SPORTS

The Riverside City College baseball team start the season 6-2 after a win against Palomar College on Feb. 11. The Tigers are led by pitcher Ethan sachs who has bitched iver twenty innings for the team and recorded 18 strike outs this season. ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS

ANGEL PEÑA

The Tigers have started the 2020 season strong with 6 wins and 2 losses going into week 3. Many of RCC’s veteran players transferred to universities after last season, leaving the team with incoming freshman and only a few sophomores on the roster.

Among these sophomores is Catcher Angel Mendoza and Pitcher Ethan Sachs, who have become stars in the Tigers lineup. Mendoza has 5 home runs on the season, while Sachs has 18 strikeouts and 20.2 innings pitched.

With talented sophomores EDITOR-IN-CHIEF s e t t i n g t h e t o n e f o r t h e incoming freshman, they should not have a problem c o n t i n u i n g t h e w i n n i n g culture that coach Arguellas created.

RCC is 1-0 on the road and are 5-2 at home.

The last three wins for the Tigers have been by a margin of 4 or more runs. However Mt.Sac still proves to be a challenge as they faced their worst loss of the season to them with a score of 5-1.

Riverside City College Baseball ended the 2019 season 32-12 and fell short of the championship with a loss against Mt. San Antonio C o l l e g e i n t h e C C C A A Super Regional Round of the playoffs

Statistics

Riverside City college has scored 41 runs and 47 strike outs in their frst 8 games of the season. Freshman Mathew darr, sophomore Angel Mendoza, and freshman Alfonso Mancinas are tied and leading the team with 5 runs each this season.

24 13 14 S M ST W TH F

Men’s Basketball Riverside vs Santiago Canyon @ 7 p.m.

Baseball Riverside at LA Harbor @ 2 p.m.

Baseball Riverside at Palomar @ 1p.m.

Men’s Golf Riverside at Riverside Invitational @ 11 a.m.

Women’s Basketball Riverside vs Irvine Valley @ 5 p.m. 20 Women’s Tennis Riverside at Desert @ 2 p.m. Men’s Tennis Riverside at El Camino @ 2 p.m.

Softball Double Header Riverside vs Canyons @ 5p.m / Riverside vs Canyons @ 7:30 p.m.

Baseball Riverside vs Grossmont @ 2 p.m. Softball Riverside at Santa Ana @ 3p.m.

Men’s Tennis Riverside at Ventura @ 2 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Riverside vs Fullerton @ 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Riverside at Orange Coast @ 5 p.m.

Men’s Golf Riverside at Cuyamaca Classic @ 8 a.m.

Baseball Riverside vs LA Mission @ 2 p.m. Men’s Basketball Riverside at Southern California Regionals TBA

Men’s Tennis Riverside vs Fullerton @ 2 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Riverside at Southern California Regionals TBA

Women’s Tennis Riverside vs Saddleback @ 2 p.m.

Softball Riverside at Cypress @ 3 p.m.

Baseball Riverside at Grossmont @ 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Riverside at Fullerton @ 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Riverside vs Fullerton @ 2 p.m.

27 28 29 Softball Riverside vs Orange Coast @ 11 a.m. Softball Riverside vs Fresno at Rosetta Canyon Sports complex @ 6 p.m. Women’s Basketball Riverside vs Saddleback @ 5 p.m. Baseball Riverside at Grossmont @ 2 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Riverside at Golden West Invitational @ 9 a.m. Women’s Track & Field Riverside at Pasadena Lancer Invitational @ 10 a.m. Men’s Track & Field Riverside at Pasadena Lancer Invitational @ 10 a.m. Softball Riverside vs La Mission at Rosetta Canyon Sports Complex @ 11 a.m. Softball Riverside vs Palomar at Rosetta Canyon Sports Complex @ 1:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Riverside vs Orange Coast @ 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Riverside at Orange Coast @ 2 p.m.

Baseball Riverside at LA Mission @ 5 p.m.

Men’s Track & Field Riverside at OEC Invitational @ 12 p.m

Softball Riverside at Allan Hancock @ 1:30 p.m.

Women’s Track & Field Riverside at OEC Invitational @ 12 p.m. Women’s Beach Volleyball Riverside vs San Diego Mesa at Torrence, CA TBA Women’s Beach Volleyball Riverside at El Camino @ 10 a.m.

Women’s Basketball Riverside at Southern California Regionals TBA Men’s Basketball Riverside at Southern California Regional TBA Softball Riverside vs Golden West @ 2 p.m.

All dates and times are subject to change

turnovers were a big key to that. “ - Tom Craft The Riverside City College Tigers faced off against the San Mateo College Bulldogs on Dec. 14 2019 at Bakerfeld college for the CCCAA championship. Both teams were undefeated coming into the game. RCC fnished the season 13-0.

9February 13, 2020 R i v e r s i d e C i t y College won its frst football state championship title in 30 years on Dec. 14. The Tigers defeated College of San Mateo 31-14. The frst half of the game played out like RCC’s frst half of the season. Very shaky with a lot of penalties and simple mistakes. RCC had a total of 15 penalties for 150 yards while San Mateo only had 11 penalties for 89 yards.

“I couldn’t tell you, we just had to overcome them. And we did a great job of overcoming them there,” said quarterback Jacob Barlage, who was grateful that the penalties slowed down in the second half.

The second half was where the Tigers turned themselves around and dominated. They put together long drives, running the clock and making big plays.

“It was a little bit of feeling each other out early,” said head coach Tom Craft. “And then as the game went on in the first half we started getting the rhythm and they started to get a little tired...and even though we weren’t successful in converting, it did have an effect in the fourth quarter and you saw what happened.”

What happened was RCC football. The Tigers were in charge the entire game and did not let San Mateo catch up. Barlage, like the rest of the team, picked up the slack in the second half and played like they have the last half of the season. He was threwowing the ball deep, making near perfect passes and helping the run game get moving with precise handoffs.

“It’s been a great experience bringing the players along and the coaches,” said Craft. “I’m really happy for the players but I’m also happy for the coaches who haven’t experienced this. None of our players or our coaches have ever been in this game before. When we got there we wanted to win it. We tried not to focus on the outcome, mostly on the preparation like we have all year. The guys did a great job and they could go another two, three weeks right now.”

Craft was fascinated to see such dominance from h isa team, wh ich some would expect to have nerves throughout the game. But they got rid of them early and just played football.

“It is a dream come true,” said Barlage. “I can’t even explain it. I’ve been watching these guys for so long and being able to be the one to win this game, it’s awesome.” Barlage was named MVP of the game. He was 22-31 for 286 yards and one touchdown. Wide Receiver Dylan Laurent was named Offensive Player of the Game. He had seven catches for 124 yards. Kobey Fitzgerald was named Defensive Player of the Game. He had four tackles and one assisted tackle.

ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS

Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli’s number is placed at center feld as players and coaches take a moment of scilence before the game on Jan. 30 for all the victims of the helicopter crash. RCC is set to play OCC on Tuesday April 21.

ANGEL PEÑA

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A helicopter crash on route to the Mamba Academy took the lives of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Kerri, their daughter Alyssa, and teammate Payton Chester

The crash also claimed the lives of Pilot Ara Zobayan, and Payton's mother Sarah Chester. On Jan. 30 the Riverside City College baseball team held a moment of silence for the victims of the horrifc Jan 26 helicopter crash before the commencement of their game against Cuesta College.

The group was headed to Gianna and Alyssa’s basketball practice when the Helicopter lost control due to weather.

News of this event spread like wildfre as social media outlets were booming with reports of the

fatal crash. TMZ being the frst to report and later the LA Times confrming it.

Bryant’s legacy will live on through his surviving children, the Mamba Sports Academy, and the generation of players that he inspired just by playing the game that he loved.

Kobe was enjoying retirement and had moved on to a new chapter in his life. He and his daughter are survived by Gianna Bryant, and their three remaining children Natalia, Bianca, and Capri.

For OCC the family culture that Altobelli established will not soon be forgotten, as thousands of people showed up to Angel Stadium to pay their respects to John and his family.

John Altobeli’s number was placed on home plate as players lined up on the diamond to pay their respects. Altobeli would have entered his 28th year of coaching for the pirates. He will be missed as a father and coach, and will be an everlasting fgure in the OCC community.

Altobeli and his wife are survived by two children, their son JJ and their daughter Alexis.

Donate

If you are interested in helping the Altobelli family there is a GoFundme account that has been set up by Paul Tobani. There has been over $300,00 raised out of their $500,000 goal.

The link is https:// www.gofundme. com/f/support-for-thealtobelli-family

IMAGE COURTESY OF OCC