NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Azusa Pacific Off to a Fast Start on the Diamond

The Azusa Pacific baseball team, taking a cue from the school’s basketball team, has won a school-record 16 consecutive games.

The Cougars, under eighth-year Coach Tony Barbone, defeated The Master’s College, 12-6, Monday to eclipse the record set in 1991.

Azusa Pacific was 21-2-1 and 8-0 in the Golden State Athletic Conference and ranked fourth in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics poll entering Wednesday’s game against Cal Lutheran, one of the top NCAA Division III teams in the country.

Senior first baseman Jeff Crockett hit two two-run home runs against The Master’s College. He is batting .379 with five home runs for the Cougars, who were eliminated by six-time national champion Lewis-Clark State (Ida.) in last season’s area playoffs.

Senior outfielder Dave Richards is batting .380 for Azusa Pacific, which continues its conference schedule Saturday with a doubleheader at Southern California College.

The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team, looking to begin a hot streak that will carry it to the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship, should look to outfielder Tom Eide for inspiration.

Eide, a junior transfer from Chaffey College, extended his hitting streak to 27 games last weekend during a tournament in Colorado. Eide entered Wednesday’s CCAA game against Cal State Los Angeles four games shy of the school record set by Larry Beardman in 1983. The NCAA Division II record is 33 set by Bobby Green of Florida Southern in 1985.

Eide is batting .378 for Pomona. The Broncos defeated Bellevue College (Neb.) and Mesa State (Colo.), and lost to Nevada Las Vegas during the Mesa State tournament, which was cut short because of rain.

Pomona entered the week 18-12 and 6-3 in the CCAA. The Broncos were in first place, a half-game ahead of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Riverside and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Kacie Motley of Muir High scored 29 points to lead the West team over the East, 128-113, in the West San Gabriel Valley all-star game last weekend at La Canada High.

Eric Heger of Pasadena Poly added 20 points for the West.

Tyrone Williams of Pasadena scored 16 points for the East, and Otto Suarez of La Salle added 15. Justin Rawcliffe of Monrovia had 14 points, Treyvone Towns of Pasadena 13, Tony Shen of Temple City 12, and Jamail Matthews of Marshall Fundamental 10.

LaTaya Woods of Blair led the East to victory over the West, 62-56. Woods scored 17 points. Shaleen Williams of Monrovia scored nine points.

A golf tournament sponsored by the El Monte-South El Monte Chamber of Commerce will be played April 23 at San Dimas Canyon golf club.

The event will use a best-ball format and also includes a dinner and awards presentation. The cost is $75.

Information: (818) 443-0180.

A pro-am celebrity tennis and golf tournament that will benefit shelters for battered women and children will be played April 30 and May 1 at La Verne Country Club.

Tournament proceeds will aid the WINGS shelters in eastern Los Angeles County and San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Information: (909) 920-9079 or (818) 960-2995

A golf tournament sponsored by the Arcadia High booster club will be played May 19 at San Dimas Canyon Golf Club.

Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Arcadia athletic programs.

Information: (818) 303-3308.

The 1993 Senior Olympics, featuring competition for men and women in 19 events, will be staged June 5-19 in Pasadena.

Participants 50 and older are eligible to compete in track and field, race walking and walking, swimming, golf, tennis, cycling, softball, lawn bowling, bowling, basketball and ice skating. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in each age division and winners will qualify for the state championships that will be contested in San Diego in September.

The Pasadena Games also will include race walking and tennis for handicapped athletes, and non-athletic competitions in chess, bridge and ballroom dancing.

Registration information: (818) 397-4062.