Rugged Shockey Takes Off-the-Wall Approach : Division II World Series: CSUN center fielder, whose slashing style includes bouncing off fences, is punishing opposing pitchers.

By MIKE HISERMAN

May 31, 1990 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A cassette of Greg Shockey’s Greatest Hits would not necessarily be limited to the kind that have pinged off his bat and ponged off the wall.

It would need to include some of the times that he ponged off the wall.

Baseball, Shockey style, is a contact sport. When he hits, when he plays center field, even when he runs the bases for Cal State Northridge.

Once, with a single trip around the bases, Shockey left an indelible impression on Kevin Day and Steve Soliz of Cal State Los Angeles.

Day was playing first base earlier this spring when he met the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Shockey up close and personal.

While trying to flag an errant throw, Day became an errant body. When he stepped into the baseline, Shockey, without breaking stride, lowered his shoulder and sent him sprawling.

Soliz, a freshman from Oxnard, happened to be standing in front of home plate when Shockey decided his only chance of scoring was to disengage all of Soliz’s catcher’s equipment--including his glove, with the ball inside.

Is Shockey intense? His teammates say the word understates the point.

Having seen Shockey plant two of his players in brickdust, Cal State L.A. Coach John Herbold relayed his sentiments via a postseason vote. In balloting for California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Player of the Year, Herbold backed Shockey.

It was no small compliment, since Shockey had only two hits in nine at-bats against Cal State L.A. and missed three regular-season-ending games against the Golden Eagles because of an injury.

He sustained the injury by crashing into a wall, of course.

In a game at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on May 5, Shockey slid into the wall while pursuing a line drive.

Northridge trailed by 10 runs at the time.

“He’s been hurt a few times this season and it usually happens in practice,” Northridge Coach Bill Kernen said. “He only knows one speed, and that’s all-out.”

The muscles and ligaments in Shockey’s right shoulder still ache, but his play has shown no ill-effects.

In two NCAA Division II World Series games, Shockey has reached base safely in 11 of 13 plate appearances.

When the Matadors defeated Lewis University (Ill.), 18-5, on Sunday, Shockey had two doubles, two singles and two walks. When CSUN defeated New Haven by the same score Tuesday, Shockey had two singles and two walks.

Each at-bat has been meticulously entered in Shockey’s personal files.

In high school, at Santa Ana Mater Dei, Shockey charted his outings on a chalkboard in his bedroom.

He drew a plate, marked the location of the pitch he hit, and drew a line to where it came to rest.

“I got a little more sophisticated with it when I got to college because guys throw better and spot the ball better,” Shockey said.

Shockey, who bats from the left side, had a 12-game hitting streak before he met the wall in San Luis Obispo. During that stretch, he estimates, he guessed wrong on a pitch only once.

He recalls that in the second of a three-game series against San Luis Obispo, he faced a pitcher who earlier in the season had been able to jam him with inside fastballs on a full count.

“That night, he got 3-2 again and came inside and I hit it off the 390 (-foot) sign in right-center,” Shockey said. “I just knew it was coming.”

But that doesn’t explain his success at the World Series against pitchers he has never faced.

No problem, Shockey says. He learns from watching them warm up.

Before stepping in against Lewis right-hander Rick Huisman, Shockey watched him throw in the bullpen.

Huisman reportedly had a 90 m.p.h. fastball, but Shockey wasn’t impressed.

“I knew right away he wasn’t going to throw 90 because of his arm motion,” Shockey said. “He had a pause, not a real fluid motion to gather the kind of arm speed that you need to throw that hard.”

Shockey, formerly a standout football player, is more than aggressive enough, but he acknowledges that he still needs more patience and poise.

“In football I took a lot of pride in being able to hit somebody and inflict a lot of pain,” Shockey said. “That was a big part of my past and I had to mellow out when I came to baseball. I still have a ways to go.”

If for no other reason than to save himself.