Arizona Hopes to Trash CSUN as Pay-Back

The Cal State Northridge softball team might be making its first appearance in a Division I College World Series, but apparently it won’t arrive at Oklahoma City without fanfare. Opposing players say the No. 2 Matadors have already established a No. 1 trash-talking reputation.

“I don’t want to start a fight between us and Northridge,” said Jamie Heggen, an Arizona outfielder from Thousand Oaks High. “But we have a little pay-back.”

The No. 3 Wildcats, who have four Valley players, will face Northridge in the second round Saturday if both teams win their Friday games. They dearly want to play the Matadors again, and not only because Northridge beat then, 2-1, during the season.

It’s Northridge’s arrogance, said Heggen. “Their first year in Division I softball (1990-91), they didn’t seem to have respect for the other teams,” said Heggen, a .390 hitter who has five home runs. “They’re mean, their fans are mean and they say just really rude things. I don’t think there’s a team in the nation that likes Northridge or wouldn’t love to beat them.”

Heggen said one reason she decided not to go to Northridge is Matador Coach Gary Torgeson, who told her she wasn’t good enough to play Division I softball. Heggen, a first-team All-American, carries the best career batting average (.349) in Arizona school history.

BASEBALL

Northridge members were scrambling Monday afternoon after learning they had to be in Tempe, Ariz., in less than 48 hours for the NCAA West Regional. Anxious, and weary from studying over the weekend for finals, many players had to reschedule their exams. In almost all cases, players were required to take their tests earlier than planned. For example, pitcher Marco Contreras took three finals Tuesday instead of taking one each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. . . .

As part of their pre-tournament preparation, players met Tuesday with a trainer to discuss the NCAA’s random drug-testing policy. They were advised what types of medication they are allowed to take and what medications and drugs are banned.

Chewing tobacco, a favorite among many Matador players, is banned during the NCAA tournament. It also is banned during Western Athletic Conference games, but that ban, unlike the NCAA prohibition, is not strictly enforced. Northridge enters the West Regional with a batting average of .310. . . .

When the signings of Northridge’s first four recruits--Andy Shaw, Josh Smaler, Brett Callan and Brian Vasey--were reported, Northridge Coach Bill Kernen could not comment on them under NCAA rules because he did not have their letters of intent in hand.

Now that he can talk, Kernen said that Shaw of College of the Canyons was the best left-handed power hitter he scouted.

As for Pierce College’s Smaler, Kernen values him for his ability to play several positions, including catcher. Of Moorpark College’s Vasey, Kernen said: “He is just a great guy to have on a team.”

Although Vasey, a shortstop, has not pitched extensively since his days at Simi Valley High, Kernen said he will explore Vasey’s pitching potential. “He was the guy in the area in high school,” Kernen said.

Callan of San Diego Mesa College is not as polished a receiver as current catcher Mike Sims, according to Kernen, but he handles pitchers well, calls a smart game, and blocks the plate like the football player he used to be. . . . Northridge faces the possible loss of three pitchers. Junior starters Marco Contreras, John Bushart and Keven Kempton could be selected by pro teams in the draft, June 3-5. If their draft position is high enough, they might leave Northridge a year early.

The Matador pitching staff also could lose Jason Shanahan. The team’s starting first baseman, Shanahan has been used on a spot basis (15 innings, 7.80 earned-run average) this season.

Kernen believes that the work required to keep Shanahan sharp as a pitcher takes away from his hitting and defensive preparations. . . .

Assistant P.C. Shaw will be coaching the Mesa (Ariz.) Yankees this summer in the Arizona Summer Collegiate League.

Although Shaw is not allowed to coach current Northridge players, incoming recruits Smaler and Rick Orr of Cypress College will be on the team. The six-team, wooden-bat league starts next week.

CAL LUTHERAN

BASEBALL

Jeff Berman, Mike Winslow and Pat Norville, the Kingsmen’s three starters, finished the regular season among the top five pitchers in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in earned-run average.

Berman had a conference-best 1.66 ERA, along with an 8-2 record. Winslow’s 2.00 ERA placed him behind Berman. Winslow is 7-0. Norville, who started the season as staff ace, has a 7-1 record and 3.10 ERA.

Eric Johnson led all SCIAC hitters with a .431 batting average, which was even better--.478--in 20 conference games. Johnson also has eight home runs, which ties him with teammate Chris Fick and three other players for the conference lead. Johnson’s 38 runs batted in was second-best in the SCIAC.

JUNIOR COLLEGES

TRACK & FIELD

Ken Teasley of Moorpark stunned many spectators when he set a meet record of 221-11 to win the men’s javelin in the state championships at Shasta College in Redding on Saturday, but Raider assistant John Keever wasn’t one of them.

Keever said Teasley--whose previous personal best was 208-3 set two years ago--was capable of a 220-foot throw for some time, but that he had failed to accomplish that feat because he had been trying too hard.

“The javelin is not an event where you can just go out there and throw the hell out of the implement,” Keever said. “It’s one of those events where you need to relax, but still be aggressive. But there is a very fine line between being aggressive and being too aggressive.”

Teasley was pressing because he had thrown 232 feet in practice earlier this season, but no farther than 206 in a meet.

“I think he was starting to get a little frustrated, but he put it all together the other day,” Keever said. “I thought all year he was the best kid in the state. It was just a matter of him proving it.” . . .

Trivia question: Who was the last Moorpark athlete to win a state track title before Teasley?

Teasley’s win snapped what was becoming a negative trend at Moorpark.

In both 1990 and ‘91, the Raiders had the state’s leading javelin thrower based on best marks, but neither Gil Carrillo (fifth in ‘90) nor Teasley (seventh in ‘91) performed as well as expected in the state championships after winning the Southern California meet.

The men’s 1,600-meter relay--with six teams under 3 minutes 12 seconds and three at 3:10 or faster--was the most talent-laden event of the state championships, but it would have been even deeper if Valley’s Ruben Benitez had not suffered a strained quadriceps while running the third leg.

Benitez, the Western State Conference 400 champion, had moved Valley into third entering the backstretch when he pulled up, leaving Coach James Harvey to ponder what might have been.

“I was upset when it happened,” Harvey said. “But what can you do? You have no control over something like that. I can take some satisfaction in that we were there. We were ready to roll. We were on our way to a 3:08 or a 3:09.” . . .

Kyle Beck had a up-and-down meet for Valley. The sophomore from Chatsworth High ran the first leg on the 400 relay team that finished fourth in 41.19, he placed third in the 110 high hurdles with a personal best of 14.38, and he ran the first leg on the 1,600 relay team before Benitez’s mishap.

However, he was disqualified in the 400 intermediate hurdles--his best event--for a false start.

“I thought he got off to a great start,” Harvey said. “I thought the kid just got out well, but I’m not the starter.”. . . .

Trivia answer: Craig Ingram, from Granada Hills High, won the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase for Moorpark in the 1986 state championships.

Staff writers Dana Haddad, Mike Hiserman, Theresa Munoz and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.