Bustos’ Decision Right on Money

In the fast-changing world of female athletics where pay-for-play is becoming more common, Crystl Bustos of Canyon Country is among the first generation of talented athletes forced to decide which comes first: Money or education?

Decision made, Bustos could be the newest poster pinup for a “Stay in School” campaign.

Bustos, 19, considered among the country’s premier softball players, has decided to pass on several offers to play women’s professional baseball and softball.

Bustos said she will attend College of the Canyons for a year. And if all goes as planned, the 1995 Canyon High graduate will be playing for Cal State Northridge in 1999 and 2000, “so my parents can see me play,” she said.

Bustos possesses superior speed, power and exceptional range at shortstop. Her last coach, JoAnn Ferrieri of Palm Beach Community College, called her “one of the top five players in the world.”

Bustos played junior college softball because she failed to meet NCAA academic requirements. Academically ineligible for half of her senior season at Canyon, Bustos signed a letter of intent with Palm Beach in Lake Worth, Fla.

After two years of tearing up her competition in the junior college ranks--a .600-plus batting average and more than 150 runs batted in--Bustos’ options were as plentiful as her talents.

She could have signed a contract with the Silver Bullets for $20,000 for three months work, or played in the newly formed Women’s Professional Fastpitch League for $15,000, excluding living expenses.

Bustos also passed on an invitation to try out for Team USA, which will compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

“[National team commitments] would have cut into December and I can’t afford to miss school,” she said. “I’ve got to stay on top of things here.”

Bustos, who got her start in baseball at age 5, tried out for the Silver Bullets and was offered a contract. But after talking with many of the players, Bustos decided the timing wasn’t right.

“It just didn’t seem like I was in the right place,” she said. “I just seemed a little too young. A lot of them told me to stay in school.”

In the meantime, Bustos, a two-time National Junior College player of the year, is getting some rest. No travel ball. No competitive fastpitch. Just routine trips to batting cages and maybe a slo-pitch game or two.

“I just want to relax,” she said. “It’s the first summer [off] I’ve had in six years.”

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They are teenagers two and three years from entering college. Still, college coaches showed up en masse to scout the young players at an invitation-only, 16-and-under Fireworks tournament in Aurora, Colo., earlier this month.

With college coaches from an estimated 150 schools in attendance--including UCLA, Stanford, Oregon and Northridge--Stealth Black Coach Don Harris had one main objective: Get as many players seen as possible.

“There aren’t many tournaments where winning is a byproduct,” Harris said. “I think I played 15 kids in virtually every game, which is not something you would do in a qualifier or national tournament.”

The Stealth Black played 16 games in six days and finished third in the 40-team tournament. But, more importantly, Harris said, 10 of his players generated interest from college coaches.

“I probably talked to coaches anywhere from 20 seconds to 20 minutes from 50 schools myself,” Harris said.

Maureen LeCocq, a junior-to-be at Chaminade High, batted .435 (20 for 46) and was 8-1 with a 0.69 earned-run average. She had a perfect game, struck out 50 and walked six in 52 innings.

Heather Bell of Calabasas batted .414 (12 for 29) and Cindy Muran of Newbury Park batted .385 with 14 runs batted in.

Stealth Black, based in Woodland Hills, qualified in early June for the national tournament, which will be in Fresno, Aug. 4-10.

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The 14-and-under Mid-Valley Magic qualified for the national tournament on its second try, winning the Detroit Metro Qualifier in Troy, Mich.

The Magic outscored four opponents, 50-5, en route to the championship. Three of the four teams were from Southern California.

After finishing fourth in a California qualifying tournament weeks earlier, the Magic went undefeated in Michigan and earned a berth to the national tournament, which will be played in Rockford, Ill., Aug. 6-11.

Monique Acedo of Kennedy High had eight hits in four games.