Becker Surfaces as Top Candidate for Position on Oregon Staff

John Becker, former football coach at Valley College, has emerged as the leading candidate to become offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.

Becker, 45, recently was fired as offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.

Becker has served previously as offensive coordinator at Oregon, joining the Pacific 10 Conference school in 1977 with Coach Rich Brooks.

In 1979, the Ducks were 6-5, their first winning record since 1970, but Becker resigned after the season after Oregon and several other Pac-10 schools were found to have provided improper benefits to athletes and also arranged phony academic credits for athletes.

Oregon was placed on 2 years’ probation and was banned from postseason and television appearances for a year. Brooks and other Oregon staff members were fined as a result of the NCAA investigation, but only Becker left the staff as a direct result.

After leaving Oregon, Becker worked for the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills before joining Indianapolis as quarterback coach in 1985.

He was elevated to offensive coordinator in 1987 but was fired with 5 other Colt assistants in December.

Becker also is a candidate to become offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.

Dubious debut: Master’s College pitcher Eric Schumaker had a rough time last Saturday.

Schumaker, a junior transfer from Rio Hondo College, was cited for a traffic violation driving to Master’s season-opening game against Cal State Los Angeles.

“The rest of the guys driving by saw me and as soon as I got there they gave me a standing ovation,” Schumaker said.

Cal State Los Angeles was even less charitable, knocking Schumaker out after 3 innings.

“I was a little nervous,” Schumaker said. “I wasn’t concentrating on throwing strikes like we had worked on. I know I’ll do better next time out.”

Master’s Coach Pat Harrison is hoping his entire staff does likewise. In losses to Cal State L.A. and Chapman, Mustang pitchers have issued 20 walks.

School of hard knocks: Schumaker wasn’t the only Master’s player to struggle against Cal State L. A.

Second baseman Craig Johnson, in position to field what he thought would be the final out of the seventh inning, was left with a bad headache instead of a putout.

A sharply hit ground ball bounced off Johnson’s left ear for an infield single that allowed Cal State L.A. to score and win, 7-6.

Except for some ringing in his ears, Johnson was not seriously injured.

Long distance: Derrick Gathers has set a Northridge record for 3-point baskets in a season with 46. The previous record was held by Paul Drecksel, who made 44 during the 1986-87 season. Gathers still has some ground to make up before he reaches the standard for most attempts, however.

Last season, guard Chuck McGavran attempted 138 3-point shots and made 43 (31.2%). Gathers is 46 of 110 (41.8%).

The next 3-point basket CSUN makes will tie a season record. The Matadors have made 100 of 245 (40.8%). Last season, CSUN attempted 290 and made 101 (35%).

Priorities list: The Northridge women’s tennis team long has been among the best in Division II, and the Lady Matadors’ record in the classroom is equally impressive.

In the past 7 years, only 1 player has failed to graduate.

“That’s something we’re proud of,” Coach Tony Davila said. “These people are getting a college education and that’s the most important thing. Lets face it, very few players on this level are going to make any kind of a living on the pro level.”

In reserve: It was 3 years ago that Greg Fowble led Granada Hills High into the City Section 4-A Division baseball championship game at Dodger Stadium. It was 2 years ago that he was a starter at shortstop as a freshman for Arizona, the defending national champion. It was last year that he made the move to second base.

And this year, another role change--to that of a reserve.

Fowble, a .320 career hitter for Arizona, has been removed from the Wildcat lineup in favor of J. J. Northam, a sophomore who had all of 10 at-bats last season.

In a 3-game series in Tucson, Ariz., against New Mexico State that ended Monday, Fowble was 0 for 4 as a part-time designated hitter and reserve third baseman. Northam, who was used primarily as a pinch-runner last season, went 6 for 15 and had 2 stolen bases.

Trivial pursuit: They didn’t play much, but 2 former Crespi High players who chose to walk on at Loyola Marymount are now a part of college basketball history.

Steve Yoest scored 6 points and Tom Morley saw action but did not score in Loyola Marymount’s record-shattering 181-150 win over United States International University on Tuesday, the highest scoring college game ever.

Imagine. Without them, the Lions would have scored a mere 175.

Yoest and Morley are in their third year at LMU but their first as members of the basketball team. Yoest, a 6-5 swingman, has played in 4 of the Lions’ first 19 games. The 6 points he scored in 3 minutes against the Gulls equaled his output for the previous 3 games.

Morley, who also is 6-5, has made his only field-goal attempt and 2 of 4 free throws in 4 games.

Yoest is continuing a family tradition by playing for the Lions. His older brother Mike, who also attended Crespi, concluded his LMU career last season fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list.

Moonlighting: Lee Smelser speaks from experience when he argues with a referee over a call. For the past 32 years, the College of the Canyons men’s basketball coach and athletic director has moonlighted as a high school official.

Smelser not only gets a workout from officiating, but he also has an opportunity to scout players for his own team.

“I have gotten to see some good players at the high schools and ended up recruiting some over the years,” Smelser said.

Double trouble: Just when it seemed that the Cal Lutheran men’s basketball team might be making a move in the Golden State Athletic Conference, along comes Southern California College and Westmont--the top teams in the conference.

The Kingsmen (8-13, 2-5 in conference play) travel to Southern California (19-2, 7-0) on Saturday and play host to Westmont (12-9, 6-1) on Tuesday.

After an 8-game losing streak, Cal Lutheran had won 2 games in a row before losing to Cal Baptist, 79-76, on Tuesday.

Neighborly visit: Northridge has added a home match to its men’s volleyball schedule. The Matadors will play host to the University of Manitoba on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Northridge defeated Manitoba, one of the top teams in Canada, during the UC Santa Barbara tournament 3 weeks ago.

Steven Herbert and staff writers Mike Hiserman, Gary Klein and Ralph Nichols contributed to this notebook.