Sports

END OF THE ROAD

It was a disappointing end to the season for the Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team. The Toros lost to top-seeded UC Davis, 52-42, last week in the NCAA Division II West Regional semifinals.

By any standard, the Toros’ season was a smashing success.

Dominguez Hills finished 22-6, its best record in Van Girard’s seven seasons as coach. The Toros also won their first California Collegiate Athletic Assn. regular season and postseason tournament titles, made their first NCAA playoff appearance and won their first Division II playoff game.

It was a gratifying season for Girard, who saw his career record improve to 101-87 and was named CCAA coach of the year.

Junior forward Faye Hagan was named CCAA player of the year and senior guard Pam Kirkwood was named to the all-conference first team. Hagan averaged 19.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, and Kirkwood averaged 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds.

With only Kirkwood and senior forward Trimeka Jackson departing from the starting lineup, the Toros should be among the favorites for the CCAA title next season. In addition to Hagan, Dominguez Hills returns starters Kellie Lennon at center and Gine DeLeon at guard.

The Toros will also benefit from several additions, most notable of which is Harbor College standout Joanne Williams. Williams was an all-state player at Harbor in the 1993-94 season, when the Seahawks won the state title, but sat out last season because of a knee injury.

SOCCER HONOR

High-scoring forward Tony Rodriguez has accomplished a first for the Harbor College men’s soccer program.

Rodriguez, a sophomore from Banning High, has been named to the community college All-America team by the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America.

It is the first time in the college’s 20 years of soccer competition that a player has received the honor. Rodriguez was one of only two players from Southern California named to the 22-man squad; the other was Prawit Namutawong of East Los Angeles.

Rodriguez finished the season with 29 goals in 20 games.

“Tony is a gifted, hard-working soccer player who had a truly outstanding year,” Harbor Coach Alan King said. “He was likely the top scoring community college player in the country.”

The honor culminated a brilliant comeback for Rodriguez, whose career appeared in jeopardy three years ago when he suffered a broken leg. Rodriguez said the only way the season could have turned out better for him would have been if the Seahawks had managed to advance to the state community college playoffs.

“Of course, I am very happy and amazed at such an honor,” he said. “I’m just sorry the team couldn’t have done better.”

SHOULD BE A CLASSIC

Two players who led the Serra High boys basketball team into the state regional playoffs, guard Milton Palacio and forward Leonard Butler, are among top seniors who have been invited to compete in the South Bay Athletic Club’s fifth annual South Bay All-Star Boys and Girls Basketball Classic.

The games will be played March 24 at South Torrance High.

Palacio averaged 19 points and Butler 15 for Serra, which finished second to Verbum Dei in the Southern Section Division IV-A and advanced to the state Division IV regional semifinals before losing to San Diego Lincoln Prep.

Other standouts listed on the boys’ roster are guards Ben Sanders of Westchester and Kenzie Weir of Centennial. In addition to Serra, three schools have two players on the roster: Inglewood, Morningside and South.

Inglewood, which was ranked No. 2 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports before losing to Dominguez in the Southern Section Division II-A semifinals, placed forward Antwoine Young and swingman Kevin Elliot on the team; Morningside landed guard Anthony McNair and forward Chris Croom, and South had guard Derek Brown and forward Ari Caldevilla.

The girls’ roster is led by three players from Peninsula, which finished second in Southern Section Division I-AA and advanced to the state Division I regionals. The players are guard Allison Fortner, center Kathryn Foster-Kedie and guard Tracy Rosen.

Banning also placed three players on the team: guards Julie Thigpen and Jenille Ramos and forward Sharolunda Kennon. Schools with two players on the team are Morningside, Redondo, Inglewood, Torrance and South.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK

The next three games could be crucial to the South Coast Conference championship aspirations of the Harbor College baseball team.

The Seahawks (12-7, 3-1), ranked No. 10 in the state and No. 6 in Southern California, started the week in a four-way tie for first in the conference with Cerritos, Mt. San Antonio and Long Beach City and play each of those teams in the next six days.

Harbor visits Long Beach today and Cerritos on Tuesday and plays host to Mt. San Antonio in a make-up game Wednesday. All of the games are at 2 p.m. Mt. SAC, ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 4 in Southern California, is the only South Coast team ranked higher than the Seahawks.

The Seahawks have a team batting average of .285 and seven players are batting .300 or higher.

Sophomore first baseman Dave Martinez is batting .692 in limited playing time and sophomore utility player Darren Nicholson, a former West Torrance High standout, is batting .382.

Freshman third baseman Steve Rawson is batting .350 with a team-leading five home runs and is tied with freshman infielder Derek Nicholson for second in runs batted in with 15. Sophomore catcher Lawrence Norris leads Harbor with 18 RBIs.

IN NEED OF OFFENSE

What type of a season has it been for the Dominguez Hills baseball team?

It all depends on whether you are talking about CCAA or nonconference games. The Toros are 7-2-1 in nonconference games, but only 4-6 in the CCAA.

The Toros, ranked No. 11 in the NCAA Division II by Collegiate Baseball magazine, visit Westmont at 2:30 p.m. today and travel to Cal State Stanislaus for a three-game series Friday and Saturday. The teams play a single game at 2 p.m. Friday and a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday.

The Toros have struggled offensively, batting only .232 as a team. The team’s pitching has been outstanding, led by senior starter Scott Veeder and senior reliever Tony Velasquez. Dominguez Hills has a 2.62 earned-run average. Velasquez is 1-0 with an 0.69 ERA and seven saves, and Veeder is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA.

IN NEED OF VICTORIES

It will be a matchup of struggling teams when Loyola Marymount travels to Pepperdine for a three-game West Coast Conference baseball series Friday and Saturday.

Both teams will be seeking their first conference victories. Loyola is 5-17 and 0-5 in the WCC and Pepperdine is 7-10 and 0-1.

After playing one of its best games of the season in a 4-1 nonconference victory over UCLA last week, Loyola was swept by St. Mary’s in a WCC doubleheader on Sunday. Against UCLA, freshman walk-on pitcher Jeff Cecchin gave up only three hits and one run in eight innings.

The Lions have been sparked on offense by junior first baseman Andy Collett, who is batting .330 with six home runs and 25 RBIs.

IMPRESSIVE START

The Dominguez Hills women’s softball team, which is 11-4 in its first season under Coach Stephanie Fleischaker, will play host to Azusa Pacific in a nonconference doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. today in Carson.

The Toros are already approaching their win total of last season, when they finished 14-28.

Dominguez Hills, which lost to NCAA Division II power Cal State Bakersfield, 4-2, and beat UC Riverside, 1-0, at the Cal State San Bernardino tournament last week, has been led by pitcher Tamara Sagert. The sophomore has a 10-3 record.

MISCELLANY

The Carson Parks and Recreation Department is offering discount tickets to the Clippers versus Miami Heat game Friday night at the Sports Arena in conjunction with its “Carson Night” festivities at the event.

Youth basketball players and cheerleaders from Carson will be showcased during halftime of the game. Tickets are available at parks throughout Carson and at Carson City Hall.

The cost is $11. Information: (310) 952-1768.

* The Inglewood Police Activities League boys’ 16-and-under team, which recently won the state championship in its division, has qualified for the national tournament April 19-23 in Pottstown, Penn. The Inglewood program, which has produced players such as Harold Miner of the Miami Heat and Elden Campbell of the Lakers, is seeking donations to help defray costs of the trip.

Information: Scott Collins at (310) 412-5530.