UCI’s Erickson honored

UC Irvine freshman closer Blair Erickson has been named second-team

All-American by CollegeBaseballInsider.com.

Erickson amassed 17 saves and finished the season 1-3 for a UCI

team that earned its first postseason berth in the school’s Division

I history. Erickson at one time converted eight consecutive save

opportunities and recorded 51 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings for the

Anteaters. He was named Big West Conference Freshman Pitcher of the

Year and will compete in the 2004 USA Baseball national team trials,

which begin Monday.

Junior pitcher Brett Smith received honorable mention. He became

the highest draft pick in school history after he was picked with the

first pick in the second round, 42nd overall, by the New York Yankees

in Major League Baseball’s draft. Smith was 8-5 with a 2.54 ERA, and

his team-high 113 strikeouts this year are second in the UCI season

records. He ends his career at UCI second all-time in career

strikeouts with 270.

Zaltosky services set

* SERVICES: Memorial services for Craig Zaltosky, the former

Orange Coast College football player who died recently in an

automobile accident, will take place at the Keauhou Beach Park in

Kona, Hawaii on Sunday.

Zaltosky’s friends in Huntington Beach and Dana Point, and

relatives in Kansas will be having memorial services Sunday. For

information call, (949) 326-4986 or (808) 936-4586.

All-Stars win twice

* SOFTBALL: The Pacific Coast Girls Fastpitch Softball

12-and-under All-Stars went 2-3 and finished among the top four teams

in the Cerritos tournament Saturday and Sunday.

In pool play, the Pacific Coast All-Stars defeated Redondo Sunset,

but lost to North Shore and Long Beach, who were both in the

championship game.

Pacific Coast avoided elimination with a 6-4 win over Cerritos,

then ended its run with an 8-2 loss to Long Beach in the semifinals.

Pitchers Kelly Heenan, Rene Mycorn, Lauren Tolfa and Mary Hamilton

performed well throughout the weekend, Coach Ed Francis said. Kellsie

Soltero, Elizabeth Cramer and Katrina Gaar contributed offensively.

The defense was anchored by Melanie Sitzer, Emma Zublin and

Heenan, as well as middle infielders Courtney Francis and Jade Watts.