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Show mm SECTION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2008 SPORTS EDITOR Darnell Dickson 344-255- 5 ddicksonheraldextra.com MWC NOTEBOOK 2008 UVSC BASEBALL PREVIEW 4? ING TO TI j FILEAP New Mexico's J R. Giddens flexes for the crowd in this Nov. 21, 2(X)6file photo. Giddens was named MWC offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row. New Mexico's J.R. Giddens finally playing well for Lobos Jason Franchuk DAILY EfeSSrSC' 1 Last year's 25 wins were a school (Division tfZm . I) 1 s( V Utah VaIey State baseball team sets sights high in 2008 Neil K. DAILY Warner , HERALD record "We play such a tough schedule, but would still like to win 25 or more games. We went 25-3- 0 last year, would like to improve on that." I ' optimistic and just plain sick. What Marcus Moore's delivery? Jake Rickenbach's glove? Jace Brinkerhoff 's bat? No, Utah Valley State's baseball schedule. There is challenging and there is 318 After 18 sea- sons at Utah Val- ley, head coach Steve Gardner is retiring t is ambitious, . " this. The first.22 games of the season on the road. Two series against Baseball America's top 25 teams including No. 2 Arizona and No. 7 Oregon State, the two-tim- e defending champions. And the challenge continues. UVSC is scheduled to play Oklahoma State, who won 42 games last year and was ranked as high as 10th during the season and the Wolverines take on Cal, a team ranked No. 23 in one preseason poll. The Wolverines have eight players returning who had 29 or more at-ba-ts 25-wi-n baseball team. HNST0NDaily Herald uvscp,0FAaronBrady The number of wins pitcher Marcus Moore - jjfL recorded against J? W Utah I Doubting his motives doesn't seem possible right now. J.R. Giddens, considered widely as some mix of a selfish and mercurial player the past four years, is doing a lot more than just valuing his own statistics. Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds New Mexico says that the senior is, "playing right now like he's playing for money." A kind statement toward a guy who finally appears to be living up to his boundless potential one that right now is presumably bound for the NBA. Giddens on Monday was selected for the second consecutive week as the Mountain West Conference's best player, sharing the honor this time with BYU's Trent Plaisted. After starting his collegiate career at Kansas, he left after two turbulent seasons for Albuquerque. He sat out two years ago under transfer rules. There were troubles last year playing for the eventually fired Ritchie McKay, who Giddens said he joined forces with because he felt like McKay could make him a "better man" I off the court as well as on it. But they clashed. Yet there hasn't been that kind of turmoil with Steve Alford, ,t whose team is 20-- 6 (74 MWQ and in third place heading down the stretch of the regular season. A real connection with Alford? A mature realization there are no third chances at the college level? A burning desire to get a big paycheck somewhere next winter? Whatever the case... v "The kid has done everything we've asked of him, and I think he's the best player in the league," Alford said. That statement will get challenged. The other two candidates would be BYU wingman Lee Cummard and UNLV guard Wink Adams, both of whom are juniors. That pair has the only teams ahead of the Lobos in the standings. But it's hard to argue with V Steve Gardner UVSC head coach on the Wolverines' difficult schedule this season PITCHING win Clearly the hope for a season rests on the arms of the pitching staff. UVSC returns its ace Marcus Moore, who posted a 64 record with a 3.92 ERA. Among his most noticeable feats last year was beating Utah three times. "He usually throws between but he gets so much movement on his fastball. He has a good changeup and a good slider," Gardner said. "He has an unorthodox delivery, but he is able to hide the ball well and makes it work to his advantage." UVSC also returns its No. 2 pitcher in Bryan Smith (24, 7.01 ERA) along with Dan Christensen a lefty, who was 25-pl- 86-8- And what would a season be without a few games against Utah and BYU? Despite playing its most difficult schedule to date, coach Steve Gardner, who is retiring after the end of the season, hopes to improve on last year's season. Here's a closer look at this year's MARK HERALD 6-- 4-- 7 Aaron Brady will play two positions for UVSC, outfield and pitcher 0 il has just one player re- UVSC turning who hit over .300 0 . See BASEBALL, C5 See MWC NOTEBOOK, C3 GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT OA Schedule (ALL GAMES ARE AT SLCC) Am. Fork vs. Layton, 11 a.m. P.G. vs. Fremont, 12:50 p.m. Lone Peak vs. Davis! 4 p.m. Timpanogos vs. Weber, 9 p.m. 4A Schedule (ALL GAMES ARE AT UVSC) West 9:30 a.m. 2:36 p.m. Timpview vs. Bonneville, 5:50 p.m. Springville vs. Mtn. Crest, 9 p.m. Mtn. View vs. Provo vs. Box Elder, r.Ioro Online Go to preprally.heraldextra.com to keep up with all the action through live updates and daily video highlights. 4A, 5A girls basketball 1 titles on the line this week Jared DAILY Lloyd HERALD Throughout the girls basketball season, the Timpview team might as well have walked into each gym with one of those costumes worn on street corners to entice customers to have their taxes done or order pizza. The Thunderbirds, however, would've been wearing a big target. Ever since winning the 2007 4A state girls basketball tournament last February, Timpview was looked at as a bigger challenge, a team that opponents really wanted to beat. For the most part, espe- year," said Thunderbird ... head coach Kawika Akina. "People have always been gunning for us, giving us their best shot, but we've cially since getting to region competition, the T'Birds were been able to take that on and usually come out ahead, perfectly capable of dealing with that extra effort. especially during region But now it's all or nothing. play. But we've kept getting better and better, so I think Timpview begins it's we're ready." defense of it's state chamAlthough Timpview will pionship against Bonneville be squaring off against the today at 5:50 p.m. at the Lakers, Akina said he's McKay Events Center at Utah Valley State College as more focused on making mario RUizDaiiy Heraw sure his own team is play- both the 4A and 5A tournaments get underway. Timpview's Gabrielle Pmegar (2) jumps into teammate Jen Farnsworth ing its best. "This is going to be a lot (33) after winning a semifinal game against Sky View at SLCC on Feb. See PREP HOOPS, C4 23, 2007. The T'Birds begin defense of their title today vs. Bonneville. different than it was last 3 1 |