Colleges : Former CSUN Lineman Searches for Open Spot in Giants Defense

Steve Dominic has been with the New York Giants for less than two months, but already he has accomplished something he hadn’t in four years of playing for Cal State Northridge.

He intercepted a pass.

It wasn’t in an official game; it took place during an intra-squad scrimmage at the Giants’ training camp in Madison, N. J. Nevertheless, it is listed in the team’s official summer statistics.

Mike Perez, a rookie quarterback from San Jose State, tried to force a pass under a heavy rush and Dominic, a 6-foot, 5-inch, 262-pound free-agent defensive end, leaped up, batted it down and cradled the ball in his arms as he fell forward.

“It wasn’t real pretty,” said Jeff Kresch, a team spokesman. “But he made a pretty good play on it.”

Dominic, who is being tried at nose tackle as well as defensive end, also was credited with a sack during the scrimmage.

“He’s been playing well, but it’s going to be tough for him to make it,” Kresch said. “The front line is stacked with veteran players.”

More than 100 players were invited to the Giants camp and 82 remain. The team will trim its roster to 60 on Aug. 14 and should be down to the regular-season limit of 47 by Aug. 24.

The Giants play their first exhibition game Saturday against the Green Bay Packers, whose roster includes one of Dominic’s former Northridge teammates.

Lou Murino, a starting Matador offensive tackle the past two seasons, is a free agent hanging on with the Packers.

The two may be matched against each other. Murino, who is 6-6 and weighed 277 pounds last season, is a formidable obstacle. He checked into Packers camp at 301 pounds.

Raider route: Athletic administrators at Northridge expect to meet with L. A. Raider officials about moving the professional team’s training camp from Oxnard to CSUN in 1989. Negotiations probably won’t take place until the Raiders’ season is complete.

For an indication of how serious those talks will get, check the Raiders’ won-loss record. The weather has been warmer in Oxnard this summer than last and if the team plays better during the season, the team will probably stay put.

“You know Al,” a Raiders source said, referring to managing partner Al Davis. “If things go better this season somebody will say to him, ‘You know, from training camp on, things were good.’ And he’ll say, ‘Yeah, let’s just stay here.’ ”

Kingsmen recruits: Cal Lutheran has signed three baseball players to letters of intent and has received a verbal commitment from another.

Devon Schutzler, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman from Monterey Peninsula College, heads the list of recruits. Schutzler was 7-4 last season and batted .330.

The Kingsmen also signed outfielder Dino Saigh, who batted .345 last season at Yavapai College (Ariz.), and Leonard Matsumoto, a catcher from Santa Monica College who will play infield.

Mike Clark, a right-handed pitcher from Pierce, made a verbal commitment.

Scholarly setter: Melanie Mariano, one of Northridge’s top women’s volleyball recruits, has received the William A. Tenney Award, given annually to the top scholar-athlete graduate from Chabot College.

Mariano, a setter, was an all-state selection and co-most valuable player for Chabot, which placed second in the state.