Alumni Update

The latest news on local athletes who are continuing to play at the college or pro levels.

Lisa Ferrero
Sport: Golf
High School: Lodi High
Pro: Duramed Futures Tour
Ferrero shot a final-round 1-over 73 and finished tied for third in the Gettysburg Championship on Sunday at Gettysburg, Pa. Ferrero shot a 69-72-73—214 in the three-day tournament and earned $6,125.

Ferrero is currently 13th on the money list with $26,013 in earnings for the year and is eighth in scoring average (72.49). Ferrero's third-place finish was her best showing of the 2008 season.

If Ferrero finishes in the top 10 on the money list, she will earn her 2009 LPGA tour card. With only one tourney left on the schedule, she is currently more than $3,000 behind Haeji Kang of South Korea, who holds the 10th and final spot.

David Cooper
Sport: Baseball
High School: Tokay High
Pro: Dunedin Blue Jays
The left-handed first baseman is hitting .269 with one home run, five doubles, nine RBIs and five runs scored in 18 games with the Blue Jays, an advanced Class-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays in the Florida State League.

Last week, he went 2-for-5 with a double in a 8-6 win over Clearwater on Monday and then went 0-for-4 in a 2-1 loss to Tampa on Wednesday. Cooper was 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 3-1 loss to Tampa in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday. In the second game, he went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored in a 11-0 win over Tampa.

Cooper was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run scored in a 6-2 win over Lakeland on Saturday and then went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in a 3-2 win over Lakeland on Sunday.

Jason Bartlett
Sport: Baseball
High School: St. Mary's High
Pro: Tampa Bay Rays
The starting shortstop went a combined 3-for-9 with a run scored in a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels at home in Tropicana Field and then went 4-for-12 with an RBI, walk and run scored in a three-game series on the road at the Chicago White Sox. Bartlett is currently batting .270 for the season.

The Rays (79-50) remain in first place in the American League East standings, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox and 9 1/2 games in front of the New York Yankees.

Justin Souza
Sport: Baseball
High School: Galt High
Pro: High Desert Mavericks
The right-handed reliever is 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 11 appearances for the Mavericks, a Class-A advanced affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. He has 34 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched while allowing just 15 earned runs on 38 hits with 12 walks.

Last Week, Souza did not figure in no-decision games against the Lancaster Jet Hawks (5.1 IP, 6 Ks, 3 hits, 2 BB) on Monday and the San Jose Giants (5 IP, 5 Ks, 3 hits, 2 BB) on Saturday.

Ryan Mattheus
Sport: Baseball
High School: Galt High
Pro: Tulsa Drillers
The right-handed reliever is 2-5 with a team-high 15 saves and a 3.52 ERA in 54 appearances for the Drillers, a Class-AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

Last week, He struck out two and allowed two hits and one earned run while picking up the loss in one inning of relief in Tulsa's 5-4 loss to the Arkansas Travelers on Tuesday. He then rebounded to pick up a save with two strikeouts in one inning of relief in a 4-3 win over the Travelers on Thursday.

Mattheus allowed two runs on three hits with one strikeout in one inning that led to his fifth blown save of the year in a 8-7 loss to the Travelers on Friday.

Zach Phillips
Sport: Baseball
High School: Galt High
Pro: Bakersfield Blaze
The left-handed starter is 8-9 with a 5.67 ERA in 27 starts for the Blaze, a Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

Phillips went 1-1 last week in a 3-1 win over the Stockton Ports on Monday and then followed it up with a 12-2 loss on Saturday to the Lake Elsinore Storm. In total, Phillips gave up one unearned run on 10 hits (6 Ks, 8 BBs) in 12.2 innings of work combined for both games.

Do you know of a local athlete that has continued playing at the college or pro levels? If so, the News-Sentinel encourages you (parents, coaches, athletes and anyone else) to update us on how these former athletes are doing. We'd like to update our readers as often as possible. You can reach the News-Sentinel sports department by phone at 369-7035 or by e-mail at sports@lodinews.com.