College Roundup : CSUN Coach Resolute Despite Skid

For a man who had just watched his team drop its second decision to Chapman College in as many days, Cal State Northridge baseball Coach Bill Kernen was strangely philosophical Wednesday.

“This doesn’t mean anything with a 30-game schedule,” Kernen said. “We’re looking to the future, and the way to do that is with young players.”

For the present, though, the Chapman sweep that concluded with a 7-2 win at Orange’s Hart Park on Wednesday could prove costly. The losses dropped Northridge to 3-3 in California Collegiate Athletic Assn. play, two games behind the Panthers (11-10, 5-1). And although Northridge (11-4 overall) was ranked fifth in the latest NCAA Division II poll, the consecutive losses are certain to change that.

Chapman’s latest victory was reminiscent of Tuesday’s win; both featured early Matador leads built on first-inning home runs. Freshman Craig Clayton’s home run gave Northridge a quick 2-0 advantage Wednesday.

After Chapman’s Mike Grahovac hit a solo home run in the third to halve Northridge’s lead, the Panthers added six runs in the seventh to blow the game open.