Master’s Hosts Playoff Series

The Master’s College baseball team, which posted its third consecutive season with at least 30 victories, enters the NAIA Region II playoffs Friday as the top-seeded team.

The Mustangs (32-10) will host a best-of-three series beginning Friday. A doubleheader, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday.

Master’s will play the winner of a four-team playoff between Biola, Concordia, Azusa Pacific and Pt. Loma. The four teams play in a single-game elimination playoff this week.

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Cal Lutheran (26-12-2), champion of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, lost three of four games over the weekend in the UC San Diego tournament. The Kingsmen are idle until May 18, when they open the NCAA Division III West Regional at a site to be determined. Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday.

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Running back Marquis Brignac and defensive back Hassan Abdul-Malik have left Cal State Northridge and intend to play next season at Valley.

Brignac left Northridge “for personal reasons,” Coach Jeff Kearin said. Valley Coach Carl Ferrill said both players approached him expressing interest to play for the Monarchs.

“That’s what they’ve said to me, at least,” Ferrill said. “We won’t know who is playing for us until August.”

Brignac, a 1999 graduate of Taft High, was a redshirt last season. Abdul-Malik played one season for the Matadors and was a redshirt last season because of a hamstring injury.

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The season is winding down for the Northridge baseball team, which plays its final home game today at 3 against Cal State Fullerton. The Matadors (21-30) play a three-game series this weekend at Washington State, then finish the season May 16 at Fullerton.

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Pepperdine won its 20th West Coast Conference baseball game for the fourth consecutive season when sophomore Daniel Haren threw a six-hitter and junior Jared Pitney hit a two-run home run in a 3-1 victory over St. Mary’s on Sunday.

The Waves (33-20, 20-7 in WCC play) have clinched the WCC West Division title.

Haren (8-4) struck out five and walked one. Junior Dane Sardinha and freshman Duke Sardinha each had three hits.