Rearmament Could Make the Matadors a Lock for Playoffs Spot

Pitching is to Division I softball what a key is to a lock. Without it, a struggle will ensue.

Cal State Northridge has been blessed in the lock-and-key department for decades.

Each season since moving up to the Division I in 1991, Northridge could rely on a returning pitcher who won between 12 and 27 games for the Matadors the previous season.

But that streak is over . . . sort of.

The pitcher who Northridge is banking on this season is a 19-game winner, but she wasn’t wearing a Matador uniform last season.

Sarah Farnworth, a junior right-hander, transferred from Utah last fall and is poised to fill the void left by ace Tara Glaister, an 84-game winner in four seasons.

“I’ve got a new 20-game winner,” Coach Janet Sherman said.

Farnworth, who pitched Upland to Southern Section titles in 1995 and ‘97, couldn’t have gotten homesick at a better time for Northridge.

Returning pitchers Summer Richardson and Jessica Creith don’t have the experience or strength to go it alone for the unranked Matadors, who open at home against No. 11-ranked Oregon State on Saturday.

Richardson, Northridge’s top recruit out of Boron High of 1998, struggled in her first college season, winning only seven of 15 decisions and finishing with a hefty 4.12 earned-run average.

Creith is a senior right-hander with limited experience. She is 6-1 with five starts and is primarily used as an outfielder who bats leadoff.

Farnworth, 38-24 in two seasons with the Utes, has proven she can carry a pitching staff. Last season the right-hander was the Western Athletic Conference’s workhorse. She led the WAC with 242 innings, 42 appearances and 27 complete games, and was third in strikeouts with 187.

“She wants the ball all the time,” Sherman said. “She wants to pitch live every day.”

With Farnworth, Northridge gets something it didn’t have with Glaister--offensive potential. In 115 at-bats, Farnworth was Utah’s top batter with a .339 average.

“She’s going to help us in many ways,” Sherman said. “She swings the bat really well.”

If Farnworth lives up to expectations, Northridge has the personnel to at least match its 30-24 season last year.

Seven starters return from a team that earned its eighth consecutive Division I regional playoff berth. But five will be playing different positions than a year ago.

Creith, who batted .335 and led the Matadors with 62 hits and eight doubles last season, will move from left to right field.

“She gets a better read on the ball over there,” Sherman said.

Junior Jill Passafiume, who batted .330, goes from center to left and sophomore Meaghan Finnerty becomes a starter in center.

Sophomore Ui Bal (.310) moves from third base to shortstop to fill the void left by graduated Ashlie Hayes.

Junior Veronica Lopez, who was relegated to designated player for most of last season because of injuries and batted .305, will start at third base.

Sophomore Elizabeth Pierce, who batted .235, returns at first base and Jodi Borenstein, who hit .194, moves from right field to replace Katrina Nolletti at second base.

“[Borenstein] is the most intelligent defensive player we have out there,” Sherman said. “And she has a calming affect to say to everyone, ‘This is how we’re going to get out of this.’ ”

Senior Jamie Moore, who started all but three games at catcher last season and batted .329, had shoulder surgery in June and isn’t expected to return behind the plate until the middle of March.

Fortunately for the Matadors, Moore--who led the Matadors with 38 runs batted in last year--can still swing a big stick and will start the season as the designated player hitting in the cleanup spot.

That leaves the catching duties to junior Sara Cueva, who started two games last year, and freshman Amber Grahlman from West Torrance High.

While Sherman is excited about the arrival of Farnworth and Grahlman--the only freshman expected to make an impact--it is the addition of Barbara Jordan as assistant coach that really has the sixth-year coach fired up.

Jordan is a Northridge alum and was an alternate on the 1996 Olympic softball team.

Jordan, who coached at Westlake High last year, replaces Kelly Ford, who resigned after five seasons to take a similar position at Cal State Fullerton.

“She’s made a definite impact,” Sherman said. “In playing the last 10 years at that level, she’s a true student of the game. There isn’t an aspect she doesn’t know.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE ROSTER

*--*

No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. B/T Last school 1 Kim Mutaw INF 5-3 Fr. R/R Valencia HS 2 Barbara Alaniz OF 5-3 Fr. L/R Paraclete HS 7 Sandra Wilson C 5-0 So. R/R Atascadero HS 9 Elizabeth Pierce INF 5-6 So. R/R Clovis Buchanan HS 10 Meaghan Finnerty CF 5-7 So. R/R Moorpark HS 11 Jodi Borenstein 2B 5-7 Sr. R/R Chatsworth HS 13 Chastity Johnson OF 5-5 Sr. L/R Hancock JC 14 Jill Passafiume LF 5-3 Jr. L/R Saugus HS 15 Summer Richardson P 5-9 So. R/R Boron HS 16 Jamie Moore C 5-6 Sr. R/R Palm Beach CC 19 Sara Cueva C 5-6 Jr. R/R Culver City HS 21 Michelle Wintermute OF 5-6 So. R/R Highland HS 22 Jessica Creith RF 5-3 Sr. R/R Indiana 23 Sara Farnworth P 5-3 Jr. R/R Utah 25 Amber Grahlman C 5-8 Fr. R/R West Torrance HS 26 Veronica Lopez 3B 5-3 Jr. R/R Anaheim Canyon HS 29 RyAnne Greene OF 5-5 Jr. R/R Carson HS 30 Maryke Don INF 5-11 Sr. R/R Cosumnes River JC 33 Monica Rodriguez OF 5-2 Fr. L/R Monroe HS 36 Ui Bal SS 5-6 So. R/R Pinole Valley HS

*--*

Head Coach: Janet Sherman (sixth season).

Assistant Coaches: Barbara Jordan (first) and Randy Roeder (fourth).

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE SCHEDULE

*--*

Date Opponent Time Feb. 5 OREGON STATE (DH) Noon Feb. 11 #vs. San Diego State Noon Feb. 11 #vs. Washington 2 p.m. Feb. 12 #vs. Washington 11 a.m. Feb. 12 #vs. Santa Clara 3 p.m. Feb. 13 #vs. San Diego State 11 a.m. Feb. 13 #vs. Santa Clara 3 p.m. Feb. 17 %vs. Fresno State Noon Feb. 18 %vs. Ohio State 1 p.m. Feb. 18 %vs. Michigan 3:30 p.m. Feb. 19 %vs. Arkansas 1 p.m. Feb. 19 %vs. Tennessee 8:30 p.m. Feb. 20 %vs. Stanford 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at UCLA (DH) 1 p.m. Feb. 29 at Loyola Marymount (DH) 1 p.m. Mar. 3 &vs.; Hofstra Noon Mar. 3 &vs.; Louisiana-Lafayette 2:30 p.m. Mar. 4 &vs.; Nebraska 10 a.m. Mar. 5 &TBA; TBA Mar. 9 ARIZONA (DH) Noon Mar. 11 *NEW MEXICO STATE (DH) Noon Mar. 12 *NEW MEXICO STATE Noon Mar. 15 ^vs. Notre Dame 5 p.m. Mar. 16 ^vs. Texas 5 p.m. Mar. 17 ^vs. Arizona State 11 a.m. Mar. 18 ^TBA TBA Mar. 19 ^TBA TBA Mar. 23 at Fresno State (DH) 6 p.m. Mar. 25 *at Pacific (DH) Noon Mar. 26 *at Pacific Noon Apr. 1 *CS SACRAMENTO (DH) Noon Apr. 2 *CS SACRAMENTO Noon Apr. 8 *at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (DH) Noon Apr. 9 *at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Noon Apr. 15 *LONG BEACH STATE (DH) Noon Apr. 16 *LONG BEACH STATE Noon Apr. 21 *at CS Fullerton (DH) 5 p.m. Apr. 22 *at CS Fullerton 2 p.m. Apr. 29 *UC SANTA BARBARA (DH) Noon Apr. 30 *UC SANTA BARBARA Noon May 12 *at Utah State (DH) 2 p.m. May 13 *at Utah State 1 p.m.

*--*

Home games in caps. All times local to site.

#Northridge Invitational

%San Diego State tournament

&NFSC; Classic in Columbus, Ga.

^CS Fullerton Kia Klassic

*Big West Conference game