Oaks and Titans Seek to Break the Monotony

Cal State Fullerton’s Gina Oaks remembers the frustration she felt at this time last season.

Oaks was set to pitch in her first NCAA regional softball tournament at Fresno State, but she learned the day before the playoffs began that she had mononucleosis and wouldn’t be allowed to play.

“It was a real disappointment,” Oaks said. “What made it worse was that I really didn’t feel bad then. I felt normal, but my spleen was enlarged, and the doctor said it could be serious if I ruptured it.”

Oaks, a freshman with a 14-4 record and a 1.52 earned-run average at the time, had to watch from the sidelines while the Titans were eliminated by Fresno State in the losers’ bracket after a victory over Texas and a loss to California.

Fullerton (46-12) is set to compete in another NCAA regional this week in Tucson and Oaks is eager to make up for lost time.

The 10th-ranked Titans are seeded second behind host Arizona, the nation’s top-ranked team, and open today against Texas Tech (35-22). Hawaii, Southwest Texas State and St. Peter’s of New Jersey also are in the field for the double-elimination tournament.

Oaks is 19-6 with a 1.46 ERA this season. The Fullerton pitching staff of Oaks, sophomore Jodie Cox (18-5, 1.72) and junior Christy Robitaille (9-1, 1.15) has a 1.48 ERA, and opponents are batting .192 against the Titans.

“It’s good that we have three strong pitchers,” Oaks said. “That way if it’s not your day, someone else can come in for you.”

Titan Coach Michelle Gromacki sees pitching as one of her team’s strengths heading into the playoffs.

“Our three pitchers have shown they can hold their own with anyone,” Gromacki said. “And all three are healthy.

“It hurt us in the regional last season when Gina couldn’t pitch. Those three had worked so well together, but we were without a big piece of the puzzle when Gina couldn’t play. [Robitaille] also was having a little bit of a back problem then too. All that put a lot of pressure on Jodie.”

Gromacki said the pitchers have improved this season and have shown more confidence.

She said she hasn’t made a decision on her starting pitcher for the opener. “We don’t have a regular rotation,” she said.

Oaks was sidelined for two weeks this season with an injury to her pitching shoulder, but she has been solid since returning.

Oaks also plays third base when she isn’t pitching and is batting .296 with five homers. Her 37 runs batted in rank fourth on the team.

The Titans are hitting .295 as a team, which ranks 13th nationally. Catcher Jenny Topping, the Big West player of the year, led the conference with a .423 average, 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. She ranks 12th in RBIs and 14th in batting nationally. Outfielder Yasmin Mossadeghi is batting .350 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs.

Fullerton, which won its second straight Big West title, is making its 20th appearance in the NCAA playoffs in 22 seasons. The Titans are seeking their ninth trip to the Women’s College World Series.