CAL STATE FULLERTON NOTEBOOK / LON EUBANKS : Titan Softball Team Breathing Easy at Tournament Time

A year ago, Coach Judi Garman and her Cal State Fullerton softball players were holding their breath to hear if they would be picked for the NCAA tournament.

This year, as the Titans (40-11) enter the final week of the regular season, there are no such concerns.

“This year we’re just hoping that we’ll get a good seeding and possibly be able to host a regional ourselves,” Garman said.

The big question is whether there will be more than one regional in Southern California. It probably will be a battle between Fullerton and UCLA if there is only one; the Bruins could have an advantage based on their No. 1 national ranking. Fullerton is fourth.

“There are enough good teams in California this year that we’re hoping there will be at least two regionals in our area,” Garman said. “Of course, Northridge is ranked seventh and they might bid for one too, but I think our facilities and UCLA’s are better, and that’s one of the things the committee considers.”

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The Titans appear to be playing as well as they have all season in the last few weeks. Fullerton has won seven of its last eight games and 12 of its last 15.

“I’m hoping this is a sign that we’re coming together for the end of the season,” Garman said. “We’re really hitting the ball well now and playing good defense.”

One key has been Rose Garces bouncing back from an off year offensively. Garces, who hit only .280 last season after .324 as a sophomore, is hitting .354, second best on the team.

“This has been her best year for us by far,” Garman said. “She’s definitely playing up to her potential. This year she’s getting the key hits when a year ago she just didn’t seem to do that. I think just being a senior and knowing it’s her last chance has been a factor.”

Chris Zboril, a transfer from Pasadena College, leads the team with a .398 average, and has provided more power than Garman expected with eight home runs.

“We weren’t sure how well she would do at this level, but she’s certainly strengthened us with her hitting,” Garman said.

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The top two pitchers, senior Jennifer Mortensen (15-5) and freshman Brandi Isgar (16-5), have been solid, although Isgar was slowed recently by a strained muscle in her pitching arm.

“We’re going to try to give her as much time off as we can right now to be sure she’s ready for the regional,” Garman said. “Before we play again Friday, we’ll have had a week off, so that should help.”

Mortensen has a 1.45 earned-run average and Isgar is at 1.70. Mortensen has 20 strikeouts in her last 28 innings.

“Jennifer is pitching with a lot of confidence,” Garman said. “She had struggled at times late last season, but she seems to be really throwing well now.”

The Titans are 17-7 in the Big West and trail Nevada Las Vegas, 23-5 in the conference, with a doubleheader scheduled at UC Santa Barbara Friday and two more games at Long Beach State Tuesday.

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The baseball team (41-9) has a two-game lead in the Big West going into its final regular season series beginning Friday at home against New Mexico State.

Fullerton is 15-3 in the conference with second-place Long Beach State 13-5. Long Beach State is at home this weekend against Nevada Las Vegas.

The Titans can clinch at least a share of the title with a victory or a Long Beach State loss Friday.

Fullerton and Long Beach State have clinched a spot in the four-team Big West postseason tournament that will decide the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA playoffs. Nevada and UNLV are the top contenders for the other two spots with 11-7 records.

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Eddie Soto, who became Fullerton’s top career and single-season goal scorer in his senior season, says he probably will play this summer for the Splash in the indoor soccer league if contract negotiations go well.

“I have the same agent who handles Mike Ammann,” he said, referring to another former Titan standout who has been successful playing in England. “I think we’ll work out something for the summer, then he wants me to possibly play outdoors in Mexico after that.”

Soto was one of three local players protected by the Splash based on territorial rights.

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Titan Note

Former Titan softball player Connie Clark, who won the Broderick Award as the nation’s top collegiate female student-athlete in 1987, has been named Texas coach and will be in charge of starting a softball program there. Clark, who had a 53-7 record in two seasons as a pitcher at Fullerton, has been an assistant coach at Florida State.