NCAA BASEBALL - Wichita Regional Playoff Bid Leaves CSUN a Bit Cold

You can’t always believe what you see, especially on television.

For instance, the audience that tuned in to ESPN on Monday for the announcement of the 48-team NCAA postseason baseball tournament watched a group of Cal State Northridge baseball players and coaches celebrate their inclusion in the field.

It was a canned act.

Coach Bill Kernen admitted later--off camera--that Northridge wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of traveling to the Midwest Regional in Wichita, Kan., where the Matadors will open on Friday against Arizona State.

The reasons were varied and numerous: tough teams; a large and partisan crowd; Wichita State’s half-turf, half-natural grass field; and a hard-throwing 6-foot-2 Arizona State right-hander who is expected to be among the first pitchers selected in June’s baseball draft.

Like Northridge, Arizona State (32-22) has lost four of its last five games. But the Sun Devils are likely to have Sean Lowe as their starting pitcher against the Matadors.

Lowe, a junior, is 8-4 with a 4.61 earned-run average and 106 strikeouts in 105 1/3 innings. Northridge will counter with Kenny Kendrena, a senior right-hander who is 10-6 with a 3.24 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 153 innings.

Northridge (37-14-1) is seeded third in the regional behind second-ranked Wichita State (52-9) and Big Eight champion Oklahoma State (46-14). The host Shockers, runners-up to LSU in last year’s College World Series, meet George Washington (26-24) in the first round. Oklahoma State plays Minnesota (40-19).

Northridge was among a dozen teams from the West to receive playoff invitations. Half the regionals begin on Thursday, the other half on Friday.

At the Mideast Regional in Starkville, Miss., UCLA (34-24) opens against Oklahoma (38-21).

In other openers on Thursday, Cal State Fullerton (38-15) meets Ohio State (38-19) in the South I Regional in Baton Rouge, La.; Stanford (37-21) faces Stetson (38-19) in the South II Regional in Tallahassee, Fla.; and Cal (31-25) plays Texas A&M (38-18) in the East Regional in Gainesville, Fla.

The West Regional begins in Tucson on Friday with top-seeded Arizona (34-21-1), champion of the Pacific 10 Southern Division, playing Washington (37-19); Western Athletic Conference champion Hawaii (45-12) meeting Southeast Louisiana (37-20) and West Coast Conference champion Pepperdine (40-10-1) facing Fresno State (37-18).

In the Central Regional in Austin, Tex., also on Friday, second-seeded Cal State Long Beach (34-19-1), champion of the Big West Conference, faces Southwest Louisiana (38-21).