CHATTER: NEWS AND NOTES FROM LOCAL SPORTS EBY IS ON THE MOVE.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Westlake High baseball coach Josh Eby is leaving the program to become the dean of attendance at Newbury Park High.

Eby, a Westlake graduate, coached three seasons with the Warriors and was an assistant on their 2002 Southern Section championship team.

``He's a great guy, a grad and a terrific young coach and teacher, but this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up,'' Westlake assistant principal Richard Urias said. ``He has a young family and he was looking to make a move like this. We're definitely going to miss him, I know that.''

Those interested in filling the vacancy left by Eby's departure should contact Urias at Westlake High.

``Our goal is to get someone in place by the start of the school year,'' Urias said.

-- Agoura High shortstop Nick Farinacci committed to UC Irvine. Farinacci batted .337 with 29 RBI this spring, earning All-Marmonte League honors as a junior.

-- Calabasas pitcher Daniel Berlind committed to Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo).

-- After final tryouts Friday at USC, the following local players were selected to play for the Brewers teams in the Area Code baseball games: Agoura catcher/pitcher Robert Stock, El Camino Real outfielder Gabe Cohen, Quartz Hill outfielder Calvin Culver, Westlake outfielder Jeff Rapoport, Chatsworth pitcher Josh Ravin, Agoura pitcher Jason Stoffel, Chaminade pitcher Kyle Thompson, Calabasas pitcher Daniel Berlind and Kennedy pitcher Fabian Williamson

Of the 50 players selected to the two Brewers teams, Stock, an incoming junior, is the only underclassman. The Area Code Games are Aug. 6-10 at Blair Field in Long Beach.

-- Fresh off his impressive performance at the ABCD Camp at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J., Harvard-Westlake of Studio City standout Alex Stepheson still has some basketball to play this summer.

Stepheson, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, is one of the country's top recruits. He rounds out his hectic schedule with two tournaments with his Pump and Run travel team this month while finishing off the remainder of Harvard-Westlake's summer league schedule.

``It's busy, but I like it,'' Stepheson said.

Stepheson, who has received scholarship offers from UCLA, Arizona, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Connecticut and Washington, enjoyed his time at the ABCD camp this month, playing against the nation's top high school prospects in front of most of the top college coaches.

``It was a great experience,'' Stepheson said. ``I came out and I played hard and I played aggressive. Being aggressive at all times is something scouts told me they wanted to see more of coming into my senior year, and that's what I've been focusing on.''

-- Swim standout Christopher Stroh, a recent Valencia High graduate, has commit?ted to Cal Poly after finishing third in the Foothill League in the boys' 100 butterfly and helping Valencia to a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay this past spring.

``I'm super excited. Cal Poly is a Division I school, so I'll be swimming against the big boys,'' Stroh said.

-- Camarillo High infielder Corey Jones has verbally committed to Cal State Fullerton, the 2004 NCAA champions. Jones, a member of the Daily News All-Area baseball team, hit .470 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI for the Scorpions.

-- Recent Paraclete of Lancaster grad Heidi Rocha has been accepted to the University of Notre Dame as a recruited walk-on for the school's cross country and track teams, according to her mother, Linda Rocha. Heidi Rocha was the Alpha League cross country champion in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Gerry Gittelson, Heather Gripp and Sean Martin contributed.