Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Jacobs Gives Fullerton a Try, and She Enjoys the Results

During her days at Central Catholic High School in Portland, Ore., Kristin Jacobs was known pretty much as a homebody. She was jokingly voted “most likely to live at home the rest of her life” at the end of her senior year.

Jacobs didn’t think the mock award was too funny at the time, but mention of the award now brings a quick smile and a laugh.

After her senior year in 1987, she was offered a scholarship as a softball pitcher to Arizona. Then in July, she found out she would be academically ineligible her first year.

Suddenly, Jacobs was without a school, so staying at home seemed a possibility. But her high school coach suggested giving Fullerton College Coach Margo Davis a call. The two had met at a coaching clinic. So, Jacobs looked over the campus and decided to give Fullerton a try. She moved into an apartment near the campus in August of 1987, and started college.

“It was hard at first,” Jacobs said about moving to Southern California. “All I really had was school and softball. I hadn’t made many friends yet. I thought about going home a lot.”

Despite some early homesickness, it has turned out to be a good move for Jacobs and Fullerton. The Hornets have one of the top softball programs in Southern California and Jacobs is one of the top pitchers.

Jacobs is 22-7 overall and 9-1 this season in the Orange Empire Conference, which Fullerton (24-10) leads with a 10-1 record. She also has 14 shutouts. Jacobs has 232 strikeouts and only 22 walks in 217 2/3 innings this season with a 0.55 earned-run average.

Last season, Jacobs was 27-4 with a 0.44 ERA and led Fullerton to a South Coast Conference championship and a berth in the state tournament. She had 185 strikeouts and 22 walks in 221 1/3 innings. Jacobs, who was an all-state player last season, had 13 shutouts.

“She’s such a perfectionist out there that sometimes she’s afraid to walk a hitter,” Davis said. “We need to get her to work on not making such good pitches all the time. She’s been working on a changeup and once she gets that down, then she will be that much better.”

While some pitchers grunt as the ball is released, Jacobs does more of a yell--sometimes early in the windup and sometimes as the ball leaves her hand.

“It’s like a release,” Jacobs said. “It makes me feel good. I can’t remember where I picked it up. But everybody comments on it all the time.”

Jacobs is now being recruited by several colleges, including UC Santa Barbara, Hawaii and Oregon.

“My mom wants me to make a decision as soon as possible,” Jacobs said. “She doesn’t want another summer where everything is up in the air at the last minute.”

It’s a good bet Jason Friedman won’t be too unhappy if Cypress doesn’t play El Camino in another baseball game this season.

Friedman had at least one hit in each of Cypress’ first eight games this season, then didn’t get a hit in five at-bats against El Camino. Friedman then went on a 23-game hitting streak before Cypress played El Camino again last Friday. He failed to get a hit in four at-bats and his streak was snapped again.

Friedman is leading the Orange Empire Conference in hitting at .427. He also leads in RBIs (53), hits (64) and doubles (16).

Community College Notes

Norma Leibfreid, who coached girls’ basketball at Cypress High School the last two seasons, will be an assistant for the Orange Coast women’s basketball team next season, pending approval of the Coast Community College District board of trustees. Leibfreid had a 33-18 record in two seasons at Cypress. She was the Edison girls’ junior varsity coach from 1984 to 1987. She played at Orange Coast in 1982 and ’83. . . . Golden West, Grossmont, San Diego City, Saddleback and host Rancho Santiago will take part in the John Ward men’s and women’s track invitational Friday starting at 1 p.m. . . . Former Fullerton baseball player Jim Troop has signed with the Salt Lake City Trappers. The Trappers are an independent Class-A team. Troop, who played at Katella High School, played at Fullerton in 1986 and ’87.