CSUN-Cal Poly SLO: Bonanza for Hitters, Bust for Pitchers

In the top of the first inning of the first game of a six-game baseball series between Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last weekend, Cal Poly was retired in order.

There was precious little order thereafter.

In 41 complete innings, the teams went 1-2-3 only 11 times--and never in the same inning.

There were 149 runs--97 by Northridge, 52 by Cal Poly.

There were 29 home runs--20 by Northridge.

Northridge’s team batting average went from .297 to .315.

Northridge’s team earned-run average went from 5.76 to 6.11.

The big individual winners were Jason Shanahan, who had 14 hits in 25 at-bats, raising his average from .297 to .333, and Jonathan Campbell, who had eight hits in 14 at-bats, raising his average from .301 to .336.

Shanahan, who had six home runs and 30 runs batted in in 155 previous at-bats, slugged seven homers and drove in 20 runs in the series.

Campbell, who had five home runs and 19 RBIs in 93 previous at-bats, hit five homers and drove in 14 runs.

Hit and be hit: There was a price tag attached to Campbell’s success last week as a hitter.

Sure, he hit the five homers, but he also got hit by a pitch five times.

The affected body parts: head, shoulder, wrist and back. His uniform also was nicked once.

“I can’t even remember all the places I got hit,” he said.

Told ya so: Turns out Palmdale High freshman Kadrina Coffee knew what she was talking about.

Coffee, the region leader in the 200 (25.2 seconds) and 400 (56.47) meters, had been telling Falcon Coach Steve Wilson that she wanted to try the triple jump.

A variety of circumstances had prevented that from happening until Saturday’s Kern Relays at Bakersfield College where Coffee bounded a school-record 37 feet 3 inches to win the event.

“I figured she could go 34 or 35 feet, but I never expected 37-3,” Wilson said.

From the other side: From his courtside chair, Turhan Douglas watched the Pierce College men’s volleyball team methodically demolish Santa Monica in three games last Friday night in a South Coast Conference match at Taft High.

“It feels kind of funny,” the Santa Monica assistant said afterward.

The result was expected. Pierce, which has one of the top teams in the state, already had swept Santa Monica earlier in the season.

And although Douglas was wishing for an upset, he wasn’t counting on one. After all, he knows firsthand just how good the Brahmas are.

In the fall, Douglas was coach of the Pierce women’s team.

An outstanding middle blocker at Pierce in 1988 and ‘89, Douglas took over the Brahma women’s program last season when Burt Fuller took a post as an assistant with the UCLA women’s team.

Dynamic duo: A friendly rivalry that started in 1979 in street stock competition at Saugus Speedway continued last weekend at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield.

On Saturday, Ron Hornaday Jr. won the NASCAR SuperTruck series, finishing 1.3 seconds ahead of Bill Sedgwick, who placed second.

On Sunday, Sedgwick took the checkered flag in the California 200, racing his stock car.

Sedgwick, a two-time Winston West champion, has won both Winston West races he has entered this season.

Quotebook

“If you can’t get ahold of me, you can’t get ahold of anyone.”

--Camarillo High softball Coach Darwin Tolzin, whose business card lists his phone numbers at home, work, school and in his car. It also has a fax number and an E-mail address.

Stats

In the Northridge-Cal Poly San Luis Obispo series, one busy pitcher’s ERA actually went down.

Juan Velazquez, a junior who played for Grant High and Valley College, appeared in four of the games for Northridge, allowing 12 hits in 8 1/3 innings.

His ERA went from 4.50 to a team-best 4.40 even though he allowed three home runs. Afterward Velazquez greeted a reporter by saying: “I want to say one thing--I hate this field.”

Entering this week’s series against rival Granada Hills High, seven regulars in the Kennedy baseball team’s lineup have a batting average of better than .308.

Crescenta Valley High pitcher Danielle Robertshaw has a record of 10-0 with eight shutouts. She also has eight one-hitters.

Things to Do

In a series that dates to 1962, Cal State Northridge will play host to fifth-ranked USC in a nonconference baseball game today at 2:30 at Matador Field. The teams split two games earlier this season. USC holds a 40-28-1 series edge.

Alemany High (19-1), ranked first by The Times among regional softball teams, will play Notre Dame (9-8) in a key Mission League game today at 2:45 at Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park. Alemany is in first place with a 4-0 record. Notre Dame is second at 3-1.

Compiled by Mike Hiserman. Contributing: Fernando Dominguez, Steve Elling, Jeff Fletcher, Vince Kowalick, Michael Lazarus, John Ortega, Bryan Rodgers.