Kernen’s Doghouse Fills Before CSUN Win

Bill Kernen went to the symphony over the weekend, but predictably, his thoughts weren’t far from the baseball diamond.

While watching Zubin Mehta, whom Kernen called the “Babe Ruth of conductors,” wave his wand through Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the Cal State Northridge baseball coach couldn’t help but wonder about the discordant state of his own band.

“There’s a quarter of a million notes or whatever in a symphony and he did it all without sheet music,” Kernen said. “You should have seen it. All those instruments, working together.”

Minus the players Kernen says continue to march to the beat of their own drum, the Matadors nonetheless managed to knock off Pepperdine, 6-4, in a nonconference game at Eddie D. Field Stadium on Monday.

But if Northridge (18-16) loses any more players, Kernen may be soon be singing a capella. He can’t seem to find the same magic wand.

Second verse, different from the first. The coach posted a list on the clubhouse wall at Northridge of players who were making the bus trip to Malibu. Seven players--including starters Keyaan Cook, Tyler Nelson, Josh Smaler and Kevin Howard--weren’t listed and were left behind.

Kernen said the seven have not been suspended or removed from the team, but remain in a “limbo” that started Wednesday against Cal Lutheran when the coach refused to allow the team to play in uniform and benched several starters. Kernen said the team routinely has not played with requisite fire and that the exiled seven refuse to be coached.

As a result, only 12 players dressed against Pepperdine and Kernen said he doesn’t expect the number to grow for tonight’s game at Cal State Long Beach. First baseman Jason Shanahan and shortstop Chad Thornhill, benched last week, were reinserted into the lineup.

“Assume whoever wasn’t in uniform has some kind of problem,” Kernen said. “I had a few days to think about things, I had a lot of questions on my mind. There was no evidence from the entire team standpoint that anything changed dramatically (from last week).”

The banished seven attended the game and watched from the stands in street clothes. The mood was subdued, both in the stands and the dugout. The seven remain a little mystified about what kind of commitment Kernen is seeking.

“He has it in his mind who’s gonna play and it doesn’t matter what you think,” said sophomore pitcher Evan Howland, one of those sidelined. “I went to practice all week. I want to be out there.

“We’ve got to figure out what the magic solution is.”

However, Howland admitted there has been no consistency in the team effort.

“He’s right about that,” Howland said. “It’s different every single day. But we all want to go out and play.”

Said Kernen: “I’m laying the groundwork for future teams and validating the effort of past teams. I can write certain guys off. The conclusion I reached is that some guys won’t be coached.”

Despite the patchwork lineup, the Matadors (18-16) managed to hold off Pepperdine (19-14), which had won 10 of 13. The Waves committed five errors, including three by shortstop Erik Martinez and another by third baseman Jason Cohen, both transfers from Pierce College.

“It was like watching us play,” Kernen said.

After Brian Vasey singled home two runs in the first, Northridge didn’t score another earned run. Aaron D’Aoust (6-1) allowed two runs in five innings of relief to pick up the victory.

If Kernen’s intent is to motivate, he has done exactly that. And not just with the benched players.

“It doesn’t let you get comfortable,” said second baseman Joey Arnold, who had two hits. “The minute you get comfortable, you could be outta here.”