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KTKZ AM 1380 is the New Home of the Oakland Raiders

We are proud to announce that KTKZ AM 1380 has acquired the Sacramento broadcasting rights for the 2009 Oakland Raiders season. KTKZ will be Sacramento’s home for the Oakland Raiders all season long. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with the Raiders, their fans, and all of the Raider retail partners.

With the acquisition of the Oakland Raiders, KTKZ AM 1380 adds to what has already become Sacramento’s #1 home for local sports, a lineup that already includes: the Oakland A’s, Cal Berkeley Football, Cal Berkeley Basketball, and Local High-School Football. In addition to local sports, KTKZ is Sacramento’s home for intelligent conservative talk with nationally known political names such as Hugh Hewitt and Michael Medved.

For more information of KTKZ’s show line-up, the Oakland Raiders and everything else KTKZ, visit www.ktkz.com.

Area Teens Participate in First Tee Open Selection Process

Briana Mao (Folsom), Ashley Noda (Roseville), and Taryn Yee (Sacramento) of The First Tee of Greater Sacramento will travel to Rye, New Hampshire to compete for the opportunity to play in the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in August. Mao, Noda, and Yee are three of 36 girls from The First Tee Chapters worldwide who will take part in The First Tee selection process at Wentworth By The Sea Country Club, July 7-11.

Alex Gibbs (Granite Bay), Nathan Hodgens (Rocklin), Will Scarlett (Woodland), and Austin Smotherman (Loomis), also of The First Tee of Greater Sacramento will travel to Rogers, AR to compete for an opportunity to play in the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in August. Gibbs, Hodgens, Scarlett, and Smotherman are four of 84 boys from The First Tee Chapters worldwide who will take part in the selection event at Shadow Valley Country Club, July 14-18.

Of the 78 juniors that will participate in this year’s tournament, 70 will be chosen from these two selection events. The sixth-annual Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, a nationally televised Champions Tour tournament, takes place August 31- September 6 over Labor Day weekend.

The First Tee selection process recognizes participants who have integrated life skills learned through The First Tee into other aspects of their life. Participants will be evaluated both on and off the golf course, through a series of interviews, essays and a 36-hole golf-proficiency event. A committee of representatives from The First Tee, Walmart Stores, Inc., and invited guests from the golf industry will judge the participants.

The Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach will take place on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course, and will be televised on GOLF CHANNEL. Visit www.thefirsttee.org or www.thefirstteeopen.com for more information.

The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, FL at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Former President George H. W. Bush serves as honorary chairman. The Founding Partners of The First Tee are the Augusta National Golf Club, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA.

Sacramento Capitals Announce New Team Roster For 2009 Season

Fan favorite Mark Knowles returns to Caps and partner Sam Warburg. New ladies roster features WTT veteran Rennae Stubbs and Olga Puchkova.

“Today’s draft represents the diversity and depth of the generations of top tennis talent who play World TeamTennis,” said WTT CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss. “Today was one of the strongest roster drafts in WTT history and it just adds to an already amazing lineup of marquee players.”

Players selected during the Advanta WTT Roster Draft will join Maria Sharapova and previously announced marquee players including Venus Williams and Andre Agassi (Philadelphia Freedoms); Serena Williams (Washington Kastles); Kim Clijsters and Anna Kournikova (St. Louis Aces); Martina Navratilova (Boston Lobsters); John McEnroe (New York Sportimes), Michael Chang (Sacramento Capitals) and Mike and Bob Bryan (Kansas City Explorers) to complete the lineup for the 2009 WTT season.

The 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League regular season runs July 2-22 in 10 U.S. markets, with the top two teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference advancing to the Conference Finals on July 24. The Conference Champions will compete in the Advanta WTT Finals on Sunday, July 26 (location TBD).

Earlier this year, the USTA became a minority owner of World TeamTennis and the organizations are teaming up to promote the growth and development of youth team tennis in the U.S. “One of the main goals of the USTA’s partnership with World TeamTennis, is to create innovative new ways to showcase our sport,” said Lucy S. Garvin, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “By creating this WTT team that features some of the country’s top junior prospects, the young players will gain valuable experience while showcasing our next generation of up-and-coming talent to new audiences.”

The 10-team League was co-founded by Billie Jean King in the early 1970s. Each team has a coach, two male and two female players who play singles, doubles and mixed doubles matches. Visit WTT.com for more information.

For details on the complete draft results and the 2009 schedule, visit www.WTT.com.

WTT is well known for introducing innovative elements to tennis including instant replay, co-ed format, multi-colored courts, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Supertiebreakers and player names on back of their shirts. Team matches consist of five events, with one set each of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. The first team to reach five games wins each set. A nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches four-all. One point is awarded for each game won. If necessary, Overtime and a Supertiebreaker are played to determine the winner of the match.

The 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League regular season runs July 2-22 in 10 U.S. markets, with the top two teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference advancing to the Conference Finals on July 24. The Conference Champions will compete in the Advanta WTT Finals on Sunday, July 26 (location TBD).

The new Sacramento Roster includes:

Mark Knowles: Veteran player signed a three year contract to play for the Caps, returning for his eighth year. Knowles has three Grand Slam doubles titles, two-time WTT League MVP honors and over 50 doubles championships.

Sam Warburg: Sacramento native. Finished 2008 ranked 142 in the world in singles. Stanford Graduate, four-time All American and former NCAA Doubles Champ. Another crowd favorite, Warburg will reunite with former WTT partner Knowles.

Renee Stubbs: 37 year-old Australian is a veteran of WTT, previously playing for the Kansas City Explorers. Formerly ranked number one in women’s doubles, Grand Slam doubles winner and 59 Sony Ericsson tour doubles titles. Like Mark Knowles, a perennial top ten doubles player.

Olga Puchkova: 21 year-old Russian turned pro in 2002. She played for the Caps last year substituting at the beginning of the season. She will handle singles duties and team up with Rennae Stubbs in women’s doubles. She has five career ITF Women’s Circuit singles titles and a career high ranking of 32 in the world.

For details on the complete draft results and the 2009 schedule, visit www.WTT.com.

River Cats to Put 2009 Tickets on Sale March 14

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats will put individual game tickets for the 2009 season on sale on March 14 at the Raley Field Ticket Office and online at Rivercats.com, club officials announced today. The team will begin its 2009 Raley Field regular season schedule and defense of their back-to-back PCL and Triple-A Baseball championships on Thursday, April 9 against the Tacoma Rainiers (Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners) at 7:05 p.m.

The Raley Field ticket office will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, with tickets available online at Rivercats.com, Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets also beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Normal Raley Field Ticket Office hours (beginning March 14) are as follows:

Until March 14, tickets for Opening Day or any other game throughout the 2009 season are available only through purchase of River Cats Full Season Tickets, Mini Plans and group packages. 2009 River Cats Season Tickets, Mini Plans and group outings can be purchased by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the 2009 River Cats season, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.

Godriver Team Crowned Champions at USTA League Presented by Chrysler
10.0 Adult National Western Mixed Doubles Championships

Gold River, Calif., Nov. 24, 2008 – The team from Gold River, California, representing the USTA Northern California section, captured the 10.0 Adult Western Mixed Doubles title at the USTA League presented by Chrysler National Western Mixed Doubles Championships held at the Gold River Racquet Club in Gold River, Calif. and the Broadstone Racquet Club in Folsom, Calif., November 21-23, 2008.

The Gold River team won the title by compiling a 3-0 record in round-robin play contested Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The team is captained by Carmel-Mary Hill, features Karen Burns, Dave Hagiwara, Amine Khaldi, Isabella Kling, Brian Martinez, Novak Nash, Brian Nguyen, Kelly Pace, Melanie Prosser, Marty Rothfels, Jeff Shin, John Spoerl and Meghan Wolfgram, and plays at the Gold River Racquet Club.

“This is just awesome,” states team captain, Carmel-Mary Hill. “It’s been so fun playing with all the guys on our team. We’re great friends and so excited about winning the national championship.”

The USTA League Mixed Doubles is for men and women 19 years of age and older. Teams are formed by combining the two player’s individual NTRP ratings. The team’s total rating must equal: 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0. The total NTRP rating cannot exceed the level of the team (i.e., 7.0 team could be a combination of two 3.5 players, one 4.0 partner and one 3.0 partner or one player a 3.0 and partner a 3.5). Play format consists of three doubles matches. Complete coverage – including stories, photos and results – can be found at USTA.com.

The USTA League program celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2005. Established in 1980, it has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 665,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league. USTA League was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players of similar ability levels. Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered by the USTA through its 17 Sections. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 19 years of age or older. It features Adult and Mixed Doubles divisions, as well as a Senior Division (age 50) and a Super Senior Division (age 60).

Chrysler is entering its third year as the presenting sponsor and official vehicle of USTA League. Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 21st year as official ball of USTA League. For more information about USTA League presented by CHRYSLER program or the USTA as a whole, visit www.USTA.com.

River Cats Field Staff to Return for 2009 Season

West Sacramento, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats and Oakland Athletics announced today that Manager Todd Steverson and the entire 2008 River Cats Field Staff will return to Sacramento for the 2009 season. Steverson will enter his second season as River Cats Manager, once again joined by Pitching Coach Rick Rodriguez, Hitting Coach Brian McArn and Athletic Trainer Brad LaRosa.

Steverson guided the River Cats to a Pacific Coast League and Triple-A Championship in his first season as River Cats Manager in 2008. The River Cats finished 83-61 in the PCL regular season to earn the Pacific Conference Southern Division crown and pave the way for the team’s championship run.

“Our first season together as a staff couldn’t have been any more remarkable,” Steverson said from his home in Arizona. “Sacramento fans are the best in baseball and I look forward to another great year.”

Steverson spent 2007 as manager of the Athletics’ Double-A affiliate Midland RockHounds and the previous two seasons (2005-06) at the helm of the Single-A affiliate Stockton Ports. He has a lifetime managerial record of 297-264. The 37-year-old Los Angeles native joined the A’s organization in 2004 as the hitting coach for the short-season Single-A Vancouver Canadians. He spent the previous five seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system at Single-A Palm Beach (2003), Single-A Potomac (1999; 2001-02) and Single-A Peoria (2000).

Steverson had a seven-year playing career that included major-league appearances with Detroit (1995) and San Diego (1996). He finished his minor league career in 1998 with Triple-A Memphis of the Pacific Coast League. Steverson was originally drafted out of Culver City (Calif.) High School by the Cardinals in the sixth round of the June 1989 amateur draft but elected to attend Arizona State University. Three years later, in 1992, he was a first-round draft pick (25th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rick Rodriguez
Rodriguez, 48, will serve his ninth season as Sacramento’s pitching coach in 2008. After three years with the River Cats from 2000-02, he managed the Modesto A’s in 2003 before returning to the Cats in 2004. Prior to his first stint with the River Cats, he was pitching coach for Modesto in 1999. Last year, Rodriguez’s pitching staff had an ERA of 4.41, 2nd best in the PCL.

Rodriguez played parts of four seasons in the major leagues as a right-handed pitcher. In his major league career, he compiled a 3-4 record and a 5.72 ERA in 31 games. He played in the majors with Oakland (1986-87), Cleveland (1988) and San Francisco (1990).

Brian McArn
McArn, 39, is the third hitting coach in the club’s history. Last season, his fourth with the Cats, Sacramento hitters batted .270, was third in home runs (177) and second in walks (551). The 177 round-trippers set a River Cats team record. He replaced Joe Sparks in 2005, who serves the Oakland A’s as their major league advance scout. Roy White was the River Cats’ hitting coach for their first four seasons, from 2000-03.

This season will mark McArn’s 12th as a hitting coach in the A’s organization, his 13th as a coach in professional baseball. Prior to joining the Cats, he served as Hitting Coach for Midland, after six seasons with Modesto (Single-A). McArn began his professional coaching career with the Vermont Expos (Single-A) of the New York-Penn League in 1996.

McArn was selected by the A’s in the 26th round of the 1991 Amateur Draft out of the University of Nebraska and spent two years as a player in the Oakland organization before injuries ended his career. After retiring, McArn coached at American River Junior College in Sacramento for five seasons.

Brad LaRosa
LaRosa, 32, enters his second season with the River Cats and in the A’s organization. Prior to joining the River Cats, LaRosa spent the past three seasons as a Minor League Athletic Trainer in the St Louis Cardinals organization.

In addition to his athletic training duties, LaRosa, a 2000 graduate of Southern Illinois University who earned a graduate degree in 2003, assists with the team’s travel and equipment responsibilities.

Sacramento River Cats Crowned 2008 PCL Champions
River Cats win second consecutive PCL Championship following 3-1 series victory against Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Okla. – The Sacramento River Cats hoisted the 2008 Pacific Coast League Championship Trophy on Sunday afternoon in Oklahoma City, completing a three-games-to-one series victory against the Oklahoma RedHawks for the team’s second consecutive PCL crown and fourth in the last six seasons.

Sacramento outfielders Chris Denorfia and Carlos Gonzalez earned the Co-PCL Postseason Most Valuable Player Award. Denorfia, the club’s leadoff hitter throughout the playoffs, hit .486 (17-for-35) with 12 runs scored and four home runs in the playoffs. Gonzalez hit .406 (13-for-32) with eight RBIs.

The River Cats defeated the RedHawks 4-2 on Sunday behind the young arm of Brett Anderson and the bat of Gonzalez. Anderson, the 20-year-old left-handed starter for Sacramento, threw seven innings, allowing just two runs in the victory. Gonzalez drove in all four of Sacramento’s runs, including a three-run home run in the third inning.

Gonzalez’s home run followed catcher Justin Knoedler’s double off the 350-foot marker off the top of the left field wall and a Chris Denorfia walk. Gonzalez drove in another run in the fifth inning with an RBI single, to score Travis Buck who reached on a double.

The RedHawks struck for the first time in the sixth inning, scoring two runs on back-to-back RBI singles off Anderson. Anderson’s performance was supported by numerous defensive gems by the River Cats infield, including diving plays by third baseman Donnie Murphy and first baseman Casey Rogowski.

Elk Grove product Brad Kilby threw an inning of shutout relief and Brett Prinz threw a perfect ninth inning to earn the save.

Sacramento will wrap up their ’08 season with a one game, winner-take-all Triple-A Championship at Oklahoma City’s AT&T Bricktown Ballpark on Tuesday, September 16 at 5 p.m. PST. The Cats will face the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, winners of the International League Championship Series. The Bricktown Showdown will be internationally televised on ESPN2 and broadcast live on K-Hits 92.1 FM with the voice of the River Cats, Johnny Doskow.

Del Dayo Based Girls (U12) ‘Select’ Soccer Team Takes First Place at Prestigious Land Park Tournament

(Sacramento) – The River City Spirit girls under-age-12 ‘select’ soccer team scored an impressive string of victories this past weekend on their way to winning the championship of the annual Land Park Shootout soccer tournament.

The Spirit began the weekend by defeating the Fair Oaks Magic III by a score of 4-0. They then went on to defeat the Sierra Galaxy 1-0 and earned a berth into the championship game by winning their flight with the defeat of the Land Park Heat, 3-0.

In the title match, the Spirit defeated the Elk Grove Energy by scoring 3 goals in the first half then locking the game down with tough defense to prevent the Energy from scoring. The final score was 3-0. Prior to the title match, the Elk Grove Energy had not given up a single goal in their tournament games.

“The girls have worked very hard over the spring and summer to build their skills, and their dedication to training is now paying off in these big-name tournaments,” said Spirit head coach Tim Clark.

For the weekend, the River City Spirit scored a total of 11 goals in four games. None were scored against them.

The River City Spirit is a ‘select’ soccer team playing in the River City Youth Soccer League, which is an affiliate of the California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA). Half of the Spirit’s core roster originates from the North Natomas area of Sacramento, while the other half comes from the Del Dayo area, near Watt and Hwy 50. Head coach Tim Clark has coached youth soccer for 8 years. He is the President of the North Sacramento Youth Soccer Foundation, and he was also a founding board member of the Sacramento North Soccer Club, one of the largest youth soccer clubs in the Sacramento area.

The Land Park Shootout is an annual CYSA sanctioned “select” soccer tournament hosted by the Land Park Youth Soccer Club. Every year, the tournament draws dozens of the best teams from all around Northern California to compete for the top prize.

Rocket's Swim Team Soars to 10th Straight League Title

The Rollingwood Rockets, a Fair Oaks based swim team finished atop the Sacramento Swim League, and celebrated a decade of championship swimming. The two-day Championship Meet was held at Sierra College on July 19th and 20th, and was attended by over 800 swimmers from 8 different swim teams. Rocket swimmers posted 1721 points, outscoring their nearest competitors, the Sacramento Stingrays, by almost 500 points!

Interesting enough, the Rockets had only 1 individual high point winner, 14-year-old Alex Peterson. A “high point” trophy is presented to the boy and girl swimmer in each age group that scores the most points in the Championship meet. Other teams such as the Stingrays, the Del Norte Dolphins, and the Arden Manor Piranhas each had 3 swimmers earning the prestigious award. “It just goes to show, you can’t win a championship meet with superstars alone” commented Head Coach Kim Berrios. “Our 163-member team is the 3rd largest in the league, but we have by far the most depth, with strong swimmers in every age group. Some teams cater to their ‘big fish’, but we try to focus on all our swimmers, especially the ones that are struggling. Our goal is to have every Rocket swimming beautifully, and we reach this goal by emphasizing technique, and giving continued feedback to each swimmer throughout the season.”

Swimmers from the eight teams competed in “preliminary heats” in the morning, and then the top 10 finishers swam again in the afternoon “finals”. As a testament to the team’s depth, the Rockets had finalists in 84 of the 86 events. In the 13-14 girls’ 50 yard freestyle finals, Rocket swimmers occupied six of the ten lanes, and finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th. Five different 13-14 girls then went on to final in the 100 yard freestyle event. The 15-18 girls also racked-up mega-points having 5 of the 10 swimmers in the 50 free final, and 6 swimmers in the 50 yard butterfly. Not to be outdone by the girls, the 11-12 boys finished 1st through 4th in their 50 freestyle event.

Ten league records were set during the Championship meet, two by Rollingwood Rocket Alex Peterson. He broke the 13-14 boys 50 yard freestyle (23.21 seconds) which had been held by the previous record holder for 32 years! He also broke the 50 butterfly record (25.95), and earlier in the season he broke the 100 yard freestyle record (52.20). The 13-14 girls freestyle relay team of Ashlee Ellsworth, Jenny Miller, Charlotte Bailey, and Summer Elliot smashed the team record in a time of 1:48.99, and just missed the league record by less than two tenths of a second. 12-year-old Jordan Zawaydeh finished first in the 50 yard butterfly, breaking the team record in a scorching time of 28.70 seconds. Other Rocket swimmers finishing first in an individual event were first-year swimmer Garrett McDanniel (7/8B 25 free, 16.16), Brianne Welch (7/8G 25 free, 16.47), Sam Krug (9/10B 50 free, 30.74), Amy Ellsworth (11/12G 100 free, 1:04.60), Emily Nugent (15-18G 100 free, 59.20), and Cindy LoPresti (15-18G 100 breaststroke, 1:12.53). Although the number of first places in the individual events may seem low for the League Champions, The Rockets won 9 of the 21 relays. “The big points are scored in the relays”, commented Coach Kim, “and when you have “A” and “B” relays composed of 8 very fast swimmers, you can dominate a championship meet”.

What makes the Rockets different from other high-powered teams in the area? If you were to visit Rollingwood Racquet Club you would see. Nestled in the corner of Main Ave. and Winding Oak Dr., the club is not even visible from the roadway. Some of the club members lived in the neighborhood for years, and didn’t know the club existed. The club just underwent a huge renovation to the fitness areas, the surroundings are beautiful, but the champions swim in a small 4-lane pool. Club membership is a requirement, but most of the families do not mind. They know they are getting expert coaching, and the opportunity to participate in a high quality program. There is no fancy aquatic center or any other frills, but according to Coach Kim, “the kids are so motivated and they have so much pride in themselves and in their team. We do not emphasize ‘winning’. We try to instill excellent work ethic, and we focus on personal bests and continual improvement. The winning just seems to be a natural outcome of dedicated swimmers, dedicated coaches, and super-supportive parents. The kids are all team players, and that’s what it takes to be the 10-time Sacramento Swim League Champions!” Rollingwood Racquet Club offers a Fall Swim Clinic, winter lessons in their indoor pool, a Spring Swim Club, and a summer Water Polo Clinic, all of which are open to non-members. Please call Coach Kim if you would like some information on these programs (988-1727, ex. 106). You could also visit the club’s website at http://rollingwoodclub.com/ to download information/registration forms, or email Kim at kberrios@rollingwoodclub.com.

Infielder Pennington Named to MLB All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium

West Sacramento, Calif. – Sacramento infielder Cliff Pennington will represent the River Cats and the Oakland A’s in the 10th Annual Major League Baseball Futures Game, to be played July 13th at Yankee Stadium in New York, NY. The game, which is part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend and is played two days prior to the Major League All-Star Game, pits many of the top American born prospects in the game against young stars from around the world. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 (first pitch is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PDT).

Pennington will be one of three A’s prospects to play in the game, joining Stockton pitcher Henry Rodriguez and Midland pitcher Trevor Cahill (who will pitch for the World and U.S. teams, respectively

Primarily a shortstop, Pennington has played both short and second base for the River Cats this season. A 1st round selection by the A’s in the 2005 Amateur Draft, he joined the Cats after being promoted from Double-A Midland on May 30. The native of Corpus Christi, Texas played his collegiate ball at Texas A&M University. Pennington’s stats with the River Cats this season

Cliff Pennington
AVG. | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB

River Cats Pitching Coach Rodriguez Named to PCL All-Star Game
Rick Rodriguez will represent Sacramento in July 16th Triple-A Mid-Summer Classic in Louisville

West Sacramento, Calif. – The offices of Triple-A Baseball announced today that River Cats Pitching Coach Rick Rodriguez has been named Pitching Coach for the Pacific Coast League team in the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game, to be played Wednesday, July 16 at Fifth Third Field in Louisville, KY. This marks the first Triple-A All-Star Game appearance for Rodriguez, who has been pitching coach for the River Cats for eight of the team’s nine seasons.

Rodriguez, who lives locally in Folsom, has been a part of two of the River Cats’ three PCL Championships (2004 and 2007) and has guided the Cats to the top three in the league in pitching staff ERA four different times and three of the past four years. Rick’s playing career included parts of four seasons at the Major League level. The right-hander pitched for Oakland (1986-87), Cleveland (1988) and San Francisco (1990).

The rest of this year’s PCL All-Star team, which will include at least one player from every PCL team including the River Cats, will be announced on June 30t

The 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 16 (first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. PDT) will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 5:00 p.m. PDT and aired locally on the River Cats Flagship Radio Station, K-Hits 92.1 FM at 7:00 p.m. PDT (tape delay; online broadcast begins at 5:00 p.m. PDT).

Rollingwood Racquet Club UnveilsTotally Renovated Fitness Center

Open Air. Amazing Space. Refined Environments. Rollingwood Racquet Club’s new Fitness Center opens May 15, bringing a dramatic change to the Club’s facilities for fitness in Fair Oaks and Orangevale, both in the Greater Sacramento area. Rollingwood has shaped up to be one of the areas premier fitness venues, carefully designed to enhance the membership experience

Upon entering the club, a brand new reception area has the feeling of a luxury 5-star hotel with warm earth tone colors, a tiled floor and attractive lighting featuring slim lines and curves. Make the turn just by the doors to the swim center, and you will access one of the most prominent features of the improved facility, a vast, open fitness area that has doubled its original size. Not only is the new exercise environment more open and colorful, it has plenty of periphery areas for functional training and stretching. Warm colors throughout and natural light spilling in from the window high above still remind you that you are at Rollingwood. Fresh space deserves new equipment and Rollingwood is adding the best

New offerings of beautifully designed equipment include a complete circuit of TechnoGym, the Italian company famous for its innovative and intuitive fitness development machinery. Conditioning equipment by FreeMotion and hi-tech ellipticals, bikes, treadmills and steppers, all loaded with private televisions embedded into the dashboards to offer you endless exercise variety and entertainment.

Among other state of the art features, beside the group exercise room, a view through the glass wall into a spacious spin cycle room with 20 bikes at the ready. On the second floor, the New Rollingwood Pilates Studio Environment — larger than the one before, but with the same cozy ambiance and serene feel suited to this mind-body exercise area — is filled with natural light and a magnificent sweeping view of the beautiful hills and woodlands the Rollingwood Racquet Club property is renowned for. Down the hall, sophisticated cardio exercise machines line the new, sparkling chrome railing looking down into the open fitness space below.

Owner, Ruth Ku says “I am very proud of our wonderful team of fitness professionals who are dedicated to helping hundreds and thousands of people become healthier, happier and make connections with other people at the club. We are all blessed to have the privilege of being in this endeavor that can be so rewarding.”

The million dollar renovations at Rollingwood Racquet Club are certainly a fitting way of celebrating the Club’s 30th anniversary year and make a tour of this outstanding, new fitness center well worthwhile.Come try us out for free during our open house week from May 19-26. Click here to see our calendar of events for the week.

River Cats, K-Hits 92.1 FM Announce Broadcast Partnership

River Cats, K-Hits 92.1 FM Announce Broadcast Partnership Station to air all 144 River Cats Regular Season games, Triple-A All-Star Game and Cats Postseason gamesWEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Sacramento River Cats and K-Hits 92.1 FM have announced a partnership today that makes K-Hits the team’s Official Radio Station. All 144 regular season River Cats games, the 2008 Triple-A All-Star Game (July 17 in Louisville, KY) and all River Cats postseason games will be broadcast on K-Hits. Streaming game broadcasts will also be available online at www.rivercats.com. The “Voice” of the River Cats, Johnny Doskow, will return for his 8th season handling all play-by-play duties on the team’s broadcast.

“We are extremely happy to announce our partnership with K-Hits,” said Darrin Gross, River Cats vice president, corporate partnerships and broadcasting. “The opportunity to work with [parent company] Results Radio and the K-Hits team is an excellent one and we look forward to great baseball broadcasts all summer long.”

“We think classic hits and baseball fit hand in glove and are excited about marketing opportunities to present 92.1 K-Hits to thousands of River Cats fans,” said Jack Fritz, President and CEO of Results Radio LLC.

Individual tickets for the River Cats’ 2008 regular season home opener and all games this season at Raley Field are currently available at the Raley Field Ticket Office or online at Rivercats.com. Premier seating at every River Cats game throughout the 2008 season can be secured through purchase of River Cats Full Season Tickets, Mini Plans or Group Packages. 2008 River Cats Season Tickets or Mini Plans can be purchased at the Raley Field Ticket Office or by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS. For more information about the 2008 River Cats season, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.

About K-Hits 92.1 FM
Northern California based Results Radio of Sacramento, LLC recently agreed to acquire K-Hits (KCCL-FM) from First Broadcasting Inc of Dallas TX. K-Hits programs classic hit oldies from the 60’s and 70’s and features local broadcast legends Joey Mitchell and “Big” Jim Hall. Results Radio is based in Santa Rosa CA and, in addition to the recent agreement for KCCL-FM, owns and operates radio stations in Redding, Chico and Yuba City-Marysville.

About the River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats are the top minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and play their home games at Raley Field in West Sacramento. Since the team’s inception 2000, the River Cats have led all of Minor League Baseball (nearly 200 teams) in attendance every year and have won three Pacific Coast League Championships (2003, 2004 and 2007). The Sacramento River Cats are an active member of the Sacramento and West Sacramento communities and are involved in countless philanthropic programs.

Courtney Strombeck Selected to adidas Elite Soccer Program 2008
96 Top Female U.S. Youth Players Invited to Elite Training Camp

Portland, OR (Grassroots Newswire) February 25, 2008 – Courtney Strombeck, of Orangevale (95662), is one of only 96 female youth soccer players in the nation selected to attend the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) 2008 to be held February 21-24 on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California.

U.S. Women’s National Team Captain Kristine Lilly will kick off the second annual girls Elite Soccer Program (ESP) with a speech to motivate and inspire 96 of the nation’s top female athletes. adidas ESP is the premier youth development program focused on providing soccer’s next generation of stars with a platform to showcase their skills.

adidas ESP is a sanctioned U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program that identifies the country’s best high school-aged players and provides them with a top-level, on-field training program along with a diverse off-field educational curriculum.  An estimated 60 coaches from colleges, universities and professional teams are expected to scout the players attending adidas ESP.

“adidas ESP is an excellent opportunity for coaches and professional scouts to identify the best young soccer talents in the country,” says Chris McGuire, Sports Marketing Manager for adidas Soccer.  “adidas is committed to supporting all levels of soccer, and our goal with adidas ESP is to prepare each athlete to reach their academic and athletic goals.”

adidas ESP is staffed by an experienced and well-rounded group of coaches from the collegiate and professional levels.  Former U.S. Women’s National Team and current U20 National Team head coach, Tony DiCicco, will serve as Technical Director for the girls’ program.  The coaching staff includes former Women’s National Team members Keri Sanchez, Cindy Parlow, Danielle Fotopoulos and Thori Bryan.

adidas ESP 2008 is managed by Vision Sports Marketing gsion@comcast.net a sports marketing consultancy with a focus on soccer-related brands, events, sales and business opportunities.

For more information, please visit www.adidas-esp.com.

GIRL POWER-The Folsom FLASH

The Folsom FLASH, a team of talented softball players 16 and under (16U), is stepping up to the next level of play and you can help them reach their goals.

These young women will be participating in the “Colorado Sparkler Tournament” held in Hyland Hills, Colorado June 30 – July 6, 2008.  We are very excited for our team of 13 players because they will be seen by coaches and recruiters from various colleges throughout the United States.  Three of our team members will also participate in All-Star games coached by college coaches.  Those girls will also have the opportunity to play in a final All-Star game which will be televised on Friday, the 4th of July.

What an opportunity for these girls who are committed to the sport of fastpitch softball and want to play when they go on to college. You may know some of the team members.  They are:  Shelby Bishop, Baylee Bishop, Sami-Jo Everett, Rachel Hopping, Samantha Hopping, Heather Jensen, Jackie McCarty, Ashley Mrozinski, Britni  Nickell, Macey Palermo, Dawn Weber, Katie Hargreaves, and Taryn Frampton and they live in Antelope, Roseville, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Rocklin, and Lincoln. 

The Folsom FLASH is a non-profit organization which currently has teams in the 10U, 14U, and 16U age divisions.  They participate in tournament play within the Amateur Athletic Association (ASA) also known as the Junior Olympic program.   This year the 16U team will attend tournaments held throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, and Colorado.  Costs are high and the players’ family, friends, and volunteers help raise money to pay for tournament fees, uniforms, equipment, first aid supplies, water,  plane fares, hotel rooms, meals, and gas when driving to tournaments and hauling the trailer that contains the girls’ softball equipment.

The team works to raise money throughout the year.  They are having a Spaghetti Feed at the Orangevale Grange on May 2, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. and you, the public, are invited.   Tickets are $10 each.  Please contact our manager Michele at Flashfastpitch@yahoo.com.  Wine and beer will be sold and of course we will have a wonderful raffle, etc.  Come and meet the players!

The Folsom FLASH is also seeking sponsors at the Bronze ($250), Silver ($500), Gold ($1,000) and Platinum ($2,500) levels.  At the Bronze and Silver levels, the team offers the opportunity for you to have your company name displayed on a banner at each tournament, practice and exhibition game (approximately 125 games) throughout California, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado and your web site displayed on the Folsom FLASH 16U web site. At the Gold and Platinum levels, each sponsor’s name will be displayed on the banners of all age divisions (10U,14U,and 16U)  and displayed at approximately 375 games, your logo placed on our equipment trailer (16U) and seen throughout California, Oregon, Nevada, and Colorado.  Your company web site will be linked to the Folsom FLASH web site with your logo displayed on the 16U page.  What a great way to advertise your company. 

You do not have to have a business to help with fundraising.  Any and all donations are welcomed.  Please help the girls achieve their goals and send donations to:  Folsom FLASH, C/O Michele Nickell, 7438 Bree Ann Court, Citrus Heights, CA  95610.  Indicate the non-profit federal ID # 68-0459343 on your checks.  For further information about sponsorships or questions about the team, please contact Michele at mnickell@surewest.net.

The philosophy of the FLASH is to be committed to your sport, supportive of your team mates, AND NEVER DEVELOP A TASTE FOR LOSING BUT ALWAYS LOSE WITH CLASS.  What a great attitude!