SIDELINES : Temblor Cuts Van Burkleo’s Lines of Communication to Kobe

Like those of many, Ty Van Burkleo’s questions remain unanswered.

Van Burkleo played in the Japanese major leagues for two teams from 1987-91 and spent plenty of time in earthquake-ravaged Kobe, home of the Orix Blue Wave.

Van Burkleo, a former Chatsworth High standout who played briefly last season with the Colorado Rockies, said he has attempted to telephone friends who live in the Kobe area--where thousands have been killed or injured--but hasn’t been able to get through.

Quakes are a daily part of life in Japan.

“Every day, there are 1,000 earthquakes and you probably feel at least one or two of them,” Van Burkleo said. “Kobe was such a beautiful city. It’s a tragedy. People there always thought the big one would hit Tokyo.”

Van Burkleo said one of his old coaches and friends, Hank Wada, resides in Kobe. Wada was instrumental in Van Burkleo’s decision to sign with a Japanese team. Van Burkleo this week was able to reach a league official who said he hadn’t yet heard from Wada, which Van Burkleo interpreted as a positive sign.

“There hasn’t been anything in the papers about Wada being injured or anything,” Van Burkleo said. “With the way they cover baseball over there, that probably means he’s OK.”

A good call: The Cal State Northridge baseball team’s home game against UC Riverside on Jan. 29, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., has been moved back to noon.

The reason? Attendance would have been sparse, at best. Super Bowl XXIX begins at 3:18 p.m.

Stats

It has never happened before but this could be the year.

With the Ventura College men’s basketball team ranked No. 1 in the state and the women’s team ranked No. 2, this could be the first time the same school wins state championships in both divisions in the same season.

The teams have lost one game between them. The men’s squad is 23-0 and the women are 17-1.

Honors

Simi Valley High’s Tawnee Cooper has been named the state athlete of the week by Cal-Hi Sports.

Cooper, a junior forward who transferred from Royal last spring, scored 40 points against her former teammates last week. Two days later, she scored 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the Pioneers’ 61-46 victory over Channel Islands.

Cooper led Ventura County in scoring last year and shows no signs of relinquishing that title. Against Westlake on Tuesday, Cooper scored 35 and had 12 rebounds and is averaging 26.9 points in tough Marmonte League play.

Quotebook

Cal State Northridge softball Coach Janet Sherman will comment on just about anything--except natural disasters. “Ask me anything as long as it’s not about the earthquake thing,” she said.

Things to Do

The Alemany boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will play a doubleheader at the Sports Arena today beginning at 2 p.m. The boys’ team will meet Loyola in the first game, and the girls’ team will play Bishop Montgomery at 3:30.

Compiled by Irene Garcia. Contributing: Dave Desmond, Fernando Dominguez, Steve Elling, Michael Lazarus and Paige A. Leech.