CLU BEAT: CAL LUTHERAN BASEBALL TEAM HOT BUT CAN USE REST : KINGSMEN HAVE WON 7 STRAIGHT, BUT BANGED UP.

Byline: Jim Inghram Daily News Staff Writer

At first glance, the Cal Lutheran baseball team's 13-day break from action seemed to come at an inopportune time. The team has won seven straight and 10 of 12.

But coach Marty Slimak welcomes the respite.

``Well, we're playing really good baseball,'' Slimak said, ``but we're a little banged up and the rest should help us out for the final stretch.''

The two losses were to USC and George Fox College of Oregon. The Trojans are the defending Division I national champions and GFC is an NAIA power. Just before the break, the team swept La Verne, it's nearest competitor in the SCIAC race, and damaged the Leopards' chances of a title.

``That was a series we needed to play well and we did,'' Slimak said. ``We basically knocked them out of the race.''

CLU returns to action on April 9, when it hosts The Master's College.

``Things are going good,'' Slimak said. ``We have six conference games left, including three with Whittier (the conference's second-place team). We're hoping to slap a couple of losses on them.''

Soccer honors: Junior Ashley Scott of the women's soccer team and senior Oskar Kantoft of the men's soccer team received National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar Athlete All-American honors.

Additionally, Luis Alcaraz was selected second-team academic All-American and Holly Roepke was third team. Dan Kuntz, who coaches both the men's and women's teams, was chosen as the 1998 NSCAA/adidas Women's College West Regional Coach of the Year. In his six years as coach Kuntz has compiled a 89-26-2 record with the Regals and is 73-40-7 with the men's team.

Scott, of Phoenix, was just one of 11 chosen for the all-academic first team and was the only non-senior. She has 3.77 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and majors in physical therapy.

The squad consists of players from the throughout the nation and includes Division's I, II and III.

Scott made the all-SCIAC first team as a sophomore and junior and was second team as a freshman.

Kantoft, of Malmo, Sweden, has a 3.71 grade point average and was an all-SCIAC as a junior and senior. He led the team in goals (13) and assists (6) for the second consecutive season.

Baseball camp: A spring session of the Cal Lu DAWGS'S Baseball camp will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cal Lutheran.

The camp is available for players ages 6 through 15. The California Lutheran baseball coaches will provide the instruction.

For more information and a brochure, contact the CLU baseball office at [phone].

Schedule: All spring sports teams have the weekend off because of spring break and the Easter holiday.

The softball and men's tennis teams return to action Tuesday. The women's tennis and men's golf teams are back on Wednesday, while the baseball team plays Friday.