CSUDH Softball Breaks Into Top 10 in NFCA Poll
CCAA Champions move up two slots nationally entering regular season finale on Friday
May 4, 2005

Starkville, MS – The Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team moved up to No. 10 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, just over two weeks removed from claiming the CCAA Championship with sweeps over San Francisco State and Sonoma State, the Toros’ first title since the 1983 season. Hosting Grand Canyon in the regular season finale this Friday, CSUDH stands at 43-10, a school record for wins in a season.

Senior Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary’s HS) and junior Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap HS/CS Stanislaus) pace the Toros’ stingy pitching staff while the junior hitting duo of Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) and Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/San Pedro HS/SE Missouri Univ.) leads the potent CSUDH offense.

In the circle, Long has improved upon last season’s stellar campaign, pacing the hurlers with a 19-4 record, five shutouts and a miniscule 1.27 ERA. In her final year in Cardinal Red & Gold, Long established the CSUDH career all-time records in wins and strikeouts in a 10-inning 3-2 win over Concordia (CA) on March 17, and the single-season strikeout record against Seattle University on April 3. She has recorded 181 strikeouts in 149.1 innings pitched, including two outings in which she fanned a career-best 13 batters, and leads the CCAA in strikeouts and opposing batting average, winning two CCAA Pitcher of the Week awards thus far this year.

A junior transfer from Cal State Stanislaus, Miller has been the Toros’ game-two ace, having amassed a 17-3 record and 1.11 ERA, in addition to claiming one CCAA Pitcher of the Week nod. Miller has 18 complete games in 19 starts, and has limited the opposition to a meager .224 batting average. The Bremerton, WA, native has fanned 88 batters in 133.0 innings pitched, and is 2nd in the CCAA in ERA, 3rd in wins and 4th in opposing batting average. Additionally, Miller has fared well at the plate tallying five home runs and 27 RBI, including the week of April 4-10 during which she hit .579 (11-for-19) and notched 12 RBI, 10 runs and a 1.421 slugging percentage, earning Miller her first-career CCAA Player of the Week honor.

Perry, a 2004 third-team All-American who holds five CSUDH records, has surpassed two records she set just last season and is on pace to shatter the Toro mark for batting average in a single season. A junior, Perry already has set the record for runs scored in a career and is five hits away from establishing the Toro career mark in hits. Additionally, the speedster leads the conference in batting average, hits and stolen bases and is 2nd in runs scored.

In her first year in Cardinal Red & Gold, Groden paces the CCAA in RBIs and runs scored, and already ha broken the CSUDH record for RBIs, runs scored and doubles in a single season while earning two CCAA Player of the Week nods.

Perry and Groden have led the the Toros to a team .305 average compared to .205 for CSUDH’s opponents, while the Toros have outscored the opposition by a whopping 194 runs (281-87).

Fellow CCAA school Chico State was the only other conference institution to make the poll, coming in at No. 22, while San Francisco State, at No. 20 two weeks ago, dropped from the list. Perennial power Humboldt State make the highest appearance on the poll amongst Far West Region teams, improving one spot to No. 2 in the nation.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Preseason Top 25 is voted on by eight NCAA Division II head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. The complete poll can be found on www.nfca.org.