Leaders Oxnard, Glendale Meet in WSC Main Event

Just when you thought it was safe to come out and play, the Western State Conference divisional races are heating up.

Today’s main attraction comes courtesy of Oxnard and Glendale colleges.

Oxnard leads the Northern Division with a 9-2 record, one game ahead of second-place Cuesta. The Condors (15-8) took two from Cuesta last week.

Glendale is on top in the Southern Division at 9-2, two games ahead of Pierce and Citrus.

The Vaqueros (18-3) defeated Citrus twice last week and put the final touches on Cuesta’s winless week by defeating the Cougars, 8-7, on Saturday.

In interdivisional games today at 2, Glendale hosts Oxnard at 2 at Stengel Field and Pierce (15-9, 7-4) hosts Cuesta (16-6, 8-3).

“It’s so [like] baseball,” Pierce Coach Bob Lofrano said. “Last year, at one point we lost four in a row in one week because of a make-up [game] and still won the [division].

“The coaches got to make sure they are not using sharp razor blades to shave.”

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Much of Pierce’s success is linked to its pitching, with converted reliever Brian Jacobsen emerging as a force.

Jacobsen, a 6-foot-2 redshirt freshman from Agoura High, has retired 23 consecutive batters and 29 of the last 30. His earned-run average in conference play is 1.38 in 13 innings.

The last batter to reach base against the right-hander was a Bakersfield player on a bunt single on March 13.

“He came here as a third baseman,” Lofrano said. “He’s been pitching basically since December.”

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Slap shot. Penalty minutes. Icing. High sticking.

Folks at Canyons soon will be hearing those terms with frequency.

The school has approved an ice hockey club team that will compete in the Pacific Coast Hockey Assn. starting in September.

“We are having tryouts over the summer,” said Jim Schrage, director of facilities at Canyons and the team’s advisor. “We are getting a lot of response from high school seniors.”

Schrage said the team will compete against club teams from four-year schools, including Cal State Northridge, Cal State Sacramento, UC Davis and San Diego State.

The team is looking for a home rink and a coach, although Schrage said “there are a couple of guys in mind [for coach].”

“We hope to have some exhibition [games] during the summer,” Schrage said.