Now Garman Might Soften Tough Softball Schedule

Cal State Fullerton softball Coach Judi Garman is going to think twice from now on about her philosophy of playing an extremely tough schedule.

Under the new selection rules for the NCAA playoffs, a team’s power rating, which weighs heavily the strength of its schedule, won’t be the factor that it has been, according to Garman. She said at-large teams for the postseason tournament will be chosen almost solely based on won-loss record.

“A team must have an overall winning record to be invited, as well,” she said. “The heavier emphasis on the won-loss record definitely will be a negative for teams in the West, where most of the teams play strong schedules.”

Garman pointed out that Fullerton (24-25, 13-9 in Big West) has played numerous games this season against teams in the top 25.

“We definitely won’t be playing in the Arizona tournament next year,” Garman said. “We went there because we knew it would be tough competition against the defending national champions, but we wound up with four losses there, with two of them against Arizona.”

Will this also change the scheduling philosophy for the the Titans’ midseason PONY-Louisville Slugger tournament that traditionally has included many of the nation’s top teams?

“I hate to do anything negative relating to that tournament because it has so much prestige, but I do know some coaches haven’t played in it in the past because of the strength of the field.”

The NCAA softball playoff field, however, will be expanded from 20 to 32 teams this year. Four teams will compete at each of the eight regional sites. The four seeded teams will be sent to different regionals. Half the teams will be from automatic berths; the other 16 will be at-large selections.

“Some of us have been critical of teams in the past that have not played strong schedules, but it looks as though we may have to change our thinking on that,” Garman said.

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Former Fullerton soccer star Mike Ammann is getting a two-week tryout with a team in a hotbed of soccer, Charlton of South London, in the English Division One league.

Ammann took part in a training session with the U.S. national B team in Bermuda recently, then left for England last week.

“Charlton really needs a goalkeeper, so they seem very interested in Mike,” said his brother Bob, an assistant coach for Al Mistri at Fullerton and a player for the Salsa.

“To be eligible to play in the European leagues as an American, you have to have someone in your immediate family who was born in Europe or have played in 75% of your national team’s games. Mike doesn’t qualify on either score at the moment, but his girlfriend is Italian, and they would get married right away, rather than later, if the opportunity exists for him to play there.”

Mike and Bob have Swiss citizenship, but Switzerland doesn’t belong to the European soccer federation.

“I would go there in a second if I were eligible, but I would have work permit problems,” Bob Ammann said. “The English are trying to conserve their own players. That’s why they’re so limiting about the number of Americans who can play there.”

He says there is a big difference between soccer in the United States and England. “There’s a lot more excitement and involvement by the fans there than there is with American soccer at this point,” he said. “Soccer is the sport of the masses in England.”

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Fullerton distance running star Heather Killeen, making a comeback from hip and knee injuries that sidelined her during the cross-country season, made a good showing in the 3,000 meters at the UC Irvine Invitational last weekend.

She finished third in the event with a time of 10:06.50, but it was the top time in the race for a college runner. The two runners finishing ahead of her--including former Edison star Shelley Taylor, the winner in 9:56.56--were unattached.

“She looked a lot sharper than in previous weeks,” Coach John Elders said. “She had no pain, so it appeared to be a really positive step for her. Since she didn’t have any problems with either her knee or her hip.”

The Titans are entered in a meet at UCLA Saturday and Sunday and Killeen will run the 5,000 meters for the second time this season.

“It will be her biggest race so far this season,” Elders said. “She ran 10:30 the first time she ran the 3,000 this season, so she improved her time quite a bit. We hope to have the same kind of improvement in the 5,000 meters.”

Killeen says she still is focusing on being in top form for the Big West Conference meet May 13-14 at Las Cruces, N.M. “I still have good days and bad days when I’m training, but the bad days are getting to be a lot farther apart,” Killeen said.

Titan Notes

The Bid of Excitement auction which benefits the Titan athletic program is scheduled Saturday at the University Center. “It runs most of the day with the tent sale starting at noon and the other session starting at 6 p.m.,” said Larry Zucker, executive director of the Titan Athletic Fund. “We raised $87,000 last year and we hope to raise $100,000 this time.” Former UCLA coach John Wooden is scheduled to be the keynote speaker . . . The Fullerton baseball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball this week after last weekend’s two victories over Pacific. Fullerton is 34-8, 11-3 in the Big West. Fullerton remains in first place in the conference followed by Nevada at 9-3. The Titans lead the conference in pitching with a 2.54 earned-run average. Long Beach State is second with a 3.16 ERA. . . . Pitcher Brandi Isgar of San Dimas High School has signed with the Titans to play softball. She has a 61-12 high school record with 14 no-hitters and 21 one-hitters. . . . Two softball doubleheaders involving the Titans have been canceled. A doubleheader scheduled Monday against Loyola Marymount was rained out and will not be rescheduled. Today’s doubleheader against Fresno State has been canceled by mutual agreement of the coaches. Fullerton plays next at 1 p.m. Saturday in a doubleheader against New Mexico State. . . . Kathy Van Wyk, an assistant softball coach at Fullerton for nine seasons, Tuesday announced her resignation, effective at the end of the current season, to pursue a head coaching job. “I’ll be looking for another coaching job in the area,” she said.