NOTEBOOK : Occidental’s Solid Start Built on Close Victories

The Occidental College baseball team is on track to seriously contend for its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title since 1982 because it is winning close games.

Occidental is 10-4-1 overall and 4-2 in conference play--the Tigers’ best start in years.

“We’ve won four of five one-run games,” Occidental Coach Jeff Henderson said. “That’s something we haven’t done in the past.

“So far it’s been pretty much of a team effort. Everybody has been a hero at one time or another.”

One of the Tigers’ most consistent performers has been sophomore left-hander Dave Stoll, who is 3-1 and struck out 13 batters against Claremont in his only loss.

Occidental plays two nonconference games in San Diego this weekend before resuming SCIAC play March 30 with a three-game series against La Verne.

Season-ender: Ribet Christian concluded the best boys’ basketball season in school history last week when the Fighting Frogs lost to Faith Baptist High in the Southern California regional of the state tournament--a loss that still lingers in the mind of Ribet Christian Coach Mike Miller.

“I was disappointed with the ending because I felt we could have done better,” Miller said.

Miller said the school “had a large amount of success” in terms of winning the Southern Section Small Schools Division championship, but that hasn’t completely satisfied him.

“I’m kind of a perfectionist,” he said.

Ribet has a good chance next year of improving upon its 26-3 record.

The Fighting Frogs will lose seniors Keith Henderson, Robert Follett and Mike Lee but will return a solid nucleus in Jamal Duncan, Jacquin Moore and Jason Sanders.

“We have four or five kids from the JV team that are going to try out and normally, in a private school, you get a kid who comes in and wants to play,” Miller said.

“You never know who’s going to walk in the door next September.”

Honor roll: Occidental center Chris Anderson and point guard Ethan Caldwell were selected first-team All-SCIAC by a vote of conference coaches.

Anderson, a senior, averaged 18.9 points and 8.9 rebounds rebounds for the Tigers, who finished 11-15 overall and 5-5 in conference play. Anderson also received the 1989-90 Ted Ducey Award, which is presented annually to a conference player for “leadership, character and integrity.”

Caldwell, also a senior, averaged 12.4 points.

Transition game: Less than a week after helping the Glendale College basketball team advance to the finals of the Southern California regional--where the Vaqueros lost to eventual state champion Rancho Santiago in overtime--Dave Swanson was helping the track team win a pivotal Western State Conference meet last Friday.

The sophomore transfer from Cal State Northridge, who has a personal best of 7 feet, one-half inch, cleared 6-8 to win the high jump as Glendale (10-1) squeaked out a 59-58-57 decision over Moorpark and Ventura.

Swanson’s mark automatically qualifies him for the Southern California prelims in May.

“He only had a day to practice,” Glendale Coach Tom McMurray said. “Give him a lot of credit. He did a great job with little preparation.

“He’s really talented.”

Kirby Lee contributed to this notebook.