UCSB Dine In Elk Grove/ Crump Named MWC Player of Week

A couple words today about three Elk Grove-area girls doing well in college softball.

Last evening in Old Towne if you noticed a group of young ladies clad in blue and grey warm-ups walking in and out of the Happy Garden Restaurant, it was the softball team from UC-Santa Barbara. They are in town to play a doubleheader today at Sac State. The first game begins at 1:30 p.m.

Shelby Wisdom, UCSB pitcher

Dej Moore, UCSB infielder

Hosting the gathering was Tom and Joylynn Wisdom. Their daughter, Shelby, is a freshman pitcher for the Lady Gauchos. I sat at the table with coach Brie Galicinao and Bakyra and Karen Moore, parents of Gaucho freshman infielder Dejanee Moore. Shelby played her high school softball at Elk Grove, Moore at Sheldon.

Also, at the table was Dej's sister, Meme, a senior catcher for Sheldon. She's already signed a letter of intent to play for Santa Barbara next season.

I was most impressed with Coach Galicinao, who played her high school ball at Lincoln of Stockton and at Princeton University. She talked about how they've played a rough pre-season schedule, taking on teams such as Tennessee, UCLA and Hawaii. The Lady Gauchos are now 12-20, Shelby and Dej are both going through their growing pains as freshman players, yet Galicinao sees some real promise in both girls.

Dej is the regular third baseman for UCSB, Wisdom pitches regularly and also plays the outfield.

Listen to my interviews with Shelby and Dej

Also, thanks to Uncle Bob Crump, who emailed me Sunday that his niece, Allie, has been named the Mountain West Conference's Player of the Week. She's having a good senior season at Boise State.

By the way, on a kind of funny note - during my interview with Coach Brie I asked her how she is able to recruit girls to UCSB with softball powers like UCLA in the same state. Her reply (with a funny look on her face): Have you ever been to Santa Barbara?

Duh!