COLLEGE DIVISION NOTEBOOK : Chapman Women Reach the Top in Softball Rankings

Fresh from mowing down nine opponents last week in a prestigious Florida softball competition, Chapman was ranked No. 1 in the nation Wednesday in the season’s first NCAA Division II poll.

The Panthers (23-2), who had all five first-place votes, received 100 points, placing them nine points ahead of three-time defending Division II champion Cal State Bakersfield (7-3).

“I didn’t really think we could get ahead of Bakersfield in the first poll,” Chapman Coach Lisle Lloyd said.

Chapman’s national reputation was boosted by winning all nine of its games last week at the Rebel Spring Games in Winter Garden. Fla. Five of the victories came against teams ranked in the Top 20 Wednesday, but Chapman’s final game against No. 3 Florida Southern was rained out.

“We played excellent back there,” Lloyd said. “We couldn’t have played any better. We had confidence going into every game and even if we got behind, we didn’t worry about it.”

The ranking could be challenged this weekend, when Chapman will play in the the Cal State Bakersfield tournament, weather permitting. The Panthers are scheduled to play Portland State and Sonoma State on Friday and Chico State, Bakersfield and UC Riverside on Saturday.

Chapman keeps its opponents off-balance with a potent two-woman pitching rotation: Jacki Blake and Cheri Schreck, who have pitched every inning this season.

“They know they’ve got to do it,” said Janet Lloyd, assistant coach and daughter of Lisle Lloyd. “We do have other pitchers, but we hope we never have to use them.”

Schreck and Blake, both seniors, are thriving together in their fourth season pitching for the Panthers. Blake (12-0), a Fountain Valley High graduate, has allowed four earned runs and has an 0.32 earned-run average. Schreck (11-2), a Workman High graduate, has allowed 10 earned runs and has a 0.82 ERA.

They require little coaching.

“They always correct themselves,” Janet Lloyd said. “I don’t have to do anything with the pitchers. They pretty much coach themselves.”

Schreck and Blake are especially hard to hit in the doubleheaders that make up the bulk of the schedule. Blake, who was a second-team All-American selection last year, is the harder thrower of the two. Schreck ties up the opposition with a baffling array of off-speed pitches.

“Jacki throws hard and keeps the ball down, and Cheri just lives off her changeup,” Lisle Lloyd said. “It’s a backhanded-flip, knuckleball changeup that nobody’s seen before.”

Still struggling: Chapman’s baseball team, which will move to Division I next season, is having its troubles so far this year. The Panthers are 8-17 after losing to the University of San Diego, 7-4, Tuesday and Coach Mike Weathers said his team hasn’t played consistently.

Chapman struggled with pitching and defense early, and now that those areas have come around, Weathers said, the hitting is hurting. Chapman left 16 men on base in Tuesday’s loss.

The good news: Chapman is 4-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. and first-place Cal State Dominguez Hills is only 5-2.

“I think the one ray of hope is our conference is incredibly competitive,” Weathers said. “Everyone is up and down. We can survive and no one is going to pull away and leave us--at least not yet.”

Utah fan: Rog Middleton, who moved into fifth place in the Chapman men’s basketball all-time scoring list this season, is watching the Utah Utes progress in the Division I tournament with interest.

Middleton, who originally enrolled at Utah after starring at Tustin High School, transferred to Chapman in 1988 after one semester in Salt Lake City. Although he admits to wondering “What if?” while watching the Utes, who play No. 1 Nevada Las Vegas tonight in the NCAA West Regional semifinals, he says he doesn’t have any regrets about the transfer.

“I’d like to be playing in the postseason,” Middleton said. “It would be fun. I’m kind of bored now. I don’t have much to do although I’m studying more and that’s a plus. But I’d like to still be on the court.”

Christ College Irvine runner Genevieve Graff won the 3,000 meters in a school- and meet-record time of 10 minutes 19.42 seconds at the Golden State Athletic Assn. track and field championships Saturday.

Graff, a sophomore who also plays for the women’s basketball team, led the Eagles to a third-place tie with Westmont in the team standings.

College Division Notes

Christ College Irvine outfielder Terry Robinson was named the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 player of the week. Robinson, who is the district’s second-leading hitter, batted .583 with two doubles, three triples and five stolen bases. . . . Southern California College pitcher Brett Johnson was named the district’s pitcher of the week after recording 16 scoreless innings. Johnson, who has a 1.40 ERA, allowed seven hits, struck out 13 and walked one.