Briefs: UCI’s Folker honored

UC Irvine senior Adam Folker has been named the Big West Conference Player of the Week in men’s basketball.

He was also named Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.

The 6-foot-9 post player, from Markham, Ontario, Canada, averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds in UCI’s victories over visiting Pacific on Feb. 20 and at UT Arlington on Saturday.

In a 68-59 triumph over Pacific, Folker had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

He made seven of eight field-goal attempts to produce 16 points, added seven rebounds, and tied his career high with five assists in the 77-70 BracketBusters win over UT Arlington.

Folker made 13 of 19 shots (.684) in the two wins and he leads the league in field-goal percentage at .581 for the season. He is averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds for the ‘Eaters (16-13, 9-6 in conference).

UCI, which has won four in a row and six of its last eight, plays host to Long Beach State on Saturday at 4 p.m.

— From staff reports

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Shaeffer lauded

UC Irvine senior Ronnie Shaeffer has been named Big West Conference Player of the Week in baseball.

Shaeffer, a catcher and first baseman who has also been the team’s designated hitter, batted .474 over four games, accounted for a game-winning run batted in and a game-winning run as UC Irvine went 3-1 nonconference series triumph over visiting Cal.

In the series opener, Shaeffer snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh with a RBI single to drive in Dominique Taylor for the eventual game-winning run in a 5-3 decision.

He gave UCI the lead in the first game of the doubleheader Saturday with a solo home run and wound up three for five with two RBIs in the game.

In the second game Saturday, Shaeffer drove in the game-tying run in the bottom the 10th with a swinging bunt single and came around to score the walk-off run in UCI’s 4-3 victory.

He finished the weekend Sunday with a hit and two RBIs.

Shaeffer posted nine hits and six RBIs in the four games and entered the week leading the team with a .469 average and nine RBIs.

— From staff reports

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Duo All-GSAC

Vanguard University junior Nicole Ballestero and senior Esther Timmermans have been named first-team All-Golden State Athletic Conference in women’s basketball.

Ballestero, a 5-foot-8 guard who transferred from the University of San Diego, finished the regular season averaging 21.3 points per game, ranking third in the NAIA. Ballestero shot 41.2% from three-point range, averaged 4.8 assists and her assist-to-turnover ratio (2.468) ranked fifth nationally.

She shot 76.6% from the foul line to help Vanguard enter the GSAC Tournament with a 21-3, including an 11-3 mark in conference play, good for second place.

Timmermans, a repeat All-GSAC honoree, averaged 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in the regular season as a 6-foot-2 forward. She also shot 48.9% from the field.

Vanguard plays host to an opponent to be determined in Friday’s GSAC Tournament semifinal.

Jacquelyn Marshall, a junior at The Master’s College who transferred from UC Irvine, was also an all-conference performer.

For the second straight year, Westmont’s Tugce Canitez and Kristen Moore captured GSAC player and coach of the year honors, respectively.

— From staff reports

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Wynne singled out

Vanguard University junior Preston Wynne has been named first-team All-Golden State Athletic Conference in men’s basketball.

Wynne, a 6-foot-1 guard who transferred from Spokane Community College, averaged 18 points per game for the Lions, starting 26 of the 27 games in which he appeared.

Wynne made 80.4% of his 97 free-throw attempts and shot .38.5% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range.

He chipped in 3.9 rebounds per game and his 22 blocked shots led the team. His 56 steals tied for the team lead and his 57 assists ranked third among Lions.

Vanguard finished the regular season 17-12, 6-8 in conference play. Coach Rhett Soliday’s unit visits Concordia on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the GSAC Tournament quarterfinals.

— From staff reports