The Orion Online

Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Sports

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The summer started with such promise: The baseball team was hosting the NCAA Regionals - which they had never lost while hosting - Scott Bauhs was on his way to the Olympics and the almighty women's basketball team was ready to reload.

But as school begins, things have changed.

The baseball team was ousted by national runner-up Sonoma State, which dealt the Wildcats their two losses.

Scott Bauhs ran in the Olympic Trials with stomach pains and ended with a time a minute slower than his personal best. He finished 16th.

But perhaps the greatest disappointment - or surprise - belonged to the departure of Molly Goodenbour. The two-year head coach packed her bags and took off to UC Irvine in early August.

Goodenbour left a great team behind, but her loss is unreplaceable. She took a team that was good and made it great - national contender great.

New head coach Brian Fogel, has the tools to succeed, but will he? The Wildcats have now lost their lead scorer, Audi Spencer, and their coach. Not many teams can come back from both.

The loss of Goodenbour puts a big question mark on the future of the university's most profitable sport.

Uncertainty surrounds the basketball program for the first time in more than 20 years as both Greg Clink and Fogel are new head coaches.

Put men's soccer in there as well. After contending for a national title in 2003, the team's quality of play fell into a season-long slump. New coach Felipe Restrepo hopes to change that, but it remains to be seen.

So after a disappointing summer, the Wildcats must regain their spring glory. The Wildcats' impressive spring included a sub-four minute mile and a couple of California Collegiate Athletics Association championships.

But can this semester be as good with so much change?

The women's soccer team will be good. It starts the season as favorite to win the CCAA Championship.

But positive expectations surround every sport, despite coach changes and a disappointing summer.

That's what new faces do.

With three new fall head coaches, the Wildcats have a newfound buzz and the belief they can be better.

But until the season starts, the bad summer taste is still around.

With all the uncertainty, the summer did bring one thing to the university's sports teams - new life.

Connor can be reached at
sportseditor@theorion.com

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