Slumping Toros Play Host to Mustangs

The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team will try to end a six-game California Collegiate Athletic Assn. losing streak when it plays host to league leader Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a three-game series starting today.

The teams will play a single game at 3 p.m. today and a doubleheader at noon Saturday.

Dominguez Hills, which has slipped from 10th to 25th in the latest NCAA Division II rankings by Collegiate Baseball magazine, is 17-17-1 overall and 7-9 in the CCAA.

San Luis Obispo, which is No. 3 in the Division II poll, is 24-10 and 10-5. The Mustangs, who reached the Division II playoffs last season, took two of three games from UC Riverside last week.

Dominguez Hills, which was only one-half game out of first place in the CCAA two weeks ago, was defeated by Cal Poly Pomona, 5-3, on Tuesday. The Toros lost despite the pitching of Tom Ball, who finished with a three-hitter.

Ball, a junior left-hander who is 7-4, was the victim of five errors that led to three Pomona runs.

The Toros continue to get strong pitching from sophomore starter Ken Gajewski, who is 3-3 with a 3.12 earned-run average, and sophomore reliever Juan Soriano, who is 0-2 with an 0.63 ERA and two saves.

On Wednesday, Dominguez Hills defeated Westmont, 14-4, in a non-conference game at Santa Barbara.

After the San Luis Obispo series, Dominguez Hills will meet Pomona again at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Pomona.

Many of the top graduating seniors in the South Bay will compete in the 11th annual Optimist High School All-Star Basketball Classic tonight at El Camino College in Torrance.

The girls’ game is at 6:30 and the boys will play at 8:30.

South Bay players will be featured on the South team in both games. The South boys will be coached by LaMont Henry of South Torrance and the girls’ coach is David DeLaby of Banning.

Among the boys competing are forward John Anthony and guard Frank White of Peninsula, forward Rudy Washington and swingman William Thomas of Carson, guard Dan Carpenter of Serra, forward David Cottey of Redondo, guard Sean Washington of Banning, guard Marlon D’Oyen of Bishop Montgomery and guard Jason Anthony of South Torrance.

Peninsula’s Anthony has signed a national letter of intent to attend Loyola Marymount and Carson’s Washington will attend Drake. Cottey was the leading scorer in the South Bay as a senior with a 24.8-point average.

Leading the way on the girls’ squad are Peninsula standouts Jeffra Gausepohl at center, Monique Morehouse at forward and Raquel Alotis at guard; Bishop Montgomery guard Mirlen Martinez and forward Keisa Smith, and Banning center Michelle Campbell and guard Rayjanette Lampkin.

The three Peninsula standouts helped lead the Panthers to a 33-0 record, the state Division I title and the No. 1 ranking in the nation by USA Today. Gausepohl has signed with Virginia, Morehouse with Auburn and Alotis with UC Santa Barbara.

Three basketball players from Compton College have signed letters of intent to attend Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Six-foot-four guard Jason Carmichael, 6-6 forward Joe Bertrand and 6-7 forward Darnell Patterson will join the Toros in the fall.

Carmichael, who led Compton to the Southern California Athletic Conference title last season, averaged 18 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.

Bertrand and Patterson are regarded as excellent rebounders. Bertrand averaged 8.8 boards and Patterson 6.8 caroms last season.

Dominguez Hills, which finished 16-12 and placed third in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., signed 6-6 forward Hamp Lee of Fairfax High during the NCAA’s early signing period in November.

Because of changes in the NHL playoff schedule, Monday’s fight card at the Forum has been moved to Tuesday.

The 7 p.m. card will feature two 12-round North American Boxing Federation title fights and a 10-round super lightweight fight.

In the NABF bouts, Cecilio Espino (21-2, 18 knockouts) of Monterey Park will defend his bantamweight title against Antonio Ramirez (12-2-1, seven KOs) of Los Angeles, and Ysaias Zamudio (27-3-1, eight KOs) of Blythe will put his flyweight belt on the line against Richard Clarke (23-4, eight KOs) of Kingston, Jamaica.

Fountain Valley’s Jose Castro (16-2-1, seven KOs) meets Mexico City’s Felipe Fuentes (22-8-1, 18 KOs) in a super lightweight bout.

The Kings play host to Edmonton in the second game of their Stanley Cup playoff series on Monday night.

Registration is under way for a three-on-three basketball tournament for adults on May 9 in Hermosa Beach.

The cost is $30 a team. The double-elimination tournament will have A- and B-level divisions for men and women.

The deadline is April 30. Information: Warren Carter at (310) 318-0280.