College Roundup: Cal Poly losing 3 basketball players

Cal Poly announced several changes to its men’s basketball roster Tuesday.

The Mustangs will be losing redshirt sophomore-to-be post players Ryan Pembleton and Ben Eisenhardt, as well as small forward Ben Kelly, who just finished his true freshman season. According to a school-issued news release, all will finish out the spring quarter before transferring.

Mustangs coach Joe Callero said none of the players leaving are doing so because of academic ineligibility or team and university policy violations.

“We will be helping them transition successfully to their next institution, whether it is in pursuit of basketball or academic endeavors,” Callero said in a news release.

Meanwhile, former walk-on Jordan Lewis, a forward entering his senior year, and senior-to-be forward Will Taylor, who redshirted this past season, will both be on full scholarships next season.

Lewis shot 43.8 percent from the floor, including 39.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and helped Cal Poly go 4-1 in the five games that he started.

Taylor, a 2009 transfer from Hagerstown College, shot 44.7 percent and averaged five rebounds in 31 appearances while also leading the team in steals with 28 during 2009-10.

Cal Poly is expected to return nine players from last season’s squad that finished 15-15 overall, including second in the Big West Conference.

BASEBALL

San Francisco 4, Cal Poly 0

The Mustangs (10-14) managed five hits in the shutout, their fourth such loss of the season.

J.J. Thompson was 2 for 3 with a walk, and junior centerfielder Bobby Crocker, who was 1 for 4, laid down a bunt single in the third to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

San Francisco (13-16) put up runs in the third and sixth before Jason Mahood connected on a two-run home run off Cal Poly reliever Frankie Reed.

Reed was on in relief of starter Joey Wagman. Wagman allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits in 52⁄3 innings.

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Allan Hancock 15, Cuesta 1

The Cougars (17-10, 8-4 Western State Conference) gave up 15 hits — 14 singles and one double — and Allan Hancock scored 11 runs in the fourth inning as Cuesta fell at home.

Michael Camporeale was 2 for 4 with a double, and Mission Prep grad Alex Detz was 1 for 4 with a double for the Cougars.

Kephart honored Lucas Kephart, a 2008 Arroyo Grande High grad who’s now a junior designated hitter at Texas, won the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week award Monday.

Kephart transferred to Texas after a two-year stint at Sacramento City College. This past weekend, he helped lead the Longhorns (21-7), ranked No. 8 in the nation by Baseball America, to a three-game sweep of Missouri, posting seven RBI.

Overall this season, Kephart has started 12 of 14 games, and is batting .317 with 12 RBI.

SOFTBALL

Santa Barbara 1, Cuesta 0; Santa Barbara 5, Cuesta 1

The Cougars (9-21, 4-6 WSC) collected four hits combined in the doubleheader.

Cuesta was on the brink of being no-hit in the first loss before Liz Isaak came up with a leadoff single in the seventh inning.

Starter Karen Berna pitched well, going all seven innings, giving up four hits, walking one and striking out four. She was the victim of a couple base hits in the third inning that allowed Santa Barbara to score.

The Cougars had three hits, including a double from catcher Ashley Dooley, a former Atascadero High star, in Game 2.

Isaak made the start, giving up 10 hits and five runs while striking out three.

Moses named player of week

Fresno State junior Michelle Moses, a former Paso Robles High star, was named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

Moses went 2-0 with two complete-game shutouts — one of which was her first career no-hitter — and a save in 16 scoreless innings, leading the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs (22-8) to a three-game sweep of then-No. 20 Hawaii.

Earlier this season, Moses was named the WAC Hitter of the Week after she had the first cycle in program history.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Wyoming Cowgirl Classic

Cal Poly finished 13th among 23 schools at Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz.

The Mustangs shot a four-person, 54-hole 931 total during the tournament, including a final-round 305.

Portland State won with a 7-over 871.

Cal Poly was led by freshman Taylor Yoshitake, who carded a 4-over 220 to finish tied for sixth place. She shot a final-round 76.

Asia Adell tied for 21st place for the Mustangs after posting a 227.

TRACK AND FIELD

Cuesta athletes of the month

Paul Denlinger and Kasey Urman, both freshman distance runners from Templeton High, were named the Cougars’ male and female athletes of the month for April.

Denlinger broke Cuesta’s 30-year-old 3,000-meter steeplechase record March 11 with a time of 9 minutes, 26.45 seconds, in the process becoming the top-ranked competitor in the event statewide.

Urman also set a school record in the steeplechase, completing the course at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival on March 25 in 11:26.97, a time that broke a 6-year-old program standard.