BASEBALL NOTEBOOK : Hot Corner at Loyola Marymount Could Be Hot Seat for Allen

Loyola Marymount Coach Dave Snow insists there will be no extra pressure on infielder Rick Allen next season. But if Allen feels any heat, nobody will blame him.

Allen, who played at Calabasas High and Moorpark College, signed a letter of intent this week to play at Loyola. Snow said Allen figures to see plenty of action at third base.

The position was previously the domain of Chris Donnels, a first-round selection in the amateur baseball draft last month. The departure of Donnels, an NCAA All-American who was drafted by the New York Mets, leaves Snow with a big hole to fill.

“I’ve been following him since high school,” Snow said of Allen. “I like Rick a lot, especially his versatility. He’ll play for us at first, third or possibly even second base.”

Allen was signed upon the recommendation of Valley Dodgers Coach Jim Benedict, who is also an assistant at Loyola. Allen has been splitting time playing at first and third for the Dodgers.

“Benedict didn’t just say, ‘Take a look at this guy,’ ” Snow said. “He said, ‘We have to sign this guy.’ ”

Allen was an All-Western State Conference selection at Moorpark and was an all-state National Baseball Congress pick last year for the Dodgers. Through 20 games this summer, Allen is batting .394, with five home runs and 12 runs batted in.

The Dodgers, 20-5 overall and 15-3 in Golden State League, will play a nonleague game tonight against the Jim Dyer Americans in Las Vegas.

Follow the flock: Baseball is often described as pastoral, and when Cal Lutheran University signed two players for next season, the Kingsmen really went with the stereotype.

Among the new signees are Matt Shepherd and Brett Herd.

Shepherd was 10-2 with a 1.80 earned run average at Ventura College last season. Herd is an outfielder from Cherry Creek, Colo.

Others who attend Cal Lutheran are Anthony Espitia, a first baseman who batted .365 and was an All-Western State Conference selection at Ventura College; Daren Cornell, a shortstop who batted .383 for Pierce; Henry Campos, an All-WSC third baseman who batted .360 for Santa Monica College; and Jon Eggertson, a pitcher/third baseman who is transferring back to CLU after attending Florida State.

High school signees include Dan Weise, a pitcher from Federal Way, Wash., Danny Lee, an infielder from Powell, Wyo., and Mike Condo, an outfielder from West Covina.

Diamond diplomats: Baseball Diplomacy, a non-profit group from Los Angeles dedicated to promoting competition on the baseball field and not the battlefield, has scheduled a game between the Valley Dodgers and the Mexican all-star baseball team Seleccion Nacional on July 28 at Cal State Northridge.

Last season, the group sponsored a tour by a Nicaraguan all-star team. A reception for the group, which will play a series of games through Aug. 2, is set for July 27 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

For information on game tickets or scheduling, call 213-465-0070. For information on the reception, call 213-453-8547.