UC IRVINE NOTEBOOK / JOHN WEYLER : Baker’s Miglinieks Hoax Shows Only Thing Missing Is Good Judgment

Bob Hawking was in an elevator on his way to the parking garage adjacent to the Los Angeles Athletic Club when he found out it was all a “joke.”

Hawking, the Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball coach, was one of eight Southland coaches speaking at a banquet last week. He was still shaking his head over an announcement by UC Irvine Coach Rod Baker that Raimonds Miglinieks, the Anteaters’ senior point guard, was “missing” and hadn’t been seen for a week.

“That’s a huge blow to their program,” Hawking said. “He’s a great player.”

A dour-faced Baker had told more than 200 people packed into a ballroom, “I need to break some bad news about our program, our point guard, Raimonds Miglinieks, is missing and I don’t know where he is or when he’s coming back.”

It turned out he was kidding, but Hawking didn’t know that until a reporter told him after the luncheon.

“Geez, he sure got me,” said Hawking, hooking a finger under his lip like a fish on a line.

Then he asked, “Why did he do that?”

Why indeed.

It wasn’t April Fool’s Day and the only person who comes out of it looking foolish is Baker. He gave absolutely no indication that he wasn’t completely serious during his time at the microphone, so the club members and presumably all of the coaches left the luncheon speculating about the fate of Miglinieks, who was third in the nation in assists last year.

Had Miglinieks returned to his native Latvia? Was he in Hawaii on a vacation paid for by rogue player agent Robert Caron?

Odder still was Baker’s insistence on maintaining the ruse after the luncheon when writers approached him for more details.

When was the last time you saw him?

“Last week,” Baker said.

Had there been any indication of trouble at home?”

“No,” he said.

Had anyone been over to his apartment to see if it had been vacated?

“I don’t know,” he said.

Are you concerned about his welfare?

“I think he’ll be all right,” he said.

Then he hurried off, saying he had to get his parking ticket validated.

It was puzzling. You see, Rod Baker has never been described as madcap or zany.

Finally, Bob Olson, Irvine’s director of media relations, stepped into the group of reporters and sheepishly reported that Miglinieks was playing with the Latvian national team. But, he pointed out, Baker wasn’t really lying when he said he hadn’t seen him in a week and wasn’t sure exactly when he was returning.

Olson said Baker was merely pulling a few hundred legs.

But what’s a joke if you never deliver the punch line?

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Just win, baby: After learning about Baker’s comments, Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said he had only one thing to say: “If that was the appropriate time for joking, after Oct. 15 [the start of practice], it needs to be strictly business.”

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Just winning: The women’s soccer team moved from No. 15 to No. 14 in the Soccer America national rankings after beating 10th-ranked Hartford, 1-0, Sunday in the Hyatt Invitational at Anteater Stadium. The Anteaters are 10-0-2 in Director of Soccer/Women’s Coach Marine Cano’s second year and one of four undefeated teams in the country.

Cano brought in nine new players this season--his first recruiting year--and the impact is obvious. Eighteen of the 26 goals Irvine has scored have come off the foot or head of a first-year Anteater.

“Marine and I talked at great length over the off-season,” Guerrero said, “He really gives me a thorough understanding of what he’s trying to do and I feel that’s important. He looked at his needs, brought in these freshmen with the idea that they would compete for jobs immediately and they certainly have performed up to all our expectations to this point.

“I think the success of the women’s team is simply indicative of the results you can achieve when you bring in a quality coach who brings in quality student-athletes. Everything can fall into place.”

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Winning friends: Guerrero says Cano’s success extends beyond won-loss records.

“Marine’s doing everything we thought he would do, off the field as well as on,” Guerrero said. “Getting into the national rankings is a big step for us, but also important are the tremendous strides both Marine and [men’s soccer Coach] George Knutz have made in bringing the soccer community closer to the campus.

“We have the premier club-soccer league with the best youth teams in the area playing here every weekend. And when you come to our home games, you’ll see a lot of youth teams in attendance. That’s fabulous for the future of our programs.”

Anteater Notes

Cross-country/track Coach Vince O’Boyle is talking to the University of Colorado about its vacant cross-country/track coaching position. O’Boyle, who has been named Big West Coach of the Year 16 times (nine women’s, seven men’s), is asked to apply for coaching jobs every year, but this one is especially enticing. Colorado’s men’s and women’s teams are each ranked No. 2 in the country. Is it also a better financial situation? “Forget the salary,” O’Boyle said, “there are 16 scholarships for the women and 12 for the men.” O’Boyle divides three scholarships among his women’s team. The men’s team has none. But O’Boyle feels a strong commitment to remain. “I’ve been here at Irvine for 14 years and Southern California has been my home for a long time,” he said. . . . The water polo team, 9-4, 3-0 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, has moved up to No. 4 in the national rankings despite the fact they will be playing their 14th consecutive road game Sunday at USC. A home game is on the horizon, however. Irvine plays host to Long Beach State Oct. 25 at Heritage Park.

Junior goalkeeper Stephanie Boes, from Dana Hills High, recorded her fifth career shutout Sunday against Hartford. Boes, Irvine’s career shutout leader with 18, is the third-ranked goalie in the West Region with a 0.63 goals-against average. . . . Darren Lax, an assistant coach at Tustin High last season, has been named an assistant men’s basketball coach. Lax, a graduate of Concordia University in Irvine, will replace George Wunder, who accepted a similar position at San Francisco State.