A Cardinal rule is finally broken A Cardinal rule is finally broken (July 08, 2005)

After 18 straight summers of having at least one player on U.S. National Team, Stanford baseball program is blanked in 2005

by Rick Eymer

Until this summer, it was a sure bet that the United States national baseball team would have at least one member from Stanford.

After all, Stanford has produced 24 players in 21 years who have played with Team USA, including 18 straight summers dating to 1986.

"We've been fortunate to be able to recruit high-caliber baseball players to Stanford and then develop them further after they are here," said Stanford coach Mark Marquess. "I'm honored that we've had so many of our players represent our country so well."

While Stanford won't be represented this year, it remains the top school in providing the national team with talent.

John Mayberry, Jr., Jed Lowrie and Mark Romanczuk, all of whom played on the national team last summer, are spread across the country this year after signing with the Major League Baseball teams that drafted them in the June First Year draft.

Mayberry, the first-round pick of the Texas Rangers, is batting .210 with three home runs and seven RBI in 16 games with the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League as he makes the transition to the outfield from first base.

He'll likely have to face Romanczuk some time this summer. Romanczuk, a fourth-round pick, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was sent to the Yakima Bears, also in the Northwest League. Romanczuk has not yet made his professional debut.

Jed Lowrie, a compensation pick after the first round, hasn't made his pro debut yet either, but after signing with the Boston Red Sox on Friday he's soon to be seen in a New York-Penn League stadium as a member of the Lowell Spinners.

Romanczuk could find himself a teammate of former Stanford star Carlos Quentin, who is currently with Tucson in the Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks.

Quentin, another former member of the U.S. National Team (2001, '02), is hitting .297 with 15 homers and 55 RBI in 84 games with the Sidewinders.

Other recent national team members include Tim Cunningham (2001) and Sam Fuld (2001, '02).

Softball

Stanford grad Dana Sorensen is seeing double duty this summer with both the United States national softball team and the USA Elite team.

Sorensen has two wins and a save for the Elite team, which is currently 6-0 in the Canada Cup in Surrey, B.C., Canada.

The Elite team earned a spot in the playoffs, which run through Sunday.

Stanford seniors Lauren Lappin and Catalina Morris are also on the team. In the Elite's 7-4 win over New Zealand, Morris was 2-for-3 and scored a run while Sorensen picked up the save.

Sorensen got the win in a 1-0 victory over Canada.

Sorensen appeared in two games with the national team at the International Sports Invitational in Chula Vista last month.

Stanford grad Jessica Mendoza hit .467 for the tournament, with a team-high seven runs, seven hits and three home runs as Team USA won all five of its games.

The national team meets Australia in an exhibition game on Tuesday as part of the Champions Cup in Irvine.

Men's basketball

Stanford seniors Matt Haryasz and Chris Hernandez are headed to Colorado Springs for the USA trials and training camp which begin July 28 and run through Aug. 4.

The USA World University Games roster will be formed from the trials and training participants.

The World University Games will be held in Izmir, Turkey beginning Aug. 11.

Haryasz scored 18 points in SF City's 96-87 loss to East Bay in the San Francisco Pro City League at Kezar Pavilion on Wednesday night.

Women's basketball

Stanford will host the first two rounds of the NCAA women's tournament at Maples Pavilion in 2007 and 2008.

Stanford, which went undefeated at home this past season, last hosted an NCAA game in 2003.

Cross country

Dena Evans spent the past 13 years working with Stanford track and cross country athletes. She hopes the next 13 with her family are just as fruitful. Evans is married to former Stanford football player Marlon Evans and has two young daughters.

Evans will step down from her women's coaching job at the end of the summer calling her decision "one I feel is the best choice for my family."

Evans earned national Coach of the Year honors in 2003 when she guided the Cardinal to the NCAA championship, and then led Stanford to a fifth place finish, its 10th consecutive Top 5 finish, last fall.

"I will always consider myself blessed to be a member of the Stanford family," Evans said. "It has been a truly irreplaceable privilege to work with the student-athletes."

Evans also spent the past seven years as an assistant track coach in charge of the distance runners.

"Dena Evans has made a substantial contribution to the great tradition of distance running at Stanford," Stanford Athletic Director Ted Leland said. "Under her coaching expertise, Stanford runners not only gained numerous All-America honors, but also NCAA championships. Many of her runners also enjoyed success on the international level. We want to wish Dena the best of luck, and thank her for her outstanding contributions to Stanford cross country and track."

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