1970 Baseball Team (2009) - CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame

1970 Baseball Team

Induction:
2009
Class:
1970

The 1970 San Fernando Valley State (CSUN) Baseball team was inducted into the CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Under the guidance of CSUN Hall of Fame coach Bob Hiegert, the Matadors reached the pinnacle of college baseball by winning the program's first NCAA Division II National Champion in 1970.

Valley State chalked up a 41-21-1 overall record, capturing the CCAA championship with an 18-6 record. Possessing dominant pitchers in Lew Lerner and Larry Ramirez and top hitters in Chuck Stone and Frank Slaton, "the Mats" went on to take home the Western Regional crown after eliminating heavily-favored Chapman College with a 3-1 series victory.

Making its first-ever Division II Championship appearance, Valley State dropped its first game and would be forced to play out of the losing bracket. Up to that point, no other team had won the national title after losing its opening-round game, but the Matadors ended that trend with four straight victories. In the final, CSUN defeated Nicholls State in back-to-back games including a close 2-1 decision in the deciding game to clinch the national crown.

Valley State had a school-record 10 All-Conference selections that season, which included the likes of catcher Dave Ravare, outfielders Chuck Stone and Dave Zall, the entire infielding group of Frank Slaton (first base), Irv Zakheim (second base), Rob Valenti (third base) and Mike McClure (shortshop), and pitchers Lew Lerner, Steve Lee and Ben Johnson.

Hiegert would be named District VIII Coach of the Year and CCAA Coach of the Year during the season.