Briefs: Ex-Pirate signs with NFL team

Former record-setting tailback inks free-agent deal with Baltimore after stint at Louisiana Tech.

Former Orange Coast College tailback Ray Holley has signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens, Pirates football coach Mike Taylor said in an announcement made by the school.

Holley who playd at OCC in 2008 and 2009, completed his college career at Louisiana Tech.

As a sophomore at OCC, Holley rushed for 1,457 yards, which was then a school single-season record, on 311 carries. His record was topped two years later when Domenic Betts rushed for 1,772 yards.

A one-man show for the Pirates in 2009, Holley capped off his Coast career by rushing for 266 yards and five touchdowns on 42 carries against Long Beach City College, tying the school record for touchdowns in a game. He was responsible for 75% of the team’s touchdowns and 54.4% of the team’s total offense in 2009.

Holley finished his two seasons at Coast with 1,921 rushing yards on 410 carries. Both totals rank second in OCC annals behind Jeff Clayton’s 2,507 yards on 421 carries in 1993-94. His strong play in 2009 earned Holley the school’s Male Athlete of the Year award.

At Louisiana Tech, he rushed for 750 yards and seven touchdowns on 142 carries in 2012. He also caught 34 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown and he finished his Tech career averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 9.2 yards per catch. Holley earned second-team, All-Western Athletic Conference honors last fall.

Holley became Louisiana Tech’s first first-team Academic All-American. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in counseling.

In 2010, Holley ran 49 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns as Louisiana Tech’s second-leading rusher and caught 11 passes for 98 yards. In 2011, Holley started out strong with 144 yards and four TDs through four games before suffering a season-ending back injury that allowed him to redshirt.

— From staff reports

OCC in playoffs

The Orange Coast College baseball team will visit Palomar for a best-of-three regional in the California Community College Athletic Assn. Southern California playoffs beginning Friday.

The Pirates (22-14), who finished fifth in the Orange Empire Conference, will battle Palomar (24-11). Game 1 is 2 p.m.

Game 2 is Saturday at 10 a.m. and Game 3, if necessary, will follow Saturday.

If victorious, OCC would advance to a four-team super regional.

— From staff reports

‘Eaters in NCAAs

The UC Irvine women’s tennis team plays San Jose State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 9 a.m. at USC’s Marks Tennis Stadium.

This is the third trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Anteaters, who also advanced in 2007 and 2010.

Coach Mike Edles’ Anteaters, who have never won an NCAA Tournament match, are (22-4) and have won 20 of their last 21. UCI defeated San Jose State, 4-3, on Jan. 20.

San Jose State is 19-5.

— From staff reports

Locals stand out

Three local players helped the USC women’s water polo team defeat Stanford, 11-7, to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship in Berkeley on Sunday

The next day, the Trojans were awarded the top seed for the NCAA Championship that begins May 10 at Harvard.

USC (24-1) features junior co-captain Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Harbor High) and seniors Nicolina McCall (Newport Harbor) and Chelsea Silvers (Newport Beach-Mater Dei). Gilchrist’s 41 goals rank second on the team. USC opens the national championships against No. 8-seeded Pomona-Pitzer.

Stanford (27-2), the two-time defending NCAA champion, was awarded an at-large berth and the No. 2 seed for the eight-team tournament. The Cardinal feature former CdM standout Kate Baldoni in goal, and has Victoria Kennedy (CdM) and Catherine Carpenter (Newport Harbor) on the roster.

Stanford opens the NCAAs against No. 7-seeded Iona.

UCLA received the other at-large berth and the No. 3 seed. The Bruins (26-6) feature former Newport-Mesa standouts Victoria Kent, Leslee Kaczmarek and Alex Musselman (CdM), as well as Maddy McLaren (Newport Harbor).

UCLA opens its tournament against No. 6-seeded Princeton. The Tigers won their second straight Collegiate Water Polo Assn. Eastern Division championship Sunday, earning the automatic NCAA bid by defeating Michigan, 7-5.

Princeton (26-5) features former CdM standout Diana Murphy, a freshman who has 36 goals, tied for fourth on the team in 2013.

Freshman Presley Pender (Newport Harbor) scored her fourth hat trick of the season for Michigan in the Wolverines’ loss. Pender led Michigan with 34 assists to go with 34 goals for the season.

The other first-round matchup pits No. 4 Hawaii (21-9) against No. 5 UC San Diego (25-13). Both teams earned automatic bids, by winning the Big West Conference and Western Water Polo Assn., respectively.

— Matt Szabo

Stalford lauded

Vanguard University sophomore Rachel Stalford was named Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week in softball on April 22.

Stalford threw a three-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over Hope International on April 20 and also held No. 3-ranked Cal State San Marcos to one run in six innings of a 1-0 loss April 16.

Stalford finished the season with a 9-12 record and a 2.06 earned-run average. She allowed 104 hits in 1121/3 innings with 72 strikeouts and 20 walks.

— From staff reports