NEWS FLASH

Team leaders: Coaches have been selected for the City vs. Southern section “Battle of the Valley” basketball all-star game on April 17 at Cal State Northridge.

Chaminade’s Jeff Young will coach the boys’ Southern Section team, with Birmingham’s Al Bennett directing the City Section. In the girls’ game, Grant’s Steve Brumwell will coach the City, with Harvard-Westlake’s Brian Taylor leading the Southern Section.

Farrell to Texas: Ray Farrell, assistant men’s basketball coach at The Master’s College the past three seasons, has been hired by the University of Texas-Dallas as head coach and assistant athletic director. Texas-Dallas is an NCAA Division III school that will be enter its inaugural year of NCAA-sanctioned play in the fall.

BOXING

Moving up: Junior-middleweight Fernando Vargas of Oxnard, undefeated in 10 professional fights, is ranked No. 11 by the International Boxing Federation.

Vargas, a former U.S. Olympic welterweight, will fight Jose Luis Lopez in a 10-round bout tentatively scheduled for May 9 in Sacramento. Lopez, 40-3-2, is ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Assn.

SOFTBALL

Time change: The starting time of today’s Big West Conference doubleheader between host Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State has been moved up 90 minutes to noon.

Northridge and Long Beach State will resume a 4-4 tie game called because of darkness March 7 before the doubleheader.

SOCCER

Commitment: Shauna Murray of Quartz Hill, an all-region forward and Golden League player of the year, has committed to Cal State Bakersfield, Rebel Coach Maury Cauchon said.

HONORS

Mighty Matadors: Junior Nakia Hill and sophomore Cheree Hicks have been selected as Cal State Northridge’s male and female athletes of the month for March.