Briefs: Cassel named to team

Former UC Irvine pitcher to travel with USA World Cup/Pan Am team to Panama and Mexico.

Pitcher Justin Cassel, who played at UC Irvine from 2004-06, has been selected to USA Baseball’s 2011 World Cup/Pan Am Team roster.

The team will compete in both the IBAF Baseball World Cup in Panama City, Panama, Oct. 2-15, and the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico (baseball competition will be held in Lagos de Moreno), Oct. 20-25.

Cassel, currently with the triple-A Charlotte Knights, was one of three players from the Chicago White Sox farm system to be named to the roster.

As an Anteater, Cassel was 20-16 on the mound in three seasons, pitching 3171/3 innings and striking out 241. He made 55 appearances and 48 starts and held opposing teams to a .272 batting average.

Cassel was a two-time Big West Player of the Week at UCI and also was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball in 2006.

He helped the Anteaters reach NCAA regionals twice in 2004 and 2006 and was a seventh-round selection by the White Sox in the 2006 draft.

The Pan Am Team will first gather in Cary, N.C., at the USA Baseball National Training Complex where it will train from Sept. 27-29. The U.S. will have one workout on Sept. 27, followed by the first of three exhibitions against the Canadian World Cup/Pan Am Team. The team will then depart for Panama City, Panama, for the IBAF Baseball World Cup where it will look to win its third straight title.

Team USA has defeated Cuba in the gold medal game of each of the last two World Cup finals. First-round action kicks off on Oct. 2, against Japan at Rod Carew Stadium.

The complete game schedule and roster can be viewed at https://www.usabaseball.com.

— From staff reports

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NHYC takes sixth

The Newport Harbor Yacht Club finished sixth at the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup in Newport, R.I. Sept. 17.

The event had yacht club teams representing 16 nations from six different continents.

The 11-race series was held on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, familiar to sailing enthusiasts as the home of the America’s Cup from 1930-1983.

The Newport Harbor Yacht Club team was helmed by Jim Madden and assisted by tactician Payson Infelise.

Royal Canadian Yacht Club of Canada won the event and New York Yacht Club was runner-up.

— From staff reports

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VU duo honored

Vanguard University junior Lauren Shachenko and freshman goalkeeper Lauren Terry have been named Golden State Athletic Conference offensive and defensive players of the week in women’s soccer.

Skachenko scored four goals in three games, including two in a 5-0 win at Menlo on Sept. 14 and two more in a 3-0 win over Bellevue of Nebraska on Saturday.

Terry allowed one goal in 234 minutes in goal last week.

She posted a solo shutout and shared a shutouts and also had eight saves in a 2-1 win over Holy Names on Friday.

The two standouts helped Vanguard improve to 6-0.

The Lions have outscored opponents, 20-2, during that stretch.

— From staff reports

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Freiberg shines

Newport Harbor High product Dillan Freiberg, a freshman kicker at Santa Ana College, was named East Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by the Southern California Football Assn. last week.

Freiberg made a 29-yard field goal and all four PAT attempts while averaging 61.7 yards on seven kickoffs in the Dons’ 44-43 overtime loss at Victor Valley Sept. 10.

Santa Ana entered last week ranked No. 20 in Southern California.

— From staff reports