Imperial Beach Star-News from Imperial Beach, California • 31

I I Suhis Barragan looks toward pros 4 Phillies (Tuesday night) to possibly sign a pro contract. Im trying to think about that to clear my mind. Besides leading the series in hitting, the National City native, who ended his college career on a six-game hitting streak, was named to the All-Tournament Team, as the first baseman. Barragan went 10-for-20, with three runs, two RBI, and one home run, his game of the Series. On the year he hit .370, tallied 16 doubles, one triple and 85 RBI.

Oklahoma State finished the season with a 59-13 record. The Cowboys lost their last two games of the year (Fridays 6-5 loss to Texas, then Sundays final), something Barragan said he couldnt remember them doing in quite some time. We havent lost fourth time in five chances. Their only title came in 1959. Its really exciting (to get to the finals) but you still have a a bad taste left in your mouth, Barragan said, not trying to conceal the disappointment in his voice.

I mean, to see it all come down to just one game. The bad thing about it is when we didnt get. the regionals (in Stillwater). We found out we had to play the regionals in Mississippi. There is, however, a silverlining to that temporarily darkened cloud, The good thing I remember is in my last game at home, I hit a home run.

You can almost hear the smile on the other end of the phone. My last hit (at home) was a home run. This came against in mid-May at his familiar Elle P. Reynolds stadium. His parents made the trip to Omaha to see their sons final collegiate playing days and are now driving his car back West while Barragan wheels and deals with agents.

They havent talked to me yet. They cant talk to you until the series is over and we just got in (Monday) night. Shunning the spotlight, Bar-ragans feelings over signing a professional contract are contained: Im really a low-key person. I wont get excited until I have the pen in my hand. And the ink has dried.

Barragan said the Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers were the teams that showed the most interest in him and that his height (510) or lack of it continues to haunt him. My height is the biggest thing that is against me. The See Barragan: page D2 By Kim Q. Berkshire Spom Editor It was a painful way to end the season, a 9-5 loss to Stanford in the championship game after beating the same Cardinal team in a meeting just three days prior. But the fact that Sweetwater graduate Jimmy Barragan came out of the College World Series in Omaha, as its leading hitter, may help to ease that hurt.

Barragan, a senior first baseman for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, made his third trip in as many years to. this postseason of postseasons tournament that ended Sunday, and this second-place showing was his best finish yet. But is runner-up good enough, especially when youre so close to No. 1 that you can taste it? Very few make it to the finals, Barragan admitted during a telephone interview from Stillwater, on Tuesday night, but you get to the point when its at the tip of your fingers. Still, it doesnt mean anything when youve lost in the finals.

We only had to win one game. Of his performance, the power hitter said, I hit you cant do to much better than that. I was playing well offensively, had the winning RBI against and made the all-tournament team. Winning it would have been the icing on the cake. He has, however, something to divert his attention from the post-game doldrums, namely, a possible signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Its really hard, but you have to move on. Im meeting with the Jimmy Barragan reflects on College World Series. two (games) back-to-back in a long time, he said. In doing so, the Cowboys lost the title game of the NCAA championship for the Seniors shine in first home softball game Staff pholot by Paul Longwortb Chula Vistas Rona Deanna shoots for two points in a girls sum- mer league game against Southwest on Tuesday at Soujh Bay i Park. Many summer uses for huge SB Park complex By Karen Pearlman Sports tt liter At first glance, its a sprawjjng green establishment filled with people, but the South Bay Recreation Center on the corner of Coronado Avenue and 19th Street in San Diego is more than a park.

More than anything else, its a haven for good.clean fun for area residents. With programs for all ages ranging from the youngest of tykes up to venerables, complaints of "Im soooo bored and Theres nothing to do should be unheard of in the South Bay. The center, which at one time was located across the street but has since moved to keep up with its grow ing popularity, is made up of a vast amount of recreational facilities, including two softball fields, an indoor basketball court, a weightlifting room, a meeting I hallbanquet room, an arts and crafts studio and the well-kept grassy park area at 1885 Coronado Ae. Albert Hara, league director of the centers girls high school I summer league basketball program and one of the jack-of-all- trades leaders at the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department-run facility, calls the center a second home for many. And indeed it is.

This week marked the beginning of summer classes at the center, for preschool-aged children, elementary school-aged kids, teens I and adults. The complex opens at 10 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays.

For the younger groups, the center offersjap dancing on Fridays and Kindergym on Saturday mornings. Only tap dance has a fee i requirement. 1 Grammar school age children get to indulge in the centers Mon- day afternoon ceramics and Tuesday afternoon cooking classes, I PeeWee Softball for third and fourth graders on Saturdays as well as coed softball for fifth and sixth graders on Monday afternoons, A tumbling class is also offered to seventh graders Saturday morn-; ings after Kindergym. There is no charge for any of these classes. The teen set gets to rule the grounds from Tuesdays to Fridays.

Besides Tuesday Friday girls summer league basketball, which boasts eight teams Coronado, Chula Vista, Southwest (with two teams), Bonita Vista, Mar Vista, Marian and Castle Park coed softball and junior high girls summer league basketball can be found on the recreation centers indoor court on Thursdays. Ceramics is offered for teens on Saturday afternoons at no charge and the weight room is open for use daily at a fee of $10 a month. For the adults, available at no fee is membership in the Monday night Ceramics Club. The gym is used for basketball practice frogi 7:45 to 9:45 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Womens volleyball begins at 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays an Fridays. Karate classes run from 6:30 to 8 p.m, followed by open league volleyball from 8:15 to 9:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 1 Cost to use the weight room is $10 a month and aerobic classes 1 ($30 for 10 lessons) are held in the gym Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. There are also wood carving, womens i TaeKwonDo and swimming classes.

1 The first big event for youngsters this summer blasts off Satur-- day as the center hosts Junior Olympics beginning at 9 a.m. Students from Emory, Central, Berry, Harborview, Westview, Oneonta, Bayside, Nestor and Imperial Beach Elementary Schools will be competing in seven events in four different divisions. Events include the 50-yard, 100-yard and 440-yard dashes, the 880 relay, softball throwing, high jumping and frisbee-throwing. The divisions are third and fourth grade girls, third and fourth grade boys, fifth and sixth grade girls and fifth and sixth grade boys. See Park: page D3 I 1 I 1 i I I Staff pholos by Paul Longwortb The locals beat the visitors on Tuesday, 15-14 in the ninth inning when Bob Kennedy hit a two-run homer.

Chula Vista had been trailing 14-13 at the time. The win evens the teams record at 1-1. They will meet North Park on Tuesday at Eucalyptus Park. Dave Snow of the Chula Vista Recreation Departments senior softball team is shown in a sequence of shots making a throw from third to first base against Pacific Beach. Snow is unhurt as the final photo reveals.

21st of the year. And it was his seventhinning homer that clinched the lead and helped beat Louisiana State, 8-7, in an early i i 1 A itf 4 A A 0 If Pratt, also hitting .272 with four doubles and five gamewinning runs batted in, has been on a special program since he came to Florida. The purpose: to combat the Sunshine States 90 degree weather through the summer. Some of the guys here helped me work out a program so Ill still be stronger in August, Pratt said. I dont want to be one of those guys whose average dives 20 points in the last month of the season.

Nevertheless, the Chula Vista native has had his share of problems. He was hitting well over .300 at one time this spring. Then came a mild slump that grew and grew. Im starting to come out of it now, Pratt said. One of the reasons I was having problems was I was concerned about hitting home runs.

I figured when I got six I could get some more and it threw my swing out of whack. Pratt started swinging for the long ball and forgot what got him over .300 base hits. And thats why Im in tN shape I'm in Lancer Todd Pratt finds baseball not sole challenger in Red Sox Florida farm club now, he said. The Florida State League is notorious for its big ballparks. Many a minor leaguer has beeen known to come into the FSL and try to hit balls out of its parks, but whereas theyd be homers anywhere else, here, its virtually impossible.

This makes Pratts home run total all the more impressive. These parks cant hold me, Pratt said. When I hit a ball, its out of here. Its not going to stay in the park if I hit it good. All of my home runs have been good.

None of them have been cheap hits. I know Ive got power. Pratt has set his mind now to only try to do what he can. Hell swing for base hits and let the long ball come where it may. They say if you hit 10 home runs in this league then you have got big league power, Pratt said.

Ive got six so Im hoping to get 10-15 out of (my power) this year. Pratts future problems concern the Red Soxs horde of, talent ahead of him. Boston has several young catchers in Double By David Jones Special lo I he Star News CLEARWATER, Fla. Former Hilltop High athlete Todd Pratt is quickly establishing himself as one of the Boston Red Soxs top catching prospects. A year ago, he hit .245 wth 12 home runs in Greensboro, N.C., of the Single A South Atlantic League.

Pratt moved up the ladder to the Florida State League to Bostons top singie-A club. He responded by hitting six homers and knocking in 34 runs in his first 46 games of the season with Winter Haven. He has ranked among the league leaders in homers and RBI for the majority of the season. Going into the month of June, Pratt was fourth in both categories. It has been a little bit easier than 1 thought it would be, said Pratt, the Red Sox sixth selection in the 1985 June draft, but this is a tough league.

It is well known that all the organizations send their top (single) A ballplayers here. A and Triple A ball, all who are ahead of Pratt. But he sees light at the end of the competitive tunnel. The thing about it is, those guys ahead of me, they are all getting old, Pratt explained. They are all like 24, 25-years-old and Im still young.

Pratt turned 20 in February. Ive got time, he said. "There are a lot of teams that dont really support their guys. I have been around to see a few of them. But thats not the case here.

See Pratt: page D2 This local facility, off Coronado Avenue, has countless programs for family summer enjoyment. i.