The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • 63

American River Kurt Knudsen has signed a letter of intent to pitch for the University of Miami (Florida) next season but keeping his options open in the event selected in the June baseball draft Tim Dunn Neighbors falling into place for Knudsen College and another to Lancy College In the first loss to SCC Knudsen threw 164 pitches and held the Panthers scoreless until he yielded two runs in the 12th inning In that game he found himself locked in a duel with former Del Campo teammate Clyde Keller In 1985 Knudsen was 12-1 and Keller 13-2 He later worked 10 innings against SCC throwing 175 pitches before losing a 5-4 decision In 100 innings of work this season recorded 103 strikeouts given up 40 I See Knudsen Page 23 Pieces are By Matt Peters Neighbors sports writer At age seven Kurt Knudsen sat in his house and cried because he want to go to Little League tryouts His brother Aaron and his best friend Blaine Smith eventually picked him up and dragged him down to the ballfield kind of glad that they did" Knudsen said smiling as he sat home last week waiting for a visit from a Detroit' Tigers scout Knudsen who this season helped American River College into postseason play has come a long way since his tearful protest 13 years ago Now with a full scholarship from the University of Miami Florida to weigh against the outcome of the upcoming pro draft he is expected to go much further Knudsen was told he could be drafted as high as the second or third round If he is he said it will be a tough decision between taking an immediate shot at the pros and going to college and playing ball If Knudsen sign a pro contract head to Miami Hurricane coach Dave Scott has told Knudsen he will be able to crack starting rotation find that kind of hard to believe because I see myself as that good of a said Knudsen apparently the last one to realize his ability confident but not cocky I just go out there and my assignment is to throw the ball hard and throw strikes If I get a strikeout great had a lot of outstanding plays behind me and saved my In his second season at ARC compiled a 6-4 record certainly nothing to gush about But he could also be 9-1 had die ball bounced the other way in a pair of hard-luck losses to Sacramento City Maurer grateful Clark is wearing Lancer uniform just a tremendous ballplayer I get real enthusiastic when I talk about Dick Maurer understands hitting Last year she went ou instincts and foot speed but this year she knows what all Clark too senses a markedly improved player this year but theory of hitting is not a subject she is comfortable elaborating on try to put the ball somewhere they get she said And what she sets out to do she usually docs Maurer claims probably her greatest asset a tremendous worker and nobody more competitive than KC" Maurer said care what it is going to 1 See'ClarV 2F NelflhboriThurtdV May If 1 who says she could with the guys when it came to hitting Clark had no desire to play high school softball before last year guess I just said Clark my friends talked me into it last year and I just went out I got into liking softball more and understating it As good an athlete as she is Clark could probably pick her sport and have an instant impact on a particular team Other than running cross country her freshman and sophomore years though she has been true to softball playing from February to November each year presence was felt instantly when she joined the Lancers a year ago She helped lead Cordova into the section championship game against St Francis By Mike Martis 'Neighbors sports editor Cordova High School softball coach Dick Maurer has a difficult time restraining the flow of superlatives when discussion turns to his shortstop KC Clark just a tremendous ballplayer" said Maurer get real enthusiastic when I talk about Understandably so After all Clark is hitting 466 and she covers as much ground as anyone at shortstop which even her natural position Clark has been a center fielder throughout her non-high school career with the Magic Lady Magic and the Cordova Spirits competitive softball teams A former Little League baseball player batting 412 It was only a preview of what was to come this year good as she was last year" said Maurer one of the most improved hitters on our team this year This year she.