Long Beach State Has Wright Stuff

Outfielder Chris Wright of Hart High signed a national letter of intent with Long Beach State on Wednesday, ending a two-month search for his college choice.

Wright, who hit .516 with 32 runs batted in, visited California, Georgia Tech, Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State and Pepperdine.

Second baseman Chris Martinez of Chaminade signed with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

In swimming, Nicole Beck of Buena signed with UCLA. Beck won Southern Section Division I titles in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly as a freshman in 1995. Her time of 55.26 in the 100 backstroke set a section record that still stands. Beck finished third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 100 butterfly in section finals last season.

Mailbag: Cal State Northridge received a signed letter of intent from Dan Read, a 6-foot-10, 210-pound center from North Eugene (Ore.) High.

Read, who also considered Santa Clara and Southern Methodist, was a high school teammate of Matador freshman Carl Holmes, a nephew of Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell.

“In two or three years people are going to wonder where Dan came from,” Braswell said. “He is a skilled offensive player and shot blocker. He’s a real find, a steal.”

Northridge also will receive a letter of intent from Bradley Jackson of Inglewood High, rated by several magazines as one of the top point guards in the nation.

“I’m going to Fed Ex the letter [today],” Jackson said.

BOXING

Injury update: P.J. Goossen of North Hollywood, who was forced to withdraw from a fight Saturday in South Africa with legendary boxer Roberto Duran, was injured when his foot fell through a canvas-covered hole in a ring and was not injured while jogging, his mother said Wednesday.

“P.J. stepped in a hole in the ring,” Mona Goossen said. “He’s devastated. It’s their fault. They stuck him in a rinky-dink gym in a rinky-dink part of town.”

Goossen, 18-1 and former International Boxing Organization junior-middleweight champion, suffered a broken metacarpal bone and has been placed in a temporary cast. Goossen is expected to return to Southern California on Monday.

JURISPRUDENCE

Arson arrests: Two Moorpark High students were arrested on eight counts of arson and released to the custody of their parents Wednesday, eight days after a football equipment shed on the Moorpark campus was set ablaze.

The 17-year-old males are suspended from the school and could face charges on seven other fires set since April 30.

Neither student played on the Moorpark football team.

“My feeling is the whole package will be sent [from the county probation office] to the district attorney’s office, and after they receive the information . . . a court date will be set,” said Det. Joe Braga of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Dept.

About $10,000 in damage was done in the football shed fire, Moorpark vice principal Milan Woollard said.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Midnight madness: Crespi first-year basketball Coach Dick Dornan will show off his team at midnight madness Friday evening after the Celts’ football game against Alemany.

Dornan has put together competitions involving coaches vs. surfers, students vs. the Celt mascot and a $100 half-court shot. Activities begin at 10:30 p.m. The team will have an intrasquad scrimmage at 12:01 a.m.

Chaminade also will be holding a midnight madness.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Courtship: Flintridge Sacred Heart High has selected Carl Nakagawa to replace Susan Harrison as coach.

BASEBALL

Golden moment: J.D. Drew of Florida State won the Golden Spikes Award, but that did not diminish the ceremony at the Waldorf- Astoria Hotel in New York for former Cal State Northridge shortstop Adam Kennedy or Matador Coach Mike Batesole.

Kennedy, an All-American who led the nation in hits the past two seasons, was one of nine finalists for the award, the college baseball equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

The awards ceremony, held Tuesday night, included video highlight clips of each finalist. Each finalist was introduced and had an opportunity to speak.

New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York Yankee Manager Joe Torre were among the guests.

“It was the most first-class thing I’ve ever been to,” Batesole said. “Adam did a really good job when he spoke. The theme of the evening was how baseball has helped these people off the field.”