Joe D baseball season kicks off Sunday

By Marty James

NOTES AND QUOTES for a Friday in the Napa Valley:

The Napa Valley Joe DiMaggio Baseball League opens its 2009 season Sunday with three games at Justin-Siena High School. Three more games follow Monday at the Veterans Home of California’s Cleve Borman Field in Yountville.

All three Napa Valley teams — St. Helena Masons, Sheriff’s/Matt Salsman Insurance and Raneri & Long/Mark Coleman — will be in action over the Memorial Day weekend. They are non-league games.

“We are excited to start our 37th year in the Napa Valley,” said Steve Meyer, the league’s president.

In Sunday’s games, Tri-County Gamblers meet St. Helena Masons (11 a.m.), Tri-County faces Sheriff’s/Matt Salsman (1:45 p.m.), and St. Helena plays Raneri & Long/Mark Coleman (4:30 p.m.).

On Monday, it’s Raneri & Long/Mark Coleman vs. Tri-County (10 a.m.), Sheriff’s/Matt Salsman against St. Helena (12:45 p.m.), and Sheriff’s/Matt Salsman vs. Raneri & Long/Mark Coleman (3:30 p.m.).

Jerry Smith, a Vintage High School graduate and former Napa resident, is the general manager for the Tri-County Gamblers.

Smith is a former Napa High wrestling coach.

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Marsha Niemann will retire in a few days after a 29-year teaching and coaching career at Justin-Siena.

She has been a class act the whole way — guiding the girls basketball team for nine years and the volleyball team for 16 years. She was a winner in both sports, but more importantly, instilled qualities such as character and pride in her teams.

Niemann won at the league and section levels, and gained statewide notoriety with her basketball teams earning rankings.

She helped set up the first crab feed at Justin-Siena to help the basketball team raise money for a preseason trip to Hawaii.

“She clearly thought high school sports should remain fun, even if the competition was intense,” said Ann (Corbett) Neuhaus, a former Braves standout.

“When we went to the Oakland Coliseum for championships, for example, she made sure to introduce us to Fentons Ice Cream in Piedmont, a famously delicious ice cream parlor. During playoffs, her parents regularly hosted the team for the pregame meal, which really fostered a family atmosphere and support.”

Neuhaus added: “Marsha’s children were quite young when I was at Justin-Siena and reflecting on the hours she spent with us at practices, on bus rides to away games, working summer camps, traveling to work at university summer camps to help network and make connections with college coaches for us, I am even more aware of her dedication to us.”

“I was very lucky to be coached and mentored by her and remain quite privileged to have her friendship.”

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Vintage High lost in the semifinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I boys team tennis playoffs Monday to Pitman-Turlock, 8-1.

Davis beat Armijo in the semifinals, 8-1, and then shut out Pitman in the championship match, 9-0.

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Napa and Vintage will meet in the seventh annual Big Game mini-golf match June 1 at 4 p.m. at Scandia Family Fun Center in Fairfield.

Vintage won last year’s match and leads the all-time series, 4-2.

Roger Bubel of Ben & Jerry’s in Napa puts on the match.

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Tim Steggall has started all 55 games and is batting .255 with 14 doubles, two triples, a home run and 29 RBIs for the University of Texas-Arlington baseball team.

Steggall, who plays shortstop, is a Justin-Siena graduate.

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UC Berkeley is ranked No. 11 in the Athlon Sports preseason Top 25 football poll.

The Bears begin their 2009 season with a nationally-televised home game against Maryland Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium on ESPN2.

For ticket information, click on the tickets link at CalBears.com or call (800) GO BEARS.

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Adam Jahn of Jesuit-Carmichael is the 2008-09 Gatorade California Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

The award was announced by the Gatorade Co., in partnership with ESPN RISE.

The senior forward/midfielder recorded 17 goals and 15 assists this past season, leading the Marauders

(27-1-1 overall) to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals.

He has signed a national letter-of-intent to play soccer on a scholarship at Stanford University in the fall.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.

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