UC Irvine diamond men awarded No. 25 ranking

The UC Irvine baseball team (9-2-1), off to its best start since the

1971 Anteaters opened 10-2, climbed five spots to No. 25 in the

latest Collegiate Baseball national poll.

It is the highest UCI has been ranked as a Division I program

since 1981 when it was No. 13.

The Anteaters, unbeaten in their last eight games, including four

straight wins, play host to USC tonight at 6 at Anteater Ballpark.

Coach John Savage’s squad is also slated to visit Baylor, ranked

No. 25 by Baseball America, for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Freshman Justin Cassel, a prep All-American last spring at

Westchester High, is scheduled to start against a USC team that

includes his older brother Matt Cassel. Matt Cassel is a junior

pitcher who has made three appearances this season, all in relief.

Vanguard’s Kim honored

* BASKETBALL: Vanguard University sophomore guard Brian Kim, who

averaged 29.5 points in two men’s basketball games last week, has

been named Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Kim was 20 for 37 from the field (54.1%) and 10 of 20 from

three-point range in games against Christian Heritage and Azusa

Pacific.

He scored 37 points and grabbed four rebounds against Christian

Heritage Thursday, then pumped in 22 points in Saturday’s loss to

APU.

Bomgren Lion of Week

* SOFTBALL: Vanguard University freshman Rachel Bomgren, a

shortstop and leadoff hitter for the softball team, has been named

Lion of the Week by the school.

In three games during the week ending Feb. 22, Bomgren was nearly

unstoppable at the plate. She was 2 for 2 with a double and a

sacrifice bunt in the first game of a doubleheader with Bethany

College Feb, 20,

In the second game of the Bethany sweep, she was 3 for 3 with a

double and a sacrifice fly.

Bomgren belted a solo home run to break a scoreless tie in a Feb.

21 win over Claremont Mudd-Scripps.

Heading into today’s Golden State Athletic Conference opener

against visiting Point Loma Nazarene, Bomgren leads the Lions in hits

(20), batting average (.476) and is tied for the team lead in

extra-base hits (six).

El Camino bests Pirates

* GOLF: The Orange Coast College men’s golf team fell to host El

Camino Monday, 386-415, at Lakewood Country Club in Long Beach.

Jason Cassidy shot 7-over-par 79 to pace the Pirates, who fell to

3-2. Cassidy was six shots off the pace of the medalist from El

Camino.

Peter Baker (82), Shawn Vickers (82), Chad St. John (86) and Alex

Dugger (86) rounded out the scorers for OCC.

Curtis named to coach South

* FOOTBALL: Rick Curtis, who has guided Northwood High to three

straight unbeaten Pacific Coast League championships and a 29-5

record the last three seasons, has been selected to coach the South

in the 45th Orange County All-Star football game, scheduled July 16

at the Santa Ana Bowl.

Curtis, who has coached high school football for 27 years, coached

previously at University and Irvine high schools.

Former Orange Coast College player Greg Gibson, who guided Orange

High to an 11-2 record and the Golden West League title, will coach

the North.