Northridge Preparing to Hit One Out of Park

The season’s first pitch is two days away, but it can’t come too soon for Coach Mike Batesole and Cal State Northridge.

Northridge, its baseball program in shambles 3 1/2 years ago, is back on its feet and eager to step to the plate for a nonconference opener against Washington State on Thursday at Matador Field.

For Batesole, 36, who has labored to rebuild the program after it was cut briefly in 1997, this season marks a transition, as well as a moment of truth.

After four seasons as an independent, Northridge joins the Big West Conference, an affiliation that all but reestablishes Northridge among Southern California’s top programs while giving the Matadors a chance to win a conference title and a berth in an NCAA regional in May.

And, after four years of playing catch-up in recruiting, Batesole finally is confident of the talent he has stockpiled.

“I am more excited for a season to start this year than I have ever been as coach or a player,” Batesole said. “I’m excited to see if the punches we’ve taken over the last few years are going to be worth it.”

Northridge has taken its lumps, finishing 23-33 last season and 27-29 in 1999. The performance was hardly unexpected, given that Batesole was forced to field a roster filled primarily with underclassmen.

The program suffered immensely in 1997, when Northridge administrators made an ill-advised decision to cut baseball along with three other men’s sports. Public outcry led to the program’s reinstatement two months later.

But the damage had been done. Players transferred and recruits lost interest.

“We were left with nothing,” Batesole said. “It was hard to get up some days because there was no light at the end of the tunnel.”

Last season, with only five seniors on the roster, the Matador lineup routinely was as green as the outfield grass.

Batesole used the experience to shuffle his lineup, providing inexperienced players with plate appearances in crucial situations and throwing pitchers into the fire against formidable lineups.

Batesole is counting on the growing pains to translate into success. “We got old fast, and that was the plan,” he said.

No longer a wayward independent, Northridge will compete for a title in the seven-team Big West, which includes Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, University of the Pacific and Cal State Sacramento. An 18-game conference schedule pits each team against each other for one three-game series.

UC Irvine and UC Riverside are scheduled to join the Big West baseball mix in 2002.

Moreover, Northridge will have the relief of playing most of its games close to home. After playing only 23 home games last season, the Matadors will play 35 this year and will fly for only one road trip when they play at Texas Tech on Feb. 9-11.

“This has been a long fight, a hard fight,” Batesole said. “It’s been painful to get slammed day after day. It’s been very tough to get kids to buy into this long-range plan. But that’s why we did this. The plan was, recruit freshmen and play them, recruit freshmen and play them. Then this year, recruit older guys.”

Northridge’s recruiting class is ranked No. 15 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. Northridge’s class was ranked No. 21 last season.

Talented newcomers include left-hander Craig Mosher, who had 13 starts at Florida last season, outfielder Eric Verbryke from USC and third baseman Robert Smith from Oklahoma State.

Smith and Verbryke played sparingly last season, but are good hitters expected to make immediate impacts. So is catcher Eric Ballew, formerly of Hart High, who belted 19 home runs last season at College of the Canyons.

“Getting a lot of the older guys has helped us mature,” said Smith, projected to bat third. “A lot of the guys have come a long way since fall ball. You can see it.”

The influx will create competition, especially in the batting order, Batesole said.

Tim Arroyo, who led Northridge with 46 hits and 33 runs batted in last season, likely will move from fourth to seventh in the order. Jason Gorman, who batted third, probably will move to eighth.

Shortstop J.T. Stotts, a junior and two-year starter, will return as leadoff batter. Stotts led Northridge with 30 walks and 14 stolen bases.

“In the three years I’ve been here, this is the best team we’ve had, easily,” Stotts said. “I went through two years of losing and it’s no fun. I know the guys feel that and we don’t want to go through that again. There are no excuses now.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE ROSTER

*--*

No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. B/T Last school 7 Jason Allec C 6-2 So. R/R Highland High 9 Phillip Archer INF 6-1 Jr. R/R Golden West JC 18 Tim Arroyo INF 6-1 Jr. L/L Kennedy HS 15 Eric Ballew C 6-1 Jr. R/R Canyons JC 47 John Bierly P 6-3 Fr. R/R Ventura HS 46 Tim Coltey OF 6-0 So. L/L L.B. Millikan HS 28 Andy Davidson P 6-1 JR. L/L Hart HS 39 Merrill Dunn P 6-3 Jr. R/R North Hollywood HS 27 Alberto Flores P 5-11 Sr. R/R Valley JC 45 Justin Fortugno P 5-11 Fr. R/R Fountain Valley HS 36 Mike Frick P 6-3 Jr. R/R Buena HS 12 Jason Gorman INF 6-0 Jr. R/R Palmdale HS 21 Bobby Graves P 5-9 Sr. L/L Hart HS 26 Ryan Haag INF 5-9 Fr. L/R Hart HS 12 Jeremy Hanson OF 6-3 Jr. R/R Golden West JC 38 Kameron Loe P 6-7 So. R/R Granada Hills HS 20 Ryan McDermott P 6-1 Sr. L/L Santa Ana JC 16 Aaron McKenzie INF 6-0 So. R/R Righetti HS 34 Craig Mosher P 6-1 Sr. R/L Univ. of Florida 43 Jose Munoz P 5-10 Jr. R/R Rio Hondo JC 14 Bill Murphy P 6-1 So. L/L Arlington HS 4 Adam Nikolic OF 5-9 So. L/L Mira Costa HS 26 Jesus Osuna INF 6-0 Sr. R/R L.A. City JC 5 Sam Sandoval INF 6-0 Fr. R/R St. Francis HS 41 Gabe Sandoval P 5-9 Sr. R/R San Jose JC 42 Greg Schwenn P 6-0 Fr. R/R Los Alamitos HS 11 Mike Serrata OF 6-0 Fr. L/L Hueneme HS 33 Robert Smith INF 6-2 Jr. R/R Oklahoma State 3 J.T. Stotts INF 5-11 Jr. R/R Hart HS 10 Eric Verbryke OF 6-2 So. L/L USC 25 John Voita C 6-0 Fr. R/R Granada Hills HS

*--*

Head Coach: Mike Batesole. Assistant Coaches: Grant Hohman, Bud Murray, Steve Rousey, Nate Rice.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE SCHEDULE

*--*

Date Opponent Time Jan. 25 Washington State 2 p.m. Jan. 26 Washington State 1 p.m. Jan. 27 Washington State 1 p.m. Jan. 28 Washington State Noon Jan. 30 at Loyola Marymount 2 p.m. Feb. 2 Oregon State 2:30 p.m. Feb. 3 Oregon State 1 p.m. Feb. 4 Oregon State 1 p.m. Feb. 5 Louisville 2:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Texas Tech 2 p.m. Feb. 10 at Texas Tech Noon Feb. 11 at Texas Tech 11 a.m. Feb. 17 Cal State Dominguez Hills 11 a.m. Feb. 18 Cal State Dominguez Hills 11 a.m. Feb. 23 San Diego 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24 San Diego 1 p.m. Feb. 25 at San Diego 1 p.m. Feb. 27 Loyola Marymount 2:30 p.m. Mar. 2 Westmont 2:30 p.m. Mar. 8 Temple 2:30 p.m. Mar. 9 Temple 2:30 p.m. Mar. 10 at UC Riverside 1 p.m. Mar. 11 at UC Riverside 1 p.m. Mar. 13 at UCLA 3 p.m. Mar. 17 Purdue 1 p.m. Mar. 18 Cal Poly Pomona 1 p.m. Mar. 23 at Pacific 7 p.m. Mar. 24 at Pacific 1 p.m. Mar. 25 at Pacific 2:30 p.m. Mar. 26 UCLA 2:30 p.m. Mar. 30 CS Sacramento 2:30 p.m. Mar. 31 CS Sacramento 1 p.m. Apr. 1 CS Sacramento 1 p.m. Apr. 6 at Cal Poly SLO 5 p.m. Apr. 7 at Cal Poly SLO 5 p.m. Apr. 8 at Cal Poly SLO 1 p.m. Apr. 10 at Loyola Marymount 3 p.m. Apr. 12 UC Santa Barbara 3 p.m. Apr. 13 UC Santa Barbara 3 p.m. Apr. 14 UC Santa Barbara 1 p.m. Apr. 20 CS Fullerton 3 p.m. Apr. 21 CS Fullerton 1 p.m. Apr. 22 CS Fullerton 1 p.m. Apr. 27 at CS Long Beach 7 p.m. Apr. 28 at CS Long Beach 6 p.m. Apr. 29 at CS Long Beach 1 p.m. May 4 Pacific 3 p.m. May 5 Pacific 1 p.m. May 6 Pacific 1 p.m. May 8 Loyola Marymount 3 p.m. May 11 at CS Sacramento 2 p.m. May 12 at CS Sacramento 1 p.m. May 13 at CS Sacramento 1 p.m. May 18 UC Riverside 3 p.m. May 19 UC Riverside 1 p.m. May 20 UC Riverside 1 p.m. May 25-27 NCAA Regionals TBA June 1-3 NCAA Super Regionals TBA June 8-16 NCAA World Series TBA

*--*

All times local