COLLEGE DIVISION NOTEBOOK / MARTIN BECK : Recruits Might Ease Chapman Baseball’s Move to Division I

There were few cheers for the Chapman College baseball team in its last season in NCAA Division II. Although the Panthers completed the season by winning two of their final three games last weekend, they couldn’t climb out of last place in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

The Panthers finished 15-36 and 10-20 in the CCAA, losing the most games in a season since 1981 (24-39). The team batting average of .240 was 56 points lower than last year, when Chapman finished third in the conference.

“It’s the worst season I’ve had in my eight (as coach) and it was disappointing,” Chapman Coach Mike Weathers said. “We never played well and we never got any part of our game going, except pitching at the end of the season.”

But because of the recruits he has signed for next season, Weathers has hope for the team’s Division I future. The Panthers, who as an independent have scheduled 40 of their 55 games next season against Division I teams, will play home-and-home series with UCLA, USC, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, and will make trips to St. Mary’s, Nevada and Fresno State.

The Division I schedule, Weathers said, has made it possible to attract better talent and he believes the 12 new players might be his best recruiting class since his first, a group that won a CCAA title in 1984.

“I think we’ve assembled a bunch of new guys that are going to turn it around next year,” Weathers said.

Two of the 12--Brea-Olinda catcher Chris Briones and Tustin pitcher Bill Courtney--are local high school players, and eight of the community college transfers are from the Orange Empire Conference.

Six of the eight were either first- or second-team all-conference selections, players Weathers said were also recruited by other Division I schools. First baseman Tom Puppe and outfielder Kevin Cook of Cypress and Golden West outfielder Jason White were first-team selections. Riverside College third baseman and catcher Larry Stahlhoefer, Cypress pitcher Carlos Castillo and Saddleback outfielder Buster Nietzke were second-team selections. Six of the recruits are pitchers, and Weathers said the Panthers now have a deep 10-man staff.

Humboldted: The luster of an expected rematch between Portland State and Chapman, the Nos. 1- and 2-ranked Division II softball teams, fizzled last weekend at the NCAA West Regional. Third-seeded Humboldt State defeated Chapman and Portland State Saturday, sending each to the losers’ bracket.

“I think Portland State and we were looking past Humboldt at each other,” Chapman Coach Lisle Lloyd said.

Portland State, however, righted itself to beat Chapman, 8-0, Sunday and went on to defeat Humboldt, 7-1 and 7-0, to advance to the NCAA Championships this weekend in Midland, Mich.

Chapman first baseman Sandy Olivas was named to the all-tournament team. She had four hits and drove in a run. The Panthers finished 47-13.

Chapman men’s basketball Coach Bob Boyd says the signing of 6-foot-6 forward Leonard Rhodes of San Jacinto College likely will be the Panthers’ last addition for next season.

Boyd has signed six community college transfers--three forwards and three guards--who will try to help the Panthers out of the CCAA cellar.

“As a group I think we’re enthused about it,” Boyd said. “I’m a little gun shy. We were disappointed in our conference performance. There were a lot of close games in there and one or two key injuries, but the bottom line is the record, and I’m well aware of that.

“I think that these recruits will be more than adequate replacements for those players who will not be returning. I think we’re going to turn the program and we hope to improve our position in this conference next year.”

Winning lean: By the narrowest of margins, Christ College Irvine runner Genevieve Graff won the 1,500 meters at the NAIA District 3 track and field championships Saturday at Santa Barbara City College.

Graff and Anette Ronnerman of Point Loma Nazarene ran together for the final 300 yards, with Graff being timed in 4 minutes 35.24 seconds and Ronnerman in 4:35.25.

“I couldn’t tell who won from where I was standing,” CCI sports information director Amanda Houlton said. “Basically, Genevieve leaned more at the line.”

The times broke the district meet record by five seconds and were among the top five in the NAIA this season. Sarah Howell of Simon Fraser in British Columbia leads with 4:19.89.

Graff, who finished fifth in the 3,000 at the meet, will compete in the 1,500 at the NAIA Championships May 23-25 at Tarleton State in Stephenville, Tex.

Add NAIA track: Southern California College’s Sherri Hall finished her collegiate running career by finishing fifth in the 10,000 meters at the District 3 championships Saturday. Her time--41:01.7--was three minutes off the national qualifying time, but it was Hall’s first race since having arthroscopic surgery on her knee six weeks ago.

Hall, 39, was an All-American in both cross-country and track and field in 1990 and will continue racing in Master’s meets after her graduation from SCC this month.

College Division Notes

Chapman’s Laurent Dropsy lost in the first round of the NCAA Division II individual tennis championships to Darren Price of Rollins College Monday in Edmond, Okla. . . . Senior third baseman Doug Yates was the only Chapman baseball player named first-team all-CCAA. Junior pitcher Pete Coleman and junior first baseman Mike Giuseffi made the second team and senior catcher Mike Kelly received honorable mention.