The Talk at CSUN Sounds Like Another Title

Few things in sports are as predictable as a coach’s preseason comments assessing his team’s talent and probable finish in the standings. Many coaches moan and predict gloom and doom no matter how loaded their teams may be.

It is supposed to confuse opponents and protect coaches just in case they end up in last place.

It works this way: If the team might be good, a coach says something like: “It’ll be tough, but we might make it.” If he says, “We don’t have a lot of talent, but we’ll be competitive,” that means he is supremely confident. Only when a coach says, “We have potential,” does it mean his team is in really deep trouble and he knows it.

Before the 1987 softball season, though, Cal State Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson can’t find it in him to use such cliches. His team is going to be pretty darn good and there’s no denying it. Like any coach, he initially tried to hold back, but eventually he came clean.

Here’s a sampling of his comments:

“We’re as good as we’ve ever been.”

“We’ve got as good or better pitching as what anybody else has.”

“This is the fastest team we’ve had in five years.”

“Our outfield, well, uh, I haven’t seen anybody of their caliber.”

“If we were playing in Division I, we’d be in the Top 10.”

“We are two-deep at every position.”

“We look good. You know, this is a real good situation.”

And finally, on the eve of the Lady Matadors’ season- and home-opening doubleheader at noon today against Cal Poly Pomona, Torgeson said, “The only thing I’m worried about is the weather. After five weeks of practicing, we’ve got to get going and play.”

Not once did the coach even use the word potential.

Torgeson did everything but predict a national championship.

The coach’s optimism stems from the fact that he has players who started or split time at eight positions from last year’s team that was 51-12-1 and won the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title. Kelly Winn, an all-CCAA selection, will play first base. Returners Kim Bernstein (second base), Barbara Flynn and Lisa Hall (third base), and Lori Shelly (shortstop) round out the infield.

The outfield, Torgeson’s favorite subject, includes Beth Onestinghel, an all-region left fielder who the coach says is “one of the best left fielders on the West Coast;” center fielder Barbara Jordan, a two-time All-American and CCAA MVP, and Priscilla Rouse in right field.

Junior Andi Goodell and transfer Reggie Lyons, an all-state JC selection from Sacramento, are battling to start at catcher.

Lisa Erickson, a freshman who was All-Southern Section in the 3-A Division a year ago, is the designated hitter. “She bats left and right,” Torgeson said. “She’s been a big surprise.”

Even though CSUN lost All-American pitcher Kathy Slaten to graduation, there appears to be little letdown on the mound. Delanee Anderson and Lisa Martin combined for a 29-9 record last season. Two freshmen, Debbie Dickman and Tracy Fox, could also start and will work out of the bullpen.

On offense, Torgeson said his team is better than a year ago, when the Lady Matadors finished second in the NCAA Division II national tournament.

Part of the reason is that the NCAA has moved the pitcher’s mound back three feet to put a little punch back into women’s softball, which had grown accustomed to low-scoring games and a lot of strikeouts.

“Moving the mound back will help us more than hurt us,” Torgeson said. “It’ll put more excitement in the game and because our team speed is so good, it will help.”

Torgeson said his pitchers have made the adjustment to the longer throw in part because of a weight-training program they have followed during the off-season.

“We don’t know it,” he said, “but we’ve just got to feel optimistic that our pitching will hold its own.”

So, is there any way this team could fail, in spite of its talent?

“No,” Torgeson said. “They’re not going to choke.”