Scia Saying See Ya as Ball Leaves Field

Her first name, Scia, is pronounced SEE-ya, as in see ya later, which is what Scia Maumausolo’s Cal State Northridge softball teammates thrice bellowed during a scrimmage last week against Cal State San Bernardino.

Maumausolo, a freshman from Mt. Carmel High in San Diego, hit three home runs--all of which were met by delighted cries of “See ya!” from the dugout.

“The pitching wasn’t great, but who cares?” Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson said. “She’s for real. She’s going to hit a few.”

Maumausolo, who will catch and be a designated hitter, placed third in the discus and 10th in the shotput in the high school state meet last year.

Northridge, which will open play Saturday at home with a doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara, is 14th in Division I preseason rankings.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Danny Griffin, a former Antelope Valley College player, has left the Nevada Las Vegas basketball team.

Griffin, who was the team’s tallest player at 6-foot-9, had hoped to be the Rebels’ starting center. However, he played only 20 minutes in five games, averaging 0.8 points and 1.4 rebounds.

A school spokesman said Griffin was set back by a knee injury during preseason practice.

Griffin was released from his scholarship commitment and reportedly is considering a transfer to Rhode Island.

“We feel a fresh start would be in his best interest and we wish him well,” UNLV Coach Rollie Massimino said in a prepared statement.

Griffin originally signed with Pittsburgh after earning All-American honors at Crenshaw High. After failing to meet NCAA Proposition 48 academic requirements, he appeared in 14 games for Antelope Valley in the 1989-90 season, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.

BASEBALL BRIEFS

Northridge baseball Coach Bill Kernen said Marco Contreras has earned the starting pitching assignment for the Matadors’ opener, Tuesday at UC Santa Barbara. Steven Morales was thought to have the inside track but Kernen said Morales still is suffering the effects of a stress fracture in his right (throwing) forearm last spring.

Morales probably will miss the first three games and possibly the fourth, Northridge’s home opener Feb. 14 against University of San Diego.

“If we don’t have Morales (this season), we will have a major problem,” Kernen said. “It’s a little bit of a concern that it is taking this long. . . . When you are out of pitching that long, the arm tightens up and atrophies. He has soreness in several areas, the elbow and the forearm. I don’t want to rush him.”

Morales was 4-1 with a team-best 2.43 earned-run average when he was injured during a home game against Nevada on April 4.

Contreras, a right-hander, is a transfer from Citrus College, for which he was 9-3 last season. . . .

If the regular season started today, Keyaan Cook, formerly of Montclair Prep and a highly regarded transfer from Louisiana State, would not be Northridge’s second baseman. Neither would Erik Lazerus, understudy to Scott Richardson last season.

The starter, Kernen said, would be Chris Olsen, a part-time first baseman and left fielder in 1992.

“He’s not the greatest defensive player you’ve ever seen, but he can pick up ground balls,” Kernen said. “He gives us a little more offensively.”

Olsen, a senior, batted .229 last season after transferring from Cerritos College. “He’s not going to do that this year,” Kernen predicted. “He’s better than that. Some JC guys, it takes them a year before they really get into it. I think he’s one of those guys.”

If he is not playing second or first base, or left field, or designated-hitter, Olsen also might catch. He is No. 2 on the depth chart at the position after Kyle Washington quit because of unspecified “school reasons.”

Washington’s departure remains a mystery to Kernen. The senior from Pasadena participated in fall drills and began working out with the team early last month. Then he asked for permission to miss a few practices to take care of family matters.

“He said he had something to work out,” Kernen said.

Kernen has not seen or heard from Washington since.

An outfielder and backup catcher, Washington was in contention for a starting outfield position. Last season, he started 37 of 51 games and batted .226 with 27 runs batted in and five home runs.

He played in 156 games in three seasons at Northridge and had an overall batting average of .250 with 15 home runs and 79 RBIs. . . .

Mike Sims, who batted eighth or ninth for Northridge last season, might hit in the fourth or fifth slot in his senior campaign.

Sims, an outstanding defensive catcher, has put on weight and has changed his batting style to become more of a power hitter, Kernen said.

Sims has batted a respectable .308 and .296 the past two seasons but has only eight home runs in three years as Northridge’s regular catcher.

IN GOOD STANDING AGAIN

Craig Hewitt practiced with the Northridge men’s volleyball team Wednesday after concluding a three-match disciplinary suspension.

“After practice tonight it’s over, a dead issue,” Coach John Price said of the suspension. “There’s no hard feelings. We just move on.”

Price said Hewitt will alternate at middle blocker with Coley Kyman and Jamal Thompson as the Matadors play six best-of-five matches at the Asics tournament Friday through Sunday in San Diego.

Asked if Hewitt would reclaim his starting position, Price said, “As of this morning, we don’t have a starting lineup.”

READY AND WAITING

Ken Lynch, held out of Northridge’s first three Mountain Pacific Sports Federation volleyball matches because of a strained back, should see limited action this weekend in the Asics tournament.

Lynch, a four-year starter at outside hitter, warmed up before Tuesday’s match against Brigham Young and “felt good,” according to Price.

So good that when Northridge dropped the first two games, Lynch could hardly contain himself.

“He spent all but about 10 seconds between games two and three in my face begging me to put him in,” Price said. “He wanted to play, and I wanted to play him.”

Instead, Price stuck by orders from Northridge trainer Rhonda Lowry not to let Lynch compete.

Lynch participated in the team’s practice but was not allowed to take part in jumping drills. The plan is to let him play in one match on Friday or Saturday and in another Sunday. If he bounces back from the action without pain, Price said Lynch could be allowed to return to full-time duty next week--just in time for the Matadors’ home match Wednesday against second-ranked UCLA.

KNEE-JERK REACTION

Kyman had a match-high 37 kills and an outstanding .561 hitting percentage, but Northridge’s All-American middle blocker drew Price’s ire of after the loss to Brigham Young. Price said Kyman’s blocking and defense were not nearly up to par.

However, Price acknowledged that Kyman’s left knee still might not be fully recovered from arthroscopic surgery three weeks ago.

“Coley would say it doesn’t bother him, but I think it (does),” Price said.

“Because he’s missed so much practice, he just hasn’t had the (repetitions) he needs as far as blocking and defense. He’s so good on offense he could probably come out of a coma and hit .500. But he needs (repetitions) to get better in those other areas.”

Kyman conceded after Tuesday’s match that his knee was “a little sore.” Though he was effective on the attack, his lateral movement as he attempted to set up blocks seemed a step slow.

QUICK TURNAROUND

Kevin Hambly, who helped Royal win two Southern Section 2-A Division volleyball championships, struggled along with the rest of his Brigham Young teammates Monday as Northridge swept the conference match.

But only 24 hours later, Hambly and the Cougars rebounded to upset the fourth-ranked Matadors in four games.

Hambly, a 6-7 sophomore, said a higher intensity level made the difference.

“We’ve been frustrated,” said Hambly, a middle blocker who had 11 kills, seven blocks and six digs in the Cougars’ win. “This is the first time we’ve played well this season. We think we have a pretty good team, but before tonight that hadn’t come out.”

UNSUNG

Because he is a setter, Matt Unger often is ignored when kudos are bestowed on his high-flying, hard-hitting teammates. Yet, Unger, the Matadors’ all-time assist leader, is the one who makes those kills possible with his well-timed and well-placed sets. The senior from Pacific Palisades made 58 assists in the first match against BYU compared to 38 by Cougar setters.

Unger, who is generously listed at 6-feet, showed his versatility and leaping ability with four blocks and two kills in the Matadors’ win over BYU.

He also delivered two service aces and dug out five kill attempts.

NOT SO FRESH

Cameron Green, a freshman from Mira Costa High, has shown surprising maturity as a starter for the Northridge volleyball team.

“It is so tough to come into this league as a first-year freshman,” Price said. “He’s one of the best competitors on the court. It is a nice surprise. He has a lot of confidence out there, and he should.”

Green, a 6-4, 185-pound outside hitter, also has won the approval of Kyman. “He has an intensity I love to see,” Kyman said.

FLASHBACK

Brigham Young won the first two games against Northridge in Tuesday’s conference volleyball match, but a haunting memory slaked the Cougars’ thirst for celebration.

In Provo, Utah, last season, Brigham Young won the first two games, but Northridge stormed back to win the match.

While recollections of the Matadors’ comeback last season weighed heavily on the Cougars’ minds, Price, the Northridge coach, didn’t give it a second thought.

“We lost the first two there but the similarities ended there,” Price said.

“Back there we played poorly for two games, then turned it around and played well for three. (Tuesday), we never played well. We struggled every minute of the match. Even when we got on a little bit of a roll and scored a couple of points in a row, we were struggling.”

Staff writers Mike Hiserman and Theresa Munoz contributed to this notebook.