CSUN’s Baldwin a Good Scout for Following Son’s Career at Westlake

If any Westlake High football players are interested in playing at Cal State Northridge, they have an advantage over every other football player in the country: Northridge Coach Dave Baldwin can watch them every week.

Baldwin can get around the NCAA rule limiting the times college coaches can scout high school games because his 16-year-old son Sean is a junior varsity player at Westlake.

It brings to mind the case of Terry Donahue, who frequented Agoura High games because his daughter was a cheerleader. It was at one of those games Donahue found former Royal quarterback Ryan Fien.

All in your mind: Pepperdine golf Coach Cody Barden believes the mental part of the game is often overlooked.

For that reason, Barden sends his players to a sports psychologist twice a year in an effort to enhance their playing performances through “mental strength training.” Dr. Steve Curtis of the National Institute of Fitness and Sport in Bloomington, Ind., worked with the Waves two weeks ago in preparation for the 1995-96 season.

“It’s about positive thinking, but also it’s really helped these college players become more mature in their thought process,” said Barden, in his second year at Pepperdine. “It shows the players that if they don’t take care of schoolwork, if they don’t check in with mom and dad and let problems snowball, it will affect their golf game.

“The work Dr. Curtis has done has been just unbelievable.”

Could the good doctor’s work already be paying off? Pepperdine opened the season last weekend with a third-place finish in the 20-team Fresno State tournament. Junior Michael Walton of Pepperdine finished in a three-way tie for second among individuals.

Motivating force: Northridge men’s soccer Coach Marwan Ass’ad had had enough.

After his team lost to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Sept. 22 and slipped to 2-4-1, Ass’ad berated senior forward Keith West in front of the team.

“I attacked Keith verbally, I blamed him for the loss,” Ass’ad said. “He’s a great kid and I’ve known him since he was 12 years old but he wasn’t passing the ball. He had to be told in an ugly way.”

Sometimes ugly is good. West, a Kennedy High graduate, scored five goals in the Matadors’ next two matches as the team beat Marshall and Evansville and won the Aces Classic tournament in Evansville, Ind. West was named to the all-tournament team as the most valuable offensive player and also garnered Mountain Pacific Sports Federation player-of-the-week honors.

Looking for gold: You can bet that Harvard-Westlake High water polo Coach Rich Corso will be doing some heavy scouting when the Wolverines, ranked fourth in the Southern Section Division I, play Orinda Miramonte on Saturday. Corso, also the U.S. Olympic team coach, added Miramonte to his schedule because he knows the school is a water polo hotbed, having graduated more water polo Olympians (three) than any other high school in the country.

Former Matadors-turned-Olympians are Peter Snug, who played on the 1984 Olympic team; Drew McDowell, from the 1988 squad; and Colin Keely, who played in 1992. Two other former Matadors--Rick McNair and Kirk Everist--along with Keely, are currently on the U.S. national team. Everist is an assistant coach for Miramonte, the defending North Coast Section champion.

The game is scheduled for 11 a.m Saturday at Harvard-Westlake.

Honors

Glendale College quarterback Aryan Hart and Valley running back Marcus Harvey were among three players selected offensive players of the week in the Western State Conference.

Hart, a freshman from Alhambra High, completed 23 of 39 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-35 loss to Valley on Saturday. Harvey gained 140 yards in 15 carries and scored three touchdowns.

By the Numbers

Tracy Little helped lead the Cal Lutheran women’s volleyball team to the UC San Diego volleyball invitational championship last week.

Little, who was named tournament most valuable player, had 23 kills (a career high) as Cal Lutheran defeated UC San Diego in the championship final, 15-10, 12-15, 17-15, 15-8.

Things to Do

Pepperdine, after opening West Coast Conference play last weekend with road victories over Gonzaga and Portland, will play at USC at 7 tonight in a nonconference match.

Senior Tara Kroesch had 18 kills Saturday to lead the Waves (11-4, 2-0) past Portland, 15-9, 15-13, 15-7.

Friday, sophomore Nicole Sanderson had 15 kills in a 15-6, 15-12, 15-6 victory over Gonzaga.

Pepperdine plays a conference match against defending champion and preseason favorite Loyola Marymount at 7 p.m. Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Contributing: Fernando Dominguez, Rob Fernas, Jeff Fletcher, Bryan Rodgers, Tris Wykes, Peter Yoon.