Former UCSB baseball star Chris Valaika made his Major League debut for the Cincinnati Reds in San Francisco on Tuesday, going 1-for-2 with a single to center field on the very first pitch he saw from Giants pitcher Santiago Casilla.Valaika, a 2006 third-round draft pick by the Reds, was the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2008. Before being called up on Tuesday, the shortstop was hitting .305 at the Triple-A level in Louisville. He came in to pinch-hit for relief pitcher … [Read more...]
Coaches think Gauchos no better than sixth
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Following its second consecutive season over .500, the UCSB baseball team was selected to finish sixth in the Big West coaches preseason poll, the conference announced on Tuesday. The poll was chosen by the nine head coaches in the Big West. Bob Brontsema’s Gauchos, who went 29-23 last season, return 19 letterwinners and welcome a top-notch recruiting class for 2010. Combined with the team’s 2008 finish (35-21), the Gauchos open 2010 having won the second-most games in consecutive … [Read more...]
UCSB gets good news in that Hollands, Valaika will return
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Monday’s deadline for Major League Baseball teams to sign players came and went and it brought good news for the UCSB baseball team. Left-handed pitcher Mario Hollands, an All-American two years ago, and infielder Matt Valaika, who led the club in batting average and slugging percentage last year, did not agree to contracts with the teams that selected them in the June amateur draft. Valaika was taken in the 20th round by the Cincinnati Reds while Hollands was a 24th round pick by the … [Read more...]
August 6-13
Sunday, August 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Former San Marcos Royal Alex Mack getting mentored by Browns pro-bowler Shaun Rogers in first NFL training camp, READ MORESanta Barbara High grad Taylor Rochestie signs with Germany's Gottingen to play professional basketball, READ MOREEx-Gaucho Chris Valaika's path to the majors as top prospect in Reds organization slowed this season by broken hand, READ MORECollegeSoccerNews.com ranks Tim Vom Steeg's recruiting class for UCSB Men's Soccer team No. 4 in the country, READ MORE … [Read more...]
