CLU NOTEBOOK: RIVAL COACH PRAISES : BROOKS LIKES CLU'S CALIBER.

Byline: Patrick Hipes Daily News Staff Writer

Sometimes it's best to step away to evaluate just how strong a team is.

For the Cal Lutheran baseball squad, look no further than The Master's coach Monte Brooks, whose NAIA Mustangs beat the Kingsmen 14-4 on Monday.

``Oh, they're good,'' Brooks said. ``They're very good.''

It's true. Despite the loss, No. 7 CLU is 21-7 overall and 17-1 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, 2-1/2 games ahead of Redlands entering its three-game series with the Bulldogs this weekend.

Taking two of three from Redlands would give the Kingsmen their third consecutive SCIAC title and sixth in seven years.

CLU, which won 12 consecutive games at one point this season, has won three of it's past four.

In all, eight players are hitting over .400, led by Donny Churchman's .469 average with seven home runs and 26 RBI, and the team hits a collective .381.

No hits, no problem: Kathy Proffitt and Melissa Eichenberger threw back-to-back no-hitters as the Cal Lutheran softball team finished the regular season with the SCIAC's best record (22-16, 11-1) entering this weekend's conference tournament.

Proffitt, a junior, threw a no-hitter in the Regals' 4-0 victory over Whittier on Saturday. Eichenberger, a sophomore, followed with a perfect game in an 11-0 win.

In an important series for NCAA playoff seedings, the Regals followed their no-hit feats the next day with a sweep of powerful UC San Diego, 8-1 and 5-4.

CLU enters Thursday's round-robin tournament vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps having won eight in a row and 11 of their past 12.

Golf wins, again: CLU won its sixth SCIAC title in a row Monday, despite finishing second in the SCIAC Championships at Brookside.

Occidental took the team title on the day, holding off Cal Lutheran by four strokes and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps by nine. Still, the regular-season title and mini-tournament victories gave the Kingsmen more overall points (41) than runner-up Claremont-Mudd (36).

Jeff Karpman shot a final-round 69 - the lowest of the tournament - to earn medalist honors at 142 after beating Occidental's Scott Hannah in a one-hole playoff.

SCIAC Player of the Year David Richardson of Cal Lutheran struggled to an opening-round 81 and finished at 156.

Other CLU finishers: Jeremy White 77-74-151; Trevor Coates 77-75-152; Tyson Silva 78-75-153; Clint Elsemore 73-81-154.

The Kingsmen now await a May 5 conference call to determine if they will attend the NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Ga.

Donovan takes title: CLU thrower Kyle Donovan won the SCIAC shot put title at the track championships over the weekend.

The Kingsmen throwers fared best at the meet, helping the team to a fifth-place finish. Donovan, who put the shot 47-3-1/2 to win the title by nearly two feet, was second in the discus with a 154-0 effort. Claremont's Sepehr Sharifi won at 161-5.

Tom Meadows finished sixth in the discus (136-9) and Keith Parris finished second in the javelin with a throw of 180-3.

Etc.: Jenia Karimov is undefeated in men's singles play (23-0) entering this weekend's Ojai Invitational. Karimov is 16-5 with doubles partner Carl Maloney. . . . CLU Joseph Jauregui had his 22-game hitting streak snapped when he went 0 for 5 in a 11-5 loss to UC San Diego last Thursday. . . . CLU punter Jeff Shea, who played in the 1997 Hula Bowl, was not selected in this weekend's NFL draft. However, it is likely he will sign as a free agent in the near future.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, 2 Boxes

PHOTO Cal Lutheran's Jake Ganajian is out on this play as La Verne's Lyle Miller completes a doubleplay, but the Kingsmen have done little else wrong this season.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

BOX: (1) CLU leaders

(2) Upcoming events