Northridge Lands 4 More Baseball Recruits for 1996

Coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1978-79, Cal State Northridge this week signed four baseball players to letters of intent, bringing its recruiting class for next season to seven.

The Matadors, who finished 28-29 with a staff earned-run average of 6.39, added a pair of right-handed pitchers: Jason Cole of El Camino College and Scott Hoffman of L.A. City. Hoffman will be a sophomore, Cole a junior.

Jose Miranda, a junior outfielder from Cerritos College, also signed. He is the younger brother of Cal State Fullerton outfielder Tony Miranda.

With the hope that lightning will strike twice in the same place, Northridge signed one high school player, outfielder Ryan Hurd.

Hurd attends J.W. North High in Riverside, the school that last year produced Matador outfielder Adam Kennedy. Kennedy, a freshman All-American nominee, batted .360 and drove in 54 runs, both the second-best marks on the team.

“If [Hurd’s] as good, I can live with that,” Northridge assistant Mike Batesole said, deadpan.

Hoffman and Cole should give a shot in the arm to the thin pitching corps, which came within .03 of setting a school single-season record for highest earned-run average.

Northridge earlier signed Antelope Valley College third baseman Eric Cole, Pierce College second baseman Cesar Martinez and Palmdale catcher Chris Paxton.