Series Features Area Talent

Fourteen former high school players from the region will participate in the NCAA softball World Series starting today in Oklahoma City.

What a formidable unit they would make.

The players, representing seven of eight World Series teams, would feature a dominating pitcher in former La Canada High standout Lindsay Parker (10-0) of Fresno State, good speed, an excellent blend of slap and power hitters and some of the surest gloves in the college game.

But these women, many of whom either played with or against each other in high school, won’t be joining forces.

Not even sisters Jeanine and Nicole Giordano, who are among three former Saugus High players competing on three World Series teams.

Jeanine, a junior catcher for Washington, will face former Saugus teammate Chris Gill, an Arizona State third baseman, in a first-round game today.

Nicole, the 1997 Times’ Valley player of the year, is an outfielder who leads Arizona with 93 hits and 63 runs.

Former Thousand Oaks teammates Erika Hanson of Arizona and Colleen Spencer of Southern Mississippi will make their first World Series starts.

All-region matchups aren’t limited to games this weekend.

Last weekend, two former Times’ pitchers of the year faced each other in regional action.

Former Thousand Oaks ace Jennifer Sharron of Notre Dame outdueled former Saugus ace Jamie Gillies of Michigan in a regional elimination game.

Sharron’s two-out, run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth inning chased Gillies and held up as the game-winning hit in the Fighting Irish’s 1-0 victory.

Sharron threw a three-hitter, walked two and struck out four.