Scary Start as Northridge Beats Washington State, 7-2

On opening day, Cal State Northridge displayed some impressive arms and bats in a 7-2 victory over Washington State, but the dangers of the use of aluminum bats in college baseball also took center stage during a frightening moment in the first inning Thursday.

Pitcher Tyson Thompson of Washington State was struck on the head by a line drive hit by Adam Nikolic. The ball ricocheted off Thompson’s right temple and opened a gash that required 12 stitches.

“I didn’t have much time to react,” said Thompson, who left the game but indicated he was fine afterward.

Nikolic, a sophomore outfielder from El Camino College making his Matador debut, was relieved Thompson wasn’t seriously injured.

“I saw the blood gushing out of his head and said, ‘Oh no,’ ” Nikolic said. “This is baseball and you never want to see a guy get hurt like that.”

Two years ago, pitcher Andrew Sanchez of Northridge was struck on the head by a line drive against USC and suffered a skull fracture.

Last season, the NCAA changed the bat differential between the length and weight, lessening the velocity of the ball coming off the aluminum bat. It doesn’t mean pitchers can suddenly feel safe, as Thompson learned.

Pitchers might start fearing Nikolic the way he was hitting the ball. Washington State’s next pitcher, Zach Fisher, was struck on the leg by Nikolic’s line drive. Nikolic finished with three of Northridge’s 11 hits.

Andy Davidson pitched six innings for the Matadors, allowing one run on nine hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

But the player who had more than two dozen professional scouts busy with their radar guns was Northridge closer Mike Frick. He struck out the side in the ninth inning with a fastball clocked at 90 mph.

If Northridge is going to challenge Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State in the Big West Conference this season, Frick must be given enough save opportunities. Coach Mike Batesole is taking a risk in putting the team’s best pitcher in the bullpen.

“I’m not going to have my best arm not getting used,” Batesole said.

Frick, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior right-hander from Buena High, was one of the top pitchers last summer in the Cape Cod League.

“It was unbelievable for my confidence, day in and day out pitching against hitters supposed to be among the best in the country,” he said.

Among Northridge’s newcomers, USC transfer Eric Verbryke contributed a two-run double and Oklahoma State transfer Robert Smith had a two-run double.

Shortstop J.T. Stotts, a three-year starter, threw out a runner at the plate on a relay throw and bare-handed a ground ball to throw out another runner.

“J.T. was fantastic on defense,” Batesole. “He can win games in a lot of ways.”