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FELTS RETURNS HOME . . . Former Sacred Heart Prep basketball standout Alexis Felts will begin her post-collegiate career only a short walk from where she starred in high school. Felts is the new assistant women's basketball coach at Menlo College. Felts, 22, will join head coach Caitlin Collier in leading the Lady Oaks in their inaugural season in 1998-99. Felts is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, where the Buffs compiled a 91-37 record in her four seasons. Colorado went to the NCAA tournament three times and won the Big Eight Conference championship once. "After my senior season, I was planning on taking a year off from basketball," said Felts, "but as soon as I spoke with Caitlin, I was motivated to start coaching right away. I've always wanted to coach at the college level. With Menlo being a first-year program, I have the opportunity to help build something here." Felts also helped build Sacred Heart Prep into a powerhouse during her prep days. From 1990-94, Felts scored 1,710 points and led the Gators to a 121-14 record. Sacred Heart was 75-0 in Felts' junior and senior seasons. Felts' main responsibilities as Collier's assistant will be recruiting, scouting and monitoring the players' academic progress.

ON A TEAR . . . Stanford sophomore John Gall tied a USA Baseball single-game record with three doubles to lead the USA National Team to a 20-3 romp over Canada on Wednesday night. The game, which improved the USA's record to 5-0, marked the opener of a five-game series at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. Gall, a Portola Valley resident, finished with a team-high five RBI. On Tuesday, Gall had two hits and drove in two runs as Team USA romped to a 14-3 win over the Mexican National Team. One night earlier, Gall had a hit in the USA's 12-0 triumph over Mexico. Gall is batting a gaudy .636 with seven hits in 11 at-bats. He leads the team with seven RBI and 15 total bases.

CARDINAL CORNER . . . Stanford head softball coach John Rittman was named Pacific Region Coach of the Year after leading the Cardinal to its best season in school history. Rittman's 1998 squad finished the season with a 41-18 mark, including a 17-11 record in the Pac-10 Conference. Stanford finished third in the Pac-10, its best conference finish ever. The Cardinal advanced to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, reaching the regional championship game before losing. Additionally, the Cardinal achieved a No. 9 ranking in the NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. This was the first season Stanford had been ranked . . . Half of last season's men's Final Four in basketball--Stanford and North Carolina--head a stellar field for the 1998 Pete Newell Challenge. Joining the Cardinal and Tar Heels in the prestigious doubleheader, set for Dec. 29 at the New Arena in Oakland, will be Temple and California. Temple (21-9 in 1998) will play Stanford (30-5) at 6 p.m., followed by North Carolina (34-4) against Cal (12-15). Stanford returns all five starters and 11 letterman off a team that lost to Kentucky in overtime in the Final Four semifinals. The tournament was created to honor the Hall-of-Fame coach who led Cal to its only national basketball championship in 1959. Newell will turn 83 on Aug. 31. Tickets for the tourney are expected to be available in September, through all BASS ticket outlets in the Bay Ara and at the New Arena. Information: (510) 762-2277 . . . Junior guard Milena Flores has been invited to the USA Basketball National Team Trials June 22-26 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Twelve players from the camp will be named to the 1998 USA Jones Cup team with another 12 named to the Select Team.

SUMMER LEAGUE . . . Basketball players looking to sharpen their skills will have the opportunity to do so this summer at the Viking Youth Basketball Camp and Viking Youth Basketball League at Palo Alto High. The summer camp, for players in the 5th through 8th grades, runs June 22-26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Paly. Cost is $75. A summer basketball league for 5th-8th graders also will be held at Paly. The first session is June 15-July 2 with the second running July 13-29. Both sessions will run from 5-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Cost is $75 per session. A clinic will be held from 5-6 p.m. each night prior to league action. Players will be assigned to teams. For registration information, contact City of Palo Alto Recreation at 329-2390.

SUMMER CAMPS . . . Menlo College men's basketball coach Keith Larsen and his coaching staff will be putting on six camps for boys ages 7-17 beginning June 22-26 from 9 a.m. to noon. Two sessions will be held each week, one in the morning and one from 1-4 p.m. The other camps are July 13-17 and July 20-24. Information: 688-3777 . . . Menlo College will be the site of the Summer Jack Rabbits Track Club '98, a track and field club for youngsters age 5-13. The camp begins June 24 and runs through Aug. 2. Workouts will be on the Menlo College track on Sunday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. Cost is $150. A special camp for toddlers age 2-4 will be held before the regular camp (5:15-5:45 p.m.). Parents are welcome to attend. Cost is $75. Contact coach Joy Margerum at 367-9849 . . . The first Lady Oaks Basketball Camp will be offered in two sessions by the Menlo College women's basketball coaching staff. Session I is from Aug. 3-7 (grades 5-8), while Session II is from Aug. 10-14 (grades 7-10). Guest speakers include former Stanford standout and current ABL player Kate Paye, as well as other local coaches and players. Information: 688-3770.

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