SING IT SISTA!

Tony Altobelli

Look out Dartmouth, Katie Achterberg is on the way and she’s

bringing her tunes with her!

San Diego Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman has AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells,”;

“Major League” pitcher Ricky Vaughn has, “Wild Thing,” and Golden West

College football team has, “Taps.”

Basically everyone has a musical tune to get them fired up for whatever

sport they are playing. For Ryan Achterberg, it’s the “Star Spangled

Banner.”

Why, you ask?

Achterberg, now a sophomore at Princeton University was a standout

baseball player for Corona del Mar High.

In 1998, his sister, Katie, sang the National Anthem before the Sea Kings

took on Sea View League big dog, Santa Margarita.

Well, something in notes in Katie’s voice soothed the savage Eagles’

squad as the Sea Kings spanked the big dog on the butt with a newspaper,

winning the game, 12-11.

Of course, Ryan had a monster day, with a single, double and two home

runs, leading the Sea Kings to the upset win.

Guess what? Katie will be singing the anthem before Game 1 of the

three-game Ivy League Championship series as Achterberg’s Tigers take on

Dartmouth.

Achterberg was instrumental, so to speak, in Princeton’s 7-4 win over

Cornell, clinching the fifth-straight Gerhig Division title for the

Tigers.

Despite losing the second game to Cornell, 11-10, Achterberg went 5 for 7

with two RBIs and two runs scored. He is currently batting .316 this

year.

The reputation of Newport Beach aquatics has spanned the globe, but in

Roanoke, Virginia, Hollins University had gotten right to the “Hardt” of

that reputation.

Before I pun myself to death, I am referring to Courtney Hardt, a former

Newport Harbor High girls swim standout and current Hollins University

senior.

Hardt helped HU finish the regular season with a record of 12-2, second

in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and placed third in the Atlantic

State Championship.

Hardt placed 10th in the 200-yard freestyle and was a member of the

third-place 800 freestyle relay team.

A vital member of the varsity swim program at Hollins since her freshman

year, she began her swimming career on the Harbor View Swim Team, where

she will coach again this summer.

Locals dominated the NAIA Players of the Week department this week.

Kevin Candelaria from Vanguard University was named the Region II

Baseball Player of the Week. He batted .571 (8 for 14) for the week,

leading the Lions to a pair of conference wins. He scored five runs, had

two doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs for the week.

Concordia University pitcher Matt Broesamle (Costa Mesa High) was named

Region II Baseball Pitcher of the Week. He pitched 8 2/3 strong innings

in a win over Westmont, helping the Eagles soar into a postseason berth.

He allowed only three runs and struck out a career-high 10 in the 6-5

win.

Vanguard University softball player Cheri Smith was named Region II

Softball Pitcher of the Week, allowing only one run in 12 2/3 innings

this week. She threw a complete game in the Lions’ 2-1 win over Azusa Pacific, ranked fifth in the nation by the NAIA.