardinals enjoy successful 2007 season

Almaden Little League’s AAA South Cardinals bid in the Tournament of Champions may have ended recently with an 11-10 loss to Branham Hills, but team manager Greg Asplund had plenty of reasons to smile about the 2007 season as a whole.

Back row: coach Jeff Wells, coach Kevin Smith, and manager Greg Asplund. Middle row: Daniel Reuter, Josh Wells, Kevin Asplund, and Jake Bergstrom. Front row: Nick Culine, Carl Canteenwala, Tyler Nelson, Shane Smith, Alex Ferroni, Trevor Weinstock, Isaac Hartman, and Adam Dietz.

All told, the Cardinals compiled a 20-2 record, including a league crown in the Almaden Little League AAA South Division, earning the team a trip to the postseason in TOCs.

“It was a blast,” Asplund said of the 2007 Cardinals season. “It was a good thing to have all of the kids participate. They each played a big part in the team’s wins.”

Asplund noted that the team’s strength was its ability to come through in the clutch on offense. As a team, the Cardinals hit .354 all season, led by Asplund’s son, Kevin, who sported a .699 batting average and an .806 on base percentage. In addition, both Daniel Reuter and Josh Wells hit over .500 throughout the season.

“You’d never know where the big hit would come from,” said Asplund.

On the hill, the Cardinals were equally effective, as Kevin Asplund and Adam Deitz teamed up to create a formidable 1-2 punch. Kevin Asplund finished the season with 140 strikeouts to lead the team.

Most importantly to the elder Asplund, however, was the team’s can-do attitude, which came in handy during tough games.

“These kids, I don’t think they ever had a game where they gave up,” he said.

Still, Asplund said losing a tough one-run game to end the season to Branham Hills was a tough pill to swallow. With the game tied, Branham Hills pushed through the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, ending the 2007 baseball season for the Cardinals in TOCs.

“You get used to winning, so it was tough,” Asplund said. “We were ahead for most of the game and right toward the end, they caught us. …That’s the difficult part.”

Plenty of hardware to go around

Warriors head baseball coach John Diatte named State Coach of the
Year by CalHiSports.com after winning CCS Division I crown

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

A successful 2007 season got a little sweeter for Valley Christian head baseball coach John Diatte after the 18-year coaching veteran was named the State Coach of the Year recently by CalHiSports.com.

The distinction came after Diatte led his Warriors to the 2007 CCS Division Championship title with a 6-2 win over San Benito during the Memorial Day Weekend.

By winning the Division I crown, the Warriors baseball team became the first squad in CCS to win titles in three divisions, having won the Division III crown in 2000 and the Division II crown twice in both 2001 and 2002.

And while Diatte said he’s thankful for the praise, he noted the accolade was a reflection of the coaches and players around him this season.

“The whole year was a pretty good deal,” said Diatte, whose team went 33-4 in 2007. “This was a group of kids that we had looked forward to having. They put their time in and worked hard. The fun part came in all of the things they did and worked hard to achieve. …As coaches, we get the benefit of some accolades that really don’t have a whole lot to do with us, and more to do with the kids. The greatest part about it is that I can go my staff and thank them for all the hard work they put in.”

Diatte, whose previous honors include being named the 2003 American Baseball Coaches Association Western U.S. Coach of the Year, said he’s had the good fortune of having good coaches and school administrators around him during his 18 years at the helm of the program.

“The phrase, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ I think it’s the same thing with building a program,” Diatte said. “There are just so many people who are involved to have something special like this happen. …All those people put their two cents in, or have mentored me in some way, to get us to this point. I’ve been extremely fortunate.”

Perhaps more important than any postseason accolades, however, is the strength and growth of the program, Diatte said. To that end, winning the CCS Division I crown is a special feat not for what it is, but what it represents to those who have been involved with Valley Christian baseball over the years.

“Just the progress of the program, that’s more of what it means to me,” Diatte said. “…Now being able to be the first team to do it in all three (divisions), that’s special. It’s longevity, it’s over time. It’s not something where you woke up one morning and you had one good pitcher, and all of a sudden, you won a CCS Championship. We’ve been able to build our program and see the fruits of our hard labor, I guess you can say, and be able to see that culminate with a CCS Division I Championship.”

Longevity is certainly nothing strange to Diatte, a Valley Christian alumnus. All told, Diatte said he’s spent the better part of 30 years as a part of the school, from student to teacher and coach. With 18 years of coaching the team under his belt, Diatte said he can’t see himself anywhere else but the school he’s known for the majority of his life.

“It’s my home,” Diatte said. “The other side of that is, I’ve had some people who’ve allowed me to grow and to build a program and have some nice things. It’s like a child: you’ve developed it, you’ve built it, and you’re not going to throw it out. I don’t see myself going anywhere else.”

With the task of growing the baseball program over the years, Diatte has also grown into his philosophy of coaching, which boils down to one important aspect: focusing on the minute details.

“The thing that I think is most important is that we pay attention to the little things,” Diatte said. “There are details, the process. That’s way more important to us than the outcome. I think the outcome will take care of itself if you take care of the process. I learned early on that I can’t control some of the big things. I can’t control it if my athletes throw 90 miles per hour, or if everyone on the team is going to hit .300. But I can control the little things, like hustling and working hard.”

Part of that philosophy is the daily challenge of motivating his players, and finding new ways to do it.

“I think young people want to be motivated,” Diatte said. “Young people will try to do as little as possible unless we give them a reason not to. If we give them a reason to work hard, they’ll do it. I think motivating them to do that is not only fun for me, by fun for them.”

Sports Briefs

Bay Area Boot Camp 5K Fitness Training Program

Boot Camp dates are from September 10 - November 4 at South Bay locations. The cost is $125 - All proceeds benefit the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative. The 5K Fitness Training program, developed by Bay Area Boot Camp’s expert coaching staff, is a comprehensive workout series designed to prepare you for the Silicon Valley 5K Run/Walk on November 4, 2007.

Designed for runners of all levels, this 8-week program includes:

Eight weekly training sessions led by Bay Area Boot Camp coaches

A detailed schedule of running, speed, and cross-training drills

A Training log to help you track your progress and keep your focus

An eight-week nutrition plan designed to support your training and optimize your energy level

Unlimited phone and email support from our coaching staff of veteran 5K, 10K, and marathon runners

15% off September and October Boot Camp sessions - an ideal way to enhance your race preparations and cross train in a supportive group environment

A pre-race party – get to know your fellow 5K racers and learn more about BAWSI!

For more information, contact Mary Beth Gonzales at marybeth@bayareabootcamp.com or phone 408-425-9475. Visit our website at www.bayareabootcamp.com.

EMQ Children & Family Services Tennis Marathon Begins 24th Season
Proceeds benefit programs that help children and families with mental health disabilities
Registration has begun for the annual EMQ Children & Family Services September, 2007 to May, 2008 tennis season fundraiser. This event allows participating groups to play one match per month beginning in September with the scheduling of time and location set at the convenience of the players.  A $50 fully tax deductible fee is required by all participants for the entire season.  Individuals can play in more than one group at $50 per group fee.  

Registration Deadlines: July 2 for singles, July 15 for doubles. All player levels are welcome and participants are encouraged to form their own group or participants can be placed in a group. Doubles must provide a partner at the time of registration. A schedule and set of rules is sent to each group with the roster and group leader name prior to September, 2007.

An end-of-the-season celebration will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008 at the Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC) with Round Robin Tennis followed by lunch and awards. For more information and to sign up, contact Lois Machado (408-268-1306; loistennis@aol.com) for singles and Jean Knofler (408-269-1492; jbknofler@comcast.net) for doubles.

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