1989_02 The Daily Collegian February 1989

              SPORTS
California State University, Fresno
Fresno State Diamon
By Steve Fountain
Sports Writer
The 1989 Softball season will start
where it left off in 1988, with UCLA
ranked No. 1 and Fresno State University
ranked second.
In the NCAA Top 20 Poll released
Tuesday, the Bulldogs Finished with 133
points, seven behind the Bruins' 140.
UCLA edged FSU for the NCAA
Softball Championship last May.
If the Bulldogs are to again advance to
the finals and lay claim to the national
championship, the must first survive a
grueling schedule that, depending on early-
season tournament play, could push 60
games even before me playoffs start-
Three of those games will be against
UCLA: a Feb. 26 match-up in Fresno as
pan    of    the    FSU    Pepsi    Softball
Challenge, and an April 16 twinbill in
Westwood.
While increased weight might be placed
on the UCLA games in the wake of last
season's finale, Wright is keeping the
same philosophy that carried her team
through last year.
"We approach the teams that we know
are going to be in the final 20 knowing
that we want to beat them," said Wright.
Repeating as Big West Conference
champions will be no easy feat in itself.
Wright said she sees fifth-ranked Long
Beach State and 17th-ranked University
of the Pacific being very strong, along
with traditionally tough teams at eighth-
ranked Fullerton and unranked Cal Poly
Pomona.
The teams thai finished in lower half of
the conference last will also be improved,
said WrighL
'The reason I think this is the toughest
conference is because anyone can beat the
number one team at anytime."
The Bulldogs lost four seniors from
last year's learn: pitcher Melanie Parrenl,
first baseman Gena Strang, right fielder
Kann Richter and Laura Macedo.
Here is a breakdown of the probable
lineup for the 1989 season:
Pitching:
With the departure of All-Amencan
Parrent, junior Carie Dever becomes the
anchor of the staff - not that she didn't
pull more than her own weight last year.
Dever started 35 games in 1988,
completing all but one on the way to a
27-7 record and a .48 ERA. Eighteen of
her wins were shutouts. Perhaps Dever's
shinning moment last season came at the
NCAA Championships as she pitched the
final four games, struck out 17 batters in
30 innings, posted a .47 ERA and was
named one of iwo pitchers on the All-
College World Series Team.
In addition, Dever will play third base
when she is not pitching, a trend that
Wright said will continue this season.
In the off-season, Dcvcr said that she
has improved upon atr akange-up and
e\irve ball.
Dever will share the piching rotation
with freshman Terry Carpemer from
Edison High School in Huntington
Beach Carpenter will be reunited with her
former high school teammate shortstop
Martha Noffsinger. Having yet to prove
herself on the collegian level, Carpenter
has been frequently identified more with
her older sister Julie, who was an
standout pitcher ai Texas A&M.
"Every single time I see my name they
mention, 'sister of Julie.'" said Carpcnicr.
"I've always grown up with that, so I
guess I'm used to it now."
Carpenter posted a 13-7 mark and a .09
ERA in her final year at Edison. She is a
hard-drop and hard curve specialisL
Sophomore Carol Taniguchi will work
as a relief pitcher as the team's number
three hurler. Taniguchi will also sec
considersable action as an utility player,
according io Wright.
[afield:
This is the most intact unit, losing
just one player from last year's team. But
thai loss was big, as first baseman Strang
graduated. Strang was not only highly
talented on defense, but she was also the
Bulldogs clean-up batter.
Taking over at first will be the platoon
of sophomore Raeann Pifferim and junior
Kerri Donis, who redshirted at FSU after
transfering from Illinois State.
The platooning will depend on who is
pitching and who is playing third base.
With Carpenter pitching and the fleet-
footed Dever at third, the slower Donis
will play first. When Dever is pitching,
Gina LoPiccolo, a solid fielder who is
less mobile than Dever, will play third.
Pifferini, the fastest player on the team,
will then play first
Senior Kathy Mayer returns to second
base following a career-best season in
1988. She lead the Bulldogs in runs (32),
hits (68) and set a school record for
doubles (16).
Junior Martha Noffsinger returns at
shortstop, where she has turned in two
solid consecutive seasons. Noffsinger was
right behind Mayer in hits with 67 last
work with Dever, while Macedo caught
ParrenL
Stokes will look to siart the season
where she left off in 1988. In the final
two games of the World Series, Stokes
had three textbook blocks of home plate,
lagging out runners each time. One of
those included the final out in the
Bulldogs' 2-1 win over UCLA.
Stokes will be backed by freshman
Jenifer Nolan from Le Grand and Donis.
Outfield:
This group offers almost as many
possibilities as the Lotto 6/49 game.
ssa.
FSU
Photo courtesy FSU Sports r/formation/Todd Alfred
Carta Daw  Ea tha pitching anchor aftar Malanls Parrant wrapped up har
Bulldog cares* but season. Davar postad a ERA of 0.48 In '88. Sha will spilt
pitching tima wttti aaahmaii rscrutt Tarry Carpenter.
Junior Shelly Stokes will have sole
rights to catcher, following the graduation
of Laura Macedo. Stokes and Macedo
shared plate duties the past two seasons.
Last year, Stokes did the majority of her
Kathy Mayer shattered the school
record tor doubles with 16 total
last season.
The only given is senior centerfielder
Jill Polanco. who anchored last season's
outfield. Pulanco has had just one error in
each of her first two seasons.
Pifferini, when not playing first base,
may see action in either left or light field,
according to Wright. Pifferini saw
considerable action ir left last season.
Mia Rexroth, a freshman from Antioch
High School and junior Shelly Morrison
are also leading candidates for starting
spots, said WrighL
But Wright was quick io add that other
possibilities exist and that the outfield
may see "many individuals" in the early
part of the season. Wright said that
platooning players in the outfield is a
good possibility now, but could change
quickly depending on the early season
progress of players.
Offense:
The loss of Strang, the only true clean¬
up hitter on the team, has prompted
Wright to emphasize running more than
she did last year.
"It wit] be a little bit different because
we don't have a basic 3-4-5 setup." said
Wright. "...I think we put a lot of
pressure on Strang when she was here to
perform. Basically our players just needed
to believe more in themselves. Which
they do now."
Some of the confidence has come from
the players development of the past year.
"Some of the people I would have used
to run in the past, needed to concentrate
on so many other aspects of the game
that we didn't have the luxury of adding
another situation to them.
"Plus, I feel we have the depth, more
depth than we ever had since I've been
here, which will allow us to run more and
take more chances."
A week after the Saturday, Feb. 11
Alumni game, the Bulldogs open the
1989 campaign at home with a Feb. 18
double header against St Mary's. The
game starts at 1 p.m.