ANTELOPE VALLEY COLLEGE NOTEBOOK: AVC WANTS HOME COOKING SOFTBALL TEAM LOOKING TO STAGE REGIONAL.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News

Softball standout Katie Cornelison is on the verge of breaking Antelope Valley College's career home run record in her freshman year.

Cornelison, a first baseman who played for Lancaster High, hit her 10th homer in Friday's 9-3 Foothill Conference victory over Mt. San Jacinto of Hemet. She needs one more to tie the school's career record with five regular season games remaining and another full season ahead of her.

Cornelison and her AVC teammates are focused more on team objectives than individual goals. They certainly have a lot on their plate.

AVC (36-5 overall, 16-0 Foothill Conference), ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 2 in Southern California, is seeking its first state championship berth.

The Marauders can take a big step towards that when they play host today to conference rival Chaffey of Rancho Cucamonga in a doubleheader.

Chaffey (12-2), AVC's only remaining challenger for the conference title, will technically be the home team in the first game, a makeup of a March 17 rainout.

``I talked to (Cornelison) about (the record) last week, and I don't think she really cares about that. I know she doesn't care about that,'' AVC coach Cindy Vargas said. ``She just cares about the team and what she can do to help the team.

``These girls are all team players.''

Vargas believes that is the reason her team is in such a strong position. AVC, which set a school record with its 19th consecutive victory in the Mt. San Jacinto game, can stage a Southern California regional playoff by finishing the regular season ranked among the top four teams in Southern California.

The May 6-7 Southern California Regional playoffs feature 16 teams in four double-elimination tournaments with the winners advancing to the state tournament.

AVC has been host to a regional playoff just once, in 1994.

``A lot is at stake for us,'' Vargas said. ``It's not just the conference title. I really think we have to win the rest of our games if we want to have a chance to host the regionals.''Rain halted the second game of Friday's doubleheader with Mt. San Jacinto, with the score tied 5-5 in the fifth inning. The game will be made up in its entirety Monday.

New goal: Women's tennis coach Barry Green thought at the start of the season that his team had a realistic chance of winning the Foothill Conference title.

That objective had to be modified when his team fell out of title contention, but Green believes the Marauders, who likely will finish third in the conference, have an excellent chance of qualifying at least two and as many as four individuals for the Southern California individual tournament.

Sophomore Erin Wek and freshman Victoria Tafesh (Lancaster) have the best chance of advancing from the this week's conference tournament. Sophomore Jazzlin Jones (Highland) and freshman Samantha MacConnell also figure to contend.

AVC did not qualify anybody for the regionals last year.

Green said his players' chances of advancing depend heavily upon the draw, which won't be announced until today.

``It would just be a testament to their hard work if we can send all four girls (to the regionals),'' Green said. ``If we can get two of the four, it would still be a nice achievement.''

gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com

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