BRIEFLY : Matadors Face Must-Win Weekend

The Cal State Northridge soccer team--fighting for a second straight conference title and a berth in the NCAA playoffs--will play Cal Poly San Luis Obispo tonight at 7:30 at North Campus Stadium.

The Matadors, 6-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., go into the match in a must-win situation. Northridge is in second place, a half game behind Chapman College (6-1-1).

CSUN beat Cal Poly SLO, 2-1, earlier this season. Tonight, Chapman plays Cal State Bakersfield, a team that perennially finishes last in the CCAA. CSUN defeated Bakersfield, 2-0, on Sunday.

Northridge can defend its CCAA championship with victories tonight and Saturday. Chapman and CSUN will share the conference championship if the Matadors tie Cal Poly SLO and beat Chapman on Saturday, and Chapman beats Bakersfield tonight.

Saturday’s match between CSUN and Chapman at Northridge begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Matadors, 13-3 this season, have already lost more games than last season, when they were 18-2-1 and advanced to the second round of the Division II playoffs.

Indians Try Snyder in the Outfield

Cory Snyder’s play this summer at third base for Waterbury, the Eastern League affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, earned him three things:

-- A most valuable player trophy.

-- Recognition as the league’s top major league prospect.

-- A job in the fall as an outfielder.

Snyder, a Canyon High graduate and the Indians’ No. 1 draft pick out of Brigham Young in 1984, is currently playing in right and center on a Florida Instructional League team.

According to Jim Napier, Cleveland’s camp coordinator, the switch to the outfield was made because Brook Jacoby, the Indians’ third baseman this season, is also on the Florida team. Jacoby hit .270 with 20 home runs in ’85.

“We’re not saying (Snyder) can’t play third,” Napier told Baseball America magazine. “We just want to see if he can play the outfield. He’s got a tremendous arm.”

He has a pretty good bat, too. Snyder hit .281 with 28 home runs and 94 runs batted in last season.

Last year, Snyder played second base in the Instructional League and won the triple crown, only to return to third base for the summer.