Live game blog: Women's basketball vs. USD 12/6/2010

Updates from court side at the Pyramid

16:09 left in first half
Trapping defense giving USD some trouble bringing the ball up. Brandi Henton hit a nice three from the corner on an offensive rebound. LBSU needs to continue to play defense for the entire shot clock with USD getting some late baskets. Turnovers by the Beach lead to two quick layups. 8-6 USD.

12:24 left in first half.
Courtney Jacob goes coast to coast with a nice layup. LBSU boxing out on the defensive glass well. Post defense and turnovers are costing the Beach giving USD extra looks and easy layups. Coach Wynn sends a line change in. 16-11 USD.

7:30 left in first half
Turnovers continue to cost the Beach possessions. An offensive rebound by Tipesa Moorer and feed to Courtney Jacob for an easy lay up. Jacobs continues to be aggressive and works her way to the line, sinking both her shots. She has 7 early points to lead the Beach. Lyndsay Heard hits a 3 from the top of the key to cut the deficit to 4. 24-20 USD

3:49 left in first half
Amanda Sims working hard on the offensive and defensive glass. LBSU in the bonus with under six to play. The Beach is capitalizing on their chances at the line making 7-9. Ella Clark prevents an easy USD layup with a clean block. Game was tied, now LB down by 2. 26-24 USD.

1:00 left in first half
Jacob filling up the state sheet with a nice assist to Moorer and a three from the top of the key to give the Niners a three point lead. LBSU needs to tighten their interior D. An easy press break by Long Beach gives Clark an uncontested layin. With 1 minute remaining USD takes a timeout. LB now leads 33-30.

End of first half
With 5.6 seconds remaining, USD forward Emily Hatch hits a halfcourt shot as the buzzer rings out, giving USD a 34-33 lead at the half.

------------Second Half------------

15:26 left in second half
Niners are contesting shots, but still falling for USD thus far early in the half. Turnovers for both sides. Ella Clark swats away another shot, but too many easy looks given up by The Beach. Niners outscored 12-2 in the half so far. 46-35 USD.

11:44 left in second half
Conners hits an And-1 for USD as Long Beach struggles to find the bottom of the net in the second half. Janae Coffee banks one home to give the Niners their first bucket of the half. When Long Beach can get USD in their half court sets, the Niners have played solid D, but turnovers and blown assignments have led to easy baskets. 53-38 USD in the lead.

7:55 left in second half
More solid defense from the 49ers, but still aren't converting on the offensive end. Nice feed from Moorer to Jacob on a back cut. USD in the bonus. 58-45 USD leads.

3:14 left in second half
USD doing well to use as much clock as they can, every shot seemingly coming with less than 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Long Beach press continues to give USD fits, an easy run out coming for Henton after a steal. Jacob with another nice drive and the foul but can't complete the three point play. Long Beach playing with high energy but need a run with clock winding down. Coach Wynn calls time. 66-52 USD leads.

End of second half
Long Beach State fighting til the end, but clock is not on their side. Long Beach went cold from the field for most of the second half and couldn't recover falling to USD 68-53.

Hope you guys enjoyed this live blog!

'Tis The Season: Holiday Toy Drive

With the holiday season right around the corner, Long Beach State athletics has partnered with Miller's Children Hospital of Long Beach for a toy drive. Starting at tonight's Women's basketball game against the University of San Diego, any fan who brings a new, unopened toy or five canned food items will receive a game ticket to a home game in the month of January.

If you can't make it out to tonight's game, the toy drive will continue at the December 19 Women's basketball game vs. Florida A&M and December 21 at the Women's basketball game against North Carolina State.

Toys can be dropped off at the marketing booth on the Pyramid concourse during the game.

Have a Happy Holiday season and don't forget to bring a toy as you make your way to the Pyramid tonight.

Athlete of the Week: Greg Plater

With so many teams and athletes competing in Division 1 NCAA basketball, leading the nation in any particular stat is impressive in and of itself, but when that stat is something as important and difficult as total three point shots made, the fact becomes even more remarkable.

Long Beach State's Greg Plater has that distinction, having currently made more three point shots than any other player in the country with 34 through his first 9 games. Plater poured in 11 three balls this past week on his way to setting a new career high in points with 22 against BYU-Hawaii last Thursday, and then chipping in 21 big points to lead LBSU in a come from behind victory against the previously unbeaten Boise State Broncos this past Sunday.

His outstanding outside shooting, and career nights made the senior from Salem, Oregon an easy choice for this week's Long Beach State Athlete of the Week. Check out this promotional video Greg shot with Coach Monson in the Long Beach State athletics offices. Coach Monson learns it takes a lot of work on and off the court for Plater to be the three point marksman that he is.

Men's Vollyball: National Championship 20th Anniversary

Mark your calendars: The Long Beach State Men's Volleyball team will open the 2011 season right here in the Pyramid on Monday, Januray 3.

The 49ers will be serving it up against the Alberta Pandas at 7:00 PM, marking the beginning of the season which is also the 20th anniversary of the National Championships. Did you know that in 1991, the 49ers claimed the National Title against USC all the way at the Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, HI? We've been the top four seven times, but it's time we celebrate the two decade mark with another national championship!

We'll be posting some fun videos and photos of the team soon so stay tuned to the Black and Gold Insider Blog, and we'll always have all our latest news on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/lbsuathletics
Let's show some school spirit and cheer on the team January 3!

Women's Volleyball NCAA Tournament

The Long Beach State Women's Volleyball Team has an exciting week ahead: this Friday, the 49ers, led by 1st-Team All-Big West honorees Haleigh Hampton, Caitlin Ledoux, and Ashley Lee, will face off against #18-ranked University of San Diego in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at the Galen Center.

Did you know that this is the 24th consecutive year Long Beach State is competing in the tournament? The 49ers are one of only four schools to achieve this amazing feat.

The team has enjoyed a successful season, with Head Coach Brian Gimmillaro becoming only the eighth Division I coach to ever reach 700 career wins. Just this past weekend, the 49ers took three consecutive wins in the Mizuno Thanksgiving Tournament against Notre Dame, Akron, and Seattle University at the Walter Pyramid.

Although the Toreros won a match against the Long Beach State team in early September, the 49ers have have had an incredible season, winning 14 of their last 16 matches.

Long Beach State (25-7) will face off San Diego (23-5) at 5:00 PM this Friday, December 3 at the Galen Center (USC Campus). All Long Beach State students will receive free admission to this match. Just present a valid school I.D. at the Galen Center Box Office on game day to redeem their free ticket. For all other ticket needs, please call (213) 740-4672.

Great Year for Former Dirtbags

The 2010 baseball awards and accolades have been announced, and it was an impressive year for some Dirtbag Alums.

Evan Longoria and the Rays made it to the American League divisional round, where they fell to eventual AL champs the Texas Rangers. Longoria made it to the All Star game in Anaheim this summer, and his regular season performance at third base earned him his second Rawlings' Gold Glove- the award given to the best defensive player at each position in each league.

Troy Tulowitzki's club, the Colorado Rockies, didn't make the postseason, but Tulo was honored with multiple awards. Troy started out his season with a trip to the mid-summer's classic as well. Tulo not only won his first Gold Glove, but also took home his first Silver Slugger (awarded to the best hitting player at each position).

Jered Weaver, the Angels' ace was also elected to the All Star game this past season. Weaver was also the strike out king lead the league for the first time in his career.

Congratulations to these former Dirtbags as they continue to make LBSU proud!

Welcome to Paradise

After a pair of home games to open the season, the Long Beach State men's basketball team will kick off their road schedule in Paradise, as they arrive in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands to participate in the 2010 Paradise Jam tournament.

The tournament field includes Clemson, Xavier, and Old Dominion, all NCAA tournament participants last year, as well as Alabama, Iowa, Seton Hall and St. Peters.

For the second year in a row, the 49ers will face off with Clemson , who LBSU battled in the second round of last year's 76 Classic, ultimatley losing to the Tigers 87-79 in a hotly contested match. Long Beach State's rematch against Clemson is slated for Friday at 12:30 p.m. PDT.

Fans not able to make their way to St. Thomas can still check out all the hoops action online and on TV. Come down to The Beach Club on Friday at 12:30 p.m. for a live streaming of Long Beach State's opening round game against Clemson.

The rest of LBSU's games will be determined based on whether they win or lose throughout the tournament, but in any case, the 49ers will play three games over the four day trip. Click here for a complete Paradise Jam tournament bracket with all possible scenarios.

For a complete broadcast schedule and info about streaming all of the Paradise Jam games head to the official Paradise Jam website.

LBSU Pyramid 5K Run

Runners took over the LBSU Campus Sunday November 7th for the Pyramid 5K Run, kicking off the Homecoming Weekend.

Over 200 runners raced the scenic 5K course that wound through different parts of the campus. With a challenging climb at mile 1 and a rewarding downhill towards the finish, it was a fun race for runners to run their hearts out. Carly Harris was the top women's finisher at a lightning fast 17:06, and the top men's finisher was Jake Ainsworth with a great time of 15:14.

60 kids also participated in the Kid's Mile Run, and it was great to see the smiles on the faces of all the future running champions.

With a fun awards ceremony and tons of yummy post-run food, the race was a big success!

Check out the video for all the excitement!

Weekend Recap: (11/11-11/14)

With so many Long Beach State teams in action over the weekend, it may have been hard to keep up with all the scores, game stories, media links, photo galleries and highlight videos, but that's what we are here for!

Nov. 11
The women's volleyball team got the weekend started early for Long Beach State with a home sweep of Cal State Northridge. Caitlin Ledoux led the 49ers with 16 kills while hitting .371. A combination of a strong offense, and a defense that held the Matadors to a .039 hitting percentage allowed the 49ers to easily cruise to their fourth straight victory.

Photo courtesy of Daily 49er

Nov. 12
After beating UCI to clinch the Big West tourney title, the Long Beach State women's soccer team headed to Palo Alto, Calif. to take on Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Though LBSU out shot the Broncos 22-5 in the match and dominated time of possession, Santa Clara forward Bridgett Miller was able to slip a shot past Emily Kingsborough in the 84th minute to give Santa Clara the 1-0 victory and end the 49ers' season.

In depth women's soccer recap by Daily 49er
Photo gallery from Palo Alto by Daily 49er

Back in action on Friday night was the women's volleyball team, who made quick work of UC Riverside, winning in straight sets for the second consecutive night ending their regular season home schedule on a high note. The 49ers were led by Janisa Johnson, who tallied 19 digs.

Nov. 13
Both the men's and women's hoops teams took the court for the first time on Saturday, though on opposite ends of the West Coast.

The women's team faced off with Pac-10 foe Oregon State in Corvalis, Ore. and suffered a 71-39 setback. Ashley Bookman scored a career high 12 points to lead The Beach.

Photo courtesy of Press Telegram

Back at the Pyramid, men's hoops welcomed the No. 25 San Diego State Aztecs, the first ranked team to venture in to Long Beach since 2004. A record 5,143 people were in attendance at the game, the largest crowd ever to watch a sporting event at the Pyramid.

The game was a back and forth affair throughout the first half, featuring runs by both teams including a 7-0 spurt by the 49ers capped off by a transition dunk by T.J. Robinson, assisted by Casper Ware to end the half tied at 42.

But as the game wore on, fatigue began to set in for the 49ers, and the Aztecs took control of the game with a 15-3 run to close out the game over the last 5:48.

T.J. Robinson led the 49ers with 19 points and 9 rebounds, while Casper Ware shot 50 percent from the field chipping in 15 points and dishing out 4 assists. Greg Plater notched 10 points.

Check out the following media links for much more from the game:
Press Telegram game recap by Frank Burlison
Press Telegram photo gallery
Daily 49er recap by Steve Lyons

Big West Athlete of the Week: Caitlin Ledoux

Caitlin Ledoux led LBSU to two key victories over the weekend, averaging 4.22 kills and 2.44 digs per set while hitting .21 and along the way earned Big West Player of the Week honors.

Check out her Thanksgiving themed Athlete of the Week video below.

Big Week For Cross Country Athletes

Last week the cross country team took home three big honors as they took home three Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards in 2 weeks.

Raul Arcos and Kelly Caufield were named Big West Cross Country Athletes of the Week (10-27-10) for their performances at the Titan Invitational in Fullerton. Arcos posted a personal best 24:54 in the 8,000 meter-race. Caufield also posted a personal best of 18:46.2 for the 5,000 meter-race.

The week before, Rosa Del Toro was named Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week (10-20-10) for her run at the Bronco Invitation in Sunnydale. Del Toro also competed in a 5,000 meter-race as she posted her own personal best of 17:16.6.

Watch to see the impressive trio interview each other:

This week LBSU named Cross Country star Matt Maldonado Athlete of the Week for his fourth place finish in the Big West Championships. In addition to being an impressive athlete, Maldonado also balances his school work and has been awarded multiple accolades for his successes on the field and in the classroom.

Watch him discuss his pre-race rituals here:

49er soccer set for Big West Tourney match with CSUN

Despite a 1-0 loss in the final game of the regular season, LBSU has locked up the No. 2 seed in the Big West Tournament and will host No. 3 seeded Cal State Northridge this Thursday at George Allen Field at 3 p.m.

The semifinal match between the 49ers and Matadors comes just 11 days after LBSU was able to beat CSUN 2-1 on senior day at Long Beach State. In that match, Bo Rael and Lindsay Bullock both netted goals for the 49ers and Emily Kingsborough had another superb afternoon in goal.

LBSU finishes the regular season with a mark of 12-5-2, posting a double digit win total and making it to the Big West Tournament for the fifth time in six years.

The other semi-final matchup will be between No. 1 seed UC Irvine and No. 4 seed Pacific.

The winners of the two semi-final games will battle on Sunday, Nov. 7 at the higher seed's home field for an automatic birth to the NCAA tournament.

LBSU Athlete of the Week: Michelle Osunbor (10/25/2010)

This week women's volleyball middle blocker Michelle Osunbor takes home the LBSU athlete of the week honors.

Michelle had a career game against rival Cal State Fullerton last weekend. She led the 49ers to a victory with a personal best 13 kills. Osunbor also had 5 blocks in the game.

The impressive win against CSUF helps the women's volleyball team extend their 57 game win streak against the club.

Hear what Michelle has to say about her performance and her upcoming Halloween costume!

No Sick Days II makes its web premiere

Hot on the heals of the SportsCenter top plays receiving, 42,000+ YouTube views and blog igniting original, No Sick Days II has arrived with a familiar idea but a new bubble boy.

Casper and Greg may be cured of their sickness, but it looks like Coach Monson has come down with a bit of a cough. You know what that means...

 

You all know what to do now: post to your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (if it still exists), email it out to all of your friends and spread this to as many people as you can!

Hoops season is only 17 days away!

Run around the Pyramid November 7

Time to lace up your sneakers!

Bust out your calendar, and draw a big circle around Sunday, November 7th, because it's time for the Pyramid 5K Run.

 Begining at 9:00 AM, runners will race around the scenic LBSU campus. You can run, jog, walk, and even bring your kids for the Kid's Run.

Runners hoping to run a PR will enjoy this flat, fast course located entirely within the campus. For a complete preview of the course, check out this video:
There will be amenities on race day includeing free parking, chip timing with splits, pacing services, race photos, and food/beverage concession stands.

And stay tuned for annoucements of notable race participants. Last year's participants included the University President Alexander, Coach Monson, and Long Beach Councilman Robert Garcia.

Registration is now open, and click HERE to register.

For more information, visit pyramidrun.com.

Bring your friends, your family, your neighboors; run and have fun!

49er soccer celebrates senior day with 2-1 victory

It was only fitting that on a day when Long Beach State 49er soccer recognized its outstanding senior class, two of those seniors would lead LBSU to victory in front of a raucous crowd at George Allen Field.

Bo Rael and Lindsay Bullock each notched goals to lead Long Beach State to a 2-1 victory over visiting CSUN on senior day. It was Rael's first goal of the year, and Bullock's sixth.

With the victory, the 49ers moved in to sole possession of second place in the Big West, with an overall record of 11-4-2 with a 4-1-1 mark in conference.

Click here for a full photo gallery from Saturday's game

Athlete of the Week: Ashley Lee

This weeks athlete of the week is Ashley Lee.

The woman's volleyball setter had an impressive game against UC Riverside as she became the first player of the year, in the nation, to have a quadruple double. The 49ers had two wins over the course of the weekend, Ashley was highly influential in both. She made 39 assists and had 13 digs.

In addition to being named LBSU athlete of the week, Lee was also named Big West Conference Player of the Week, and National Player of the Week by Collegiate Volleyball Update and the American Volleyball Coaches Association. This is the 8th time an LBSU player has been named National Player of the Week. Lee becomes just the fourth setter in club history to earn the honor, joining former 49er greats Misty May, Keri Nishimoto, and Jillian Mazzarella

Here the Black and Gold Insider catches up with the LBSU star:

Athlete of the Week: Lindsay Bullock

Lindsay Bullock's team mates have appointed her "The Sheriff" of 49er soccer for her dominating physical presence and will to win. That skill set was as present as ever over the weekend, when Lindsay netted a hat trick against rival Cal State Fullerton in route to a 5-2 road win for Long Beach State. Check out this video interview with Lindsay talking about her hat trick, what her team needs to do to continue to have a successful season and most importantly: what it means to bleed Black and Gold.

 

In their biggest game of the season thus far, the 49ers will face off with the No. 18 UC Irvine Anteaters in the Black and Blue Rivalry in a battle for Big West supremacy. The match kicks off at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday at George Allen Field from the Long Beach State campus. Be there to support 49er soccer!

A whirlwind week for "No Sick Days"

Wow. What a week.

When we filmed what would eventually become "LBSU Basketball: No Sick Days" last Monday night at the Men's basketball photo and poster shoot, we couldn't have imagined that a week after its release nearly 40,000 people would have seen the video, that we would be doing interviews for not only the Daily 49er but also USA Today, be featured on KTLA's 10 p.m. newscast, and spread across the blogosphere from Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Rivals, NBC Sports and many others.

It's been not only a whirlwind of excitement around the athletics department, but a concrete reminder of the power of the Internet, a Flip Cam, college basketball and little dose of humor. Oh, and human size hamster balls.

With "No Sick Days" getting so much love from other blogs, it's fitting that it also gets its due on our blog today, the day that official practice begins for Long Beach State. As the video says, the March towards March begins October 15, and we couldn't be more excited about it!

So in case you have been living under a rock, here is "No Sick Days" in all of its 46 second glory. Enjoy!

Stop by the Goldmine Gym tonight at 5:00 p.m. to get your first look at the 2010-11 Men's Basketball team. The practice is open to the public.

Athlete of the Week: Matt Kubeck

In case you missed it, check out our video interview with Matt Kubeck, the Men's Water Polo goalie who's incredible performance in goal against UCSD led the No. 8 49ers to a 6-5 victory.

 

Be sure to come out and support Matt and the rest of the Men's Water Polo team as they host their home opener this Saturday vs. UCI at the campus pool at noon.

Beach women's basketball supports fight against breast cancer

The Long Beach State Women's basketball team raised over $1,000 in donations, doubling their target goal, as participants in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk that took place on Sunday, Oct. 10.

The 5K walk was held in Costa Mesa, Calif. and was held to celebrate sponsorship and as an occasion to express hope and increase awareness about breast cancer.




For a full gallery of photos from the event head over to LongBeachState.com

College Gameday Commercial Winner

Kevin McConnell was last weeks winner of the College Gameday Commercial contest. He won a free meal from Chipotle for correctly identifying where each of the videos was filmed on campus. 

Kevin graduated from CSULB in 2009 with a degree in management. He is currently completing his masters in sports management here at CSULB. Kevin has a true passion for basketball. He was a team manager for the Men's team for all four of his undergraduate years, and currently works for the Los Angeles Sparks. 

Congratulations, Kevin! Keep up your school spirit!

Behind the Scenes at the Men's Basketball Shoot

Posters, hamster balls, green screens, Prospector Pete, 3-pointers.... Just another Tuesday night for the Men's Basketball Team as they shot promotional material for their upcoming season. The Black and Gold Insider was there to capture all the action; watch for the fun videos coming soon! And you can see the full "Behind the Scenes" photo album on our Facebook Page. Remember to Like us for all the latest news!

T.J. Robinson poses with the ball

Lin Chang (11), Kyle Richardson (34),  Jerramy King (25), and
Mike Vantrimpont (14) wait to be photographed

In the middle of the photo shoot

Hamster balls! Watch for the fun video coming soon!

Women's Basketball Team Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Saturday

As you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is unfortunately the most common cancer in the United States and is the second leading cause of cancer death for women. Let's join the fight and help raise awarness for our friends, sisters, mothers, and daughters.

The Women's Basketball Team is raising money towards Breast Cancer Awareness. They will be participating in the 2010 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk this Saturday, October 9 in Costa Mesa.

Please donate to their cause and help fight breast cancer by visiting their site. You can also find out more information about the 5K walk by clicking here.

Also, don't forget the Women's Volleyball Spike Out Breast Cancer Match against UC Davis this Friday! Wear a pink t-shirt and get a ticket for only $3! You can click here for more information.

Dirtbags Star in October Baseball

For baseball fans October means only one thing- the playoffs. And this October Dirtbag fans have much to be excited about.

Today, Wednesday the 6th, is the first day of Major League Baseball playoffs, and Dirtbag alumni have already been prominently displayed.

The postseason opened with the top American League seeded Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Texas Rangers. Former Dirtbag Evan Longoria went 1-4 in the Rays loss. Longoria is considered one of the Rays' best hitters and has the potential to be a true game changer this postseason. While it is never smiled upon to lose the first game of a series, especially with home field advantage, the Rays are comforted in knowing that they have an almost identical record on the road.

Other former Dirtbags in the playoffs this season are the Philadelphia Phillies' pitchers Vance Worley and Andrew Carpenter.

The Rays continue their journey toward the World Series tomorrow, Thursday the 7th at 11:30 am PT. The Phillies play their second game on Friday the 8th at 3 pm PT.

Keep rooting for your favorite Dirtbag alum this postseason!

Athlete of the Week Press Conference: Shawna Gordon

The accolades just don't stop for Shawna Gordon. She is this week's Long Beach State Athlete of the Week as well as being chosen as one of CollegeSoccer360.com 's Premier Performers of the week. These honors, along with last week's Big West Offensive Player of the Week nod add up to a busy couple of weeks for Shawna. She took some time out of her award winning scheduule to hold a press conference to tell us all about it.

Vote Tulowitzki for Roberto Clemente Award

Every year, each of the thirty Major League Baseball clubs nominates one player for the Roberto Clemente Award. The award is considered one of the most prestigious in baseball, and is based not on performance at the plate or on the mound, but instead in the humanitarian field. Clemente is celebrated as one of baseball's greatest humanitarians, as he lost his life in an untimely plane crash while delivering aide to Earthquake survivors in Nicaragua in 1972.

This year, the Colorado Rockies have chosen former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki as their Roberto Clemente award nominee. Tulo's on the field performance this season was one to remember, in September he posted numbers that had rarely been approached in the final month of the regular season- all the while helping to raise money for children's charities including The Special Olympics and The Children's Hospital. Tulowitzki has raised over $25,000 for these charities this season, and plans to do more in the future to continue to help children and raise awareness for these important causes.

Tulowitzki continually shows that community spirit does not end with the Dirtbags or the Rockies, but instead by making a difference and reaching out to those in need. Help LBSU and Tulo's fans everywhere by voting for him as the fans' choice for the 2010 Roberto Clemente award by clicking here and casting your vote before October 9, 2010.

Behind the scenes: Women's Basketball photo shoot

In preparation for the upcoming 2010-11 basketball season, Long Beach State's Women's team pulled on their brand new uniforms, laced up their fresh kicks and said 'Cheese.' Repeatedly. For about two hours.

The Black and Gold insider was there to capture some candid photos from behind the scenes.



Courtney Jacob poses with a green screen behind her



A side view of some video being shot last Monday night in the Pyramid



Ashley Bookman filming a promotional video



Courtney Jacob (left) helps Lyndsay Heard (No. 23) get ready for a picture

Spike Out Breast Cancer Match: Women's Volleyball

October. Visons of pumpkins, falling leaves, and trick-or-treaters on Halloween come to mind.

But did you know that October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Now in its 26th year, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotes awareness, shares information on the disease, and provides greater access to screening services. Though many advances have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there remains much to be accomplished. Please join the Long Beach State Women's Volleyball Team as they promote Breast Cancer Awareness.

On Friday, October 8th, as the Long Beach State faces off UC Davis, wear a pink shirt, and receive a ticket for only $3!

When: Friday October 8th, 7PM

Where: The Walter Pyramid

Who: Long Beach State vs UC Davis

$3 tickets will be available to those sporting pink shirts at the Pyramid Ticket Office day of the game.

For more information, please call (562)985-5063

An insider’s look at Shawna Gordon and Emily Kingsborough from the Women's Soccer Team

Keeping the football fever alive, LBSU Women’s Soccer Team swept the Big West Women’s Soccer Player of the Week awards this week.

The Black and Gold Insider caught up with the two award recipients for a video interview. Shawna Gordon, a junior midfielder was awarded the Offensive Player of the Week, and junior goalkeeper Emily Kingsborough was named Defensive Player of the week as they led Long Beach State to a winning match against No. 21 Arizona State.

Congratulations to Shawna and Emily and hope you enjoy the interview!

Go Beach!

ESPN College Gameday: Win a Meal from Chipotle!

Earlier this year ESPN's College Gameday visited the LBSU campus to film some commercials for the season.

Show your campus pride by watching and correctly identifying where each of the four (4) videos was shot on campus. What do you get?

A free meal from Chipotle!

Here are the rules: watch each of the four videos and then use the comment box on the LBSU Black and Gold Insider to tell us where they were filmed. It's pretty easy! Number your responses to match the video's here (1-4). The first person to identify all four right wins a free meal from Chipotle and will be featured next week here on the Black and Gold Insider.

1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHFMU4W_19w
2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ehQ0LKsbaw
3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFbcM45RDQ8
4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_piU9q2M_no

Athlete of the Week: Caitlin Ledoux

Leading 49er women's volleyball to a pair of 3-0 sweeps vs. LMU and Cal State Fullerton, hitting an outstanding .352 in her last two matches and tallying her 1,000th career kill: all in a weekend's work for athlete of the week Caitlin Ledoux.

We caught up with Caitlin, a junior from Phelan, Calif., and asked her about reaching the 1,000 kill milestone, her pre-match supersitions, what music pumps her up before a match and more. Check out the video below to hear her answers.

 

Again, congrats to Caitlin for reaching 1,000 kills. Women's volleyball, currently ranked No. 21 in the nation, will hit the road this weekend for Big West matches against UCSB and Cal Poly. GO BEACH!

Former Dirtbag Shows Off Skills

Jered Weaver, former Long Beach State Dirtbag, and current Los Angeles Angel took the mound in Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Weaver not only looked stellar as he regained his the major league lead in strikeout with 229 on the year, but he also showed off some that patent Dirtbag style of play. Being a Dirtbag is about playing with guts and grit- which is exactly what Weaver did as he was faced with a line drive coming straight back toward the mound.

Juan Pierre hit a wicked shot straight through the box, seemingly coming directly at Weaver. The pitcher  managed to get his glove in the way and caught the ball in an almost effortless motion. Immediately afterward he laid on the mound catching his breath for what must have been one of the most frightening moments of his career, and was met with a standing ovation by the crowd.

Weaver went on to have a solid outing in a loss to the ChiSox.

Fingers crossed for Weaver to maintain his stance atop MLB's strikeout leaders and bring another Major League credential back to Long Beach State.

Click Here To Watch A Video Of Weaver's Impressive Catch

Tulowitzki having September to remember

Though the Colorado Rockies may be fading out of the heated National League West race, Troy Tulowitzki continues to have one of the most astonishing Septembers in MLB history.

With his 37th September RBI on Saturday, Tulowitzki passed the previous NL record for most RBIs in September held by Cubs' Hank Leiber (1939) and Johnny Mize (1940.)

Tulowitzki went on to have 5 RBIs on Saturday, giving him 40 for the month, three behind the all time record for September set by Babe Ruth in 1927. With seven games remaining, Tulo has an excellent chance of passing Ruth and capping off his prolific month.

Along with his RBI record, Tulowitzki became only the third player in MLB history to hit 14 home runs in 15 games, Barry Bonds and Albert Belle being the other two. Tulo has 15 long balls this September.

Tulowitzki's torrid September led him to win back-to-back NL Player of the week awards, the first Rockie to ever accomplish that feat.

The national media has taken notice of Tulo's September to remember, including this feature in the Wall Street Journal.

Other Dirtbags around the majors
- Danny Espinosa bounced back from a cold streak on Sept. 22 by launching a home run and a triple, his first multi-hit game since Sept. 6.
- Bobby Cramer is off to a 2-1 start with the Oakland Athletics, making 3 starts and posting a 3.71 ERA
- Evan Longoria's Tampa Bay Rays are pushing toward posting the best record in the AL

Meet Jane: The Jonas Brothers Celebrity Softball Game Winner!

Last Friday, September 17, the Black and Gold Insider announced the winner of the Box Seats to the Jonas Brothers Celebrity Softball Game at Blair Field. The contestants were asked to come up with their most clever dig at our rival Cal State Fullerton - our next home game opponent for the Women's Volley Ball team this Saturday Sept 25. (Hope you come out and support the 49er Team!)


Before we introduce you to the winner; check out the winning dig!

Titans, you best step back,
‘Cause Long Beach Women’s volleyball’s ‘bout to attack.
Your mascot’s equivalent to Dumbo,
Sorry to say, but you’re about to crumble.


Our girls are mean and we play rough,
We ain’t stoppin’ till you bow down and cry, “Master, we’ve had enough.”
We’re about to chew you up and spit you out like Trident gum,
Still not scared? Come get some.
I get that I know nothing about rap or hip hop,
But I will come out and admit, the Jonas Brothers, I’d love to sit down with and share a soda pop.
So Titans, you best turn around and run home,
‘cause you’re about to enter a cyclone.


Your tuskers are about to be ripped out, snatched off, and detached,
Add that to your memory elephants, ‘cause here at The Beach, you are unwelcomed and unmatched.
FOOLerTON, or shall I say, TONS of FOOLS, I advise you to save your face now and retreat,
‘cause I’ma be mad doggin’ you in my box seat with the Jonas Brothers and Prospector Pete!

And now it's time to meet the winner JANE!

Jane with her brother Jimmy

The Road Dogs on Blair Field

Jane was kind enough to send us these great photos and answer some questions about the event.

1) What was your inspiration for your dig at Fullerton?

Well, I have a friend that goes to Cal State Fullerton and he swears it’s the best school ever and he is always digging on how it’s so much better than our BEACH, he even got my younger brother Fullerton gear to sport, that really upset me. So the dig was a very quick and easy one to write; it was the perfect way for me to let out some steam. I made him check out our campus’ superb Teaching Credentials Program which I know he’s really interested in but is embarrassed to admit it. He’s gonna be a 49er convert soon enough.

2) what year at you at CSULB? Area of study?

I just recently graduated last semester with a degree in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry. Last year I was the Secretary for Disability Affairs in Associated Students, Incorporated. and through this form of involvement and networking, I was able to get a job right after graduation with CAPS as Assistant Program Coordinator of Project OCEAN (On Campus Emergency Assistance Network), which is a federal grant that aims at preventing suicide on college campuses. Suicide is the 2^nd leading cause of death among college students. Our goal is to increase awareness in physical and mental disabilities, de-stigmatize help seeking, and encourage wellness on campus.

3) Who did you take with you to the Box Seats at Blair Field?

I took my younger brother, Jimmy, my Godsister Jeannie, and my remarkably spectacular extended sisters Theresa, Tina, and Hannah, might I mention: all CSULB students/alumni! GO BEACH!

4) How was the event? Were you able to get a good view of the action and of Jonas Brothers?

Quite honestly, the Jonas Brothers could have PROBABLY redeemed themselves with a concert or performance. The seats were excellent, which brings up my main issue, I was able to witness the whole game being rigged. The opponent, Jet Flyers, was far better, and was ahead by 5 home runs. Suddenly, during the 3^rd or 4^th inning, the leading team began to pitch badly more than 10 times in a row, allowing the Road Dogs to make 12 home runs without having to bat. What alarms me is the fact that the fans bought into this, and cheered on, despite the obvious rigged game to favor the side of the superstar “hotties”. It seems as if most people have accepted this fixed and biased competition as a reality; the dishonestly involved in their winning doesn’t matter and will simply be pardoned, as long as they come up the winner. It would have been better if it were an authentic game, even if they lost, because it was done rightfully. What made it worse was how Joe Jonas presented himself. It’s apparent that he’s not a softball player, but he still could have showed that he enjoyed himself. Instead Joe threw a hissy fit and displayed bad sportsmanship by throwing his bat on the ground all upset and marching off the field when he kept missing each swing. Not only that, he didn’t even want to run the bases; he made his brother, Kevin Jonas, take his place and run it for him instead. All I can say is that Joe Jonas is much shorter than I thought in person and I am glad that I won the tickets, but I was extremely disappointed to see the game clearly rigged, because it just shows that superstars always get what they want and can live out life to their liking, as if it were still a TV show.

5) What were some of your favorite moments at the event?

Being able to spend time with my friends and loved ones and being able to treat them out. Sure, in the beginning, we all came together for the Jonas Brothers, but in the end it was the time that we spent together, because we were all still happy being together as we talked about how aggravating the fixed game was and how we all got a 1^st degree sunburn for no good reason.

6) In your email you mentioned your brother is a big fan. Was this a special occasion for him? How did you like sharing the experience with him?

My brother has a physical disability and it was the first baseball game that he has been to. I am a very strong advocate for accessibility; our campus and parts of it should be accessible to ALL students and I feel that the Blair Field Stadium meets those criteria because it was very easy for us to maneuver around the stadium.

7) What does being a 49er mean to you?

It means being proud of your school and having school spirit. It means being actively involved to make the changes that you want to see happen on our campus, then you will begin to learn about yourself, who you really are, what your true passions are, and what you stand for. Before you know it, you will graduate and realize that you have become the change that you’ve always wanted to see on campus. It all begins with you.



Conratulations to Jane again, and thanks to everyone who participated in the contest! Remember to keep checking our Facebook page for the latest 49er news!

Format and venue changes coming for 2011 Big West Basketball tournament

A new Anaheim address and a redesigned format will bring a fresh feel to Big West March Madness come tourney time.

The first major change is the tournament’s move from the Anaheim Convention Center, where the Big West had been playing its championship since 2001, to the Honda Center, a 17,000+ seat arena which plays host to big concerts, traveling stage shows and is the home ice of the Anaheim Ducks.

"The Big West Conference is delighted to continue its long-term relationship with the city of Anaheim and keep its signature event in the center of the conference's geographic footprint,” said Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell in a statement posted on the Big West’s official site. “The Big West and Honda Center have developed a strong relationship over the years, and this is a great opportunity for our student-athletes to play in a building that has hosted five NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship preliminary round events over the last decade."

As Farrell alluded to, the Honda Center hosted NCAA Regionals in 1998, 2001 and 2003, while hosting first and second round action in 2008. In addition, the Big West and the Honda Center will host the Men’s west regional in the 2011 NCAA tournament.

Along with a change of venue, the 2011 Big West tourney will also see new formats for both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The men’s tournament will return to a traditional, seeded tournament, meaning no team will receive a bye as they did in years past. Instead, the top 8 teams from the Big West will play four quarterfinal games beginning on March 10. Seeding will be based on conference standings, so: #1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, #3 vs. #6, #4 vs. #5. The day of quarterfinals will followed by two semifinal games on March 11 and the championship with the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament on the line slated for March 12 at 5:00 p.m.

The women’s side of things will also see a new format. The top four teams in the women’s conference standings will host the lower four seeds in home contests to take place league wide on March 8. The winners of those games will then join the Men in Anaheim for semifinal games on March 11, with the Big West Tournament’s Women’s championship to tip off at 1:00 p.m. on March 12.

JONAS BONUS! TAKE A DIG AT CS FULLERTON AND WIN FREE JONAS BROTHERS TICKETS!

Long Beach State fans- the Jonas Brothers are coming to the Blair Field in Long Beach this Sunday (September 19, 2010) to host a celebrity softball game and we are giving you a chance to go to the game and sit in BOX SEATS --- FOR FREE! One winner will receive 6 box seats to share with friends.

All you have to do is write your best DIG at rival Cal State Fullerton - the next home opponent for the women’s volleyball team on Saturday the 25^th. Be as edgy, funny, and original as you want!... but keep it clean!! 

One lucky winner will be announced Friday (September 17, 2010) on the official Long Beach State Athletics Facebook page and will be profiled next week here on the Black and Gold Insider!  So be sure to monitor Facebook on Friday by 4:00p in case you're the lucky winner!



The year of the Dirtbag

While no-hitters, perfect games and dominant pitching performances have led many baseball analysts to hail the 2010 MLB season ‘The year of the pitcher’ just as strong of an argument could be made that we are currently in ‘The year of the Dirtbag.’

Four Dirtbags made their MLB debut this year: pitcher Bob Cramer with the Oakland Athletics, catcher Brad Davis with the Florida Marlins, slugging infielder Danny Espinosa with the Washington Nationals and pitcher Vance Worley with the first place Philadelphia Phillies. These four additions bring the total number of Long Beach State baseball players to make the bigs at 38.



The newest Dirtbags to reach the MLB



But it hasn’t been just new coming Dirtbags to make an impact on this MLB season. Both Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzski were named starters in the All-Star game, and are pushing their respective teams toward the playoffs with Longoria’s Rays deadlocked with the New York Yankees for the AL East crown, and Tulo’s Rockies making their annual September push in the NL West.

Anaheim Angels’ starting pitcher Jered Weaver (also an All-Star) is having one of his best seasons, already posting a career high in strikeouts and his second lowest ERA since entering the league. Dirtbag alum and former American League MVP Jason Giambi has served as a veteran presence in Colorado’s clubhouse, while still providing clutch hits and walk off home runs.

With 13 players currently in the big leagues, Long Beach State has more professional alumni than any other school in the nation.

Quick Six with Player of the Week: Janisa Johnson

The LBSU player of the week is women's volleyball up and coming star Janisa Johnson. Janisa had two outstanding games against the University of San Diego and Virginia as the 49ers went 1-1 on the weekend- Janisa scored the winning point in the game against Virginia!

We asked Janisa the hard hitting questions including "How has the transition to volleyball from track been?" "What TV shows are you hooked on?" and the question everyone in the Long Beach State community wants to know the answer to "What does it mean to bleed black and gold?"

To find out Janisa's answers to these questions and more watch her in our player of the week video!