THE COLLEGES : Strength of Schedule Helps CS Northridge Bolster Ranking in Baseball

Cal State Northridge trails UC Riverside by 2 1/2 games in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball standings, but the Matadors are several notches above the Highlanders in the NCAA Division II baseball rankings.

Northridge (25-15) is ranked seventh. Riverside (31-10) is No. 12, although the Highlanders are 2-0 against Northridge.

Although Northridge’s record isn’t quite as good as Riverside’s, the Matadors have maintained their season-long advantage in the ratings due to the strength of their schedule.

The rankings are tabulated using a “power rating” points formula. The breakdown goes as follows:

Five points for a victory over a Division I team.

Four points for a victory over a Division II team.

Three points for a loss to a Division I team.

Two points for a victory over an NAIA team, or a loss to a Division II team.

Northridge’s advantage over Riverside stems from the Matadors’ having played five more Division I games than the Highlanders.

Riverside is 6-4 against major college competition, while CSUN is 8-7.

“If you do rankings as opposed to the ratings, there’s no way you’d have us ahead of them,” said Bill Kernen, Northridge’s coach. “I’m just hoping that’s an indication of where we’re going to be. This is one time that you hope the polls are right.”

Back to the future: Which is the CCAA’s best baseball team?

Riverside, Kernen says. But perhaps not for long.

“If you look at it from the standpoint of experience and talent, they’re probably the best team in the league,” Kernen said. “If you’re talking about talent for the future then maybe we are. . . But that doesn’t mean we can’t catch them. Most teams, no matter how good they are, usually have a rough spot some time in the season. They just haven’t had a bad one yet.”

Northridge plays the Highlanders in a three-game series next week.

“We’re playing our best at a time when you want to be,” said Kernen, whose team has won 13 of its past 16 games. “I don’t necessarily think we have to sweep to win it, but it’s hard for me to say. Right now I’m more worried about Chapman.”

Northridge and Chapman play a three-game set starting today. The Panthers are tied with the Matadors for second place in the CCAA.

Thinking positive: His team had just stranded 13 runners and his pitching staff had just given up five home runs and walked 13 batters, but Kernen was far from downcast after the Matadors’ 14-13, 10-inning loss to UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday. CSUN had 20 hits, including five home runs.

“This is the best offensive performance we’ve had here in two years,” Kernen said. “Offensively, we just buried them, but you’re going to pay for it when you walk 13 batters. . . . You don’t want to focus on the negative in a game like this.

“Sure, it’s a tough loss, but I couldn’t be happier with the way we hit.”

Northridge’s homers included solo shots by Greg Shockey, Mike Sims and Craig Clayton in the third inning.

The Matador single-game home run record is seven, set against United States International University (1984) and The Master’s College (1987).

Home run derby: Glendale’s Art Chute has set a new school season record with 10 home runs and is one short of the Glendale career record of 17.

He is the second Valley-area player to break his junior college’s home run record this spring. Mike Suarez broke the Moorpark season mark with seven home runs.

However, the most prolific power hitter in the Valley area, J. R. Trujillo of Canyons, remains considerably short his school’s home run record. Trujillo has hit 11 and is six shy of Pete Kuld’s record total of 17, set in 1986.

Kirby Lee and staff writers Mike Hiserman and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.