Orange County Community College Notebook : After 15 OCC Records, James Heads for UCLA

Only three days after ending his community college baseball career, Joey James of Orange Coast College signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to attend UCLA in the fall.

In two seasons at OCC, James set 15 school records.

He set career records in at-bats (353), runs (120), hits (144), home runs (35), RBIs (147), total bases (347), times on base (226) and batting average (.407).

In 1986, he set single-season records in home runs (19), RBIs (80) and average (.443). This season, he set records for runs (65), hits (74), total bases (179) and times on base (114).

James will have to be content with school records. The state community college sports office does not keep track of baseball records.

OCC was eliminated from the state baseball tournament Sunday night at San Jose by eventual state champion Cerritos, 4-3.

James, from Newport Harbor High School, was voted the state’s co-most valuable player in 1986 with Frank Halcovich of College of the Canyons. This season, he was named a first-team all-state outfielder.

Cerritos swept a doubleheader from Sacramento City Monday to take its eighth state baseball title and the second title in George Horton’s three years as coach there.

It also was the third consecutive season that the state champion also won the Casey Stengel tournament played at Rancho Santiago and Cerritos in March. Cerritos won in both 1985 and this season. College of the Canyons won both last season.

Community College Notes

Shannon Orcutt, an All-American sophomore swimmer at Saddleback, signed a letter of intent to attend Ohio State in the fall. . . . Kelli Winkler, an all-state softball player and All-South Coast Conference soccer player, was voted the Golden West female athlete of the year. Quarterback Eric Lawton and water polo player and swimmer Jason Jeffries were voted co-male athletes of the year. Women’s basketball Coach Dick Stricklen was the women’s coach of the year and football Coach Ray Shackleford was the men’s coach of the year. . . . Dana Carlson, a soccer and softball player, was voted the female athlete of the year at OCC. Dave Parsel, a cross-country and track runner, was voted male athlete of the year. Tennis Coach Janice Maran was the women’s coach of the year and baseball’s Mike Mayne the male coach of year. . . . Eric Krivashei, a guard on the Cypress basketball team, has announced he will attend Cal State Stanislaus in the fall and play basketball. Center Scott Dwinell of Saddleback has signed a letter of intent to attend Westmont College in Santa Barbara, and guard Tom Desiano signed with San Jose State. Bobby Rhodes will play at Christ College Irvine.