COLLEGE NOTEBOOK : Northridge Makes Run for the Sun

A contingent of 18 Cal State Northridge athletes (11 men and seven women) will compete in the Sun Angel meet at Arizona State today.

In previous years, Northridge competed in the Fresno Relays this weekend, but Coach Don Strametz thought a change was in order.

“We were looking for a little change and a chance for some of our kids to compete in a very high-quality meet,” Strametz said.

School record-holders Derek Scurry (men’s indoor long jump), Garrett Noel (javelin) and Joe Hicks (hammer throw) are among those competing.

Junior Brian Marston moved to 10th on the all-time Matador list in the pole vault when he cleared 15 feet 11 inches to tie for second in Saturday’s Northridge Invitational.

Marston is the third Matador vaulter to clear 15-11 or higher this season. The others are Joshua Bailey and Dave Nynearson, the school’s co-freshmen record-holders at 15-11 1/4.

Sophomore Tyrone Gayles moved to 13th on the all-time Matador list in the men’s hammer throw at the Northridge Invitational with a personal best of 179-1.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

BASEBALL

After Cal State Sacramento beat Northridge, 7-4, last Saturday and increased its Western Athletic Conference Western Division record to 6-1 (compared to CSUN’s 3-4), CSUN Coach Bill Kernen said: “We felt our backs were to the wall.”

The Matadors gained some breathing room with two victories Monday, 2-1, in 10 innings and, 7-0, in seven innings, as left-hander John Bushart earned both victories.

Bushart relieved starter Marco Contreras after 8 2/3 innings in the first game and went the abbreviated distance in the second game.

“I was glad we played two games in one day, otherwise I couldn’t have used John twice,” Kernen said.

Bushart, a junior from Thousand Oaks High, threw 23 pitches in the first game and only 81 in the second. Bushart (6-1) surpassed his 1992 record of 5-2. . . .

In the wake of a 19-5 loss Wednesday to UCLA in which CSUN starter Johnny Najar’s earned-run average soared from 5.46 to 7.79, Kernen said he is determined to help Najar and fellow pitchers Evan Howland (8.10 ERA) and Jason Shanahan (10.80 ERA) turn their seasons around.

“I’m going to work with them a little more, see if I can figure out what’s wrong with them,” Kernen said.

Najar was deeply disappointed after the UCLA game.

“Things didn’t go right,” he said softly. “Everyone could see that. I wasn’t throwing strikes.”

The solution for Shanahan could be a starting role, Kernen said. All five of his appearances have been in relief, since he is the Matadors’ first baseman. Should Shanahan start, second baseman Chris Olsen would move to first and designated hitter Keyaan Cook would play second. . . .

Going into Friday’s game, third baseman Andy Small had a seven-game hitting streak in WAC play and a team-leading eight home runs. The senior transfer from Washington State had driven in 30 runs, tying him for the team lead with Greg Shepard. Small was batting .323 overall (second only to Shepard’s .394) and .355 in the WAC (second only to Andy Hodgins’ .389). Catcher Mike Sims was hitting .351 in the WAC, .284 overall. . . . Center fielder Joey Arnold was tied with Shepard for the team lead with seven doubles. . . . Olsen was hitting only .258, but has driven in 20 runs, fourth-best on the team. A flu bug limited Olsen to the designated hitter role against UCLA. He went one for two with a single and a walk. . . . Contreras has a team-best 2.19 ERA.

Manny Fernandez, a Cal State Sacramento junior from Glendale College and St. Francis High, pitched 4 2/3 innings of sharp relief in the second game of Monday’s doubleheader against Northridge.

Fernandez replaced Ray Brown, who allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning, and shut out the Matadors until the sixth. He left the game with one out and two runners on base. Small promptly hit a two-run double off Josh Kirtlan. Northridge won, 7-0.

“We’re trying to find a third starter, and Manny did a great job,” Sacramento Coach John Smith said. “In hindsight, I should have started him. He’ll get a shot soon.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS

The Matadors have a 12-5 record, built largely on their depth. Northridge players are a combined 16-1 in No. 6 singles matches and 12-5 at No. 5. In fact, the Matadors have winning records on every step of the seeding ladder except No. 1.

Northridge is 5-12 at No. 1, 9-8 at No. 2, 12-5 at No. 3 and 12-5 at No. 4.

JUNIOR COLLEGES

BASEBALL

Ventura Coach Gary Anglin goes for the 300th victory of his career today against Santa Monica in a Western State Conference game at Ventura. Anglin is 299-242 in 16 seasons with the Pirates. . . .

Glendale Coach Steve Coots also is closing in on the milestone. Coots, in his 16th season with the Vaqueros, needs three more victories. . . .

Lance Evans, a catcher for Glendale, is the only WSC player to have two multiple home run games. Evans, a freshman, hit two homers against Pierce on Feb. 16 and two homers against Moorpark on Tuesday. He has five for the season. Canyons slugger Andy Shaw, who leads the conference with eight homers, is the only other WSC player with a multiple home run game. Shaw hit three against Santa Monica on March 18. . . .

Sixteen teams will play in the Channel Coast tournament hosted by Oxnard, Moorpark, Santa Barbara City and Ventura colleges Tuesday through Friday.

Also playing: Mission, Citrus, Pasadena City, Cosumnes River, Rancho Santiago, L.A. City, Riverside City, Los Medanos, Long Beach City, Cerro Coso, Mt. San Jacinto and the Cal Lutheran junior varsity.

SOFTBALL

Talk about dominance.

Neither Angie LePage nor Heather Meyer, the freshmen pitching aces for Antelope Valley, has allowed an earned run in Foothill Conference play this season. LePage (10-2, 4-0 in conference games) is from Palmdale High and Meyer (9-2, 3-0) is from Quartz Hill.

“Heather throws more of a variety of pitches,” said Marauder Coach Gene Pagliaro. “Angie has more velocity. . . . (Pitching coach) Steve Buffalo has brought those girls along.”

The Marauders have been cruising in the conference behind LePage and Meyer. Going into Friday’s game against Citrus, they were 19-4 and 7-0, already a vast improvement over last season (12-19, 8-6).

Antelope Valley will play Cerritos at 10:15 a.m. today in the first round of the Ventura College tournament. . . .

Moorpark, the Western State Conference leader at 3-0, and Canyons will play in the College of the Sequoias tournament Sunday through Tuesday.

Canyons will face defending state champion Sacramento City in the first round at 5 p.m. today while Moorpark will play West Hills at 7 p.m.

TRACK

Lori Church moved to ninth on Moorpark’s all-time list in the women’s 800 meters when she timed 2 minutes 22.73 seconds to win her heat at the Northridge Invitational. . . . Teammate Julie Solis moved to eighth in the 400 hurdles when she timed 68.94 at Northridge to place second in her heat.

Staff writers Fernando Dominguez, Steve Henson, Mike Hiserman, Theresa Munoz and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.