LCC tennis, baseball teams gear up for season launch Saturday
Palomino sports at Laredo Community College swing into action on Saturday, Jan. 31 as the tennis and baseball teams launch their spring 2009 season.
For the nationally ranked men’s and women’s tennis teams, they travel to the Alamo City to face the NCAA Division 1 Roadrunners of the University of Texas at San Antonio at 9 a.m. at the UTSA Tennis Complex.
The
LCC baseball team gets to start the year with a home field advantage over Ranger
College in a two-day, double-header non-conference match, beginning Saturday at
12 p.m. at the Crispin “Doc” Sanchez Field on the north side of the LCC Fort
McIntosh Campus.
TENNIS
The LCC men’s tennis team, which is currently ranked first in the junior/community college division, is looking to snare its fifth consecutive national title.
With a 12-man roster, LCC head tennis coach Jaime Donjuan has been carefully observing each team member during practice sessions to select his top six players for court action.
The most probable line-up for the team’s first match in San Antonio will be Moacir Santos, Cledson Carvalho, Jose Carlos Tolentino, Luis Campos, Mateus Campos and Maxime Lesage.
Santos, Carvalho and Luis and Mateus Campos are from Brazil, while Tolentino is from Peru and Lesage from France.
Some eligibility and injury issues have arisen, but coach Donjuan is staying optimistic.
“The men’s team is starting the season with a couple of bumps, but we’re just beginning, and these obstacles can be resolved,” Donjuan said.
On the women’s side, the 13th-ranked Palominos are in a rebuilding mode.
After Loriane Dos Santos Favoretto and Jessica Mezo won the No. 1 doubles flight in nationals last spring—the team’s greatest accomplishment to date—the Lady Palominos return this season with only one sophomore, Favoretto, and five freshmen, including Flavia Picanco, Kayla Garcia, Kimberly Evans, Viviana Brizuela and Megan Guerra.
After last spring, LCC lost three of its stellar players—half of its team—to NCAA Division 2 University of the Incarnate Word. The loss included two sophomores and freshman Cisse Drame.
“If Cisse Drame had stayed, it would have been a totally different situation for the women’s team. But to have half of your team be recruited by an NCAA Division 2 school also speaks well about the quality of LCC’s tennis program,” Donjuan said.
Donjuan is especially pleased with the current representation on the women’s team.
Contrary to the men’s team, which only features one United States student-athlete, the women’s team is predominantly U.S.A. with four Laredo student-athletes.
Garcia, Brizuela and Guerra are graduates from United High School, while Evans is from Martin High School. Favoretto and Picanco are from Brazil.
“I’m pleased to feature local talent in our women’s team. These student-athletes are hard workers and I’m confident that they will get better with every match. This should be a good learning year,” Donjuan added.
BASEBALL
It also looks promising on the baseball diamond, where the Palominos hope to make their mark under the leadership of second-year head baseball coach Eric Gonzalez.
“After a successful pre-season this fall, the Palomino baseball team is looking well and strong for the approaching season,” Gonzalez said. “We have several returning players from last year’s team and many new team players, some who are sophomore transfers who should bring added maturity and experience to the program.”
Among those returning are center Ryan Bender and pitcher Margarito Segovia III, both of Laredo, and right-fielder Jason Garcia of Falfurrias. All three student-athletes were among the top community college baseball players from Texas and New Mexico, who participated in the Texas-New Mexico Junior College All-Star game last fall in Waco.
Also on the team are student-athletes from Laredo and the South Texas region, including the Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi and San Antonio, as well as a transfer from a Division 1 school in Virginia.
The Palominos also feature some international talent from Canada and Venezuela.
Gonzalez is assisted by Jorge Canales.
After Saturday’s opening match, LCC and Ranger meet again on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. for another non-conference double-header at “Doc” Sanchez field.
“We hope to see many Palomino fans out to cheer for the team. Their support is always greatly appreciated,” Gonzalez said.
Admission to the LCC-Ranger match is free of charge. There will be a concession stand open to satisfy palates with an array of ballpark fare.
For more information, call the LCC Athletics Office at 721-5326.
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