COLLEGE BASEBALL: SOUTHLAND PREVIEW : Garrido Back at Fullerton, but His Influence Never Left

Augie Garrido was away from the Southern California college baseball scene for three years after he left as coach of Cal State Fullerton to take over the program at Illinois.

And now that he has returned to Fullerton to succeed his successor, Larry Cochell, Garrido will discover that his influence in the Southland was strong despite his absence.

Maybe too strong for Garrido’s own good.

Dave Snow of Cal State Long Beach, Chris Smith of Loyola Marymount and Bill Kernen of Cal State Northridge all were assistants under Garrido, and all three have built their programs into national powers in just a few years.

Long Beach is ranked second behind Arizona State in Baseball America magazine’s top 25--a poll that also includes Loyola (10th), USC (11th), Pepperdine (20th) and Northridge (22nd), which is in its first season at the Division I level.

“It’s much better than it was three years ago,” Garrido said of the local competition. “And I’m happy that I was able to give some people the opportunity to create it.

“We’re still getting things straightened out here, but hopefully, we’ll be able to compete at a high level.”

A look at the Division I teams in Southern California:

* USC

1990: 40-22 overall, 18-12 in the

Pacific 10.

The Trojans opened last season ranked No. 1 and came within a game of advancing to the College World Series.

Seven players from last year’s team signed professional contracts, including infielder Bret Boone, outfielder John Jackson and pitcher Randy Powers, but fifth-year Coach Mike Gillespie still has enough talent to contend in the Pacific 10 Southern Division and land a fourth consecutive playoff berth.

Junior outfielder Mark Smith batted a team-high .333 in 1990 and was the most valuable player in the Cape Cod summer league, where he hit .408 with wood bats.

Seniors Jeff Cirillo and Murph Proctor will play key roles as pitchers and position players. Cirillo, an All-Pac-10 utilityman who was 6-2 as a starter and batted .316 as a designated hitter last season, will see action at third base as two-year starter Brett Jenkins moves to second. Proctor (.325, 2-1), a left-hander, will play outfield and first base.

Freshman Tom Nieto will start at catcher as sophomore Casey Burrill moves to designated hitter in wake of a shoulder injury.

* UCLA

1990: 41-26 overall, 14-16 in the

Pacific 10.

The Bruins lost pitcher Dave Zancanaro and catcher Paul Ellis, both of whom were No. 1 draft picks, but they still might have enough to return to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Coach Gary Adams enters his 17th season at UCLA with a team that will be led on offense by junior first baseman Chris Pritchett, who batted .368 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs last season, and junior outfielder Joel Wolfe, who batted .376 and stole 30 bases.

Senior David Tokheim (.318) will start in right field for the third consecutive year, and sophomores Michael Moore and Shawn Wills--a wide receiver and running back, respectively, for the football team--will split time in center field.

Sophomore Pete Janicki, who was 9-1 with a 3.63 earned-run average last season, is expected to anchor the pitching staff along with senior Tim Lindsay (9-8, 3.93).

First baseman/designated hitter Ryan McGuire, a high school All-American from Woodland Hills, is the top newcomer.

* CAL STATE LONG BEACH

1990: 36-22, 12-9 in the Big West.

After advancing to the College World Series in 1989, the 49ers sank to fourth place in the Big West and missed the playoffs last season.

Despite losing its entire starting infield, including first baseman Don Barbara--the Division I batting champion--Long Beach is considered a favorite to return to Omaha under third-year coach Snow.

A key for the 49ers will be the performance of junior right-hander Andy Croghan, who was 12-4 last season but suffered shoulder weakness that prevented him from throwing all winter. Junior right-hander Steve Traschel, a transfer from Fullerton College, will open the season as the team’s ace.

Jason Giambi (.422), an all-conference designated hitter as a freshman last season, will play third base, and sophomore Cobi Cradle (.324) anchors the outfield.

Junior Alan Burke (.344) replaces Barbara at first base. Rudy Rodriguez, a junior college All-American at American River College, will start at shortstop, and sophomore Lamarr Rogers, a converted outfielder, is expected to start at second.

* CAL STATE FULLERTON

1990: 36-23, 13-5 in the Big West

Garrido, who won national titles at Fullerton in 1979 and 1984, replaces Cochell, who left to become coach at Oklahoma after leading the Titans to the Big West championship and their second World Series appearance in his three years as coach.

Fullerton’s infield will have a new look as sophomore Phil Nevin (.358) moves from third base to shortstop and junior Steve Sisco (.294) moves from first to second.

Junior right-hander James Popoff (12-5, 3.98) will be the ace of pitching staff that includes senior reliever Chris Robinson (3.88, five saves) and junior right-hander Jack Bailey, a transfer from Rancho Santiago College.

Senior catcher Matt Hattabaugh (.316) and senior first baseman Frank Charles (.327) are expected to combine with Nevin to give the offense some punch.

* UC SANTA BARBARA

1990: 40-22, 13-8 in the Big West.

Coach Al Ferrer begins his 11th season with the Gauchos, who finished tied for second in the Big West last season and made their fourth playoff appearance in eight years.

Santa Barbara’s offense is led by senior outfielder Jerrold Rountree and junior infielder Jeff Antoon.

Rountree batted .322 last season and was second in the nation with 57 stolen bases. Antoon, who will play either third base , first base or catcher, batted .335 with 12 homers and a school-record 24 doubles.

Senior right-hander Tim DeGrasse (7-4, 4.50) and senior left-hander Scott Longaker (5-7, 4.15) are the top returning pitchers, and Tom Myers, a senior transfer from Arizona, is the most experienced newcomer.

* UC IRVINE

1990: 34-25, 10-11 in the Big West.

The Anteaters are coming off their best season since 1980, and an influx of transfers could help make them competitive in the Big West.

Senior first baseman Bryant Winslow, who played on Wichita State’s national championship team in 1989, and second baseman Joe Furukawa, who transferred from California, will step in as starters.

Senior shortstop Al Rodriguez, who was All-Big West last season when he batted .345 with 15 doubles, is the Anteaters’ top returning player.

Coach Mike Gerakos begins his 11th season at Irvine with a pitching staff led by senior right-handers Chris Hubert (8-2, 4.61) and Joe Sewell (3-3, three saves).

* LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

1990: 45-17, 25-9 in the West Coast Conference.

Coach Chris Smith has taken the Lions to the playoffs in each of his two years as coach, and there is no reason to think the Lions won’t be back again this season.

Junior first baseman Joe Ciccarella and sophomore shortstop Chris Gomez played for the U.S. national team last summer and are prospects for the 1992 Olympics.

Senior outfielders Rick Mediavilla (.421 and a school-record 112 hits) and Tim Williams (.331) are expected to help fill the offensive void left by Miah Bradbury--the WCC player of the year in 1990--and Tony Kounas.

Senior left-handers John Willard (13-4, 4.41) and Chris Spears (5-0, 5.79) and junior right-hander Joe Caruso (8-3, 4.92) are the Lions’ top pitchers.

* PEPPERDINE

1990: 37-23, 24-12 in the WCC.

The Waves had won or shared nine consecutive conference championships before last season when they finished second and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1984.

However, third-year Coach Andy Lopez has a nucleus of experienced players that should keep Pepperdine in contention for another postseason berth.

Right-handed starter Steve Duda (12-3, 2.93) and right-handed reliever Derek Wallace (10 saves, 2.82) anchor the pitching staff.

All-conference first baseman Dan Melendez (.319, 50 RBIs) and second baseman Steve Rodriguez (.332, 15 stolen bases) are the top returning offensive players. Right-handers Pat Ahearne and Sky Lasowitz, left-hander Jerry Aschoff and designated hitter David Main are junior college transfers expected to make an immediate impact.

* CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

1990: 39-22

From the day he was hired in June of 1988, Coach Bill Kernen has directed all of his efforts toward this season, during which the Matadors will compete as an independent.

Last year, Northridge finished second at the Division II World Series with a team dominated by sophomores.

Junior first baseman Scott Sharts was named a preseason All-American after leading Division II with 29 home runs in 1990. Sharts, a right-hander who transferred to Northridge last season from Miami, also is expected to be the Matadors No. 1 starter.

The key player for Northridge, however, is junior Craig Clayton, a Division II All-American last season who batted .397, compiled a 12-6 record on the mound and can play every position.

Third baseman Denny Vigo (19 home runs), shortstop Mike Solar (.283) and center fielder Greg Shockey (.326)--all of whom are juniors--also will be important to Northridge’s success.