Santa Barbara Pair ‘Majoring’ in Baseball

Jeff Antoon and David Waco have been big hits at UC Santa Barbara.

Both seniors, they are four-year starters for the Gauchos. Antoon, former standout at Notre Dame High, holds UCSB records for home runs with 34 and runs batted in with 194. He also set a school record with a 22-game hitting streak last season. Waco, who played at Chatsworth High, holds the school record for homers in a game, hitting three against Cal State Northridge two seasons ago.

“Both players have given us quality at-bats and defense,” Coach Al Ferrer said. “David is the best defensive second baseman I’ve ever had or coached against. And I’ll always remember Jeff for his dramatic clutch home runs.”

In his sophomore season, Antoon hit a two-out, two-strike, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Fresno State and boost the Gauchos into the NCAA regionals.

Antoon, batting .315 this season, considers himself a line drive rather than a power hitter. He has played four positions for the Gauchos during his career and currently is at first base, but he prefers third, “my love, my instinct position.”

Ferrer expects both players to be drafted by major league teams. Antoon has been contacted by Cleveland, Montreal and Kansas City, Waco by Montreal. “My dream is to play pro baseball,” said Waco, who is batting .304 this season. “I know I have the ability to do it.”

Antoon, a second-team Big West Conference selection last season, has been aiming for the pros since he got to college. “If it happens, it happens,” he said. “I’m not going to be a high draft pick, but I just want a chance to play.”

PAY-BACK

A dozen Northridge student-athletes, including members of the men’s basketball and baseball teams, wore war paint and wild costumes Tuesday night in an effort to spark the Northridge volleyball team against UCLA.

The basketball players were repaying members of the volleyball team for their participation as avid rooters during the basketball season.

Unfortunately, the extra help and a rowdy crowd of 2,001, including pro beach player Kent Steffes and former Northridge All-American Bob Samuelson, failed to lift the Matadors out of the doldrums and Northridge lost in four games.

BID MORE ELUSIVE

By falling nearly out of contention for the DeGroot Division title of the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn., the Matadors face an uphill battle for an NCAA tournament bid.

Without the DeGroot Division title, the Matadors must win the WIVA tournament, April 15-18 at UC Irvine, to obtain an at-large berth.

If the Matadors (9-5 in the WIVA) win the division--a longshot considering that Pepperdine is 11-4--they would play the Wilson Division winner in the first round of the WIVA tournament. The winner of that match earns an automatic berth in the four-team NCAA tournament.

The loser of that match continues in the WIVA tournament in an attempt to win an at-large berth.

Northridge will finish the WIVA season with matches today at UC Irvine and Tuesday at UC Santa Barbara.

KYMAN STILL HOBBLED

Northridge All-American middle blocker Coley Kyman probably will play tonight despite re-injuring his left ankle Tuesday in the fourth game of the UCLA match. Kyman returned to the match but played in pain.

ROLLING ALONG

Oved Aguirre of Glendale College has been on a personal-best tear.

The sophomore from San Fernando High lowered his best in the 5,000 to 14 minutes 31.01 seconds in the Bronco Invitational at Cal Poly Pomona on March 14, and he recorded personal bests of 3:55.64 in the 1,500 and 1:56.05 in the 800 in the Northridge Invitational.

The time in the 5,000 moved him into third on the all-time Glendale list behind Jeff Nelson (14:04.0 in 1981) and Bobby Thomas (14:24.7 in ‘75), and Glendale track Coach Eddie Lopez says Aguirre is capable of running faster.

“We’re shooting for 14:20 at the Fresno Relays (today),” Lopez said. “We feel that’s well within his reach.”

Aguirre will attempt to lower the Glendale record in the 10,000 meters (Terry Gibson, 30:19.7 in 1979) at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 16.

“I think he can break 30 minutes,” Lopez said. “Based on his 5,000 time, he should be able to do that.”

INJURY UPDATE

Jennifer Stewart of Valley College, the defending state junior college champion in the women’s high jump, will undergo arthroscopic surgery on her right knee later this month and will not compete for the Monarch track and field team this season.

Stewart sustained torn ligaments in the knee during a workout March 1 after raising her personal best in the javelin to 154 feet 10 inches earlier this season.

Her older brother, Walt Stewart, the 1989 NCAA Division II champion in the high jump for Northridge, might not compete this season either after suffering a severe left-ankle sprain during a workout in February.

Staff writers Mike Hiserman, Jeff Meyers, Theresa Munoz and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.