SMALL COLLEGES : For Them, Winning Isn’t the Most Important Pitch

The baseball programs at Point Loma Nazarene College and UC San Diego have a thing or two to learn about the American way.

Winning, someone should tell them, is all that matters.

But at Point Loma Nazarene, fielding the most competitive team possible is secondary to fielding a Christian one. After all, the “N” in PLNC does stand for Nazarene.

“I primarily look for kids who will fit into our (Christian) environment,” said Carroll Land, PLNC’s coach.

At UCSD, players arrive not necessarily to win but to earn a degree from one of the top academic schools in the UC system.

They are student-athletes, with the emphasis on student .

The programs are expecting varying degrees of success this year. Point Loma’s season will be considered a good one if it finishes at the .500 level; such is the goal of what Land refers to as a “completely inexperienced team.”

UCSD, on the other hand, after losing only two starters from last year’s team that finished ranked fifth in NCAA Division III, is seeking a berth in the Division III College World Series.

“That’s our No. 1 goal,” said Coach Lyle Yates. “This is our most balanced team ever.”

UC SAN DIEGO

It seems UCSD is adopting the American way. As recently as 1982, Yates was fielding a team of students of which “maybe two guys were real baseball players,” the coach said. The Tritons are now getting transfers who played at Division I schools.

Junior catcher Gene Northway transfered from San Jose State. Junior second baseman Louie Diaz arrived at UCSD via the University of Kansas, and senior right fielder Chris Murphy played at Arizona.

They all came to a program that in 1987 won the NCAA West Regionals and placed fifth in the Division III World Series. In 1988, the Tritons were ranked No. 9 nationally after going 25-2. Last year, they went 23-19.

UCSD returns last year’s leading hitter, third baseman Dave Ligerman (.345). But the starting third base job is not necessarily his. He’s being pushed by Steve Nowlan, a transfer from Grossmont College.

Other top hitters include:

--Erik Judson, a shortstop who in 1988 hit .395 but last year fell to .274 after recovering from a broken back.

--Ted White, a first baseman from Central Arizona, where he batted .321 last year and had seven home runs and 66 RBIs.

--Northway, who hit .321 at UCSD last year with three home runs and 10 RBIs.

--Murphy, who batted .309 a year ago and for a second consecutive season hit five home runs for the Tritons.

UCSD also has experienced pitching.

Rick Rupkey returns as the No. 1 starter. The All-American right-hander was 10-5 last year with a 1.69 ERA. His 10 victories are an all-time school high.

J.J. Fisher is the No. 2 starter and coming off a 1989 season in which he compiled a 7-2 record, 70 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA.

Dann Eaton, formerly of Serra High and San Diego City College and a transfer from Emporia State (an NAIA school in Kansas) will be the No. 3 starter. Last year at Emporia State, Eaton went 4-1 with four saves and a 3.53 ERA.

POINT LOMA NAZARENE

In contrast to UCSD, the Crusaders return only two starters from 1989: senior second baseman Craig Gastineau and sophomore third baseman/pitcher Mark Ratekin. The 23-man roster is dominated by eight freshman and eight sophomores.

The top returning hitter is Ron Caton, who last year as a freshman designated hitter batted .320. This season, Caton will play first.

The pitching staff is expected to be the strong point. Ratekin will be the No. 1 starter. Others will be Kevin Burley, a returning sophomore right-hander; junior transfer Kevin Hazlett, a left-hander from Mission Community College in San Jose, and junior transfer West Rekeda, a right-hander who played at New Mexico last year.