Vanguard University

MEN'S SOCCER Cal Poly Pomona 1, Vanguard 0 COSTA MESA — Ian Trantow scored in the 79th minute in the nonconference season opener for both teams on Thursday. Both teams had nine shots. The Lions' Luca Licciardi had four saves. WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Biola tournament LA MIRADA — Vanguard University dropped a pair of matches on Thursday, falling to Rocky Mountain College, 25-15, 25-18, 25-16, then being topped by Midland of Nebraska, 25-18, 26-24, 27-25. Jessica Neves had 12 kills against RMC, but the Lions (2-4)

Vanguard University dipped into its past to hire Rob Pegg as its baseball coach Friday. Pegg was the MVP of the 1997 Vanguard squad (then Southern California College) and spent seven seasons as an assistant coach and five years as an admissions counselor at the school. Pegg, who spent the last seven seasons as head coach at Colorado Christian University, an NCAA Division II school in Lakewood, Colorado, replaces Ralph Grajeda, who resigned after four seasons in May. "It's a dream coming back to my alma mater," said Pegg, who was a first-team All-Golden State Athletic Conference catcher and the school's Male Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1997.

Victoria Fry is turning her school struggles into inspiration for the next generation of students who feel they are failures too. The 21-year-old Costa Mesa resident's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Dixie Arnold, chairwoman of Vanguard University's Liberal Studies Department, presented Fry, who recently finished her bachelor's degree there, earlier this month with the school's Heart of the Teacher award. The award was created almost a decade ago and describes the love a future teacher has for people, Arnold said.

Ralph Grajeda has resigned after four seasons as Vanguard University baseball coach. Grajeda, who said he would pursue another coaching job, was 98-95, 64-76 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Lions finished 2012 at 23-21. In 2010, Grajeda led the Lions to an at-large berth in the NAIA Opening-Round Tournament. The team was ranked in the top 25 for most of the regular season and finished 34-20. The Lions missed the postseason the last two seasons. "Vanguard University afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow as a head collegiate baseball coach in the toughest conference in the NAIA," Grajeda said in a statement.

Erik Komatsu, who played baseball at Vanguard University in 2006, opened the Major League Baseball season Wednesday as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. A rookie outfielder, Komatsu went 15 for 54 in 24 spring training games to earn a spot on the roster. He did not play in the Cardinals' 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. He saw very limited action in two previous spring trainings with the Milwaukee Brewers. Komatsu left Vanguard after one season to play the next two years at Cal State Fullerton.

COSTA MESA - Ever since he graduated from Palisades High in 2007, J.R. Bromberg has been the little brother who could. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2007 and 2008, the latter after his freshman year at Los Angeles Pierce Community College, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-handed pitcher has teased scouts and college coaches alike with an above-average fastball, a fluid motion, a big-league physique and impressive genes. But unlike his older brother David, who has risen to the Triple-A ranks in six professional seasons in the Twins' organization, J.R. has been beaten up and bounced around.

There is a lot of energy, drive and competition in the Vanguard University baseball dugout this season. One thing there is not a lot of is reminiscing. The Lions lost 22 lettermen, including 14 seniors from last season's unit that finished 22-26 and missed the postseason. Only two players remain from the 2010 team that finished 34-10 and made the program's first appearance in the NAIA Tournament since 1985. But fourth-year coach Ralph Grajeda said a full-scale recruiting effort has produced a roster that boasts as much potential as novelty.

Orange Coast College freshman running back Domenic Betts, who led the state and set a school single-season rushing record with 1,772 rushing yards last season, has been named to the JC Grid-Wire All-American team in football. Betts is believed to be the first OCC player honored by the JC Grid-Wire since Bart Recktenwald in 1986. Betts scored 20 touchdowns in his first season with the Pirates, averaging 6.8 yards on 262 carries. He also had 109 yards on 16 receptions. Betts, one of 12 California players on the All-American team, was a first-team All-East Conference pick for OCC, which finished 4-6. — Barry Faulkner * Timmermans honored Vanguard University junior Esther Timmermans has been named Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball.

COSTA MESA — Students are still on break at Vanguard University, but the women's basketball team will be going to school in its remaining practices this week before Saturday's home clash against reigning NAIA champion Azusa Pacific Saturday night. Instruction offered by Lions Coach Russ Davis will include offense, defense and mind-set, after a 68-49 setback to highly regarded Westmont in a Golden State Athletic Conference game Tuesday at The Pit. Westmont (13-1, 3-0 in conference)