COLLEGE NOTES : Pepperdine Hopes to Cut Loyola’s Lead in Baseball

Things are getting hectic in the West Coast Conference baseball race, where Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine are fighting for the title and other teams are just fighting.

With the league-leading Lions taking the week off from conference play for finals and commencement, second-place Pepperdine will be playing three games at the University of San Diego this weekend, trying to whittle into Loyola’s 3 1/2-game lead.

The perennial rivals will then decide the WCC title with three games in Malibu the following weekend.

Meanwhile San Diego and Nevada-Reno fought it out for real last week, to the displeasure of the conference. In the fourth inning of their first game in Reno, a pick-off attempt and a collision between the Reno first baseman, John DeRicco, and San Diego base runner Chad Boyd resulted in shoves and the clearing of both benches.

DeRicco and Reno Coach Gary Powers were ejected, as were Boyd and San Diego assistant coach Jake Molina, and the game was ended as a no contest. Later, San Diego opted to forfeit both games of the next day’s double-header.

This week, the WCC came down hard on both teams, especially the coaching staffs, which were judged to have incited the incident rather than trying to calm it. DeRicco and Boyd received two-game suspensions, both head coaches were given three-game suspensions, and Molina received a two-game suspension for initiating the confrontation with Powers.

The National Collegiate Athletic Assn. requires a one-game suspension for fighting, but the WCC instituted its own baseball code of conduct this season, with tougher sanctions. “We expect our coaches to be competitive,” said WCC Commissioner Michael Gilleran, “but also to be leaders and gentlemen, and we are particularly disturbed by the failure of both coaches to adequately control their teams.”

The Loyola-Pepperdine race is scrambled because the teams will play a different number of conference games due to early-season rain-outs. Loyola is 24-7, while Pepperdine goes into the San Diego series at 20-10. San Diego took two of three games from Loyola two weeks ago. If Pepperdine wins two of three this weekend, the Waves must then sweep Loyola in the final series to tie for the title.

Pepperdine won the title on the final weekend last year when the Waves took three of the last four games.

The WCC winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs, but both teams figure to get selected, as they were last year. However, winning the title increases the odds of staying closer to home and playing at one of the Western sites. Selections will be announced May 21.

Signings: Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball Coach Van Girard has apparently bolstered his squad with another strong recruiting class, led by El Camino College front-line standout Cheri Bullet, who led the state’s community colleges in rebounding.

Girard, who was looking for help in the front court to go with returning center Yvonne Vanlandingham, has signed the 6-foot Bullet, who averaged 18 points and 15 rebounds, and 6-foot center Nicole Blue out of Inglewood High. Blue, a member of The Times All-South Bay second team, was an all-league choice who averaged 14.6 points and double figures in rebounds.

Two guards have also signed: El Camino transfer Tammy Booker and All-Southern Section selection Karry Bonele out of Palmdale High. Booker was an All-South Bay choice and a league most valuable player at St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood two years ago.

Record Collectors: Sophomore Jennifer Boen and freshman Melissa Punch finished the softball season by practically rewriting the Cal State Dominguez Hills record book. With those two leading the way, the Lady Toros had another successful season, finishing 29-24-1. In her two seasons as head coach, Janis Ruetz has a 64-48 record, making her the winningest coach in Toro history.

Boen, the team’s top pitcher as well as one of the better hitters, tied the school record for wins in a season with 18 and appearances with 33. She also struck out 90 batters, one short of the Toro record. On offense, Boen set a record for runs scored, 34, and tied Punch for the team record in hits with 64.

First baseman Punch, the team’s hottest hitter over the second half of the season, set a Toro record for batting with an average of .398, and will carry a record 19-game hitting streak into next season. Punch also set a school mark with nine doubles and led the team with 25 runs batted in.

Senior shortstop Penny Baizer also set two records, stealing 14 bases this season and 22 in her career.

Curiously, Boen was named to the second team of the All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn., along with teammate Maria Romero, a senior outfielder, while Punch was passed over.

Stat of the Week: Dominguez Hills senior right-hander Jamy Villa went 1-1 last week while striking out 21 batters, including 13 against UC Riverside, one short of the school record. For the season, Villa--a converted catcher--has struck out 46 batters in 35 2/3 innings, while walking 31. In CCAA play, Villa has struck out 32 and walked 22 in 25 1/3 innings.

College Notes

Loyola basketball Coach Paul Westhead will be the commencement speaker Saturday at the school’s graduation. . . . Hank Gathers will be awarded a posthumous bachelor of arts degree when communications majors are introduced. Teammate Bo Kimble will accept for the family. . . . Loyola junior Sio Saipaia was named to the second team of the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. all-conference team. He ranked among WIVA leaders in kills. . . . Dominguez Hills freshman pitcher Armando Placencia earned his first collegiate victory last week with 3 1/3 innings of two-hit ball against The Master’s. . . . In a wild double-header against Cal Poly Pomona in which 55 runs were scored, Toro designated hitter Willie Navarette set a school record with seven hits. The 29 runs and 33 hits the Toros produced were also school records for a twin bill.