CLU Batter in the Swing Early

Peter Washington, Cal Lutheran’s designated-hitter, collected seven hits in his first 11 at-bats this season--including a home run and three doubles--leaving him to wonder what will happen when he gets his timing down.

While most of his teammates and opponents have a full fall schedule behind them, Washington is just getting started. He spent the first semester getting his transcripts in order after transferring from College of the Canyons.

Now he is convinced that the rest did him good.

“For three years I’ve been playing in the fall,” said Washington, who hit his second homer of the season Tuesday. “It’s been about 180 games a year. I was playing so much I got burned out.”

But the 5-foot-11, 225-pound, left-handed hitter is not the only CLU batter who has been burning opposing pitchers. The Kingsmen, last among NAIA District 3 teams in batting average last season, have scored 52 runs on 51 hits, including 11 homers, in their first three games.

Pointed refusals: The Antelope Valley men’s basketball team can relate to Lisa Leslie, the Morningside High girl who missed an opportunity to set a national scoring record when the opposing team refused to play the second half.

Antelope Valley, seeking to eclipse the 100-point barrier for the 13th time this season, lost its opportunity when the officials refused to allow the teams to finish a game at San Bernardino Valley College last week.

The Marauders led, 97-89, with 14 seconds to play when San Bernardino Valley was assessed four technical fouls. The game was then suspended and Antelope Valley never had the opportunity to take its foul shots.

Changing Dollar to pounds: Matt Dollar, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound sophomore offensive lineman at Moorpark College, will leave in one week for Oxford University in England and will study there during the spring term in a program sponsored by the European Study Assn.

“It’s the chance of a lifetime,” Dollar said. “School is something I like to do.”

Dollar, who is from Fillmore, said that he carries a 3.3 grade-point average as a social science major at Moorpark. He will take several courses, with an emphasis on history, and perhaps coach some American-style football while at Oxford.

After he returns in June, he plans to matriculate to a four-year school where he will continue his education and football career.

Going to the Wells: When Santa Monica College used a new twist--a zone defense--Monday night, Valley College unveiled a surprise of its own: freshman McArthur Wells.

Wells scored 13 points off the bench and hit three consecutive three-point baskets in the first half to help the Monarchs turn a one-point deficit into a six-point lead.

The 6-foot-3 guard also hit another clutch three-point basket late in the game to help seal a 62-60 victory.

“(Wells) is a streak shooter,” Valley Coach Jim Stephens said. “If he hits his first shot, it’s a good sign. If not, we have to watch him closely. (Monday night) he got to stay in the game.”

As a result, Valley clinched a share of the Western State Conference championship.

Numbers game: The Cal Lutheran men’s basketball team has struggled to a 5-19 record, but sophomore Jeff deLaveaga and senior Mike Demeter have moved up the Kingsmen’s all-time lists in several single-season and career categories.

DeLaveaga has scored 669 points (an average of 27.9 a game) and has made 224 field goals and 169 free throws this season to stand third, seventh and in a second-place tie, respectively, on the single-season lists.

Demeter, who has averaged 13.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game this season, is fifth on career lists in scoring (1,355 points), rebounding (693) and field goals (556). He also ranks 13th in free throws with 230.

Cal Lutheran has two games remaining.

On the rebound: After a stumbling start, the Antelope Valley women’s basketball team is challenging for at least a share of the Foothill Conference championship.

The Marauders lost their first four games and were 5-9 after completing a demanding nonconference schedule. However, they have won 10 of 11 conference games to improve to 15-10 overall.

Antelope Valley and Desert are tied for first in the conference. The top two teams receive automatic bids to the state playoffs. Last season Antelope Valley made the playoffs as the third-place team.

Doing swimmingly: The nucleus of three NCAA Division II championship teams is gone, but Pete Accardy, Cal State Northridge swim coach, is predicting his women’s team will be in the title hunt again.

Mara Morgan, a freshman from Livermore, is a big reason why.

Morgan is the top-rated Division II swimmer in three events and is second in another.

Her times of 2 minutes 9.1 seconds in the 200-yard backstroke, 4:31.02 in the 400-yard individual medley and 17:11.19 in the 1,650-yard freestyle are all best in the nation this season. She is second in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:00.34.

Rather heady accomplishments for a freshman, particularly since all four times were clocked in one December meet.

“She didn’t swim all that fast until she rested and shaved for our qualifying meet,” Accardy said. “She dropped a lot of time.”

The Northridge coach is hoping that history will repeat itself in the Division II nationals, March 7-10 at the State University of New York, Buffalo.

Kirby Lee and staff writers Mike Hiserman, Kevin Baxter, John Ortega and Brendan Healey contributed to this notebook.