SCC Baseball Signs a Woman, Makes History

Ila Borders, the only known female baseball pitcher in the Southern Section, will break into even rarer ground after accepting a partial scholarship to play college baseball at Southern California College.

Borders, a senior pitcher at Whittier Christian High, signed a letter of intent in December to play for the Vanguards, SCC Coach Charlie Phillips said Wednesday.

Although the historical record is sketchy, officials at the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics said Borders will be the first woman to play baseball for an NAIA school in the organization’s 41-year history. An NCAA spokesman said no women are believed to be playing on any of the hundreds of NCAA-sanctioned baseball teams.

Julie Croteau, who played three seasons at first base for St. Mary’s (Md.) College from 1989-91, was often called the first woman to play NCAA varsity baseball, but the NCAA spokesman said it’s possible women played for colleges during World War II.

In two seasons as a left-handed starting pitcher for Whittier Christian, Borders, 17, has raised eyebrows in the Olympic League, a group of small private schools. As a sophomore, she was 5-1 with a 3.05 earned-run average and 51 strikeouts. Last season, she was 3-4 with a 3.53 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 35 innings as the Heralds’ No. 1 starter, and she is expected to be their best pitcher again this season.

Phillips said Borders, whose father, Phil, pitched several seasons in the Dodger organization, will be able to make the transition to college baseball.

“You wouldn’t know she’s a girl except her hair sticks out of the back of her hat,” he said. “She’s tough as nails on the baseball field.”

But at least one Olympic League coach was surprised that Borders had been offered a college scholarship.

“She wasn’t among the top five pitchers in the league last year,” Brethren Christian Coach Robin Davis said. “Her fastball is about 68 m.p.h., which is below average.

“She has very good control and excellent concentration on the mound. She gets good movement on her curveball, which means she can own poor hitters. And we have some poor hitters in the Olympic League.”

Phillips, a left-handed pitcher on USC’s 1974 national championship team who reached the triple-A level in the Angel organization, says pitching speed isn’t everything.

“We all know the key to pitching is not how hard you throw but where you put it,” Phillips said. “And she can do it.

“She knows how to pitch as far as throwing the fastball in and out. Her pitching knowledge is beyond her years and probably beyond some other college pitchers, believe it or not.”

Borders, who says she has aspirations to play professional baseball, helped her move to college baseball with a sales job. She sent newspaper clippings and a video of her pitching to about 20 college coaches.

“Ten came back and said they’d like me to play for them, and I was shocked,” Borders said.

She said she chose SCC over two other NAIA schools, Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, and King College in Bristol, Tenn.

Borders, 5 feet 9, 160 pounds, said she has learned to handle the extra taunts and pressure that come with being a female on a baseball team. She also brushes off the skeptics.

“Everybody always told me ever since I was in Little League that after this year this is it. ‘You are going to start putting on your high heels,’ ” she said.

“Well, I have put on high heels, and I’m still playing.”

Borders will receive a partial scholarship to help pay SCC’s $8,000 yearly tuition. According to Golden State Athletic Conference rules, the Vanguards are permitted the equivalent of nine full-tuition scholarships for baseball. SCC doesn’t have any players receiving full scholarships.

Phillips said bringing Borders onto his team is no gimmick.

“I don’t sign anybody who cannot pitch,” Phillips said. “I’m not in the game for publicity. I’m willing to take a chance on her. If she can get outs, who cares if she’s male or female?”

Borders certainly doesn’t see herself as a symbol.

“I hope that when people see I’m out there, they don’t think I’m doing it to show that girls are better than boys or anything,” she said. “I’m doing it to prove that hard work and determination can get you anywhere, whether you’re male or female.

“I’m not out there for a show. I’m out there to help my team win and nothing else.”

Times staff writer Tom Hamilton contributed to this story.