Decision Time at Long Beach

Long Beach State is expected to select a new men’s basketball coach by Friday and it will be either Larry Reynolds or Mike Dunlap, each a coach of a highly successful Division II program.

A source said a news conference will take place Friday morning. Long Beach sports information director Steve Janisch said that information is incorrect.

“The search committee has not made its recommendation to [Athletic Director] Bill Shumard,” Janisch said. “No offer is going to be made before then.”

Reynolds, who is 110-35 in five seasons at Cal State San Bernardino, interviewed with Shumard on Saturday and Dunlap interviewed Tuesday and Wednesday for the position vacated by Wayne Morgan, who resigned in March after six seasons. Dunlap led Metro State (Colo.) to the Division II title last week.

Reynolds, 48, led San Bernardino to a 28-2 record this season and a berth in the Elite Eight tournament. He also interviewed at Boise State on Monday but said he withdrew his name Wednesday morning. Boise State hired Oregon assistant Greg Graham later in the day.

“Long Beach State is a very attractive position and the timing of the Boise State position was a little conflicting,” Reynolds said. “They wanted to move a little quickly. I owed it to myself to wait a little.”

Shumard has said he would like to hire a coach by the end of this week or next week after the Final Four.

“I felt my interview went well,” said Reynolds, who said he will attend the Final Four in Atlanta. “I think Long Beach State offers the ingredients necessary to be successful in [the Big West] conference.”

Dunlap, 44, has also come up in consideration for openings at Fresno State and New Mexico. His Metro State team defeated San Bernardino, 65-48, in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Dunlap, a former USC assistant who is 138-28 with two national titles in five seasons at Metro State, was to return to Denver on Wednesday night and was unavailable for comment. Metro State Athletic Director Joan McDermott said she has anticipated losing Dunlap since he turned down the Loyola Marymount job two years ago.

“His dream has always been to be a Division I coach,” McDermott said. “I’ve always encouraged him to look at those opportunities. I know that he’s very intrigued with Long Beach.”

Utah assistant Dick Hunsaker had also expressed interest but was not interviewed.

Forgive Blythe Hartley if she feels a little rundown. The last six days have been a whirlwind for the USC freshman diver.

Hartley became the first woman in NCAA history to win titles in the one-meter springboard and platform events in the same championships. She performed the feats last Thursday and Saturday at the Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin, Texas.

Hartley wasn’t home long. She was honored Tuesday night at the Canadian Sport Awards in Toronto. She was one of three finalists for junior female athlete of the year.

“It’s been really busy,” Hartley, a Vancouver native, said Monday before leaving.

Hartley was nominated for her winning effort at the 2001 World Diving Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The 19-year-old won the one-meter springboard in what she called “a big shock.”

Hartley won her first senior national title at 14. She competed for Canada in the Sydney Olympics, finishing third in the three-meter synchro event and 10th in the three-meter springboard.

Hartley’s transition to collegiate diving is a work in progress. She has had to deal with a more condensed scheduled, competing in meets almost weekly.

“I’m really happy and excited because it’s been such an adjustment this year and the fact that I can make that adjustment and be successful is a good thing,” Hartley said.

In a nonconference weekend series that didn’t affect the Big West Conference standings, Cal State Fullerton swept Long Beach State in a three-game series at Fullerton’s Goodwin Field. Fullerton (16-9), which moved up a spot to No. 14 in the Baseball America poll, shut out the 18th-ranked 49ers (15-9) for the first time in 15 years as pitcher Wes Littleton earned a 6-0 victory Friday. Shane Costa’s two-run single helped the Titans come back for a 7-6 victory Saturday. On Sunday, they dealt Long Beach starter Abe Alvarez his first loss in seven decisions, 8-7.

Playing for the first time this season on its home field didn’t help USC as the Trojans dropped all three games to top-ranked Stanford. The Trojans (12-13) either played on the road or at Dodger Stadium while Dedeaux Field was undergoing a $4-million renovation.... Bill Murphy struck out 14 Oregon State batters and pitched a complete game to give Cal State Northridge a 4-3 victory Friday. The Matadors (18-9) took two of three in Corvallis.... UC Riverside (15-11) is playing in the Hawaii tournament this week.... UC Irvine (17-13) opens Big West play Friday with a three-game weekend series at Pacific.... Cory Brightwell had a career-high four hits and five runs batted in in Pepperdine’s 11-9 victory Sunday at St. Mary’s. The Waves are 12-16.... Irvine freshman Walailak Satarak shot a final-round 72 Sunday to win the 36-hole Mountain View Collegiate tournament at Tucson. Satarak won by two strokes.