The Van Nuys News from Van Nuys, California • Page 23

TiiwJay, Jwnt Von Nuys (Collf.) THE CHAMPS Posing for team piflure at airport aro Matadors (from lolt, front Joe Hultilla, Lorry Gcrshon, Tony Davila. Craig Warner, Churk Stone, Irv Zakheim. Skip Kffk'r, Mitch Hark and (from led, rear I Dick heari loach Unh Hiegeil, Boh LoTiesti, Rob Hobb THE NEWS Eatt-21-A Nerth-25-A Cantiwf-ZV-A Valley State Comes Home With National Title IT PAYS TO BE COACH Bob Hiegert. holding plaque presented to national college-division baseball champions from San Fernando Valley State College, receives congratulatory kiss from wife Jackie, who, with daughter Lorie 2, accompanied Hiegert to Springfield, Mo. The N'eivs photos hy Herb CnrlrLon ALL-TOURNAMENT PLAYERS Outfielder Chuck Stone (left) and first-basernan Frank Slaton of Valley State won berths on all-tournament team in National Collegiate Athletic Association college-division World Series.

Stone is smallest man on team at 5-S, 165 pounds, Slaton largest at 220. FATHER-SON ACT Joe Ramirez (left) of Pomona congratulates son Larry on complete-game victory over Southwest Missouri State College in NCAA college-division championship series at Springfield, Mo. Larry's dad was only parent to accompany team as part of official party. CARRYING MEAN Shortstop Mike McClure (left) and third-baseman Ron Valenti were key figures in San Fernando Valley State College's sensalional march to national championship. McClure was Matadors' leading batter with live hi Is, including three two-baggers.

THE 'Z' BOYS Second-baseman Jrv Zakheim (left), and oul fiekler Dave Zall swap stories after returning from Lrip to Springfield. Mo, lor National Collegiate Athletic Association baseball championships. Zall, in guise of Ed Sullivan, was emcee at post-game celebration. TWIN TREAT Grinning Mike Rapkin. one of lour winning pitchers in college-division World Series at Springfield, is treated to double-buss by mother Honey Rapkin (left) of Sepuiveda and girl friend Mariene Lipsr.huJlz 19.

Rap-kin won 0-5 game relief with 0 000 earned-run average. THEY'LL BE MARRIED Dennis Collier and Miss Sandy Lauten of Glendale will celebrate San Fernanda Valley State College's newly-won "national baseball championship by being married Saturday. Collier had three hits and scored three times in five-gr-me series at Springfield, Mo. HAPPY COUPLE Rodge Fradella of San Fernando Valley State College hugs his girl, Cindy Columbia 10, after returning to Los Angeles International Airport with his share of National Collegi-ale Al.hletii Association baseball championship. Most Matadors wore crazy hats for trip home.

Rusty Swisher, Dennis Collier, Steve Loe, Mike Rapkin, Slaion, Mike MrChire, Lew Lerner, Dave Ravare, Brian Knrd, Jeff Zippi, Larry Ramirez, Ron Valenti, Leveque, Dave Dan Xnonan. Marv Cast el law and Rotlge Kradella. Stale won four after losing opener. Friends, Relatives Greet Champions Continued irom One too late to make the'pre- toumament banquet- Poor weather continued to plague the tournament in general and Valley State in particular for three days. Finally, after dropping a 6-2 decision to SMS and its All- American pitcher, Kenny Watkins, and having a 3-2 game suspended in the sixth inning because of rain, Valley State's luck took a sudden turn for the better.

The change seemed to come about during an evening at the cinema. Alter sitting through an interminable vaudeville show presented by local residents celebrating the opening of a new theater on the Battlefield Mall, a shopping center near historic Springfield Cemetcry, the Matadors saw the Springfield premiere of the motion picture and came out of the theater relaxed and in good spirits. The following afternoon, Bob Johnson took the mound for the second day in a row and completed the suspended game in fine form, elimma- tmg-Springfield, 5-3. Valley State returned to the ballpark a Few hours later and watched as Nicholls State handed Southwest Missouri StaLe its first loss. So.

then took the field for the losers bracket finale with the SMS it was Larry Ramirez's turn to he the hero. His slider was moving well, especially under the made quate lights at municipally owned Meadot- Park, and he had control from Che start, winning 6-1. That sent Valley State into the championship double-header Saturday, but head coach Boo Hiegert and his assistants, Davila, "Dick Jaquez and Lorry Ger-shon, were faced with a problem: their first-line pitching had run out with Ail-American Lew Lerner and lefthander Lee disabled. Brian Ford, who had started the first game, was available for duty, but he had had only two days rest and Ramirez and Johnson had piLched the day before. Discussing the situation at a meeting the night before the championship games, Hiegert and his aides decided to losing the first game in order to save Ford for the nightcap.

They hoped get "three or four good innings" from fresh man Boh LoPresti. then hring southpaw Mike Rapkin two pitchers with a combined 1,01 a of two decisions between them Lol'rpstt gave llirep good heforp. being tourhprj for lour in llii'. fourth, anrl Rapkin cshir on to ii in the game in relief when Valley State started sla mining the, hall around the park in the eighth and ninth innings. Final score u'aa 9-5, Valley State, and a number of the runs can he traced to a little detective work done by Boh Hess on the bench and faculty representative Dr.

Arthur T. Taitt in the left-field ble a di ms. Hess first, noticed that be-ore every' pitch the Nicholls shortstop would move his gilt hand behind his back, ess deduced that he was sig naling tine outfielders to let MATADOR Coaches who led San Fernando Valley State College baseball team to '13-21 record and 1070 national college-division championship are (from left jayvre roarh Lorry Gcrshon. assistant Tony Davila, assistani Dick and head coach Roh Hiegert. Title, won hy baseball team is fiflh in Valley Slat.e history; first in a major sport.

Earlier crowns went lo gymnaslus, tennis and golf teams. them know what kind of pitch was coming. Dr. Taitt took a position In the left-field bleachers, relayed the shortstop's signs to the valley -State bench, ana Uie players, in turn, verbally notified the batters what kind of pitch to expect: first name for fast ball, last name for cure fU'mon Mixe, tney would yell if it was to be a "Let's go, McClure" if it was to be a curve. The result: 12 hits in one game, six more man they were able to get in any the other four tournament ga mes.

The alert Colonels finally, discovered that Valley Start was stealing their signals the ninth inning and complained to NCAA politely dismissed the-charge, pointing out that It" is an integral part Of game. Ford, called "Spider" by most of his teammates and "Rubber Body" by Lerner, turned in a sensational game in the title-decider, limiting Nicholis to just two hits while strikmg out 11. He walked seven, which hacked him to the wall pp. several occasions, but managed to pitch himself- out'of trouble each time. With Valley State leading, 2-1.

in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nicholls loaded' the bases with nobody out onva. walk, bunt single and error at shortstop. But Ford reared back and fired strike after strike, fanning both Neal Ayme (the Colonels' leading batter -at 350) and Rodney Cotton be fore getting aU-toumamem catcher Peter Workman on-a pop foul. "I just, pretended they-were Chapman," Ford plained, pointing out that he had faced a similar sittfa-" tion in the regionals After the championship game, Hiegert and his playets celebrated over a dinner, a glass of champagne (for those over 21).

Eighteen of the 2-5 players who went to Springfield saw action in at least one of the five games, and the other sex--en supplied the holler and -encouragement from the bench, that is so vital to a team. Outfielder Chuck Stone aijd first-baseman Frank Slaton were named to the nine-man all-tournament team and Stone was honored as most valuable player. Stone had four hits, scor-sd five runs, stole two bases and, perhaps most important, walked nine times in the series. "Getting or hase is my job." he smiled. He did his job well.

Considering Slaton's tourna ment batting average C.Q53, one for 19) tine selection of big No 4S rame as a surprise. It should be however, that Slaton led the: championship team Jn hatted-in with five and had key hit of the series when he started the late" inning rally in the first Same of Saturday's double-header. Second-baseman Irv Zakhe im, catcher Dave Ra.vare, outfielders Dave Zall and -Dennis Collier and third-baseman Ron Valenti all played well. did shortstop Mike McClure, one man who definitely deserved all- tournament mention. McClure was Valley State's leading batter with five hits In 17 at-bats, a 294 average, and had three douhjes and two RBI.

In light of the team batting average of .193 and 14 errors, it. was Vallay State's pitching that proved. to be the -difference. Ford, Ramirez, Rapkin and LoPresti earned their rhampionship medals, to be sure. ThP beauty nf it all is the fact, tli at five of the nine star ters in the rhampionship game stone, Zakheim, tta? Slaton and Zall will be hack next, season.

Others returning include Rodge Fradella, "LoPrestf, Toff Zippi, Rapkin, Mitch Clark, Dave Levemje. Lernar, Lee and Dan Noonan. lx)Presti is only a freshman and Lerner and Leveque sophomores. The others all juniors. Although they were unabls attend graduation ceremori-s, seniors who saw their last games In a Valley State uni.

form include Valenti-, MrCJure, Collier. Ford, Castellaw. Johnson. Craig Warner, Ramirez, Hess, Rus ty Swisher and Skip Effler..