Gillespie in a Familiar Position

Former Cal State Northridge slugger Eric Gillespie languished on the bench during Lake Elsinore’s California League opener Thursday night, but he should be in the lineup soon. Gillespie hit 22 home runs as a first baseman in the lower Class-A Midwest League last season, but has been switched to third base, the position he played as a Northridge junior in 1996. Greg Morris, who started at third Thursday, is beginning his third season at Lake Elsinore and at 26 is not considered a prospect. Morris bats right-handed, making it possible he will platoon with the left-handed hitting Gillespie. Gillespie, 22, also worked out at catcher during spring training--the position he played as a Northridge freshman--but Lake Elsinore’s catcher Jason Dewey, 20, is highly regarded after batting .324 at short-season Class-A Boise last season.

JETHAWKS

Karl Thompson scored on an error by Pete Paciorek in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Lancaster a 1-0 victory over Rancho Cucamonga Friday at the Hangar.

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Catcher Karl Thompson was a college teammate of Brian Carmody, the starting pitcher for Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night, at Santa Clara. . . . JetHawk left-hander Jordan Zimmerman, the Seattle Mariners’ No. 7-rated prospect by Baseball America, will miss his first scheduled start because of shoulder tendinitis. Zimmerman was scheduled to pitch Monday night but will miss at least a week.

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Today’s game: Lancaster (Patrick Dunham) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Stevenson Agosto), 7:11 p.m. Radio: KHJJ 1380-AM and KUTY 1470 AM.