Clutch Hitting Lifts Arnold in Eyes of Kernen

With a large number of talented junior college baseball players in Southern California, it sometimes takes more than hitting ability, speed and defense to earn a Division I scholarship.

Take the case of Pierce College outfielder Joey Arnold, a former Reseda High player who earlier this week signed a letter of intent with Cal State Northridge.

According to Brahma Coach Bob Lofrano, Northridge Coach Bill Kernen came to Pierce’s game against Canyons on April 11 with the primary purpose of watching Arnold and teammate Erik Martinez.

Pierce, the title favorite in the Western State Conference, had lost three consecutive games at the time and was in danger of dropping out of first place for the first time all season.

But with a runner on base in the bottom of the first inning, Arnold blasted his fourth homer of the season to start Pierce to a 7-3 victory. Arnold finished with three runs batted in and had another two-run homer snatched away by Canyons outfielder Danny Gray above the center-field fence.

“(Kernen) told me that what Joey did that day convinced him,” Lofrano said of Arnold, the conference player of the year. “(Kernen) was looking to see what he does in a big game.”

Arnold (6-foot, 165 pounds) also had a big day last Saturday when Pierce clinched the WSC title. After sustaining a separated left shoulder during a game earlier in the week, he came back and had two hits in a 7-2 win over Ventura.

Said Kernen: “He is definitely my kind of guy.”

NEW WAVE?

In the Canyons game, Martinez all but stole the show by going four for four with a triple, a double and scoring three runs.

The fleet-footed outfielder also is being recruited by Northridge but is said to be leaning toward Pepperdine.

WAITING GAME

Pierce, scheduled to open play Friday in the 16-team Southern California regional, stands a good chance of landing the No. 1 berth when the seedings are announced Monday. Pierce is ranked fourth in the state, and the top three teams are in the Northern California regional.

The local team on the hot seat is Ventura, which lost the WSC tournament final Thursday when visiting Cuesta scored four runs in the ninth inning for a 13-10 win.

The win ensured Cuesta of the No. 2 conference seeding and an automatic berth in the regional. Ventura must wait to learn if it will earn one of the four at-large berths.

Pirate Coach Gary Anglin said one factor that could work against his team during the playoff selection process is a 5-4 nonconference loss to Mission on Feb. 25.

“Mission is a third-place finisher and they may look at Ventura and Mission and say, ‘Who won that game?’ ” Anglin said. “To me it’s 50-50. (But) maybe with our tradition and (the strength of) our conference, maybe we have a 51-49 chance.”

Ventura has a 24-14 overall record. Mission, a member of the Southern California Athletic Conference, is 15-18-1.

OVERLOOKED

The WSC’s most underrated player in terms of four-year college interest might be Ventura pitcher Sam Arroyo.

A two-time all-conference selection who was a first-team pick this season, Arroyo took a 1.55 earned-run average in conference play into Tuesday’s WSC tournament game against Moorpark and proceeded to shut out the Raiders on seven hits.

But so far only Cal Lutheran has shown interest in the 6-foot, 165-pound right-hander from Buena High.

“I’m hoping for a chance to pitch in the state playoffs,” Arroyo said. “That’s all I’m looking for.”

NO THANKS

Cal Lutheran Coach Rich Hill recently placed a telephone call to Kernen, his Northridge counterpart, with the idea of scheduling a game next season between the Kingsmen, currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III, and Northridge, ranked No. 8 in Division I.

Kernen’s response: Thanks, but no thanks.

“I can understand why it would be good for them and a game that would have some interest here in the Valley, but we have no real reason to do that,” Kernen said. “We need to play Division I games.”

Northridge opened this season by losing to Christ College, a small NAIA District 3 school.

Division I playoff teams are selected by an NCAA committee, which uses a power rating formula that penalizes Division I teams for playing opponents from lower levels.

STRONG-ARM

Mike Sims’ prowess as a catcher is well documented, but the Northridge junior outdid himself Wednesday against UCLA. In the second inning, Sims threw out UCLA’s John Myrow, who was attempting to steal second base. How he did it made the play all the more impressive.

Myrow, a swift outfielder, got a huge jump before Northridge pitcher David Eggert made his delivery. Sims, without time to rise from his crouch, made the throw from his knees. Second baseman Scott Richardson caught the ball inches in front of the bag, and Myrow slid into the tag.

“I looked over into their dugout after that one,” Kernen said, “and what I saw were a bunch of looks of disbelief.”

RUNNING FEUD

Marcus Reed of Valley and Phil Antoine of Moorpark exchanged words in the WSC championships at Bakersfield College on Friday after Reed defeated Antoine for the 200-meter title, 21.05 seconds to 21.17.

Reed, who led by more than three meters coming out of the turn, glanced over his shoulder at Antoine a couple of times as they came down the homestretch, but he only appeared to be checking his rival’s whereabouts, not taunting him.

“I was saving myself for the (1,600) relay,” said Reed, who competed in five events. “But he really wants to beat me. He was telling me after the race that I’m not as bad as I think I am. I said, ‘I know. I’m just out here trying to give it my best like everyone else.’ ”

TRACK STATWATCH

Charlotte Vines, a Northridge junior, is keeping fast company on the Matadors’ all-time performer list in the women’s 100 meters. Vines timed 11.68 seconds to finish third in the UC Irvine Invitational on Saturday and move to sixth on the all-time Northridge list, in front of No. 7 Valerie Brisco (11.69 in 1979), and behind No. 5 Florence Griffith (11.54 in ‘80).

Brisco, who transferred to Long Beach City College in 1980 after her freshman year at Northridge and is better known as Valerie Brisco-Hooks, was the 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 200, 400 and 1,600-meter relay. Griffith, who transferred to UCLA after her freshman season at Northridge, won three gold medals (100, 200, 400 relay) and a silver (1,600 relay) in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul as Florence Griffith Joyner. . . .

Freshman Derek Scurry moved to second on the all-time Northridge list when he leaped a personal best of 25 feet 8 1/4 inches to win the event in the Irvine Invitational. Scurry’s mark, which is two inches shy of Chris Perry’s school record, also exceeded the provisional qualifying standard (25-7 1/4) for the NCAA Division I championships in June. . . .

Tanya Lynch of Northridge became the sixth Matador to crack the 40-foot barrier in the women’s triple jump when she bounded 40-0 3/4 to placed second in the Irvine Invitational.

ADD STATISTICS

Through 35 games, Cal Lutheran pitchers have held opponents to a .205 batting average (allowing 222 hits in 1,085 at-bats). Defensively, the Kingsmen have a .973 fielding percentage and have committed just 38 errors. Ashland, Ohio, holds the NCAA Division III record for best fielding percentage--.978, set in 1974.

Ron Twersky and staff writers Mike Hiserman, John Ortega and Wendy Witherspoon contributed to this notebook.