COLLEGE NOTEBOOK

The Northridge baseball team finishes the regular season this weekend with a three-game nonconference series against visiting UC Riverside that could decide the Matadors’ postseason fate.

Northridge (31-22, 9-9 in the Big West Conference) can finish no higher than fourth in the Big West, but a variety of factors could result in the Matadors earning a bid in the 64-team NCAA Division I regionals May 25-27.

The Matadors are ranked 23rd in the Division I Iterative Strength Ratings, a measure of a team’s strength that takes into account its winning percentage and difficulty of schedule, and have a 25-13 combined record against teams from the Big West (including nonconference games), Pacific-10, Atlantic 10, Big Ten and Conference USA conferences.

The Division I baseball committee selected four teams from the Big West in 1996. Northridge Coach Mike Batesole is optimistic the committee will do the same this season.

“Getting four [from the Big West] is not unheard of,” Batesole said. “The biggest thing is what we do this weekend. If we win two of three, they’re going to have to give us a hard look.”