SOFTBALL / COLLEGE WORLD SERIES : For Openers, Matadors Can Show Missouri : First round: Northridge, among the favorites, swept Tigers in doubleheader earlier this season, 8-1 and 12-0.

By PAIGE A. LEECH

May 26, 1994 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

OKLAHOMA CITY —

For the first time in 12 NCAA College World Series appearances, the UCLA softball team is not the the most feared Southern California entry.

That distinction belongs to third-ranked Cal State Northridge, a team in only its fourth season of Division I competition.

Today, eight teams open the double-elimination tournament, which will conclude Monday.

Northridge (49-8), which swept UCLA, 2-1 and 6-1, in a doubleheader this season, is seeded second and will play Missouri (40-21) in a first-round game at 6:30 p.m. PDT.

Northridge, making its second consecutive World Series appearance, defeated Missouri in both games of a March doubleheader, 8-1 and 12-0.

“They slap, they run, they hit, they pitch, they catch,” Northridge Coach Gary Torgeson said of the Matadors’ unranked opponent. “What else can I say? If we don’t win this one, we shouldn’t be here.”

The Matadors are led by senior first-team All-American Amy Windmiller (24-2), whose 0.28 earned-run average is the lowest in Division I.

In the second game of the doubleheader against Missouri, Windmiller tossed one of her five no-hitters this season. She walked one and struck out 13.

Fifth-ranked UCLA (41-12), which had not lost as many as 12 games in a season since a 28-15 finish in 1986, is vying for its eighth NCAA title in 19 seasons under Coach Sharron Backus. The Bruins will play Fresno State (48-14) at 12:30 p.m.

UCLA senior DeeDee Weiman (18-6) leads the nation with 12 strikeouts per seven innings. Weiman has 318 strikeouts in 185 2/3 innings.

Top-ranked Arizona (60-3), the defending champion, will face Illinois Chicago (56-17-1) in the tournament opener at 10 a.m., and Oklahoma State (43-10) will play Utah (50-11) at 4 p.m.

If Northridge wins its opener, it faces the Oklahoma State-Utah winner on Friday. The UCLA-Fresno State winner advances to a game against the Arizona-Illinois Chicago winner. First-round losers do not play again until Saturday.