Northridge Coaches Pick Up Pieces

Can college athletic programs be turned off and on like a light switch?

Cal State Northridge is about to find out.

Four men’s sports--baseball, volleyball, soccer and swimming--were snuffed out in June only to be brought back Monday when a $586,000 loan to the athletic department was approved by the Northridge Corporation.

One catch: The lights go out again next year.

After a day of rubbing their eyes to get reaccustomed to the glare, coaches see hope and despair in their situations.

They are pleased by the efforts of state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), who added to the state budget the $586,000 bailout that will pay back the loan.

They are disappointed the Northridge administrators who made the cuts to meet gender-equity and budget requirements give no indication the sports will be permanently reinstated, although a task force mandated by Wright’s legislation will explore the question.

They are pleased to have rosters of eager athletes resilient enough to represent a university indifferent to their existence.

They are disappointed that many quality recruits and returning athletes slipped away during the two months of uncertainty.

BASEBALL

Winning came easy to Mike Batesole, 33, his first two seasons as Northridge baseball coach. The Matadors were 94-38-1.

But like a truck pulling in front of a jogger, the decision to cut baseball disrupted Batesole’s running start.

While the program was at a standstill, all but four players found new teams and assistant coach Tim Montez found a new job.

Regaining a winning stride will be next to impossible.

“This program was never solely about wins and losses, but now it’s even less so,” Batesole said. “This season will be about teaching things to kids that they can take into the real world. Success or failure can’t be measured by our won-loss record.”

Translation: His 100th victory might take a while.

Twenty-one players have made commitments, mostly transfers from Division I and junior colleges who had no alternative but to give Northridge a shot for one year.

Four players are returning from last season’s squad that posted a 42-20-1 record as an independent.

Catcher Jeremy Sickles, first baseman Adrian Mendoza and third baseman Chris MacMillan were starters, and infielder Mike McNeely was a reserve.

Among the 16 recruits, only infielder Eric Horvat of Hart High and pitcher Brad Foss of East Los Angeles College were pursued by Batesole before the program was cut.

Transfers with strong credentials include Darren Dyt, a senior outfielder who batted .325 at Fresno State; Nakia Hill, a junior infielder who batted .357 with seven home runs at Cal State Fullerton; and Gabe Zappin, a senior pitcher who was 3-2 with four saves at Nevada.

One rival coach told Batesole a 12-run mercy rule that will go into effect next season ought to be called the Northridge rule. Another said that 10 victories ought to get Batesole coach of the year honors.

One look at the photo on his office wall of the Northridge team that won the 1996 Western Athletic Conference championship and Batesole’s mood brightens, however.

“None of those guys was heavily recruited by top schools, not Adam Kennedy, Eric Gillespie, Robert Fick or Robert Crabtree,” he said. “They all came here as nobodies and now they are playing pro ball. Maybe that can happen again.”

VOLLEYBALL

The most significant loss is Coach John Price, who bolted for Cal State Bakersfield after 12 seasons because he was fed up with the situation at Northridge.

His replacement, Jeff Campbell, takes the same high-energy approach, however. Campbell, a former Northridge player and an assistant under Price the past seven years, believes Northridge can maintain its status as one of the nation’s top programs.

“I’m pretty excited that we’ll play for another year,” Campbell said. “It’ll be my team finally and I like the idea of having an opportunity to prove myself as head coach.”

He should have a strong roster. Three of the four returning starters, including All-American outside hitter Chad Strickland, planned to play on a club team had the program remained inactive.

Strickland and middle blockers Sean Callahan and David Money will form the nucleus of a team that will try to improve on last season’s 14-13 record.

“It looks like we have a bunch of our guys,” Campbell said. “We haven’t lost many.”

SOCCER

The day Northridge folded its hand, Marwan Ass’ad called in his markers.

The indomitable coach of 15 seasons raised the money to keep the program afloat for another year. The clincher was a $5,000 donation from longtime club coach Norm McDonald.

Ass’ad planned to use the final season to showcase his players so they could gain scholarships to other schools.

Now with the addition of funding from the athletic department, the plan has changed.

“We want to win,” he said. “For the players it’s a big, big statement here. We are not going to relax. We need to win as many games as possible.

“My personal goal is to outdraw football. It is realistic if we get over 2,000 fans a game.”

Because of the donations, Ass’ad’s budget will exceed the bare-bones level of recent years.

“We will travel better, instead of vans, maybe we get a bus,” he said. “The players get two pairs of shoes instead of one. We will have better balls for practice. Hopefully we can hire a goalkeeper coach.”

Ass’ad is optimistic his program can remain alive beyond next season. After what he’s accomplished, who is to doubt him?

“Technically we have no team after this year, but it’s a public university and we are in America,” he said. “We aren’t going to die or be imprisoned to say somebody’s wrong. When people unite, it’s amazing what can be done.”

SWIMMING

Maybe they’ve spent too much time submerged, but a dozen incoming freshmen are excited enough about swimming for Northridge they are ready for a 100-cannonball salute.

“The morale is terrific,” said Barry Schreifels, the Matador coach of five years. “They are amped. They are going to be college freshmen and even though they are going to represent a college that doesn’t even want them, they are excited. That makes me excited.”

The swim team raised enough private funds to keep the program going for one year on a shoestring.

“Our budget is a minuscule amount and any little bit helps us a lot,” Schreifels said.

Swimming was cut primarily to reduce the number of men on athletic scholarships to help meet gender-equity standards. Schreifels, also the women’s coach, believes the school should add a women’s water polo team to keep the men’s swim team afloat.

“With 15 men swimmers, 25 women swimmers and 15 women water polo players, we’d be doing our part with gender equity,” he said.

“I hope to have the chance to put those numbers in the pool.”

Correspondent Mike Bresnahan contributed to this story.