Toro Women Stagger in Try to Better 1989 Record in Softball

Starting its second year under Coach Janis Ruetz, the Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s softball team is looking to better last season’s 35-22-1 record and third-place finish in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

Last year, Ruetz took her team to the NCAA Division II West egionals. Much of the Lady Toros’ strength came from pitcher Denise Biller, who had a team-high 15 wins. Overall, the pitching staff led the nation with an ERA of 0.59.

With nine returning starters, Ruetz has a solid chance to make it back to the Regionals.

“Our goal for the year is, basically, to be consistent,” she said. “We want to do as well as we did last year and get another NCAA berth.”

However, the Lady Toros dropped their first two games, 1-0 and 3-0, to UC Santa Barbara. But they came back Wednesday to sweep Christ College of Irvine, 1-0, and 4-3.

Senior pitcher Kim Park, who was 13-8-1 with an 0.58 ERA last season, is considered the team leader.

Sophomore Jennifer Boen, a pitcher and utility infielder, was 4-1 in eight mound appearances last year with a 0.40 ERA. She also earned all-conference honors as a utility player. In CCAA play, Boen was 2-0 with two complete-game shutouts.

Ruetz said she expects Boen to become the No. 2 starter on the pitching staff, which means she won’t play so much in the infield. “(Boen) is ready to pitch full-time at this level,” the coach said.

On offense, the Lady Toros look first to senior outfielder Maria Romero, who led the team last year with eight doubles, nine triples and 27 runs batted in.

Nicole Stelter, a 5-foot-9 sophomore infielder, was second in RBIs last year with 21 and hit two home runs.

In the CCAA, the main competition for the Lady Toros will come from perennially talented Cal State Northridge.

“Northridge is always tough for us,” Ruetz said.