COLLEGE NOTES

* Dave Elliott and Jeff Beeler of Orange Coast College have signed with four-year schools, OCC Coach Mark Hill announced. Elliott, a 6-7 center who averaged 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds, has signed with Chico State. Beeler, a 6-4 forward who averaged 12.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, will attend Cal State Dominguez Hills.

SOFTBALL

Balance has been the key to Cal State Fullerton’s move into first place in the Big West Conference softball race.

Fullerton (40-11 overall, 15-3) leads the conference with a .320 batting average, 55 points better than Sacramento State’s, and has the conference’s best earned-run average (1.69).

The Titans, ranked 14th nationally, meet New Mexico State (25-27, 9-9) in a three-game series beginning with a 2 p.m. doubleheader Saturday. The teams play a single game Sunday at 2 p.m.

Long Beach State (36-18, 14-4) is second in the conference, and Cal State Northridge (24-23, 14-7) is third.

“It seems like everyone has been playing well for us,” Fullerton Coach Michelle Gromacki said. “We don’t have a weak spot in the lineup right now.” Fullerton has six of the conference’s top nine hitters. Kristy Osborne leads the Big West with a .388 average and Monica Lucatero is second at .384. Yasmin Mossadeghi is fourth at .354. Also among the leaders are Jodie Cox (.326), Gina Oaks (.325) and Jessica Maloney (.325).

Mossadeghi leads the Big West in runs batted in with 43 and is tied for second in home runs with 10. Fullerton leads the conference in homers with 41.

The three Titan starting pitchers have ERAs under 2.00. Cox is 15-3 with a 1.55 ERA. Oaks is 13-3 with a 1.70 ERA. Cox and Oaks are freshmen. Sophomore Christy Robitaille is 12-5 with a 1.69 ERA and leads the nation in saves with eight.

Cox and Oaks normally are in the lineup when not pitching.

The Titans have a 10-game winning streak after a three-game sweep of Utah State last weekend. Fullerton has won 11 in a row twice previously this season.

TENNIS

Mike Edles, who coached the Anteater women’s tennis team to a 18-7 record and a national ranking of 49, was named Big West Conference Co-Coach of the year. Three of Edles’ players earned first-team all-conference honors. They are: Maureen Diaz and Jonni Seymour in singles; and Seymour and Darian Chappell in doubles.

In men’s tennis, UCI’s Oliver Schweizer was named first-team singles and Chris Chung to the second team.

WATER POLO

Garrett Gentry, a first-team all-county player at Corona del Mar High, has signed to play for the water polo at UC Irvine, his father, Brad Gentry, said.

Gentry, Pacific Coast League most valuable player in 1999, helped the Sea Kings to the Southern Section Division II title.

* Tiffany Frish, a driver from Mira Loma Jurupa Valley High, has signed to play for the women’s team at UC Irvine, according to her mother, Barbara Frish. Frish scored 61 goals for the Jaguars.

* Esperanza utility player Teresa Guidi, a first-team all-county selection, has signed to play for the women’s team at Loyola Marymount, her mother, Coral Guidi said.