Contact:             Doug Aiken
                           (714) 997-6900

Release Date:   April 30, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Upcoming Events Calendar
 

Date	Day	Team	Opponent/Event	Site	Time (Pacific)
4/30	Fri.	Baseball	Vanguard	Home	3:00 pm
		Women's Crew	West Coast Championships	Sacramento	TBA
5/1	Sat.	Women's Crew	West Coast Championships	Sacramento	TBA
		Women's Track	Steve Scott Invitational	Irvine	11:00 am
5/2	Sun.	Women's Crew	West Coast Championships	Sacramento	TBA
5/8	Sat.	Women's Track	Occidental	Eagle Rock	4:00 pm
5/15	Sat.	Women's Track	Claremont Classic	Claremont	4:00 pm

Chapman’s Carter To Sign Football Contract With The New York Jets

ORANGE – Senior linebacker/running back Michael Carter (Moreno Valley/Valley View High) has agreed to terms with the New York Jets of the National Football League and will sign a priority free agent contract this Thursday. Carter will be at the Jets’ three-day mini camp beginning Friday. Carter becomes just the second Chapman football player to sign an NFL contract in the school’s history. Kicker Matt George, who played at Chapman from 1996-97, spent some time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998, then spent several seasons playing in the Arena Football League.

“I’m so excited to be representing Chapman,” said Carter on Tuesday. “It just shows how possible it is to achieve your dreams when you go after them in full force and with confidence. God just blessed me through this whole process.”

The signing comes just a few months after Carter had surgery to repair a torn labrum he suffered in a game on October 25th. Carter connected with Athletes Performance in Carson where he has worked out six days a week for nearly three months, preparing and hopeful for a chance in the NFL.

The 6-3, 252-pound NFL rookie, spent three years with Chapman, serving as team captain twice and played his senior season on both sides of the field. He led the team in sacks and tackles for a loss as a starting outside linebacker in 2003 and set a career-high in rushing yards (424) and touchdowns (six). He was signed as a tight end, his original position when he transferred to Chapman in 2001.
 

Fifth-Ranked Women’s Water Polo Misses Playoffs

ORANGE – The Chapman University women’s water polo team, despite being ranked fifth in Division III at regular season’s end, was not invited to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III championships this weekend at U.C. Santa Cruz. At 17-13, the Panthers have had their finest season since the birth of the program in 1998, and their #5 ranking is also an all-time high. Eight teams earned invitations to the national tournament, including the top three teams in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC): Pomona-Pitzer, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Redlands, as well as host U.C. Santa Cruz. All four teams are ranked in the top-ten. Chapman posted a 3-3 record versus those invitees this season.
 

Last Month’s Results:

Baseball
 

Date	Opponent	Result	Record
4/7	Cal Lutheran	W, 4-2	20-7
4/9	Redlands	W, 6-2	21-7
4/10	@ Redlands	W, 10-6 (10 inn.)	22-7
	@ Redlands	W, 7-5	23-7
4/16	@ Menlo	L, 4-9	23-8
4/17	@ Menlo	L, 2-3	23-9
4/18	@ Menlo	W, 7-2	24-9
4/20	@ Whittier	L, 4-6	24-10
4/23	@ Cal State Hayward*	W, 11-10 (10 inn.)	25-10
4/24	vs. Menlo*	W, 9-2	26-10
4/25	vs. Linfield (OR)*	W, 10-0	27-10
4/28	@ Cal Lutheran	L, 5-6 (12 inn.)	27-11

*Bay Area Invitational (Hayward, CA)

April Highlights:
Panthers Defeat Archrival Cal Lutheran, 4-2 – Junior right-hander Jeff Green (Santa Clarita/Valencia High) stymied the visiting Kingsmen for eight and a third innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out four batters to earn his seventh victory of the year. The Panthers jumped on the board with two runs in the third and one in the fourth inning, pounding out 12 hits in all. Senior catcher Matt Graves (Glendora/Glendora High) and sophomore designated hitter Brian Brubaker (Denver, CO/Cherry Creek High) each collected three hits. Senior right-hander Brian Sanders (Placentia/El Dorado High) retired the game’s final two batters for his fourth save of the season.

Three-Game Sweep Over Redlands Runs Season-Best Win Streak To Six – Brian Sanders tied Chapman’s Division III home run mark with his 21st career homer in the first of a three-game weekend series with Redlands. Junior first baseman Jason Mooneyham’s (Rancho Santa Margarita/Trabuco Hills High) three-run homer in the eighth broke open a 3-2 Chapman lead and gave the Panthers a 6-2 win. Redlands rallied from a three-run eighth inning deficit in the second game to tie the score and force extra innings. But Chapman scored four times in the top of the tenth, including a three-run homer from Matt Graves, to pick up its fifth straight win. In the series finale, it was the Panthers who scored once in the seventh and three times in the eighth to come-from-behind for a 7-5 win. The win was Chapman’s season-best sixth straight win. Sanders finished the doubleheader 7-for-11 with four RBI, plus he picked up the win in the extra-innings victory and a save in each end of the sweep. The Panthers maintained their number 15 ranking in the Division III poll and remain ranked third in the West behind #6 Trinity (TX) and #13 Mississippi College.

Chapman Salvages One At Menlo, Loses Three Of Four – Following a season-best six-game winning streak, the Panthers stumbled and have lost three of their past four games heading into a weekend tournament at Cal State Hayward. The Panthers, who entered a three-game series with Menlo leading Division III with a 2.06 team earned run average, were battered for 14 earned runs in three games and saw their team ERA rise to (a still-Division III-leading) 2.32. After losing the first two games of the weekend set, Chapman used a four-run fifth inning to pace it to a 7-2 win in the finale. Chapman starter Jeff Green, just two days after getting chased in the third inning of the series opener, improved to 9-4 by holding the Oaks to just four hits in six innings. Junior right-hander Scott Akamine (Anaheim/Savanna High) earned his seventh save of the year with three shutout innings of relief work.

Panthers Win Bay Area Invitational; Get Back In Playoff Race – On a weekend trip that could have spelled disaster for the reigning national champs, the Panthers took care of some much needed business at the Bay Area Invitational, sweeping three games and winning the tournament. Chapman’s victories included wins over two potential West Region playoff foes Cal State Hayward and Linfield (Ore.). The host Pioneers are the Panthers biggest threat of missing the playoffs. Both teams are Independents and nationally ranked by ABCA/Collegiate Baseball. However, Chapman’s extra-inning win – coming on a Shaun Donahoe (Huntington Beach/Huntington Beach High) RBI single in the tenth – gave the Panthers their third win in four games over Hayward this season. Despite allowing seven-run seventh inning lead to slip away, Chapman rallied in the tenth to improve to 4-0 in extra-inning games this year. The Panthers gave a solid all-around performance against Menlo on the second day of the tournament, led by sophomore right-hander Buddy Klovstad (Orange/El Modena High), who scattered five hits and struck out seven batters in six innings. The Chapman offense, showing signs of a revival that conjured reminders of the team’s offensive display at the 2003 Division III World Series, pounded 15 hits for just the third time this season. And on the tournament’s final day, Jeff Green and Scott Akamine combined to three-hit the Northwest Conference front-runner Linfield as Chapman cruised to a 10-0 win. Matt Graves’ three-run homer in the fifth inning broke open a 1-0 game. Chapman remains ranked in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball top-30, coming in at 22nd and ranks fourth in the West Region according to the NCAA.

NCAA Statistical Leaders
The Panthers find themselves ranked among the nation’s best in four different statistical categories (through games of 4/25/04):
 

Victories	Jeff Green; 10-4	t-2nd
Saves	Scott Akamine; 8	t-6th
	Brian Sanders; 7	t-8th
Earned Run Average	Chapman; 2.40	3rd
Fielding Percentage	Chapman; .963	19th

Softball
 

Date	Opponent	Result	Record
4/3	La Verne	L, 3-5	29-6
	La Verne	W, 5-1	30-6
4/14	Vanguard	L, 2-4	30-7
	Vanguard	W, 8-2	31-7
4/22	@ Concordia	L, 0-9	31-8
	@ Concordia	W, 6-1	32-8

April Highlights:
Panthers Split With 17th-Ranked Leopards – After losing the opening game of a crucial doubleheader with West Region-rival and fellow Division III top-25 member La Verne, Chapman rebounded to defeat the Leos, 5-1 behind a solid pitching performance from sophomore right-hander Erin Bryant (Puyallup, WA/Emerald Ridge High). Bryant held La Verne to just one unearned run in seven innings to give the Panthers the split. Sophomore outfielder Kailee Roeser (River Forest, IL/River Forest High) hit a three-run homer in the third inning, her second of the season, to stake Chapman to a 3-0 lead. Chapman added a run in the fifth and one more in the sixth to cushion their lead. As a result of the split, the Panthers fell just one spot in the national rankings to ninth overall and La Verne was boosted to 15th.

Chapman Stumbles To The Finish Line With A 3-3 Record In April – Lacking the same consistency that they played with during their 18-game winning streak in late-February and early-March, the Panthers split their final four doubleheaders, including four games with NAIA opponents Vanguard and Concordia. In both instances, Chapman dropped the first game of the doubleheader, but rebounded to win the second game. Versus Vanguard, Chapman used a seven-run second inning explosion to earn the split. Sophomore first baseman Meredith Cipolla (Pleasanton/Amador High) homered to lead off the inning and senior shortstop Brittany Ziegler (Irvine/Woodbridge High) hit a two-run shot later in the inning to lead the Panthers offensively. Kailee Roeser also hit a bases-loaded double as part of the inning. The Panthers won behind a solid pitching performance from Erin Bryant, who allowed two earned runs in a complete game win, 8-2. Chapman ended the regular season on a high-note, defeating NAIA’s 20th-ranked Concordia, 6-1 to earn a doubleheader split with the Eagles. Freshman right-hander Maggie Wilder (Bakersfield/Stockdale High) stifled the Eagle bats to improve to 11-2 this season. Ziegler has begun to warm up in preparation for regional play with a two-run homer in the first and a two-run double in the sixth to pace the Panther bats. Chapman fell to 13th in the NFCA Division III top-25 poll after their 3-3 record in April, but expect an invitation to the regional playoffs next weekend.

NCAA Statistical Leaders
The Panthers find themselves ranked among the nation’s best in eight different statistical categories (through games of 4/25/04):
 

Batting Average	Brittany Ziegler; .460	40th
Home Runs Per Game	Brittany Ziegler; 0.30	7th
	Meredith Cipolla; 0.20	30th
Slugging Percentage	Brittany Ziegler; .921	6th
Runs Batted In Per Game	Brittany Ziegler; 1.3	9th
Runs Per Game	Chapman; 6.63	20th
Batting Average	Chapman; .356	5th
Fielding Percentage	Chapman; .965	12th
Winning Percentage	Chapman; .800 (32-8)	25th

Men’s Tennis
 

Date	Opponent	Result	Record
4/13	@ Cal Poly Pomona	L, 1-8	5-11
4/20	@ Cal Lutheran	L, 0-7	5-12

April Highlights:
Chapman Ends Season On Sour Four-Match Losing Streak – An otherwise season of promise ended on a sour note as the Panthers finished April with a four-match losing streak. Junior Bryan Bruno (Riverside/Alta Loma High) and freshman Lex Barte (San Fernando Valley/Campbell Hall) won their number two doubles match versus both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Lutheran to finish the season 6-8 as a pair. The season had some solid individual performances, as well, including the emergence of junior Brock Heimann (Brea/Servite High) as one of the top singles players in the West Region and Bruno and senior Justin Jonas (Carlsbad/Carlsbad High) posting team-best 8-9 records in singles play.
 

Women’s Tennis
 

Date	Opponent	Result	Record
4/13	@ Cal Poly Pomona	L, 0-9	3-14
4/14	Cal State San Bernardino	L, 2-7	3-15

April Highlights:
Panthers Put Up Fight, But Succumb To CSUSB In Season Finale – Chapman’s women’s tennis team won a couple battles against Division II’s Cal State San Bernardino, but ultimately lost the war in the Panthers season finale at home, ending the year with an 11-match losing streak. Junior Liz Nesbit (Garden Grove/Pacifica High) and freshman Sam Galasso (Anaheim/Magnolia High) earned a shutout, 8-0 in their number three doubles match over the Coyotes, improving to 6-11 overall as a team. Galasso then won her number six singles match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0 to improve to 4-14 overall this season.
 

Women’s Water Polo
 

Date	Opponent	Result	Record
4/3	@ Cal State Bakersfield*	L, 5-8	12-8
	vs. Cal Baptist*	L, 6-13	12-9
4/4	Claremont	W, 10-9 (3 OT)	13-9
4/14	@ Redlands	L, 3-8	13-10
4/17	St. Mary's (CA)#	W, 10-3	14-10
	Pepperdine#	W, 8-5	15-10
	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo#	W, 9-6	16-10
4/23	vs. U.C. Santa Cruz^	W, 8-7	17-10
	@ Loyola Marymount^	L, 2-18	17-11
4/24	vs. Santa Clara^	L, 7-13	17-12
4/25	vs. Cal State Hayward^	L, 8-9 (OT)	17-13

*Cal State San Bernardino Tournament
#Chapman Tournament
^Western Water Polo Championships

April Highlights:
Panthers Win Triple-OT Contest With Second-Ranked Claremont – The Panthers made their best pitch towards earning an invitation to the Division III championships with a thrilling triple-overtime 10-9 win over second-ranked Claremont. Freshman driver Kristin Carter (Orange/Villa Park High) scored the game-winning goal in sudden death to give the Panthers their first-ever win over the Athenas. No more than two goals separated the two teams throughout the entire game. Carter led the Panthers with four goals and sophomore 2-meter Kristina Eich (Huntington Beach/Edison High) scored three and added four assists in the win.

Chapman Sweeps Its Own Tournament; Earns Highest National Ranking Ever – With victories over St. Mary’s, Pepperdine and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo – the top-ranked club team in the nation – the Panthers took first place in their own tournament and were propelled to a #4 ranking in the Division III top-10 poll, the school’s highest ranking ever. Senior driver Allison Sloane (Stockton/Lincoln High) scored 10 goals in the three games and sister Nicole Sloane (Stockton/Lincoln High) tallied 20 steals in the tournament, as well. Sophomore goalie Katie Arntzen (Riverside/Poly High) made ten blocks in the cage to earn a victory in all three games.

Panthers Beat Santa Cruz, But End Season With Three Losses – Katie Arntzen made nine blocks in goal and Kristin Carter scored three goals, added two assists and made five steals as the Panthers defeated Division III’s eighth-ranked Santa Cruz, 8-7 in the opening game of the Western Water Polo Association championships. However, three straight losses to end the tournament also brought Chapman’s season to an end. The Panthers led 7-6 heading into the fourth quarter against Cal State Hayward in the tournament finale, but were held to just one goal in the fourth and overtime periods and lost, 9-8. Kristina Eich finished the season with 53 goals – the second highest total in school history – just seven goals shy of the single-season school record.