CCAA BASEBALL PREVIEW : CSUN Embarks on a Long Journey : Extended Conference Schedule Begins at CSLA for Matadors

The Cal State Northridge baseball team will begin play in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. at 7 tonight in a contest at Cal State Los Angeles.

There will be several changes in the CCAA this season, not the least of which is the early start of conference play. A majority of CCAA coaches voted last year to eliminate doubleheaders, thus extending the number of dates needed to complete five games against each conference member.

The disadvantages of the new format include players missing more classes and a shortened pre-conference schedule to work out the kinks.

The biggest advantage is that teams may no longer have to develop superior pitching depth to contend for the conference title.

“I think that was the intent,” said Cal Poly Pomona Coach John Scolinos, who is in his 26th season with the Broncos and was one of the coaches who voted against the change in format. “The teams with one good pitcher can be in the race now.”

George Wing, who replaced Andy Lopez at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Bill Kernen, who replaced Terry Craven at Northridge, are the only new coaches in a conference that figures to see little change in competitiveness and balance.

Pomona, the defending CCAA champion, is off to a horrendous 1-9 start, but the Broncos have traditionally started slowly then come back to contend for the conference title. Many of the players who started as sophomores for UC Riverside last season return, Northridge seems to be rejuvenated under Kernen and Dominguez Hills and Chapman have knocked off perennial Division I powers Arizona and Arizona State, respectively.

Northridge (22-33 overall, 13-17 in conference play last season) enters its CCAA opener at 7-1 and riding a three-game win streak against Division I opponents.

Cal State L .A. (25-30, 16-14 last season), lost right-handed pitcher Bill Bene, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ No. 1 selection in the 1988 draft. The Golden Eagles (5-9), under fifth-year Coach John Herbold, will rely on sophomore left-hander Abdom Pinon. Senior second baseman Ed Pimental, who is batting .444, and senior third baseman Brad Mengel (.306 with 14 runs batted in) lead the offense.

Pomona (32-25, 19-11 last season) lost its conference opener to Dominguez Hills earlier this week. But the Broncos suffered an even bigger loss when it was revealed that junior Wayne Koklys, who was 13-5 and the CCAA Pitcher of the Year last season, will undergo season-ending elbow surgery.

Junior right-hander Bret Lachemann, the son of California Angels pitching coach Marcel Lachemann, and Dave Batista, a transfer from Arizona, will anchor the Pomona staff. All-American shortstop Dave Hajek, who batted .368 last season, will lead the offense along with senior catcher Chris Goldbach (.365) and junior outfielder Chris Butterfield.

UC Riverside (29-25, 17-13 last season) is led by junior third baseman Mike Eatinger, who batted .374 and was CCAA tri-MVP with Lenn Gilmore of Northridge and Hajek. The Highlanders (4-8, 0-1) lost their CCAA opener to Dominguez Hills on Wednesday.

Dominguez Hills (4-4-1, 2-0) is off to a fast start behind the pitching of senior right-hander Rick Davis, who is 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 28 innings. The Toro offense is led by senior third baseman Ruben Jauregui, the conference’s leading hitter last season (.408).

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, under sixth-year Coach Steve McFarland, is led by all-conference outfielder Rich Shepperd, who batted .355 with eight home runs and 55 RBIs last season for the Mustangs, who finished 28-26 overall and 16-14 in conference play.