Camarillo Considers Baseball Franchise

Camarillo moved closer to becoming the site of the first Southern California minor league baseball franchise in 18 years Wednesday.

In an evening meeting, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District board members agreed to meet April 22 to decide whether the district should commit itself to the construction of a 3,000-seat baseball stadium at Freedom Park. The stadium would be home to the proposed franchise.

Board members agreed to the special meeting to accommodate board member Gary Gasperino, who was absent Wednesday. Under a plan fashioned by the district and the Camarillo City Council, the board would commit itself to pay a third of the stadium’s estimated $750,000 construction bill. The city would contribute the remainder.

Earlier in the day, the City Council set a public hearing for April 24 to decide on its end of the deal. The facility would be built on the northeast corner of the 33-acre park.

Former major league baseball players Ken McMullen and Jim Colborn and their business partner, retired mortician Jim Biby, have an option to purchase the Lodi franchise in the Class-A California League if they can secure a commitment for a facility by May 1.

Camarillo has competitors for the team.

There will be proposals before the Ventura County Community College Board on April 16 and the Oxnard City Council on April 30 to consider facilities for the proposed franchise, according to McMullen.

“I think that Camarillo would have the best chance of completing the facility in time for the 1986 season,” he said.

The prospective franchisees hope to obtain a minor league development contract with the Angels or Dodgers.

Pleasant Valley would finance its contribution to the park out of general tax revenues, capital expenses from developers’ fees or revenue bonds, according to board member Joe Yeager.

The last Southern California minor league franchise was the Santa Barbara Dodgers, which folded in 1967.

Cline Signs With UCLA

Camarillo High’s Scott Cline, The Times’ Valley Back of the Year in football, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at UCLA.

The senior quarterback led the Scorpions to the Southern Section’s Coastal Conference championship and a 13-1 record. He is currently a shortstop on the Scorpions’ baseball team.

Cline’s teammate, Charley Fiacco, a third baseman, also signed with the Bruins.

Shoot-Out in Canyon Country

As any good pistol-packin’ pard already knows, the World Speed Shooting Championships, otherwise known as the Steel Challenge, is being held at the Juniper Tree Range in Canyon County.

More than 200 entrants are competing in the fifth annual event, with individual championships--in six stages--to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily through Friday. The top 32 shooters will return on Saturday for two-man team shoot-offs.

Nick Pruitt of California is the defending men’s champion; Lee Cole of Arizona is the defending women’s champion.

First prize is worth $5,000 plus merchandise, and stage winners will receive cash and merchandise along the way. Merchandise prizes include guns donated by various manufacturers and gunsmiths. Total prize money: $200,000.

The competition is held on a timed shooting range. Targets are plates that range from an 8-inch circular plate to an 18-by-24-inch rectangular one. Distances range from 6 to 40 yards. Shooters are judged on speed and accuracy.

More than 90% of the guns are Colt .45 semi-automatics. In the triple-threat stage, a competitor could get through the course in 1.7 seconds. Each run is measured from the holster to five shots at three separate plates.

Other stages, which will determine the individual champion, include the outer-limits, showdown, in-and-out, five-to-go and speed option. Targets and distances vary within each stage.

Some of the top men include Jim Zubiena of North Hollywood and Micky Fowler of La Crescenta. Linda Zubiena, Jim’s wife, is entered in the women’s competition.