Pirates, Hornets square off

Men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader features two strong matchups on Friday.Friday’s Orange Empire Conference basketball doubleheader between Orange Coast College and Fullerton College promises to be a big matchup. But which game is the one to see?

The women’s game at 5:30 p.m. brings together two teams that went the distance and then some in their first meeting. The Pirates had to go five overtimes to dispose of the Hornets, 87-84.

Crystal McCormick tied an OCC single-game mark for scoring with 46 points against Fullerton. Her 10 three-pointers were a single-game record.

Then again, there is the men’s game at 7:30 p.m. Fullerton was the No. 1 team in the state the last time they met on Jan. 25 and the Hornets are still atop the state rankings with a 29-0 record. Orange Coast has won three in a row since its 70-45 loss at Fullerton.

It’s no big surprise the Pirates, ranked No. 11 in the state, would love to spoil the party with an upset victory.

* College men’s golf, Orange Coast vs. Cypress, 11 a.m. Wednesday: Two of Orange County’s better junior college golf programs tangle in this Orange Empire Conference match. The Chargers finished 10th at last year’s Southern California championships, and the Pirates sent a pair of individuals to that tournament. This match will take place at the Seal Beach Navy Golf Course.

* College women’s tennis, Vanguard at Concordia, 1 p.m. Wednesday: It’s Concordia’s first season with a women’s tennis program in 16 years and the Eagles have stocked up on locals. Among the players on Concordia’s roster are former Orange Coast College standout Michelle Esquivel and Estancia High grad Karleen Curran.

* College softball, Santa Ana at Orange Coast, 3 p.m. Wednesday: The Pirates can take the field for this Orange Empire Conference game and wonder what might have been, had Corona del Mar High grad Alissa Zoelle played for them. The Santa Ana sophomore infielder hit .408 last season and was a second-team all-state selection.

* High school wrestling, CIF Southern Section individual tournaments, noon Friday: Newport Harbor will have five wrestlers in action at the Inland Division meet at Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga. Corona del Mar’s four wrestlers will be at the Southern Division meet at Westminster High. Finals are scheduled for Saturday.

* College baseball, Cal State Fullerton at UC Irvine, 6 p.m. Friday: This isn’t a Big West Conference series for either team. Still, it’s a mighty big matchup for the Anteaters. Fresh off their road trip to Hawaii, a successful weekend against the Titans will go a long way toward establishing UCI’s status. The series continues Saturday and Sunday at Cal State Fullerton.

* College men’s volleyball, Stanford at UC Irvine, 7 p.m. Friday: It’s about as close as it gets to homecoming night for Stanford outside hitter William Clayton. The senior from Newport Harbor is third on the Cardinal in kills with 70 and second in service aces with 11. He’ll no doubt have some fans in the crowd for this Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match.