Dominguez Hills Gets a Lift From Bateman : Soccer: She became the Toros’ offensive leader when standout Amy Rubin was slowed because of a knee injury.

When Teresa Bateman was a senior at West Torrance, she was approached by Cal State Dominguez Hills soccer Coach Marine Cano about enrolling at the school.

Bateman was uncertain about her future, so she decided to attend El Camino College.

“I went to Camino basically to decide what I wanted to do,” she said. “I had to figure out what my major was going to be and what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to play soccer, but I thought a (community college) would be best for me.”

That also gave Cano a second chance to recruit Bateman, and his persistence paid off.

“I think she knew that after high school, the door was still open for her here,” Cano said.

Bateman’s decision has made an impact for the Toros, the defending NCAA Division II title champions.

With forward Amy Rubin--the team’s top scorer the last two seasons--slowed early this season because of a knee injury, Bateman became the Toros’ offensive leader.

She is leading the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. in scoring with nine goals and 21 points and has helped the Toros (8-1) maintain the No. 1 ranking in Division II. Only nine games into her career at Dominguez Hills, Bateman already is tied for ninth on the school’s all-time list for goals in a season.

The 5-foot-4 junior gives much of the credit for her smooth transition from community college to four-year school to her coaches at El Camino, Jim Millinder and Bob Meyers.

“I felt like I’ve improved, but a lot of it had to do with having the right coaching,” Bateman said. “My coaching in high school was good, but in going to Camino I learned a lot of skills that I didn’t have before.”

She has always been able to score. As a freshman at El Camino, Bateman had 10 goals to help Warriors win a state title. As a sophomore, she led the state in scoring with 29 goals and was an all-state selection.

“She was by and large the most talented player we’ve had at El Camino in the four years I’ve been here,” Millinder said.

Although Bateman prepared for her Dominguez Hills career by playing for a club team that was coached by Millinder, the transition has not been that easy.

“I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what I’d do coming to a better school,” she said. “But I thought that if I worked hard I’d be all right.”

Bateman, 19, received an opportunity when Rubin sprained a knee.

“I think that made me work even harder because we were missing our leading scorer from last year and I knew I would have more responsibilities,” she said.

Cano believes Bateman has a bright future as a player.

“I don’t think she has even begun to reach her potential in terms of her scoring ability. . . . She’s getting better every game, and I think that in the near future you’ll see her reaching her potential as one of the best players in the country,” he said.

Now that Rubin has recovered from her injury, the Toros have one of the best scoring combinations in the nation.

“I really feel that those two possess as much talent as any pair of forwards in women’s soccer anywhere,” Cano said. “They’re the best duo in Division II, and I say that without hesitation.”

Cano said having Bateman and Rubin in the lineup makes a noticeable difference. On Wednesday against UC San Diego, the second-ranked team in Division III, Rubin scored two goals and had an assist and Bateman added a goal in a 4-1 victory.

“Amy’s always a target of every team we play,” he said. “There’s always two or three players on her. What Teresa does is give us another player who is open and can score.”

Said Bateman: “It definitely helps to have both of us up there at the same time. She’s got a lot of good moves and it helps keep our game going when she’s in the lineup with me.”

Bateman’s success is not surprising to Millinder, who said his former player has the right frame of mind to be successful at anything.

“She’s just got a great attitude and that can carry you a long way both on and off the field,” he said.

Millinder said Bateman had the ability to play at the Division I level as a freshman.

“She was recruited by UC Santa Barbara when she was in high school, and California was also interested,” he said. “Coaches felt like she was a good enough player back then, but they didn’t know if she wanted to pay the price (to be successful). . . . She’s got a lot of untapped ability, and that’s going to make a big difference in her play as she goes on and gains in confidence.”

Millinder sees nothing but success for Bateman.

“I think without a doubt she’s going to make a run at all of the scoring records at Dominguez Hills,” he said. “I think she can score as many as 20 goals this season.”

With more than half of the season remaining, Bateman is well on her way to making Millinder’s prediction come true.