Cypress Baseball Team Quickly Back in Swing

Cypress and Rancho Santiago, which met for the State baseball title in June, play in an Orange Empire Conference game at 2 p.m. today at Cypress.

It marks the first meeting since Cypress swept a doubleheader from the Dons to win the State title. Rancho Santiago won it in 1993.

Cypress, led by mostly sophomores last season, didn’t expect to contend right away this season, but the Chargers are 16-2-1, 3-0 in conference.

“We had no idea we would be playing this well,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “We keep getting some pretty good kids that have good work ethics. That, and my assistant coaches, really makes the difference.

“You have the tendency to get fat and sassy after winning it all, but if you relax for too long, you will get your (butt) kicked in this conference.”

Rancho Santiago, is off to a 14-4, 2-2 start. The Dons seem a sure bet to contend for the conference title every season. Rancho Santiago, under Coach Don Sneddon, has won five of the last seven conference titles.

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Men’s basketball: For the second consecutive season the question is: How will the State tournament--at the Bren Center--draw without the benefit of an Orange County team?

Those fretting really shouldn’t worry considering Ventura and Riverside, which have the best followings in Southern California, are in the tournament.

So is Cerritos, which is about as close as a college can be to Orange County without being in it.

Still not convinced? How about this: The crowd for the semifinal game between Riverside and Ventura last year was larger than for any game in 1990 and 1991, when Rancho Santiago won back-to-back State titles at the Bren Center. The crowd for the title game, won by Long Beach over Ventura, was even bigger than the semifinal games last year.

In Thursday’s quarterfinal-round games: Sequoias (26-7) plays Los Angeles City (33-1) at 2 p.m.; Hartnell (29-3) goes against Cerritos (31-1) at 4 p.m.; West Valley (30-2) meets Riverside (31-4) at 6 p.m. and Fresno (26-10) battles Ventura (34-1) at 8 p.m.

The semifinals are at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, and the title game is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The State All-Star game is at 5 p.m. Saturday.

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Softball: The Golden West Invitational, which features several top teams from Southern California and Arizona, starts Friday. Games will be played at Westminster Buckingham Park and at Golden West.

In the first round at Golden West: Palomar, the preseason top-ranked team in the state, plays Mt. San Antonio and Rancho Santiago meets West Valley in noon games. At 2 p.m., Golden West meets El Camino and Antelope Valley takes on Hancock.

At Buckingham Park, Central Arizona plays Chaffey and Orange Coast takes on Pasadena at 11 a.m.

In 1 p.m. games, Fullerton battles San Diego Mesa and Long Beach, the No. 2 team in the state, plays Arizona Western.

Arizona Western and Central Arizona have combined to win nine of last 12 National Junior College Athletic Assn. titles.

The tournament continues Friday and Saturday and the title game is at 2 p.m. Sunday at Golden West.

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Women’s swimming: Orange Coast, which has won 10 of the last 11 State titles, began the 1995 Orange Empire Conference dual-meet season in strong fashion.

The Pirates beat Grossmont, 178.5-113.5, Friday, the 94th consecutive dual-meet victory for the Pirates under Coach Don Watson. The streak dates to February, 1982.

Chantal Dreis, a freshman from Laguna Hills High, won the 200-yard freestyle, and the 100 and 200 medley races for the Pirates.

Watson says the Pirates’ streak could be in jeopardy March 15, when the Pirates play host to Palomar in a conference meet.

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Men’s volleyball: Orange Coast, the defending State champion, suffered a loss more serious than Friday’s match at Palomar. The Pirates also lost outside hitter Jason Crone who suffered a calf injury.

Crone, who is out indefinitely, was an All-Orange Empire Conference pick last season. He also was an all-State tournament selection.

Orange Coast (5-2, 2-2) plays host to first-place Golden West (6-0, 4-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

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Hole in one: Rick Redding of Orange Coast recorded a hole-in-one in a match last Wednesday at the Los Lagos course in Costa Mesa.

Redding, using a five-iron, aced the 178-yard, No. 4 hole. Redding finished five-over 77. Teammate Chris Ny was the medalist with 71.

Notes

John Pugh, a defensive lineman at Orange Coast, has signed to play at Tennessee Martin. Pugh, from Trabuco Hills High, missed part of the season because of a knee injury. . . . Stephanie Werdel, who made a Cypress single-season record 53 three-pointers last season, has signed with Southern California College. Werdel, from Garden Grove High, averaged nine points, five rebounds and two assists.