‘It’s Really Hard to Deal With’

Jon Leicester got the bad news after school.

The Palisades High senior was told that baseball would be among four varsity sports eliminated by Cal State Northridge. Leicester’s athletic scholarship would be honored for one year, but he would have nowhere to play.

“It’s really hard to deal with,” the infielder said. “I was really ready to go out and play for this team.”

Across Southern California, recruits offered a range of responses to the announcement that Northridge would cut four men’s teams--baseball, volleyball, swimming and soccer--to comply with gender-equity laws.

Some were angry. Others were in shock.

“I just got the word,” said John Baxter, a Royal senior and The Times’ regional volleyball player of the year. “I haven’t really had time to think about it.”

Meanwhile, Hart High third baseman Eric Horvat is being represented by Daniel M. Petrocelli, the attorney who represented Fred Goldman in the civil suit against O.J. Simpson.

Petrocelli sent a letter to Northridge administrators stating that Horvat was unfairly denied the chance of pursuing an athletic scholarship at another university.

“Keep in mind, my client signed a letter of intent as late as May 1997,” Petrocelli said. “You’re trying to tell me there was no hint or clue as of mid-May? I think that’s just outrageous.

“They are playing with the future of these kids. It has crushed their hopes and dreams.”

Northridge athletic department officials could offer only sympathy to recruits and their parents.

“I’ve been yelled at and called a liar the last week and a half,” said Tim Montez, assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator. “All we can do is step back and put ourselves in their position. I would do the same thing.

“I hope they realize I knew as much as they did and did not hold back anything. Anybody who knows me and [Coach Mike] Batesole knows where we are coming from.”

Word of the cuts spread slowly among recruits. Some were called by Northridge coaches. Others were not aware of the announcement until they were approached by a reporter.

“Soccer got cut?” asked William Diaz, a top player on the Reseda team that reached the City Section semifinals in 1995.

Diaz enrolled at Northridge in the fall of 1996 but decided to concentrate on his studies and wait to play soccer until the following school year.

“Damn, they didn’t even tell us this was going to happen,” Diaz said. “When you’re not prepared, you’re really against the wall.”

Nick Garcia, a shortstop at Wilmington Banning High, expected the worst.

“I tried to reach Batesole a couple days ago and heard that he was out on a job interview,” Garcia said. “I figured baseball was gone.”

Garcia said that Montez promised to help him find a baseball scholarship at another school.

John Penfield, a Thousand Oaks volleyball recruit, said that Northridge Coach John Price made a similar offer to him.

Meanwhile, Leicester’s parents have taken the initiative by calling other schools.

“We kind of saw this coming,” David Leicester said. “My son had a lot of other offers. We’re trying to get some dialogue going with some other schools.”

At Royal, Coach Bob Ferguson is less hopeful when it comes to the prospects for Baxter, his senior setter, and other volleyball recruits. He said there are only 30 Division I and II men’s volleyball programs that offer scholarships nationwide.

“The only place I’ve heard who needs a setter is Ball State,” Ferguson said.

“Let’s be realistic. There are not enough programs to meet the needs of the kids who worked so doggone hard.”