Sofro Splits Time, Not His Talent : Colleges: Former Glendale High standout stars in baseball and basketball at Redlands.

Allow Jeff Sofro a sliver of light to fire his 20-foot jump shot, and watch him fray a cotton net softer than cashmere.

Smack him a hard ground ball with a runner on first, and watch him turn two prettier than Kevin Costner after 50 takes.

Give him a second crack at college competition and he’ll do both.

For proof, ask a few Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball and baseball opponents who have been victimized by Sofro’s sweet touch or rifle arm during his past year at the University of Redlands.

An All-Southern Section guard and The Times’ 1988 Glendale baseball player of the year while at Glendale High, Sofro initially enrolled at Pepperdine, where he hoped to play both sports.

He was the only walk-on to make the Pepperdine basketball roster in 1988, but was not given full-fledged status as a player. Instead, he was given the choice of playing only in the Waves’ Southern California games, or redshirting his freshman season.

His chances of balancing both sports looked grim.

“He’d better find a way to overlap and double up,” Coach Tom Asbury told The Times in 1988. “He’s a great kid. I love him. But he’s not Bo Jackson. He’s a long way from Division I, and you don’t get better at basketball by throwing batting practice or swinging a bat.”

Taking heart in Asbury’s advice, Sofro packed his bags last winter and headed east to Redlands--the school that recruited him most fervently out of Glendale.

“It was a real quick decision,” he said. “I just evaluated my situation.”

As it turns out, the choice was choice.

In little more than a year, Sofro has become persona non grata around SCIAC schools for all the right reasons.

Glitches in the hasty transfer still remain. Sofro, 19, is in the midst of an appellate process which would allow him to play basketball for three more seasons. Because he played for two minutes during an exhibition game while at Pepperdine, he might have lost a year of eligibility.

The SCIAC has sympathized with Sofro’s petition and has forwarded the decision to the NCAA.

“I’m trying to be positive about it,” Sofro said. “But Pepperdine was a good experience and I was playing against some good players, so it wouldn’t be a complete loss.”

Tell that to Redlands Coach Gary Smith, who has watched the sophomore flourish in the Bulldogs’ Loyola Marymount-style offense. Averaging 16.7 points a game, Sofro is the second-leading scorer on a team which is third in the nation in scoring (98 points a game) among Division III schools. He was also named to the all-tournament teams in the Menlo, Christ College and Colorado College tournaments.

“I think (an NCAA denial) would be a miscarriage,” Smith said. “It would be unfortunate, very unfortunate, if he loses the year. But we do realize it would be an exception if they grant him that.

“I can appreciate their need to meet certain standards.”

In his first season, Sofro has surpassed any standards Smith has set.

“We’ve been very pleased with his overall game,” he said. “We knew he was a scorer, but he sees the floor really well. . . Defensively, he’s not great yet, but he’s plenty good.”

Opposing coaches have noticed as much.

Said La Verne Coach Gary Stewart: “He can beat you off the dribble, he can stroke the three and he’s a good offensive rebounder. He’s a real solid player. . . When you prepare for Redlands, he comes at you like a 3-D movie.”

Then you’d better strap on your novelty paper 3-D glasses because Sofro has been asked to take even more offensive initiative. “We’re trying to get more three-point shots from Jeff,” Smith said.

When told of Smith’s request, Sofro, who often shuns praise, said he plans to launch more bombs from beyond the three-point stripe.

“That’s just my role,” he said.

He wasn’t a natural for the part, however. Adjusting to Redlands’ upbeat pace was more difficult than Sofro anticipated. There was not a drastic drop-off in talent between the Division I and III levels. And, during the preseason, the team ran longer than a pack of Duracell-charged bunnies.

“We were out on the track at 6 in the morning because of the smog factor,” Sofro said. “It’s incredible conditioning. At the end of practice you’re down on your knees. I wasn’t hating it, but it was real tough work.”

Explained Smith, succinctly: “It’s real fun to play this way, but you have to pay a price to do it.”

Sofro’s investment has also paid off on the baseball diamond. Because he arrived too late in the season to play basketball last year, he had time to concentrate on baseball.

That extra practice probably helped him and freshman pitcher Wade Rockwood of Simi Valley earn Redlands’ co-rookie of the year honors. Sofro played shortstop, batted .338, and was an honorable-mention selection to the All-SCIAC team.

It was not so much Sofro’s power that impressed Coach Ken Miller--he hit just three home runs--but his savvy and cool head while under fire.

“If something goes sour, he’s able to adjust quickly,” Miller said. “He’s not the type of player who makes two bad plays in a row.”

Evidently, for Sofro, the second time is a charm.