Losing Streaks Dim Chapman’s Playoff Hopes

Apparently, someone forgot to tell the Chapman College baseball team that streaking has gone out of style.

Since mid-February, Chapman has twice won three consecutive games and twice won five in a row. The Panthers also had a six-game winning streak and are currently on an eight-game streak. The Panthers also have had losing streaks of four and six games.

“The explanation for our winning streaks is that we are a good club,” Chapman Coach Mike Weathers said. “The explanation for our losing streaks is that we have lost some close games.”

The 10 games the Panthers lost during their two skids have dimmed their postseason hopes, because nine of those games were against California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opponents. Eight losses were to Cal State Northridge, ranked ninth in Division II by Collegiate Baseball, and UC Riverside, ranked 16th.

Chapman, which was ranked as high as 16th this season and is currently 18th, might not be one of the 24 teams invited to compete for the Division II national title. Three teams--usually the top two CCAA teams and a team from Northern California--qualify for the West Regional, one of eight regional championships.

If Chapman sweeps its final three-game series with last-place Cal Poly Pomona this week, it would have a 20-10 record in the CCAA, which would have been enough to win the title last season. This year it might only be good enough for third.

There is a possibility that the conference’s third-place team could receive an at-large bid to another regional, said Steve McFarland, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo coach and chairman of the West Regional selection committee.

Weathers said his team should qualify, based on the difficulty of playing in the CCAA and the strength of its 8-4 record against Division I opponents.

“I think we have an excellent chance,” Weathers said. “If we continue to win, I think it would be hard to bypass us.”

Down and out: As strong as the CCAA is in baseball, it’s second to none in Division II softball. A CCAA team has won the past eight Division II championships. Cal State Northridge won six consecutive titles in the 1980s and Cal State Bakersfield has won the past two.

This season, Northridge is ranked No. 1 in the nation, and Bakersfield is second. Chapman (35-21, 6-14 in the conference) didn’t qualify for the regional playoffs after losing its past eight CCAA games--four to Northridge, two to Bakersfield and two to No. 16 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Some relief is forthcoming next year. Northridge, which is moving to Division I, will no longer compete in the conference.

“We’re sure going to be glad to see Northridge go, I tell you,” Chapman Coach Lisle Lloyd said. “That’s four losses we don’t have to take every year, but it’s still going to be a really strong conference.”

Three short of goal: The Southern California College baseball team ended its season Monday with a 10-6 loss to The Master’s College in a National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 wild-card game.

First-year Coach Charlie Phillips had set a goal of winning 30 games, but SCC finished with a 27-22-1 record.

“At times, it was pretty traumatic,” Phillips said of his first season. “We overcame a lot of adversity, we had academic problems--five players were ineligible at the beginning of the season. After that we played real well.”

College Division Notes

Chapman softball third baseman Sandy Olivas, who is believed to be the nation’s home run leader with 13 this season, was named to the West Region first team last week. Olivas, a sophomore, batted .432 with 11 doubles and was also a first-team All-CCAA selection. Another Chapman softball player, junior Jacki Blake, a first-team All-CCAA pitcher with an 18-5 record and an 0.39 earned-run average, was named to the region’s second team. Blake, formerly of Fountain Valley High, batted .369. Sophomore outfielder Christy Wurster, who had a .361 average, was a second-team selection in the conference and the region.

. . . Michelle Hempel, who has started at first base for four years at Long Beach Millikan High, signed a letter of intent to attend Chapman in the fall. . . . Christ College Irvine softball players Lisa Merenda, a freshman pitcher who had an 18-8 record and an 0.66 ERA, and junior outfielder Denise Schaus, were named to the NAIA All-District 3 first team. Southern California College also had two on the District 3 first team, junior catcher Linda Bilyeu and junior outfielder Diana Franklin.

Times staff writer Ara Najarian contributed to this story.