THE COLLEGES : Pony Softball Tournament : Sunset League Lights Up Cal State Fullerton

Sunset League softball followers have been seeing league stars of the recent past at the Pony tournament at Cal State Fullerton this week.

Eight players from the Sunset League started for their respective college teams.

“I think it is the best league,” said Traci Ferguson, a junior outfielder for Cal State Long Beach who played for Marina High School. Patty Barrett, a sophomore pitcher for Toledo, also is from Marina.

Cal Poly Pomona senior shortstop Dana Ramos, from Fountain Valley, also says the Sunset League may be one of Southern California’s best leagues.

“I think that there are a lot better coaches,” Ramos said. “Right now there are a lot of coaches who have Division I softball experience.”

Although Ramos said the Sunset League is highly competitive, she sees the league changing both in style and quality.

“When I played, it was more of a pitcher’s league,” Ramos said. “I don’t think there are as many dominant pitchers as there used to be.”

Now, Ramos said, players other than pitchers also are coming out of the league and starting on Division I teams.

Jackie Pittman of Cal State Fullerton is the only freshman from the Sunset League who is at the Pony tournament, and she has yet to start in the first two days of the tournament.

But there are two sophomores starting: Barrett and Fresno State shortstop Martha Noffsinger, who is from Edison.

Four juniors start--Julie Carpenter from Edison has started every game for Texas A&M; in the tournament; Kelli Winkler, who also is from Edison, plays outfield for United States International University; Charis Monroe from Ocean View is Cal State Fullerton’s shortstop, and Ferguson plays outfield and catcher for Long Beach.

Carpenter (17-10) won her third tournament game Friday as Texas A&M; upset Cal State Fullerton, 3-0. Carpenter threw a two-hitter in blanking the Titans (29-7), who are ranked second in the country.

Ramos is the only senior of the group.

“It may be that the (Sunset League) schools are all bigger than other schools, but I don’t know,” Pittman said.

Pittman--Jackie Oakley when she played for Ocean View and before she married--also said that the high level of competition attracts players to transfer to Sunset League schools.

“I know people transfer (to Sunset League schools) like Edison,” Pittman said. “But then again, they do that for all sports.”

Ferguson isn’t sure that she knows the reason for the quality of play in the Sunset League, but she said that it is something that is identifiable.

“I think (college coaches) recognize it as a tough division,” Ferguson said.