COLLEGE PREVIEWS : CSUN BASEBALL : Old Friends to Visit Bonilla as Matadors Launch a New Era

John Bonilla says that he has no ax to grind with the University of San Diego baseball program.

Life, after all, was good for Bonilla when he graduated from Notre Dame High and enrolled at San Diego in 1986.

Too good.

“I was pretty unorganized that first year,” Bonilla said. “There were five guys in our room and we would be up all night. I lost a lot of weight because I wasn’t eating well or sleeping well.”

Bonilla played outfield for 2 seasons at San Diego before transferring to Cal State Northridge last season to study finance. He moved back into his parents’ home, ate better and slept regularly. The move stabilized Bonilla’s life and improved his batting average. Despite the Matadors’ sickly 22-33 overall record last season, Bonilla hit a robust .357.

So when Northridge plays host to San Diego at 2 this afternoon in the Matadors’ season opener, Bonilla will be looking forward to seeing his old friends.

“I’ve stayed in contact with a few of the guys from San Diego so it will be fun to play against them,” Bonilla said. “It’s a good way to start the year.”

Today’s game also marks the beginning of a new era for the Northridge baseball program. The Matadors have a new coach, new uniforms and many new faces.

Bonilla is 1 of 8 seniors on a 23-man team that includes 11 freshmen.

“One of our strengths is that we don’t have any huge weaknesses,” said Northridge Coach Bill Kernen, who replaced Terry Craven in June. “There aren’t any areas where you could say, ‘Boy, we really have a problem in that spot.’ We’ve got a capable guy in every area, we just don’t have very many of them.”

Kernen, a former pitching coach at Cal State Fullerton and Illinois, has a 9-man pitching staff anchored by senior left-hander Fili Martinez, who was 6-3 with a 5.01 earned-run average last season. Right-hander Val Lopez, a junior transfer from Oxnard College, and senior right-hander Robert Wheatcroft also will start.

Freshmen right-hander Steve Sullivan (Campolindo High in Moraga) and left-hander Pierre Amado (Chatsworth) probably will be used as spot starters, Kernen said, and senior Zach Lundin, junior transfer Dan Cory (Pierce JC) and freshmen Brian Rosselli (Alemany) and Eric Spellman (Simi Valley) will start the season in relief roles.

“We’ve got some quality in the pitching staff but it hasn’t proven to be very deep yet,” Kernen said.

Senior Chae-Ho Chong, who batted .387 and was a first-team selection in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. last season, will start at catcher against San Diego but will move to first base once senior Rusty McLain becomes academically eligible. Senior Randy Thompson (.259) will start at second base.

The left side of the Matador infield features freshmen Mike Solar (West Covina) at shortstop and Denny Vigo (El Camino Real) at third base.

Freshmen Craig Clayton (Loara) and J. D. Haendiges (Upland) will split time in left field and Clayton also will be a backup at shortstop and second base. Bonilla and freshman Scott Shockey (Mater Dei) will play center field and right field.