Waves Coach Rates His Nine as a 10

Pepperdine’s baseball team did not make it to the College World Series in Omaha, but Coach Dave Gorrie still thinks his team accomplished a great deal this year.

Highlights for the Waves include a 38-21-2 overall record, tying Loyola Marymount for the West Coast Athletic Conference title in the last week of the regular season and finishing with a No. 14 national ranking by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball magazines.

After losing a playoff game to Loyola for the WCAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA playoffs, Pepperdine was chosen for postseason play and finished with a 3-2 record in the NCAA Central Regional at Austin, Tex. The Waves, although seeded fifth, advanced to the regional finals, where they lost to Arizona, 5-3.

Gorrie was not pleased with the way it ended, but he was happy about his team’s overall performance. “I think we put together a team of overachievers,” he said. “This group worked well as a unit, and they never quit. It looks like we have a good foundation on which to build for the 1987 campaign.”

The only bricks certain to be missing from the foundation next year are shortstop Andy Stankiewicz and pitcher-outfielder Dan Anderson, but Gorrie could lose ace pitcher Mike Fetters, drafted by the California Angels this week, if the junior from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, signs with the pros. Six of Gorrie’s starters were either freshmen or sophomores.

Right-hander Fetters, who finished the year with a 13-7 record, set school season records for innings pitched (147.2), complete games (12) and strikeouts (158).

Among those expected to return are junior third baseman Paul Faries, junior catcher Steve Erickson and sophomore pitcher Doug Simons. Faries, who topped the Waves in hitting with a .356 average, was named the most valuable player of the Central Regional, where he hit .550 (11 for 20), batted in five runs and stole three bases. Erickson and Simons were named to the all-tournament team. For the season, Erickson had 45 RBIs, stole 21 bases and hit. 290, and left-hander Simons was 6-1 with a 2.51 earned run average.

Others who should be back are junior right-handed pitcher Tony Lewis (10-3, 2.49 ERA), sophomore center fielder Steve Kirkpatrick (.343, .994 fielding average, only 19 strikeouts in 261 at bats), and freshman outfielder Rick Hirtensteiner, who led the team in extra-base hits, including 16 doubles and five triples, and in game-winning RBIs with eight.

New recruits include Ruben Gonzales, a first baseman-outfielder from Rancho Santiago Junior College; catcher Pete Kuld of community college power College of the Canyons and pitchers Scott Singelyn of Claremont Webb School and Craig Stiveson of Marin Catholic High.

Five graduating seniors from UCLA’s NCAA championship soccer team were selected in the free agent draft of the Major Indoor Soccer League, including three Bruins who were taken among the first 11 players.

Midfielder Doug Swanson was the seventh player chosen overall and was picked by the Tacoma Stars. Defender Paul Krumpe, chosen 10th, went to the Chicago Sting, and All-American midfielder Dale Ervine was the 11th selection, going to the Wichita Wings. Bruin forward Mike Getchell and UCLA goalkeeper Dave Vanole were both picked by Tacoma, Getchell on the second round and Vanole on the third.

Ervine led the Bruins in scoring for three straight years, finishing fifth on the school career scoring list with 127 points on 46 goals and 35 assists. In the NCAA playoffs last season, Vanole had three shutouts and finished his career with a goals-against average of 0.82.

UCLA senior golfer Kay Cockerill shot a 294, two over par for 72 holes, to finish fourth in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Ohio State University. Bruin junior Kristal Park was 15th with a 298. In team competition, UCLA finished 14th with a total of 1,231. Defending champion Florida captured the title with a total of 1,180.