BASEBALL

Cotto hired: Henry Cotto has been hired as hitting coach for the Lancaster JetHawks for the 1998 season, the team announced Thursday.

Cotto played 10 years in the major leagues, including a six-year stint with the JetHawks’ parent club, the Seattle Mariners.

Rick Burleson will return as manager, as will pitching coach Jim Slaton.

BASKETBALL

In the Navy: Chaminade High 6-foot-5 forward Scott Long has signed a national letter of intent with Navy. He’s a two-time All-Mission League performer and made All-Southern Section Division III last season.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Day signs: Danielle Day of Quartz Hill High, the runner-up in the 1996 Southern Section Division I cross-country championships, has signed a letter of intent with New Mexico State.

Day, sixth in last year’s state Division I final, took a recruiting trip to New Mexico State last weekend.

“I liked everything about the school,” she said. “The coach was nice. The girls on the team were nice and the [Las Cruces] area reminds me a lot of Lancaster. I don’t think I’ll have to make a big adjustment there.”

In addition to her cross-country exploits, Day has a personal best of 10:45.20 in the 3,200 meters in track.

DIVING

Diving to success: Troy Dumais of Ventura won the one-meter springboard at the World Junior Championships in Penang, Malaysia.

Dumais, a senior at Buena High, scored 552.18 points, defeating Igor Loukashin of Russia by 7.17 points.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

On Guard: The Bell-Jeff High School boys’ basketball team will host its version of “Midnight Madness” at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

Admission is free, and there will be three-point and slam dunk exhibitions, along with food, drinks and prizes.