Titans Open NCAA Regional at Fresno

The first time the Cal State Fullerton and Texas softball teams played this season, the Longhorns emerged with a 3-2 victory in the Kia Klassic tournament at Fullerton.

The teams, coached by batterymates on Fullerton’s 1986 national championship team, meet again at 5 today with much more at stake. They are opponents in the opening round of the six-team, double-elimination NCAA California regional tournament at Fresno State.

“When we played before, our team probably was at its lowest point in the season,” said first-year Fullerton Coach Michelle Gromacki, the catcher for the Titans in 1986 when current Texas Coach Connie Clark was an All-American pitcher. “We were really flat in that game until the late innings. We beat ourselves. We’re not going to do that again.”

The loss came during a span when the Titans lost five of six games. But Fullerton came back to win the Big West Conference title and finish the regular season with a 44-13 record.

The Titans are seeded second in the tournament behind Fresno State (51-12). Texas (29-25-1) is seeded fifth. Fresno State meets sixth-seeded Maryland Baltimore County (30-26), and Florida (44-28) takes on California (45-22) in today’s other first-round games. The championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.

Gromacki said she hasn’t decided on her pitcher for the opener, but she has three quality starters available in Jodie Cox (17-3, 1.44 earned-run average), Gina Oaks (14-4, 1.52) and Christy Robitaille (13-6, 1.70). Cox and Oaks are freshmen, Robitaille a sophomore. Texas’ top pitcher is junior Charla Moore (21-13, 1.71).

Fullerton has shown good balance with eight players batting above .300, led by Kristy Osborne’s .378 average. The Titan pitchers have a combined 1.55 ERA.

Fresno State heads into the tournament with a 28-4 record at Bulldog Field.

The Bulldogs also have one of the nation’s top pichers in senior Amanda Scott (31-3), who has a nation-leading 0.34 ERA. Second baseman Lovianne Jung (Fountain Valley High), who is batting .372 with 33 RBIs, and third baseman Lindsay Fossatti (Foothill High), are regulars for the Bulldogs.

Winners of the eight regionals advance to the Women’s College World Series, May 25-29 in Oklahoma City.

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Softball

* What: NCAA Division I Regional

* Where: Fresno

* When: Today-Sunday

* Today’s schedule: Game 1, 7:30 p.m.--Fresno State (51-12) vs. Maryland Baltimore County (30-26); Game 2, 5 p.m.--Cal State Fullerton (44-13) vs. Texas (29-25-1); Game 3, 2:30 p.m.--California (45-22) vs. Florida (44-28).

* Friday’s schedule: Game 4, 2:30 p.m.--Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser; Game 5, 5 p.m.--Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 loser; Game 6, 7:30 p.m.--Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner.

* Saturday’s schedule: Game 7, 2:30 p.m.--Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner; Game 8, 5 p.m.--Game 6 loser vs. Game 4 winner; Game 9, 7:30 p.m.--Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 winner.

* Sunday’s schedule: Game 10, 1 p.m.--Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner; Game 11 (if necessary), 35 minutes after conclusion of Game 10.