No One Gets in the Way of Titans’ Tiffany Boyd : Softball: Saying the Cal State Fullerton pitcher is brimming with competitive spirit is putting it mildly.

Cal State Fullerton softball Coach Judi Garman could not have described Titan pitcher Tiffany Boyd’s season--and her personality--more accurately and concisely.

“Every great athlete, and Tiffany is in that category, lives on the edge,” Garman said. “They’re risk-takers, they’re aggressive, they don’t let things or people get in their way, and that sometimes ruffles feathers.”

Boyd was on the cutting edge in December after undergoing knee surgery to remove torn cartilage and repair ligaments. And nagging pain and instability in her right knee have put her on edge this season.

“It’s kind of scary, because every day I play with the possibility of never playing again,” said Boyd, a junior right-hander from Woodbridge High School. “I worry about (blowing the knee out) all the time. I’m real cautious about it. I don’t throw as consistently hard as I did last season because I’m too scared to push off.”

That is not reflected in her performance. Since a rocky start, in which she went 8-5 with a 1.34 earned-run average, Boyd has won 20 consecutive decisions--the third-longest streak in NCAA softball history--to improve to 28-5 and lower her ERA to 0.76.

She has been largely responsible for sixth-ranked Fullerton winning 24 of its past 30 games to improve to 38-17, 20-10 and second place in the Big West Conference, entering today’s crucial 5 p.m. home doubleheader against fourth-ranked Fresno State. The Bulldogs lead the conference by two games.

To understand how Boyd has come back from surgery and overcome her fear of injury to maintain her status as one of the nation’s top pitchers, one need only know Boyd.

Which brings us to the second half of Garman’s assessment.

In describing Boyd, the words determined and confident come to mind. So do brash, impetuous, headstrong. She’s a fierce competitor who can be as intimidating to her teammates as she is to opposing batters.

“I just want to win,” Boyd said. “I have the desire and I’m not going to give an inch. I’m sick of losing, being ranked lower than fifth. I want to get to the College World Series. That’s my job, and if I don’t pitch well, we’re not going to get there.”

All coaches want their players to have that kind of desire, but, as Garman and Boyd have learned, such an attitude can sometimes lead to counter-productive behavior.

Hence, the ruffling of feathers.

Boyd demands the most out of her teammates, only because she gives so much. If you make an error, Boyd might flash you a nasty look. If Boyd thinks a play should have been made a certain way, she’ll tell you. If something is bothering her, she’ll let you know.

Those who have known Boyd and played with her for a few years have grown accustomed to her overt intensity. Those who haven’t, such as the many freshmen on this year’s team, are sometimes taken aback by it.

“In the beginning of the season, people were real intimidated by her,” freshman third baseman Marci White said. “I didn’t get along with her at first because I had a hard time adjusting to her attitude. But now everyone knows that’s how she plays, and that we need that kind of control from our pitcher. You can’t take it personal.”

If anything, her teammates take it to heart. It’s no coincidence that Fullerton seems to hit and play better when Boyd, and not freshman Cheryl Longeway (10-12), is in the pitching circle.

“Cheryl is the quiet type and keeps to herself, but Tiffany explodes sometimes,” White said. “The players get more excited, more up for games when Tiffany pitches. She gets mad, and we get mad with her. Her whole attitude brings out the best in us.”

It didn’t earlier this season. Several players simply weren’t used to Boyd’s antics and weren’t sure how to cope with them. Her name came up often during discussions between Titan players and Fullerton sports psychologist Ken Ravizza.

“They were being intimidated, not only by her personality but by her skill,” Garman said. “But the players learned that her aggressiveness toward them is a challenge, not an intimidation tactic.

“In women’s sports you’re supposed to be meek, gentle. It’s a compliment to a male athlete who is cocky, but sometimes female athletes have trouble balancing what’s happening in competition and what society has taught them all these years.”

Garman said Boyd’s balance has improved. She has learned to apologize after her outbursts. She’s also giving more encouragement to her teammates.

“She’s grown a lot this year,” Garman said. “She’s done a better job of congratulating teammates when they make a good play. She’s a sensitive athlete who is aware and concerned about others on the team, and that’s a side of her some people don’t see.”

What people usually see is her true grit. When Fullerton opened the season at the prestigious Arizona tournament, Boyd wasn’t physically ready to pitch an abundance of innings. But when Longeway was struggling, Boyd told Garman to put her in if needed.

“That’s why she had such a high ERA early,” Garman said. “She was tired, but she could throw strikes. It was a very unselfish attitude.”

Several times this season, Boyd has pitched a complete game in the first game of a doubleheader and come back to pitch several innings of the nightcap. She pitched 14 innings in a victory over Hawaii; 12 to beat Pacific.

She’s batting only .169 but is fourth on the team with four game-winning hits, which speaks volumes about her performance in the clutch.

Last Friday, Boyd hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning of the second game against Utah State to tie the score, 2-2, and Fullerton won it in the eighth to gain a doubleheader split.

“It’s determination,” Boyd said. “I know I’m not the easiest person to work with, but I expect a lot because I give so much. I feel I have to take charge and do better, pick it up a notch.”