Fresno Test to Help CSUN Assess Its Baseball Playoff Potential

So it’s tournament time again. No, not that tournament. We’re talking about baseball.

Cal State Northridge, which finished second in its most recent tournament--the 1990 NCAA Division II World Series--is desiring a similarly impressive showing in the eight-team Fresno tournament that started Monday and concludes Saturday.

“We’re playing it just like we would a championship tournament,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “This is a real good chance for us to show what we can do in playoff-type situations.”

A strong showing can only enhance the Matadors’ chances of reaching the Division I playoffs in their first season of major-college competition. A high finish would show that Northridge has the pitching depth needed to perform well in several games played over a short period of time.

In the short run, it might help the Matadors climb back into the Collegiate Baseball rankings. Fresno State (14th), North Carolina (16th) and Creighton (20th), all tournament participants, were rated higher this week. “If nothing else, we get to see some of the better teams from other parts of the country,” Kernen said. “We’ll have a little better idea of where we are when this thing is over.”

Northridge is making its first appearance in the 13th edition of the tournament but not its last. Kernen says the Matadors have accepted an invitation to return next season. The host Bulldogs have won the tournament championship seven times.

Prophetic: From 1982-86, Fresno’s all-tournament teams included several players who went on to distinguish themselves in the major leagues.

Terry Pendleton (Cardinals, Braves) started the trend by making the all-tournament team in 1982, a season in which the former Oxnard College standout led Fresno State in batting average (.397), runs (63), hits (98), doubles (15), triples (two) and stolen bases (11).

The following season, Wally Joyner (Angels) was selected the tournament’s most valuable player after leading Brigham Young to the tournament championship. Cory Snyder of BYU (Indians, White Sox), the shortstop on the ’83 team, repeated in 1984.

In 1985, right-hander Mark Gardner (Expos) helped pitch Fresno State to the title and the following season, Mike Harkey (Cubs) did the same for Cal State Fullerton.

Role reversal: Northridge scored 10 runs on 13 hits in Monday’s Fresno tournament baseball game against Virginia Tech, but those numbers are deceiving. The Matadors struggled for five innings against starter Brad Clontz, who struck out 11 in 7 1/3 innings.

However, Kernen found a bright side. “We kept our poise on offense even though the guy was eating us up a little bit,” he said. “We’ve had times this year (when) we haven’t turned it back around on them. We kept coming back at him until he broke.”

Northridge scored seven runs on 10 hits in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings combined.

Breaking in is hard to do: As the only three freshmen at regional junior colleges who were first-team Times All-Valley baseball selections last year, Antelope Valley’s Kendial Armstrong, Pierce’s Benji Belfield and Canyons’ Robbie Davis arrived this season with strong credentials and high expectations.

Instead of being freshman sensations, though, all have been frustrated freshmen.

All three began the season as starters, but because of either injury or unproductive play, none even played Tuesday. After a rocky early season, Davis has performed the best among the trio, but he sat out Tuesday’s game against Moorpark with an injured quadriceps. Davis, who hit .452 as a Hart High shortstop, is starting at second for Canyons and has his average up to .300, thanks in part to a .429 surge in conference play.

“We expect him to be a good player,” Canyons Coach Len Mohney said. “He just hasn’t set it on fire. He just hasn’t been able to get on a real streak.”

Although Davis appears to be on the right track, Armstrong and Belfield are floundering. Armstrong started the opener at third, but his playing time on a 2-16 Antelope Valley team has dwindled. Armstrong hit .420 with seven home runs and 32 runs batted in as a senior at Quartz Hill, but he is batting .160 with one run and two RBIs this season.

Belfield moved from shortstop to third when he went to Pierce, and now he is on the bench. He batted .413 with six home runs and was 4-1 as a pitcher last spring at Taft, but he has only four hits in 32 at-bats and no RBIs for Pierce.

The high school stars have struggled, but Pierce Coach Bob Lofrano points out that very few freshmen contribute at junior colleges.

“They haven’t made the adjustment,” Lofrano said. “The jaycee level, I hope people realize, is a very good level.”

The hard way: In winning six conference games in seven days, Canyons has whipped the cream of at least three opponents’ pitching staffs. Canyons has beaten Gary Vlcek (4-3 record) of Glendale, Steve Trainor (4-1) of Valley and Mike Jenkins (4-2) of Moorpark.

Canyons lost freshman right-hander Kevin Foderaro for the season when he suffered a broken ankle Friday, but the Cougars remain undefeated (6-0) in conference play.

“Six (victories) in seven days, that was a challenge and I’m proud of them for that,” Mohney said. “We got some pretty good pitching.”

Statwatch: Pierce’s Louis Birdt, a sophomore right-hander, retired 27 consecutive batters over the span of four games before he allowed a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 11th against Cuesta on Saturday. Birdt, who is 3-0 with four saves, had 10 strikeouts during the string.

Jim Aiwasian, Glendale’s sophomore shortstop, has a 16-game hitting streak and is batting .394, .476 in conference play. Glendale first baseman Mickey Moreno is batting .563 in conference play.

Staff writer Brendan Healey contributed to this notebook.