Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Shortstop helps Redlands to title

In Cal baseball meet

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University of Redlands senior shortstop James Cordes of Hailey played a big role as the Bulldogs won the championship of the 11-team California Invitational baseball tournament Saturday at Redlands and Pomona in southern California.

Cordes, 21, went three-for-three and scored three runs Saturday as Redlands pulled a major 13-8 upset over the nation’s pre-season top-ranked NCAA Division III baseball team, the Eastern Connecticut State Warriors.

James Cordes, Redlands senior shortstop, at the Bulldog field called The Yard. Courtesy photo

His slash bunt single with two runners aboard sparked a seven-run fifth-inning that lifted Redlands into a 9-3 lead. After the Warriors rallied back into a 9-7 game, Cordes stroked a two-out eighth-inning single to stoke the fires of a three-run uprising that put it away.

Later Saturday, Redlands nailed down its first-ever California Invitational title with a dramatic three-run ninth-inning rally for a 6-5 win over University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Cordes ripped a one-out single that kept the rally alive, then scored on Chris Grant’s game-winning double.

Over two days of tournament action Redlands (10-9) won four games—two back-to-back doubleheaders—and out-hit its opponents 52-38. Three-year Bulldog starter Cordes went 6-for-14 with four sacrifice bunts and played flawlessly in the field

In the four games, Redlands freshman designated hitter Brian Schumaker from San Diego hit 14-for-17 with 12 RBIs. Redlands also defeated Pacific Lutheran 8-4 and Rutgers University 9-8 on Friday.

The tournament victory capped a successful five-win week for the Bulldogs that started with a come-from-behind 12-11 triumph over Wesleyan University of Connecticut Tuesday.

Redlands #2 batter Cordes (.314) leads the Bulldogs in stolen bases (10-for-11), sacrifice bunts, games played and assists (60), and is among the team leaders in runs scored, hits, walks and double plays. He has struck out only four times in 70 official at-bats.

A 2000 Wood River High School graduate and son of Jeff and Diane Cordes, James played shortstop on Wood River’s first district baseball tournament title team in 1999. He is a history major with an English minor at Redlands.

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