SportScope : Cal State Baseball Coach Bags a Bright Crop of Recruits to Replace Lost Stars

After having five of its top players from last season drafted and signed by major league clubs, the Cal State Los Angeles baseball team needed a productive recruiting effort.

And Coach John Herbold said he’s been successful with the signing of eight high school and junior college players, including two from Diamond Bar High, the CIF Southern Section 5-A champion.

“It’s as good or better than we’ve ever had,” Herbold said. “Losing eight juniors in two years to the pro draft is a mixed blessing--the publicity has brought us outstanding players.”

Among the key losses from last season were pitchers Bill Bene, who was taken as the fifth overall player in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Rod Windes, selected by the Montreal Expos.

But the Golden Eagles landed an outstanding prep pitcher in Diamond Bar’s Paul Spere, who posted a 9-1 record and 2.46 earned-run average. Spere, the winner in Diamond Bar’s 3-2 victory over Esperanza in the title game, finished the season with 73 strikeouts in 75 innings.

Cal State landed another standout from Diamond Bar in infielder Kyle Shuler, who hit .336 and is strong on defense.

The Golden Eagles, who finished 25-30 and third in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., also attracted first baseman-pitcher Jim Burchit from Esperanza of Anaheim, infielder-outfielder Keith Quiros and catcher Martin Tourville from St. Paul of Santa Fe Springs, infielder-outfielder Arthur Johnson from Fairfax of Los Angeles and infielder-outfielder Dave Johnston from La Serna of Whittier.

The junior college player signed is Tony Benitez, a second baseman from Glendale.

Pasadena High offensive tackle Terry McDaniels is listed among the seniors to watch on Street & Smith’s 1988 prep All-American football team.

McDaniels, a 6-5, 243-pounder who has been timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds, played offense and defense as a junior last season. McDaniels is the only San Gabriel Valley player listed on the All-American team.

McDaniels was also recently named to Houston-based scout Max Emfinger’s Future Super Stars National Top 200.

Cal Poly Pomona tennis star Xenia Anastasiadou, NCAA Division II singles champion the last two seasons, has been named to the Collegiate Tennis All-American All-Stars selected by Tennis magazine.

Anastasiadou will be honored, along with 22 other players selected to the team, on Aug. 25 in New York.

Anastasiadou, a senior next season, has made the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Assn. All-American team the last three seasons and won the singles title of the Rolex Indoor National Championships last season. She posted a 38-4 record as a junior.