College Division / Mitch Polin : Cal Poly Pomona Tops League Hit Parade Again

Since 1976, Cal Poly Pomona has fielded the most successful baseball program in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. with six conference titles. Last season, the champion Broncos finished at 32-25 overall and reached the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Division II playoffs.

With many of its top players returning, the Broncos could be the best college division team in the Southland again, although the CCAA appears well balanced, as usual.

Pomona is led by shortstop Dave Hajek, who batted .368 and was selected one of the conference’s three most valuable players as a junior. Two other all-conference players returning are catcher Chris Goldbach, who batted .365, and right fielder Chris Butterfield, who batted .320 with a team-high 47 runs batted in. There is also center fielder Brian Grier, who hit a team-leading eight home runs and batted .313.

The Broncos also have Wayne Koklys, one of the premier pitchers in the conference, who was 13-5 with a 4.16 earned-run average. Two other pitching leaders are starter David Rice and reliever Daniel Mead.

Pomona, ranked No. 5 in Division II in a poll by Collegiate Baseball magazine, could receive its strongest challenge from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which is ranked 10th after finishing 28-26 and third in the CCAA last season. The Mustangs should have plenty of offense, led by right fielder Rich Shepperd, who batted .355 with a team-leading eight homers and 54 RBIs last season.

Other offensive standouts returning include first baseman Pat Kirby, who hit .354; catcher Doug Noce, .333, and left fielder Todd Rice, .314. The Mustangs also figure to have ample pitching, headed by right-hander Keith Chura who was 7-4 with a 3.62 ERA last season.

UC Riverside, 29-25 and second in the CCAA last season, certainly has the offense to challenge for the title. The top hitter is third baseman Mike Eatinger, who batted .374 with 57 RBIs and was conference MVP as a sophomore. First baseman Logan Ostrander and second baseman Ty Murphy (.338) also return.

The Highlanders also have a strong outfield that includes Pete Weber (.322) in center and Jeff Goodale in right. The question is Riverside’s pitching staff, which posted a 5.38 ERA last season.

Cal State Los Angeles posted a winning record in the CCAA for the first time in eight seasons with its 16-14 mark in 1988, and has most of its top players back. The offense will feature third baseman Brad Mengel (.335), second baseman Ed Pimental (.322) and outfielder Rex De La Nuez, who hit .325 with 44 RBIs.

Even more important, the Golden Eagles have seven of their top 10 pitchers back, among them starters Steve McGovern and Abdom Pinon.

With four freshmen starting at Cal State Northridge, first-year Coach Bill Kernen will have one of the youngest teams in the conference. The freshmen are outfielders Greg Shockey and Craig Clayton and infielders Michael Solar and Dennis Vigo. The Matadors, 22-33 last year, will also count on returning All-CCAA catcher Chae-Ho Chung (.387) and all-conference pitcher Fili Martinez and outfielder John Bonilla (.357).

There will also be a lot of different faces at Cal State Dominguez Hills with first-year Coach George Wing and 17 new players, which may be good considering the Toros were 19-30 and last in the CCAA in 1988. The Toros do have the top hitter in the conference last season in third baseman Ramon Juaregui (.408).

In District III of the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics, Azusa Pacific and Westmont--the top two teams last season--once again appear to be the leading title contenders.

Azusa Pacific probably will not have quite as much offensive punch as it had last season, when the Cougars hit 91 home runs en route to a 39-14 record, but may have better pitching. Senior Ron Bush was 13-5 with a 3.56 ERA last year, and junior Fred Whatley, a transfer from Cal Baptist, was 9-11 with a 2.89 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 148 innings.

On offense, Azusa Pacific will rely on returners George Lazalde at shortstop and John Alexander in the outfield and transfers Carlos Salazar at catcher and Dan Hornbuckle in the outfield. Salazar transferred from Southern California College and Hornbuckle from Cal Baptist.

If any District III team has the pitching to match the Cougars, it could be Westmont. The Warriors, who were 30-17 and won the Golden State Athletic Conference title last season, are led by all-district pitcher Chad Bethel, 8-3 with a 2.55 ERA, and Lucky Arvizo, 6-3 and 4.31, and transfer Jim Costello.

Westmont also has another all-district player in shortstop Tim Kimmel, who batted .364 last season.

Pitching will be a question for The Master’s, which was 24-26 last season. Fortunately, the Mustangs have one of the top hitting attacks in the district including shortstop Mark MacArthur, first baseman Jeff Preston and third baseman Peter Wilson--a transfer from Tennessee Temple.

In more than one way it is a rebuilding year at Cal Baptist, where the Lancers have made $50,000 in improvements on their baseball field. The Lancers have only one letterman from last year’s team--third baseman Rick Slagle.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title last season despite having one of the youngest teams in the conference.

With 14 players returning--including six All-SCIAC selections--from a team that was 28-12 and reached the NCAA Division III playoffs, it is easy to understand why the Stags are heavy favorites.

The pitching staff has three returning starters--Scott Stallings, Karl Gneiting and Pete Young--who combined for 24 of the Stags’ 28 victories. Claremont, which had a .364 team batting average last season, also has most of its offensive leaders back, including shortstop Andy Sallee (.500), third baseman Paul Urrutia (.400), second baseman Kraig Johnson (.360), designated hitter Neil Nichols (.435) and left fielder Rick Jones (.348).

La Verne (20-20) will have a lot of newcomers but the Leopards may have the talent to contend, headed by Ron Hubel, who hit .358 last season.

College Division Notes

Coach Dave Holmquist of the Biola men’s basketball team posted his 300th victory, a 78-70 decision over Christian Heritage last week. With two subsequent victories, Holmquist has a 12-year record of 302-99. The Eagles are also 20-5 this season, which marks the ninth consecutive season that Holmquist’s teams have won 20 or more games. . . . Point Loma Nazarene defeated Biola in women’s basketball last week for the first time in 17 years. The Crusaders overcame a 12-point halftime deficit and made all 18 of their free throws in the second half to pull put a 66-57 victory.