CSUN to Open World Series Against Lewis

The Cal State Northridge baseball team will open Division II World Series action on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CST) against Lewis University of Romeoville, Ill., the NCAA announced Monday.

The Matadors (36-21) were seeded No. 2 in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament which begins Saturday at Paterson Field in Montgomery, Ala. with top-seeded Jacksonville (38-9) meeting Philadelphia Textile (34-13-1) and Tampa (43-12) playing Central Missouri (36-16).

This marks CSUN’s seventh trip to the Division II World Series, but its first since 1984 when the Matadors won their second national championship. CSUN has reached the title game for times, winning for the first time in 1970.

Northridge qualified for the World Series by defeating UC Riverside, 2-0, Sunday in the West Regional title game at Matador Field. Scott Sharts, a sophomore right-hander, was selected Most Outstanding Player in the tournament after posting his first shutout. He also blasted his 26th home run of the season.

Pitcher Vale Lopez, shortstop Mike Solar and Craig Clayton, who pitched in CSUN’s first game, played outfield in the second and first base for the third, also made the all-tournament team.

Clayton, a sophomore, also was a rare double selection on the Division II All-Western Region Team.

The City Section Interscholastic Athletics Committee twice rejected proposals Monday to eliminate divisions in the football playoffs next fall before finally adopting a one-year plan that calls for a 12-team 4-A Division and a 37-team 3-A Division.

All 12 4-A teams will qualify for the playoffs and 16 3-A teams will comprise a second bracket. The 4-A division will consist of the eight teams in the Northwest Valley Conference plus Pacific League members Banning, Carson, Crenshaw and Dorsey.

Cal Lutheran’s Matt Simpson advanced to the third round of the NAIA national tennis championships in Kansas City, Mo. on Monday, defeating Bob Uhlenkott of Lewis & Clark, 6-2, 6-3 and Ryan Crockett of Transylvania, College (Ky.), 6-1, 6-2.

Tony Cohen, also of Cal Lutheran, beat Jeff Kohl of Cedarville College of Ohio 6-2, 7-6. Cohen lost in second round to North Florida’s Stefan Camball, 6-4, 6-1.

Mike Teron, a sophomore at Ventura College, has become the third junior college baseball player to sign a letter of intent with Cal State Northridge.

Teron, 9-2 this season, allowed 82 hits and struck out 82 in 93 2/3 innings. The right-hander from Santa Clara High had five complete games and an earned-run average of 2.98.

Cal State Northridge will send a contingent of 22 athletes to the NCAA Division II track and field championships at Hampton University, which start Thursday and end Saturday.

Twelve Northridge men and 10 women were among the qualifiers for the national championships, released by the Division II Track and Field subcommittee Monday.

College of the Canyons outfielder Chris Vasquez has signed professional contract after being drafted last spring.

A 40th-round draft pick, Vasquez signed with the Cincinnati Reds and said he received a signing bonus of $20,000. A freshman right fielder from Hart High, Vasquez batted .306 with 37 runs batted in during the regular season.