BearTalk

Former Cal guard Jorge Gutierrez, the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2012, will participate this weekend at the NBA Draft combine at East Rutherford, N.J.

Gutierrez is among three Pac-12 players at the event, joined by Stanford’s Josh Owens and Arizona’s Kyle Fogg. Two Bay Area products — Richmond’s Eli Holman (Detroit) and San Jose’s Drew Gordon (New Mexico) — are among the 44 players invited.

Gutierrez is included in Group 1, scheduled to be on the floor at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday.

Players will be split into four groups of 11, half of them competing Saturday, the others on Sunday. Players will be put through agility tests and skill work, and will have the chance to show their games in five-on-five action.

Prospects also will be interviewed by media, scouts, agents and team front office representatives.

BYU and Arkansas State will play Saturday night for the national collegiate rugby title that Cal has won 26 of the past 32 years.

Here’s why the Bears passed on the chance to pocket another title this season.

– Water polo: Two former Cal stars were named to the U.S. Olympic women’s water polo team. Heather Petri, 33, a former All-America star at Cal and Miramonte HS grad, was named to her fourth Olympic team. And ex-Cal star Elsie Windes has earned a spot on her second Olympic roster.

– Track and field: Courtesy of “Bring Back the Mile,” here’s a 4-minute interview with former Cal middle-distance star David Torrence, a contender for the London Olympics.

The top-ranked, top-seeded Cal softball team (50-4) takes its first step toward a return trip to the College World Series when it plays host to Iona (35-24) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Boston U (40-12) and Arkansas (27-26) duel in the 5 p.m. game at Levine-Fricke Field.

The double-elimination event runs through Sunday. If Cal wins, it will host the Super Regionals for a best-of-three series with a bid to the CWS on the line.

Cal vs. Iona figures to be a mismatch. The Bears outhit the Gaels .320 to .267, outscore them .680 runs per game to 3.32 and outslug them 1.35 home runs per game to 0.44.

The Bears boast the nation’s No. 1 RPI. Iona is No. 163, according to the computer.

If the Gaels have a chance it’s with their pitching. They boast a 1.35 team earned run average, sixth-best in the country. Cal is third at 1.27.

Senior Alyssa Maiese is 17-10 with a 1.25 ERA and was the MAAC co-Player of the Year. Senior Sarah Jackson is 17-12 with a 1.26 ERA and was conference Pitcher of the Year. But the Gaels have been shut out 10 times this season.

Iona’s second-year coach, Roni Rivera, is a 2003 graduate of Santa Clara.

My pick: Cal 8, Iona 0.

– All-Pacific Regional team: Cal placed four players — first baseman/pitcher Valerie Arioto, third baseman Danielle Henderson, pitcher Jolene Henderson and left fielder Jamia Reid — on the All-Pacific Region first team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced.

The top-ranked Cal women’s softball team swept the major Pac-12 Conference awards, with senior Valerie Arioto winning Player of the Year, junior Jolene Henderson earning Pitcher of the Year and Diane Ninemire named Coach of the Year.

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Jolene and Danielle Henderson have World Series ambitions

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A three-time all-conference pick, Arioto (Foothill High-Pleasanton) is the first Cal player named Pac-12 Player of the Year. She leads the Pac-12 with a 1.22 earned run average, 22 home runs, a 1.000 slugging percentage and .626 on-base percentage.

In Cal’s title-clinching wins over Arizona State last weekend, Arioto hit a walk-off game-winning home run in the seventh inning of the first game, then pitched a shutout the next day.

Arioto on winning the award (courtesy of Cal athletics): “This is a great accomplishment to end my senior year in Pac-12 play! The success of my team has played a huge role in helping me get this award!”

Henderson is 30-2 with a 1.22 ERA and a repeat winner of the Pitcher of the Year award. She and Arioto are both finalists for USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year honors.

Henderson on winning the award: “This is really cool and shows how hard my team has worked this year. We’d never win a game if there weren’t 20 of us working hard at practice and in our games with our coaches’ support. My teammates have been amazing all year – defensively stellar and off the hook when it came to their bats.”

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Ben Enos on our staff confirmed tonight that Campolindo HS senior Griffin Piatt has chosen to play Cal football next fall as a preferred walk-on.

Here’s Ben’s blog report.

Former Cal quarterback Steve Bartkowski, who led the nation with 2,850 passing yards in 1974, then was the first overall pick of the 1975 NFL draft, was elected as a member of the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision Class.

Bartkowski is among 14 former All-Americans and three coaches who make up the 2012 class.

“It’s an absolute honor, and I’m humbled by it, especially now that I hear some of the guys that are along with me in this class,” Bartkowski was quoted in Cal’s news release. “I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s one of the highest honors I’ve received, and I’m grateful for it.”

So, where does Bartkowski rate among the greatest Cal QBs?

It’s difficult comparing players from different eras, but starting an argument is the whole point of these lists, right?

So, let’s hear from all you.

Before you send me your top-10 list, here’s mine:

1. Aaron Rodgers (2003-04): Great college QB, great pro QB.

2. Steve Bartkowski (1972-74): Cal’s only No. 1 overall NFL draft pick delivered.

3. Troy Taylor (1986-89): Efficient, tough QB produced with limited help.

4. Mike Pawlawski (1988-91): Tough-guy leader of ’91 Citrus Bowl winner.

5. Pat Barnes (1993-96): Threw for school-record 3,499 yards, 34 TDs as senior. 

6. Craig Morton (1962-64): Good enough to be All-America on 3-7 team.

7. Joe Kapp (1956-58): Forget the rest – he was most recent Rose Bowl QB.

8. Joe Roth (1975-76): Directed a magical offensive unit in ’75.

9. Dave Barr (1992-94): Cool Concord kid was underrated, maybe even by me.

10. Rich Campbell (1978-80): Has to be a place for 7,174 yards, 64.5 percent.

   Honorable mention: Paul Larson (1951-54), Gale Gilbert (1980-84), Kyle Boller (1999-2002).

Cal senior Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton) was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete-game shutout in the top-ranked Bears’ 5-0 title-clinching win over Arizona State last Saturday.

Arioto, 20-2 on the season, struck out 11 and walked just one in the victory that locked up Cal’s first outright conference title since 1987.

Cal opens play in the Berkeley regional of the NCAA tournament on Friday against Iona. First pitch is 7 p.m. at Levine-Fricke Field.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who left Cal for the NBA after one basketball season, doesn’t really need a college degree. After all, he earned somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million playing professional basketball, and a bachelors degree won’t really change that that equation.

But that’s exactly what Abdur-Rahim, 35, will be awarded on Monday morning in ceremonies at Zellerbach Hall.

And here’s what I think of that: Nice going.

Abdur-Rahim was the most gifted scorer I’ve ever seen play for Cal. He walked in the door and scored at least 30 points in each of his first three college games. He averaged 21.1 points per game as a freshman.

Then he left for the NBA, and was the third player picked in the 1996 draft. If the purpose of attending college is to prepare for a career, Abdur-Rahim did that better than most.

But he wasn’t content to attend classes for just one year, then begin collecting his NBA paycheck. Now an assistant general manager for the Sacramento Kings, Abdur-Rahim said in a statement that finishing his degree always has been his intention.

According to Jason Jones’ blog in the Sacramento Bee, Shareef compiled a 3.8 grade-point average on the path to his sociology degreee, which will provide a tremendous example to Atlanta area youth involved with his Future Foundation in his home state.

“Receiving my degree will be an extremely proud moment for me and my family,” Abdur-Rahim said. “I hope it will also help inspire many of the students our foundation proudly serves and encourages.”

Abdur-Rahim averaged 18.1 points during a 12-year NBA career. He was an All-Star. He won a gold-medal at the 2000 Olympics.

But his most impressive achievement may be the one that is being recognized Monday morning at Zellerbach Hall.

It’s the one he didn’t need to accomplish, but did anyway.

UPDATED

The Cal softball team (50-4) has earned the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA tournament and will host a regional, beginning Friday at Levine-Fricke Field.

The Pac-12 champion Golden Bears will face Iona (25-24) in the first NCAA tournament game played at Berkeley. Game time is 7 p.m.

Arkansas (27-26) and Boston U (40-14) also are headed to the Bay Area.

The double-elimination regional runs Friday through Sunday.

The winner of the Berkeley Regional will play the champion of the Seattle Regional, which features No. 16 seed Washington (36-17), Harvard (33-13), Maryland (34-20) and Texas Tech (40-15).

If the Bears win the regional, they also will host the Super Regional a week later. 

 All-session passes will go on sale Monday at 9 a.m. All-sessions passes cost $55, $40 and $25 (for senior/youth tickets). Tickets will be available through www.calbears.com.

Here’s the Cal official news release.

The Cal women’s rowing team swept the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four and novice eight races to capture their fifth straight Pac-12 Conference championship.

Cal’s men finished second behind two-time champ Washington.

– TRACK AND FIELD: Junior Derek White finished second in the discus at the Pac-12 championships in Eugene, Ore. He threw 187 feet, 6 inches, a personal best by seven feet. Teammate Angelica Weaver finished second in the 400 hurdles with a personal-best time of 57.85 seconds that equals the No. 2 mark in school history.

– BASEBALL: No. 10 Arizona (33-15, 16-8 Pac-12) completed a sweep of the Golden Bears (25-22, 9-15) with a 7-4 win at Berkeley. Freshman Brenden Farney had a two-run double for the Bears.