Wade Houston

Major League Baseball's interleague leaders: BATTING AVERAGE Carlos Lee, Chicago (AL)....444 (20-45) Luis Rivas, Minnesota....421 (24-57) Todd Helton, Colorado....418 (28-67) Bernie Williams, N.Y. (AL)....417 (25-60) Hank Blalock, Texas....403 (27-67) Derek Jeter, New York (AL)....403 (27-67) * HOME RUNS Jim Thome, Philadelphia...10 Adrian Beltre, Dodgers...7 Hank Blalock, Texas...6 Richard Hidalgo, Hou.-N.Y. (NL)...6 Chipper Jones, Atlanta...6 Paul Konerko, Chicago (AL)...6 David Ortiz, Boston.

BATTING Luis Gonzalez, Arizona: 3 for 5, homer, 5 RBIs helped defeat the Rockies. Vernon Wells, Toronto: 3 for 5, homer, 4 RBIs in victory over the Orioles. Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal: 4 for 5, 2 homers, 3 RBIs not enough against the Mets. Frank Thomas, Chicago White Sox: 4 for 5, 3 doubles, 2 RBIs in loss to the Royals. PITCHING Brian Lawrence, San Diego: Complete game, 4 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts in shutting out the Dodgers.

There's a reason linebacker Jordan Zumwalt of Huntington Beach Edison has picked up scholarship offers from USC and UCLA in the last month. His reputation as a crushing tackler has become well known. It was a Zumwalt hit with 6:47 left Saturday night that knocked the ball loose from Lakewood's Terrance Woods, resulting in a fumble recovery and a turning point in the Chargers' 37-29 victory in a Pac-5 Division semifinal game at Orange Coast College. Lakewood had rallied from a 23-7 third-quarter deficit with touchdowns on an 80-yard kickoff return by Woods and an 18-yard touchdown reception by Justin Utupo, plus two two-point conversions.

For those who thought Huntington Beach Edison was a mere passing-league power, take notice. The Chargers inflicted so many tattoos on hard hits against Anaheim Servite on Friday night at Huntington Beach High that the Friars are going to need buckets of ice to recover. "They kicked our butts," Servite Coach Troy Thomas said. Edison's 23-9 victory over Servite, ranked No. 2 by The Times, ought to put to rest any doubts about the No. 6 Chargers, who were unbeatable last summer in seven-on-seven passing competitions but untested with pads on. Let's just say their fourth consecutive victory this season will silence the skeptics.

CITY SECTION Division I: Harbor City Narbonne (8-5) vs. Los Angeles Crenshaw (13-0) at the Coliseum, 1 p.m. -- A victory in the title game probably is all that separates Crenshaw from becoming the first City team to play in a state bowl championship game. The Cougars also have revenge on their minds after losing to Narbonne, 25-24, in a semifinal last year when they missed four extra-point attempts and failed to convert on fourth down in their own territory while trying to run out the clock.

Stuart Holden scored twice and Houston used a three-goal first half to beat Atlante, 4-0, in the first game of the SuperLiga tournament for both teams Saturday night at Houston. Dwayne De Rosario gave the Dynamo the lead in the 20th minute when he received a pass from Brad Davis off a free kick from 35 yards out on the right sideline. De Rosario headed the ball into the left corner. In the 21st minute, De Rosario passed to Geoff Cameron on the lower post.

Those who have seen "Blue Chips" usually come away thinking that Pete Bell, the coach portrayed by Nick Nolte, is really Bob Knight. In temperament and tactics, perhaps, but in terms of art imitating life, this movie smacks of Bergman. Russ Bergman. In fact, after the embattled Coastal Carolina coach went to see the movie with his team in Blacksburg, Va., the night before its Feb. 12 game at Radford, he called Steve Vest, sports editor of the Myrtle Beach, S.C.

As contract sagas go, few rival the story unfolding at Cincinnati, where Coach Bob Huggins has yet to find his way to the dotted line. Huggins, whose Bearcats reached the Final Four last year and are headed to the NCAA tournament again this year, is hot stuff these days. Every athletic director with a program in trouble, an arena that needs filling and a record that needs improving is anxiously awaiting Huggins' decision.

One practice session does not a season make, of course, especially when it's the first session in a camp for rookies and free agents, but Billy Thompson, athlete, showed the versatile look the Lakers like so much Monday at Loyola Marymount. It doesn't figure to be the last time, either. Thompson, the 6-7, 210-pounder who came to Los Angeles by way of Camden, N.J.

If there is one thing Cheryl Miller can do better than play basketball, it's talk. And Wednesday, she had a microphone. Rookie coaches are supposed to be seen and not heard, but USC's coach had something on her mind at an NCAA Mideast Regional news conference. On the afternoon before her USC women's basketball team plays Virginia in tonight's NCAA Mideast Regional semifinal, Miller was asked about television coverage of women's basketball. "If I had a chance, I'd tell Ted Turner: 'Come on, Ted.