On the verge of becoming the most...

On the verge of becoming the most successful pitcher in Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s history, Dan Chergey, a senior right-hander from Thousand Oaks High, is haunted by the fact that he has never been drafted by a major league team.

“At the end of last year, I was throwing great,” said Chergey, who was 9-5 and led the Mustangs to the second round of the Division II College World Series. “I was basically dominating the games I was pitching.

“The last playoff game and the two World Series games I pitched, I had about 10 strikeouts a game. At the end of the year, they clocked me at 88 (m.p.h.).

“I was really disappointed (I wasn’t drafted). The only thing I could figure is I got off to a slow start.”

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is not exactly an assembly line for major league talent. Only two Mustangs have become notable big leaguers: St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith and former San Francisco Giants pitcher Mike Krukow.

By season’s end, Chergey likely will join Krukow (1971-73) and Bruce Freeberg (‘74-77) as the best to pitch at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He already has broken Krukow’s school record for victories (25) with 26 and needs 28 strikeouts to tie Krukow’s school record of 274. Chergey (26-19) figures to start at least six more games and needs to average 4.7 strikeouts to equal the record.

Earlier this season, Chergey (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) set the school record for innings, passing Freeberg (359 1/3). Chergey (392 2/3) will pass the 400-inning mark if he goes more than 7 1/3 against UC Riverside on Friday. But Chergey won’t be satisfied unless he takes his game to the next level.

“After my sophomore year, I made All-American, and all last year I was gunning for the draft,” said Chergey, who posted a combined 18-9 record the past two seasons along with earned-run averages of 2.01 and 2.90.

“I could have signed as a free agent, but I saw no point in that because I could do that this year, plus I could come back here and graduate. I’m finishing school this year.”

Chergey is majoring in social science and considering a teaching career. Last June--as Chergey sat near a phone on draft day--the only images he had of the future were of long bus rides, cramped motel rooms and the pitchers’ mounds of America.

“I’m just looking for an opportunity to sign this year,” he said. “I’m not real big--I’m not 6-5--and there’s only been a few games where I’ve thrown 88, and (velocity) is what they look for in a right-hander.”

It should help his cause that Chergey has had no arm trouble during his career at San Luis Obispo (19-10, ranked 11th in Division II).

But with the draft approaching, Chergey probably can’t afford to stub his toe the way he did in a defeat at Cal State San Bernardino last Friday. Chergey’s ERA ballooned from 3.77 to 4.30. In 52 1/3 innings, he has given up 25 earned runs and 52 hits.

“I’m winning, but my numbers aren’t awfully great,” Chergey said. “But my stuff’s breaking better and I have better command. I should come on like I did last year.”

Checking the fax: Sophomore Rob Neal, a teammate of Chergey and a Westlake High graduate, leads Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in runs batted in (23) and is second in hits (30) and total bases (45). He has a 1.000 fielding average in the outfield (42 chances). . . . Catcher Shane Slayton (Royal High) is Nevada’s top freshman, with a .279 average and 13 RBIs in 19 games. Nine of his 19 hits have gone for extra bases. He leads the team with four home runs. Teammate Pat DeBoer (Kennedy High, College of the Canyons) is batting .333 in limited action. . . . Despite allowing eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings against Fresno State, Roland De La Maza (St. Genevieve, Canyons) has a 7-1 record, 2.42 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 67 innings for Cal State Sacramento. Fellow Hornet pitcher Mike Eby (Westlake High, Pierce College) tied a team record by striking out 11 in a victory over Cal State Northridge and is 3-0 in Western Athletic Conference games. . . . Fresno State senior Eric Greene (Newbury Park High) is batting .529 in WAC play. . . . UCLA’s Ryan McGuire (El Camino Real High) ranks first nationally with 14 home runs and fifth with 41 RBIs. . . . In softball, sophomore catcher Krissy Carpenter (Hart High), is Kansas’ most effective base stealer (four for four), and six of her 10 hits are doubles. . . . Kim Maher (Buena High) is probably a lock for first-team, All-American honors. The Fresno State junior leads the No. 8 Bulldogs in average (.391), home runs (a school-record 10), hits (43), RBIs (29), runs (28), total bases (81), extra-base hits (17) and walks (15).