CSUN Mood Black in Wake of Defeat : College baseball: After 2-1 loss to Cal Lutheran, Kernen says heartless Matadors have quit on him.

The Cal State Northridge players wore black, though certainly not by choice. The mood was funereal.

Players elected to fly the American flag at half-staff over the clubhouse at Matador Field. Fitting, in light of the circumstances.

“It was definitely appropriate,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “Because they’re dead.”

Incensed by what he called the team’s habitual inability to play with heart, Kernen threw down the gauntlet before Wednesday’s 2-1 nonconference loss to Cal Lutheran and threatened to finish the season with reserves unless a sweeping change of attitude takes place.

Kernen barred players from the clubhouse and forbade them from wearing team jerseys. Many players were forced to wear black T-shirts or undershirts devoid of names or numerals, a violation of an NCAA rule regarding game uniforms.

Kernen donned a different team cap out of disgust, just so he wasn’t wearing the same hat as his troops. He also dumped the players’ gear onto the clubhouse floor.

Startling revisions were made in the lineup, which included pitchers Marco Contreras in right field and John Najar at first base. The final five spots in the batting order entered the game a combined zero for six in 1994.

Kernen hit ground zero after he said his players “quit” during Tuesday’s 13-7 loss to Loyola Marymount. Lions’ Coach Jody Robinson, a former Northridge assistant, commented on the lackluster Northridge effort afterward.

Kernen couldn’t argue.

But he could react.

The sixth-year coach, whose teams have qualified for the NCAA playoffs in each of their three years at the Division I level, said he made the moves to protect against “an erosion of the very heart of the program.”

“This isn’t some joke,” Kernen said. “I have to uphold the integrity of the guys who played in this program before.”

Northridge (17-16) doesn’t play again until Monday. Kernen said he will not attend practice over the remainder of the week and will instead scout high school and junior college games--in search of new players for 1995.

“The bottom line is that this is my fault,” Kernen said. “I’m more upset at myself for my lack of recruiting ability.”

As for the team, corrective action is up to the players, he said. Kernen said that had he taken similar action and “challenged their manhood” in previous years, teams might have “practiced for about eight hours or slept in the clubhouse” to prove their mettle.

The Northridge irregulars would just as soon camp in the Sahara as make an encore appearance.

“It’s not something I want to do again,” said Contreras, pointing to blisters on his hands left by swinging the bat. “We need our guys in there, but (the benched regulars) need to make a decision whether they want to play. Either quit or don’t come to practice tomorrow.”

The only regulars who started were outfielder Joey Arnold, at second base, and designated hitter Eric Gillespie, at catcher. Spot starters Brian Vasey and Jonathan Campbell also were in the lineup.

“I would have benched everybody, but I didn’t have enough players to fill all the positions,” Kernen said.

Right-hander Jason Vargas (1-2) limited Cal Lutheran (16-4-1) to three hits. Once again, however, Northridge played as large a role in the loss as the opposition offense.

With the score tied, 1-1, in the top of the ninth, Vargas walked David Campaniello. After a sacrifice moved pinch-runner Chad Miyata to second, Vargas threw a wild pitch and Joe Gordon hit a sacrifice fly.

“(Kernen) says we keep giving away games,” said Vargas, who took the loss hard. “I made a mistake. I didn’t finish it off.”

Kernen reserved judgment on the team for several weeks, writing off its inconsistent play to the loss of two players to injury, the aftereffects of the Northridge earthquake and the loss of several players to graduation.

More important than Northridge’s record, Kernen said, is that many players lack the fire of previous Kernen disciples, who were known for their work ethic and competitiveness.

“It took me five years to put this program where it is, and it’s taken them 60 days to put it into the dump,” Kernen said. “The nine guys we had out there were ones who wanted to play hard.

“I thought they did pretty well. . . . I’d use them again. If we’re gonna be bad, let’s really be bad and I’ll reload this S.O.B. (for next year).”