Title on Line for Pomona Against CSUN

Just as it has so many times in the past, the Cal State Northridge baseball team enters its final series of the season with a chance to determine the champion of the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

But unfortunately for the Matadors, the only role they can play will be that of the spoiler.

Northridge travels to Cal Poly Pomona today and will play host to the Broncos in a doubleheader Saturday. The magic number for Pomona to clinch its sixth CCAA title is one.

The ninth-ranked Broncos (30-20 overall, 18-9 in conference play) can claim the championship by winning just one of their three games with the Matadors, or if second-place UC Riverside (28-23, 16-11) loses one of its three games this weekend against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“I’ll be honest with you, I’m kind of surprised we’re where we are,” Pomona Coach John Scolinos said. “We were lucky we got hot when we did. Now I just hope we stay hot.”

Northridge Coach Terry Craven, whose April 23 resignation takes effect at the end of the season, said the Matadors (20-32, 11-16) have a few goals of their own as their season winds down.

“We hope to win three games and finish on a positive note,” Craven said. “I’d like to really see some of our guys that have a chance to win postseason stuff have a good series.”