Kernen Sends a Message to the Fat Cats

Roosevelt’s “New Deal” was designed to stimulate a sagging economy. Bill Kernen hopes his “New Deal” provides a similar spark for the Cal State Northridge baseball program.

The day after Northridge opened classes last week, Kernen called prospective players together for a meeting, during which he made an announcement:

“We don’t have a baseball team,” the coach said.

Kernen told the gathering that on Nov. 2 he would open tryouts to “everyone in the world who is an eligible student attending Cal State Northridge.”

“If some of those people happen to be former recruits who are attending Northridge on what basically is an academic scholarship, then fine,” Kernen said.

In other words, those with baseball scholarships should expect no favors. If anything, Kernen has made it tougher on them.

Veterans and recruits must meet a set of conditioning goals before being allowed to try out. During the last week in October they must run three miles in 22 minutes and five miles in 45 minutes on back-to-back days.

They also will be tested for strength, with Kernen setting individual goals for each player based on what his records show they were lifting last season.

If they meet those standards, the players still must make it through special drills Kernen has designed to test their hitting, bat control, baserunning and fielding skills. Otherwise, they won’t be allowed to rejoin training sessions until the spring.

Why the fuss after a 38-16-1 season?

“Because we sort of took for granted that we were going to be (in the playoffs) at the end of the season, and some guys took for granted they were going to play no matter what,” Kernen said. “Now, nobody can take anything for granted because there’s not a baseball team.”

Kernen says anyone with complaints should consider the message posted on the bulletin board in the third base dugout at Matador Field.

It says, in bold letters, “If you want to do something easy, be a brain surgeon.”

FEELING WANTED

Northridge has traded one men’s basketball game against a traditionally strong program for one against another.

When Cincinnati coaches informed Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy that they no longer were considering a game March 8 against the Matadors, they offered to call around to help find a replacement.

“The phone started ringing off the hook,” Cassidy said.

Missouri, a perennial power from the Big Eight Conference, won out. The Matadors will play the Tigers in Columbia, Mo., on Feb. 3.

Although the opponent will provide no less of a challenge, Cassidy managed to find a silver lining.

“It’s less expensive to travel there by air,” he said. “And the guarantee was larger, so that’s good.”

HARD-LUCK RUNNER

Bryan Dameworth of Wisconsin must think that somewhere, someone has a voodoo doll of him that is stuck full of needles.

How else to explain his latest physical malady after finally overcoming the leg injuries that had plagued him during his first two years at Wisconsin.

After training in Calabasas this summer, Dameworth, a former Agoura High standout, was in the best shape of his life when he headed back to Wisconsin two weeks ago. But shortly after his arrival, he began to experience severe abdominal pains.

Dameworth underwent an appendectomy Aug. 29, and during the operation, doctors discovered, and removed, a seven-inch length of intestine that had become detached from the abdominal wall and had clogged, causing the pain.

“They said it was something that I was born with and very rare,” Dameworth said. “They said it could have happened anytime during the course of my life.”

Although doctors said Dameworth, the state Division I cross-country champion at Agoura from 1987-89, would not be able to run for four to six weeks, he hopes to resume training next week.

“It’s disappointing because I felt like I had put myself in position to be the top runner on the team,” Dameworth said. “Now I’m not going to be at the level I hoped to be at, but I still think I can be in the top two or three runners by the end of the season.”

While Dameworth dislikes being sidelined again, he feels lucky in other ways.

“I also have to look at what could have happened,” he said. “I was camping just a few weeks ago. If this had happened then, I could have been in deep trouble.”

GRUDGE MATCH

In many ways, Cal State Northridge soccer Coach Marwan Ass’ad enjoys playing The Master’s College.

He approves of The Master’s vocal fans and the rivalry that has developed between the schools over the past six years.

Most of all, he welcomes the gate receipts from the match, which annually draws more than 1,000 spectators.

But after Monday’s 3-2 overtime victory over The Master’s before 1,132 at North Campus Stadium, Ass’ad said he is getting leery of the Mustangs’ rough style of play.

“There is nothing wrong with playing hard,” Ass’ad said. “But there is a difference between playing hard and intentionally fouling people. We play hard, but we always tell the players, ‘Don’t foul.’ When we commit fouls, they’re unintentional. When they commit fouls, they’re intentional.”

Ass’ad was particularly upset with the play of the Mustangs’ Harland Slind, who was one of four players ejected from the match.

“He was out of shape and out of control,” Ass’ad said. “He was out there cursing at people and that’s not right.”

Although Master’s was whistled for 38 fouls in Monday’s match, Northridge was not exactly innocent, being cited for 21. There also were nine yellow cards issued during the match.

Those ejected were goalie Bobak Kalhor and midfielder Armando Valdivia of Northridge, and Slind and forward Sebastian Bongarra of Master’s.

“Personally, I don’t want to play them again,” Ass’ad said. “Every year, at the beginning of the year, they come in here and endanger our players.”

ADD SOCCER

Because of the red cards, Kalhor and Valdivia cannot play in Friday’s match at the University of San Diego.

Kalhor will be replaced by Louie Mata in goal. Teddy Davila or Leon Hudson will take over at Valdivia’s midfielder position.

IN THE NAME OF CHARITY

There must be something about the name Jerry Lewis that encourages people to be charitable.

Jerry Lewis, the Antelope Valley College trainer, seems to be having as much success with his latest worthy cause as Jerry Lewis the comedian.

The homes of the families of six Antelope Valley football players were destroyed or badly damaged when Hurricane Andrew ripped through Florida last month. Inspired by their plight, Lewis made a list of names, ages and clothing sizes, then circulated a memo at school to solicit donations.

The flyer also was distributed at an Antelope Valley church and at the hospital where Lewis’ wife works.

Now the campaign has spread to local businesses, and a steady stream of contributions are coming in.

“It’s switched now from mostly clothing to sundries like toothpaste and toothbrushes, even Avon products,” said Lewis, who has been a fixture in the Antelope Valley athletic program the last 22 years.

Lewis already has sent a large box of supplies to each family. He said Tuesday that he expects to ship off two more boxes to each family by the end of the week.

TOUGH BREAK

Tony Abrams entered Antelope Valley’s football scrimmage against West Los Angeles on Saturday with his name at the top of the depth chart at quarterback.

He ended it atop the team’s injury list.

Abrams, a sophomore from Antelope Valley High, suffered a broken bone in his throwing (right) hand when he hit it on an opponent’s helmet. He is expected to miss two to three weeks.

Either Ryan Callahan or Todd Fink will start at quarterback for the Marauders in their opener, on the road against Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m.

A QUESTION OF TIMING

Because of a horrible rushing performance (eight yards in 24 carries) in Cal State Northridge’s 28-7 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Northridge Coach Bob Burt is working toward a better showing by the offensive line in the Matadors’ home opener Saturday against UC Davis.

“It’s not a question of improving the offensive line, it is a question of the offensive line playing better,” Burt said. “Fullerton came quick and hard. Because of our numbers situation we’re not able to simulate that in practice. We can’t practice at that tempo. Now that we’ve played a game, we’ve seen it. We have a game under our belt and we can pick up the intensity, hopefully, without hurting anyone.”

Offensive guard Brian Hay struggled to explain the line’s shortcomings.

“It was not that they were any better than us,” he said. “Evidently, our timing was off. The running game is just a matter of timing.”

Tailback Jamal Farmer, who managed only seven yards in 12 carries in his Northridge debut, was so banged up that he did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday and he won’t be returning kicks against Davis.

“He got pounded pretty good,” Burt said.

Farmer insisted that only his strained left knee causes him pain.

“I don’t know how it happened,” he said. “It just started hurting. It hurt the whole game. In the second, third and fourth quarter I just had to play with it.”

PILING ON

Members of the Fullerton defense were motivated by a feature story about Farmer in which Farmer spoke of possibly running for 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns during the season.

“He was talking a lot about running for 200 yards and two touchdowns (against us),” Fullerton linebacker Mike Gullo said. “We wanted to show him that he has a long ways to go. We shut him down.”

Beginning with Farmer’s first carry, a one-yard loss, the Titans were out to get him.

“We were all fired up for him,” cornerback Darrius Watson said. “He was going down on the first hit. From the first play we knew he wasn’t all he was hyped up to be.”

QUIET LEADER

While he is recovering from spinal surgery, safety Eric Treibatch attends Northridge practices, running sprints on the sideline and observing drills. Although he is one of the team’s four captains, he has not made it known.

“I don’t want to say anything until I’m sweating and bleeding with them,” Treibatch said. “I didn’t participate in spring drills, so 75% of the team hasn’t seen me play. Some guys . . . probably look at me like I’m cruising.”

A sixth-year senior, Treibatch did not participate in spring drills because of a rule prohibiting Division II student-athletes from participating in athletics after attending class full time for 10 semesters.

Staff writers Mike Hiserman, Theresa Munoz and John Ortega contributed to this notebook.