BASEBALL : The Master’s Trip to Hawaii Is Hard Work for Mutz, Paradise for Hernandez

After the first six games of its 10-game swing through Hawaii, The Master’s College has a less-than-paradisiacal record of 2-4. The Mustangs (11-8) were swept by Hawaii Pacific in Honolulu on Saturday, then gained a split Sunday, losing, 10-6, and winning, 14-7.

On Tuesday, the team flew to the Big Island of Hawaii to tour the volcanoes and play Hawaii-Hilo. Hawaii-Hilo won the first game, 2-1, and Master’s won the second, 4-3.

The Mustangs have been short on pitching throughout the trip because Jeff Hagy is out with the flu. Coach John Zeller said Hagy would enter a hospital in Hilo on Wednesday.

Frank Mutz, who played at Hawaii before transferring to Master’s, has taken on the load in Hagy’s absence. The senior has pitched in four games. In Tuesday’s split, Mutz (4-2) was in the unusual position of starting--and losing--the first game, then starting--and winning--the second game.

“It was an outstanding performance by him,” Zeller said. “He pitched six innings in the first game and only five in the second because we were ahead, 4-1. He’s shown a lot of character over here.”

Meanwhile, the Pacific breezes seem to be agreeing with Chris Hernandez. During the six games, the center fielder is batting .591 and has an on-base percentage of .654 (17-26). Hernandez has scored six runs and stolen nine bases in nine attempts.

Before coming to the Islands, he was batting .275.

Despite the blue skies and white beaches, Zeller has retained, at least outwardly, a stoic attitude about the trip. “We’ve taken time to take in the sights and enjoy ourselves,” he said. “Hopefully, not too much. This is a nice place to be, but, I’ll tell you, it’s a tough place to play baseball.”

Heartbreak: In last week’s 1-0 loss at San Diego State, Master’s pitcher Kevin Taylor (3-1) went 8 innings, giving up just three hits against the Division I Aztecs. Two errors in the ninth inning allowed San Diego State to score the game’s only run.

Glimmers of hope: Cal State Northridge’s finish in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. may rest on the effectiveness of Tony Estrada and Leo Ramirez, the team’s Nos. 3 and 4 starting pitchers, respectively.

Coach Terry Craven has two top pitchers--Dan Penner and Jeremy Hernandez--just like every other team in the conference, but pitching depth is always a factor in doubleheaders as well as late in the season.

Estrada and Ramirez gave Craven a glimmer of hope last week. Estrada was pounded for 11 hits, including three home runs, in 4 innings against Azusa Pacific last Wednesday, but he rebounded to pitch a complete game in a 9-5 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader.

Ramirez was credited with the victory on Friday in a nonconference game against Westmont. In six innings, he allowed only one hit.

Add CSUN: The Matadors are second in the CCAA with a .310 team batting average but have only one individual in the top 10--Lenny Gilmore at .389.

Trivia time: When UCLA’s Torey Lovullo homered against Cal on Saturday, he became the Bruins’ all-time home run leader. Lovullo, who played at Montclair Prep, hit No. 39 on Saturday. Whose record did he break?

Brahma ball: Pierce’s Mark Bowen, who led the state in hitting for much of last season, is at it again. In 30 at-bats, the sophomore outfielder is batting .400. Teammate Darrin Cornell leads Brahma starters with a .432 average.

Music Man: Each time USC infielder Al Villasenor steps to the plate at Dedeaux Field, the organist plays the University of Notre Dame fight song. However odd that may seem at USC, it continues. Villasenor played at Notre Dame High, which uses the same fight song as the university. Villasenor has the second-highest batting average (.376) for the Trojans. Keith Watkins (.377) is tops. Villasenor has 16 RBIs.

Add Notre Dame: Former Knight pitcher Jack McDowell is featured in the 1987 Bill Mazeroski’s Baseball magazine. McDowell, Southern Section Player of the Year in 1984 and now at Stanford, is listed as one of the top three players in college baseball.

Robust average: It’s possible that Canyons catcher Mike Bible is leading the state in hitting, but nobody knows because the list of state leaders hasn’t been released. He does, however, lead the Western State Conference with a .684 average. Bible has 13 hits in 21 at-bats.

Against Santa Monica on Tuesday, Bible was 4 for 5. In conference, he has 5 doubles, 2 home runs and a triple. “He’s definitely a tough out,” Canyons Coach Len Mohney said.

Trivia answer: Lovullo broke the UCLA record of 38 set from 1976-79 by Jim Auten, who played at Notre Dame High.