No Softball for USIU

Two days after receiving approval to play, U.S. International University’s softball team voted Sunday to scrap its program. The decision was the result of a vote by the players, who said they preferred to transfer out of USIU rather than play a shortened season.

“I don’t think they had their hearts in it,” Gull Coach Ray “Gunney” Hewitt said, noting that the vote was swayed by seniors who were willing to sacrifice their final season. “It was their choice. That’s the way I think it should have been.”

The university’s board of trustees eliminated softball Dec. 28, after the school filed for Chapter 11 economic reorganization. But Friday the trustees reinstated softball along with baseball and golf after coaches presented evidence showing they could play their 1991 seasons a no cost to the school.

But Hewitt said many of his players were disappointed when they learned four road trips and three tournaments were eliminated, and their season would be cut from 60 to 30 games. Seven of those players are now being sought by other schools, including freshman catcher Lisa Wilson from Chula Vista High, who likely will receive an offer from San Diego State. Long Beach State, Nevada Las Vegas and Kent State have also expressed interest in Wilson.

Two other San Diego products, pitcher Debbie Corbett and catcher Barbara Dotson, are being sought by Cal State Northridge, which will now host an eight-team tournament that USIU had planned to run in Escondido, Feb. 21-24. The Gulls were projected to have one of their best teams in school history this year, and Hewitt said he was recruiting top Southern California players that could have made USIU a top-10 program.

“I thought they could make the top-20 easily this year,” Hewitt said. “With no injuries and some breaks, we might have been in the top 10.”