THE NATURAL

Jimmy Yates, a junior at West Torrance High, is having the kind of year most athletes dream about.

After earning All-Southern Section honors in football and soccer, Yates appears destined for more accolades this baseball season. He leads West in virtually every offensive category, and in the past three weeks has elevated his game to another level.

“He’s on fire,” Warrior assistant Mike Jenkins said.

Before Wednesday’s Pioneer League game against North Torrance, Yates had driven in 22 runs in seven games. He batted five for five with a two-run homer and four runs batted in Saturday to lead West to an 18-1 victory over Carson in the quarterfinals of the Redondo tournament. Tuesday, he was three for four with a home run and four RBIs in a 9-2 nonleague victory over Beverly Hills.

That performance left Yates with a .576 average (30 for 52), six home runs and 29 RBIs for the Warriors, who were 13-3 and 1-1 in league play before Wednesday.

“He’s helped us out a lot,” said Jenkins, alluding to the fact that Yates has picked up the slack for an injured Derek Nicholson, the team’s senior leader.

Nicholson, The Times’ 1993 South Bay Player of the Year, has been restricted to designated hitter in recent weeks because of a pulled calf muscle. The infielder sat out a game last week.

Yates, a good runner, normally plays center field but has also played third base and first base because of West’s lack of depth in the infield.

“He’s such a good athlete that we can move him around,” Jenkins said.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Yates had already demonstrated his versatility in other sports. Last football season, he played tight end and free safety, and was a kicker and punter. He was named to The Times’ South Bay All-Star team and the Southern Section Division IX team as a defensive back.

A forward in soccer, he was named to the Division II third team.

PIONEER STUNNER

It figured to be a routine victory. But when West opened Pioneer League play last week, perennial doormat Centennial came away with an 8-5 upset at home to break a seven-game Warrior winning streak.

“It was one of those games,” Jenkins said. “Everything went right for them, and nothing went right for us.”

Jenkins said West committed four errors, all of which led to Centennial runs. The Apaches scored only one earned run.

“I think our players were overconfident,” Jenkins said. “They figured we’d go over there and hammer them. We kind of went through the motions.”

West atoned for the loss with an 18-0 victory over Centennial in Friday’s rematch at West.

AWARD WINNERS

It was a big day for Inglewood High at The Times’ South Bay All-Star basketball breakfast Sunday at the Guest Quarters Hotel in Santa Monica.

Inglewood forward Paul Pierce was named boys’ player of the year and Sentinel Coach Pat Roy was coach of the year. The girls’ awards went to Peninsula guard Mimi McKinney and Banning Coach David DeLaby.

Pierce, a 6-foot-6 junior, led Inglewood (30-4) to the Southern Section Division II-AA title and the Division II regional final, averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds. He was named the state’s top junior by Cal-Hi Sports and is being heavily recruited by major colleges.

Roy coached the Sentinels to their most successful season since 1979-80, when they went 29-0 and won the national championship. In two seasons, the former Inglewood player has guided his alma mater to a 50-14 record, two Bay League titles and a Southern Section championship.

McKinney, a three-time South Bay all-star and two-time All-American, led Peninsula (25-5) to the Division I-AA final and the regional semifinals. The 5-9 senior averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds. She signed a letter of intent with Virginia last week.

DeLaby coached Banning (16-11) to the City Section 3-A Division title in his seventh season. The Pilot girls were successful despite a lack of senior leadership. Their top eight players were juniors, led by guard Jenille Ramos.

Coach John Olive of Loyola Marymount was the guest speaker and addressed the all-stars.

EXODUS

Peninsula Coach Wendell Yoshida has helped put Southern California girls’ basketball on the map by building one the nation’s top programs. But rarely have Southland colleges reaped the benefits of that talent.

Yoshida’s best players have almost always picked schools outside of Southern California, dating to his days as coach at Palos Verdes. McKinney didn’t even consider a local college. She chose Virginia over Arizona, Auburn and Washington.

“I don’t know why they don’t stay local,” said Yoshida, a three-time winner of the South Bay coach of the year award. “I think one of the main reasons is that (other areas) get bigger crowds for women’s basketball. Out here, it’s just another thing.”

McKinney is the fourth player coached by Yoshida who will attend Virginia. Six-foot-5 twins Heather and Heidi Burge, former Palos Verdes standouts, had successful careers for the Cavaliers, and 6-5 Jeffra Gausepohl, the center on Peninsula’s national championship team in 1991-92, was a sophomore reserve at Virginia last season.

Other Yoshida-coached players who left the area include Palos Verdes graduate Hillary Recknor, who played at Washington, and current Auburn players Monique Morehouse and Kristen Mulligan, both former Peninsula standouts.

“The local schools don’t seem to recruit that well,” Yoshida said. “More people from out of state are recruiting in California, and they do a heck of a job.”

GIRLS’ SIGNINGS

* Ieesha Donadelle, a 6-foot center for Torrance High, signed a letter of intent last week to play basketball at the University of Nevada in Reno.

* Irene Montes, a 1993 North Torrance graduate, has signed with Cal State Sacramento to play softball.

* Cal State Dominguez Hills has signed volleyball player Lee Sterling, a 5-10 setter from Redondo High, and soccer player Natalie Sur, a forward from El Camino College.

SHOWDOWN SERIES

First place in the South Coast Conference baseball race will be on the line when Harbor College plays Cerritos in games Saturday and Tuesday.

Harbor (23-11, 13-5 in conference play) dropped a game behind Cerritos (25-8, 14-4) with a 4-2 loss to Mt. San Antonio in 15 innings Tuesday. The league leaders meet at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cerritos and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Harbor.

Harbor resumes play at 2:30 p.m. today at Mt. San Antonio, which has handed the Sea Hawks three of their five conference defeats. Harbor tied Tuesday’s game in the bottom of the ninth inning when Josh Bendik tripled and scored on Mike Stembridge’s single.

Bendik, a sophomore from West Torrance High, has excelled as both a pitcher and outfielder. Entering the week, the left-hander was 3-0 with a 1.48 earned-run average and four saves, and was batting .442, including .487 in conference play.

CENTER STAGE

The Mira Costa High booster club and the South Bay Civic Light Opera have joined forces to raise money for the Mustang football program.

Tickets purchased from the booster club for the opening night of “My Fair Lady” May 13 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center will go to benefit all levels of Mira Costa football.

Members of the varsity team, which won the Southern Section Division VII title last fall, will be honored before the performance.

For an additional price, theater patrons can attend a pre-performance reception at the Arts Center and a post-performance party at the Radisson Hotel in Manhattan Beach. Tickets are priced at $45, $60 and $80.

Information: Sara Sellars (310) 545-8674.

THIS AND THAT

* Mira Costa High will hold its annual alumni vs. varsity baseball game at noon April 30 at the school. Information: Coach Jim Beaumont (310) 318-7335.

* The Torrance Volleyball Club will hold tryouts for boys in grades seven through 12 for the upcoming United States Volleyball Assn. season from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at North Torrance High. The fee is $5 a player. Information: Tim Ittner (310) 429-0905.

* The Torrance United Soccer Club will hold tryouts for its select teams May 10. Boys and girls between the age of 10 and 17 are eligible. Information: Boys under 11 (310) 214-4915; boys under 15 (310) 379-1703); all other teams (310) 533-1682.

* Sign-ups have begun for the Gardena/Carson YMCA indoor soccer league, eligible to boys and girls between the age of 5 and 17. Games begin April 30. Information: (310) 327-0750.