Alumni Update

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

Jason Bartlett
Sport: Baseball
High School: St. Mary's
Pro: Tampa Bay Rays
The starting shortstop went 1-for-5 with a double against the Boston Red Sox in a 5-4 win on Tuesday. He went 1-for-5 with a double in a 4-2 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday.

Bartlett then went 1-for-5 with a RBI and run scored in a 7-1 win over the New York Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Bartlett then went 1-for-5 in a 6-5 loss to the Yankees in the nightcap. Bartlett then went 1-for-5 in a 8-4 loss to the Yankees on Sunday.

Bartlett is batting .278 for the season for the Rays (88-59) who lead the American League East division by one game over the Red Sox with 14 games left in the regular season. Tampa Bay will face Boston for two more games and then take on the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers four times each to close out the season.

Dea Cook
Sport: Soccer
High School: St. Mary's
College: UCLA
Cook is in her junior season as a starting defender for the Bruins, who hold down the No. 3 spot in the preseason NCAA national rankings. UCLA (5-0-1) beat Cal-Irvine, 3-0, 25th-ranked Connecticut, 3-0, and tied with Brown, 0-0, in three overtimes last week.

Cook has played the second-most minutes of any player on the roster through the first six games of the season (425). She has just two shot attempts in three games with no goals scored.

Jon Davis
Sport: Football
High School: Elliot Christian
College: Azusa Pacific
Davis, an All-American wide receiver for the Cougars, caught four passes for 48 yards and one touchdown in Azusa Pacific's 75-13 loss to the West Texas A&M on Saturday. Davis' second touchdown catch of the year for the Cougars (0-3) extended his school record for most career touchdown receptions to 27.

Tara Miller
Sport: Golf
High School: Lodi
College: San Joaquin Delta
Miller, a freshman who plays golf for the Lady Mustangs, scored an 87 on Tuesday at the Big 8 Conference No. 2 match at Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course in Sacramento to help Delta to a fifth-place finish.

Pete Murdaca
Sport: Football
High School: St. Mary's
College: San Joaquin Delta
The former St. Mary's High star completed 22 of 35 passes for 323 yards and two touchdown passes for the Mustangs (2-0) and also ran for two scores, including a 12-yard TD run, in a 28-21 victory over College of the Siskiyous in Weed.

Jordan Whitley
Sport: Football
High School: Lodi
College: Hastings
The former Flame running back played his first collegiate game on Aug. 30 against Peru State, carrying the ball two times for one yard in the Broncos' 26-0 win.

On Sept. 6, playing for Hastings' JV squad against Doane College, Whitley had 10 carries for 68 yards before leaving the game with a mild concussion. Whitley did not play in the Broncos' 25-24 loss to Briar Cliff on Saturday for Hastings (2-1).

Jason Beilstein
Sport: Football
High School: Tokay
College: South Dakota School of Mines
Beilstein, a 6-6 junior starting tight end, had four catches for 66 yards and a TD in the Hardrockers' 70-0 win over Trinity Bible College on Saturday. The scoring catch came on a 10-yard reception.

Beilstein now has nine catches on the season for 131 yards and three touchdowns in two games this season.

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.