SPORTSCOPE : Bruins Among Teams Entered in Arizona Softball Tournament

The top-ranked UCLA women’s softball team will compete Feb. 13-16 in the University of Arizona tournament.

Among seven returning letter winners are pitcher-third baseman Lisa Fernandez, pitchers Heather Compton and DeDe Weiman and outfielder Yvonne Gutierrez.

Fernandez was named the college softball player of the year last year. She finished with a 0.25 earned-run average and was second with 16 shutouts and 165 strikeouts. She batted .341 and drove in 32 runs.

Compton had a 0.31 ERA and led UCLA with 185 strikeouts and 18 shutouts. Weiman, who was 14-0 matching a school record, had a 0.69 ERA with 138 strikeouts and eight shutouts. Gutierrez led the Bruins with a .369 batting average, 72 hits, 35 runs batted in and seven home runs.

Former Fairfax High standout Sean Higgins has been signed by the Orlando Magic for the rest of the season. Higgins joined the NBA team Jan. 10 when he signed the first of two 10-day contracts.

Pat Cunningham, a 1985 Beverly Hills High graduate, was chosen by the Orlando Thunder in the third round of the World League of American Football draft Tuesday.

Cunningham, 23, played in two games with the Indianapolis Colts in 1990. He was invited back to camp last season, but was released during the preseason. He played collegiately at Texas A & M.

The top-ranked UCLA men’s tennis team (4-0 as the week began) will play host to San Diego State at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Last week the Bruins swept Washington and South Florida by 9-0 scores.

The No. 4 UCLA women’s tennis team (5-0) will send No. 1 singles player Mamie Ceniza to the national indoor championships in Minneapolis.

The Bruins will resume dual-match play Feb. 14 at Arizona State and Feb. 15 at Arizona. Last week UCLA shut out Nevada Las Vegas, 9-0.

The No. 11 Pepperdine women’s tennis team (4-1 as the week began) will play Feb. 14 at No. 8 California and Feb. 15 at Stanford.

Last week the Waves defeated the University of San Diego, 6-3.

The No. 4 Pepperdine baseball team (3-0 at the start of the week) will play host to UC Irvine at 2 p.m. Friday.

The Waves opened the season with an 8-5 road victory over Westmont and defeated USC, 5-3, at home and 10-9 on the road. Wave center fielder Chris Sheff hit a three-run homer against the Trojans in Malibu.

The No. 2 UCLA men’s volleyball team (4-1 overall, 2-0 in the DeGroot Division of the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. as the week began) will play host to No. 4 Stanford (5-1, 3-0 in the Wilson Division) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pauley Pavilion.

Last week the Bruins defeated Loyola Marymount in three games.

The No. 3 Pepperdine men’s volleyball team (9-0 overall, 3-0 in the DeGroot Division at the start of the week) will play host to Loyola Marymount (1-6, 0-3 in the Wilson Division) at 7 p.m. Tuesday,

The Waves beat San Diego State in three games last week.

Five Westside residents, all Loyola High graduates, are on the Santa Clara men’s volleyball team: Garrett Jamison of West Los Angeles, Ryan O’Conner and Scott Kelley of Pacific Palisades and Emmet Malloy and Chris Tremblay of Santa Monica.