NOTEBOOK : All May Not Be Lost for the Waves

Pepperdine junior pitchers Derek Wallace and Steve Montgomery and junior second baseman Steve Rodriguez may return to play for the NCAA champions in 1993.

The three players were drafted last month by major league teams but have yet to sign contracts.

Wallace was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 11th pick overall, the highest selection ever for a Wave.

Montgomery, a right-handed reliever, was selected in the third round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Rodriguez was picked in the fifth round by the Boston Red Sox.

Rodriguez made the U.S. Olympic baseball team and will not negotiate with the Red Sox until after the games in Barcelona are completed.

Montgomery said he had made a deal with a St. Louis scout, but the offer was struck down by Cardinal vice president and general manager Dal Maxvill.

“We had a deal and I was 95% sure I was going,” Montgomery said. “They came back with the same kind of offer, but substantially cheaper. I took it as an insult. Unless they come back with the original offer, I’m not going to go.”

Montgomery said before the draft that he would prefer to finish his education at Pepperdine before playing professionally.

“I said before the draft that I couldn’t make a bad decision,” Montgomery said. “I could come back or go and be happy with my decision. Pepperdine is a great place to be and I have no problems coming back here.”

Help is on the way: UC Irvine pitcher Jon Van Zandt will play baseball for UCLA in 1993 after the Anteaters dropped their program after 23 years.

Van Zandt, a senior right-hander, was 7-6 with 4.00 earned-run average. He had 70 strikeouts and 30 walks in 99 innings.

The Bruins earlier received a commitment from Corona del Mar High catcher Tim DeCinces, the son of former Angel third baseman Doug DeCinces.