Former Northridge Star Accepts Westlake Coaching Post : Softball: School makes fiery Beth Calcante the youngest coach in the Marmonte League.

THOUSAND OAKS — Beth Calcante, a former Cal State Northridge All-American, has been named coach of the Westlake High softball team.

Calcante, 22, played for the Matadors from 1991-94. Her only high school coaching experience was this spring, when she was an assistant at Chaminade. She becomes the youngest coach in the Marmonte League.

“I was talking to someone and I said I applied for a job and they said, ‘Wow, that is kind of young to get a coaching job,’ ” Calcante said. “I never thought about it till then, but I guess it is kind of young.”

Calcante will not be officially hired until January, just before the season, said Athletic Director Jim Martin. But “unless a bomb drops between now and January,” Martin said, she will be the coach next spring.

Calcante, who will be a walk-on coach, said she will finish work for her bachelor’s degree at Northridge in December, and will pursue a teaching credential.

Calcante takes over a team that figures to be among the area’s best next year. Only two seniors graduated from the squad that advanced to the Southern Section Division I semifinals and finished 24-7. Westlake finished with the No. 1 ranking in The Times’ regional poll.

One of the Warriors’ top returning players is left-handed pitcher Kelly DeArman, The Times’ Ventura County pitcher of the year. Calcante coaches DeArman and catcher Heather King on a club team.

She said that particular experience piqued her interest in the Westlake job.

“I just really enjoyed coaching them,” Calcante said. “They are good girls. They love to learn. They love to play softball.”

Calcante, a graduate of Newbury Park High, was in the first class of freshmen to play at Northridge after the program went to Division I.

Primarily a shortstop and outfielder, Calcante was an All-American in 1993, when she hit .343 with 12 home runs and 51 runs batted in. She made the All-Women’s College World Series team in 1994, when the Matadors lost in the championship game to Arizona.

Calcante, who was known for her fierce competitiveness and sharp-tongued comments, is Northridge’s all-time leader with 33 home runs, 141 RBIs and 31 doubles.

Calcante said she has spoken with former Northridge teammates Kelly Koens, Vicki Rios and Jen Fleming about possible assistant-coaching positions at Westlake.

Calcante replaces Doug Gove, who resigned as Westlake coach after this season because he wanted to spend more time with his family, said Martin, the athletic director. Gove’s wife died last fall.