CS Northridge Lands a Shooter : Recruiting: Matadors beat UC Santa Barbara to Oronoz, a 6-5 swingman who led Rancho Santiago in scoring.

Ruben Oronoz, the leading scorer for Rancho Santiago College the past two seasons, has accepted a basketball scholarship from Cal State Northridge.

Oronoz said Wednesday that he told Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy of his decision on Tuesday, hours before he received a scholarship offer from UC Santa Barbara.

“I had already given my word,” said Oronoz, who added that he also made recruiting visits to Cal State Fullerton and Southern Utah. “I wasn’t going to go back on my word.”

Oronoz, a 6-foot-5 swingman, last season averaged 16.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for Rancho Santiago. He made 49.5% of his field-goal attempts, including 43.4% from three-point range.

“He could play either shooting guard or small forward in college,” Rancho Santiago Coach Dana Pagett said. “He can shoot. He stretches a defense.”

For Northridge, Oronoz is expected to be a top contender for a spot in the starting lineup. James Morris, shooting guard for the Matadors the past two seasons, was the only senior among Northridge’s top eight players.

Shawn Stone, a 6-1 player who was used as a forward at MiraCosta College, is expected to battle Oronoz and Brooklyn McLinn, a returning starter at guard, for floor time. Stone, who signed with Northridge on Tuesday, averaged 15 points and nine rebounds for MiraCosta.

The addition of Oronoz and Stone doubles the size of Northridge’s recruiting class. In April, Shane O’Doherty, a 6-11 center from Riverside College, and Tom Samson, a 6-6 power forward from St. John Bosco High, signed with the Matadors.

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Northridge baseball Coach Bill Kernen has signed shortstop Brian Vasey to a letter of intent. Vasey is expected to replace senior shortstop Andy Hodgins.

A Moorpark College sophomore, Vasey is batting .322 with 28 runs batted in, five home runs and four stolen bases. He played outfield last season.

“He throws the ball real well,” Raider assistant Mario Porto said. “In fact, if we were smart, we would have had him be our closer.”

Vasey said he chose Northridge for the opportunity to win a starting position immediately. Vasey said he also drew interest from UCLA, Cal Lutheran and Southern Colorado, a school that is reviving its program next season under Coach Stan Sanchez, the Northridge assistant who quit midway through the current season.

“I like (Northridge’s) work ethic,” he said. “That’s what I need.”

Vasey was was 10-1 with a 2.09 earned-run average in his senior year at Simi Valley High and was The Times’ 1991 Ventura County pitcher of the year. He also batted .460.

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Sprinter Robert Rice of San Jose Mt. Pleasant High and shotputter Beth Burton of Downey Warren have signed letters of intent with Northridge.

Rice has personal bests of 10.73 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.80 in the 200. Matador Coach Don Strametz calls him the best high school sprinter Northridge has signed since Kevin Hendrix of Fresno Roosevelt in 1986.

Burton, who finished second in the shotput in last year’s Southern Section 4-A Division championships, has a personal best of 42 feet 5 3/4 inches.

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Katina Mines of Valley College became the first player to sign a women’s basketball letter of intent with Northridge for the 1993-94 season. Mines, a 5-9 guard, played two seasons at Valley and earned all-state honors in her 1991-92 sophomore season after averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Mines didn’t play during 1992-93 season to concentrate on academics. She also earned City Section 3-A honors as a Sylmar High senior. She selected Northridge over Nevada Las Vegas, San Diego State, Nebraska, Pacific, Oregon and San Francisco State.