1998 04 28

C A L I F O R N I A INDEX

C alendar & B riefs O p i n i o n S ports

VOLUME 66, ISSUE 38

Sliding into first place

Titan

S T A T E

2 4 5

The

Daily

U N I V E R S I T Y ,

T U E S D AY

F U L L E R T O N

INSIDE

SOFTBALL: Titans take one of two from No. 14 Long Beach State.

See Sports page 5.

APRIL 28, 1998

‘Falling Leaves’ author to speak

n COMM WEEK: O.C. resident

and author Adeline Yen Mah will speak today.

MYLES ROBINSON/Daily Titan

Titan center fielder Reed Johnson steals third base during Sunday’s final victory of a three-game sweep of Long Beach State.

Ex-alien reveals secrets of movie magic n COMM WEEK: David

Morris shares his 10 years of experience on everything from “Star Wars” to music videos.

By JOE FLORKOWSKI Daily Titan Staff Writer

David Morris was in “Star Wars: Special Edition.” OK, so, maybe, he was an extra in the Mos Eisley scene and didn’t have a speaking part, but his “acting” role was a result of his work at Industrial Light and Magic.

Morris is a computer effects artist who has worked for ILM for six years. Sometimes ILM employees are called upon to become extras for the effects that are put in, such as in the re-released “Star Wars.”

ILM is the special effects company director George Lucas founded while he was making the “Star Wars” films. It has created effects for eight of the top 15 box office hits of all time. ILM has also won 14 Academy Awards for best visual effects, in addition to six technical achievement awards.

Morris was on campus Monday as part of Communications Week to

talk about his work. He played “gag” reels and outtakes of films such as “101 Dalmatians” and “Mars Attacks,” allowing the crowd to see some of the behind the scenes work that takes place. Morris also gave out ILM T-shirts and a hat to students who answered trivia questions correctly.

After Morris’ presentation, he was followed around campus and to his hotel by students who watched the presentation and were interested in learning more about the effects field.

Morris said students may have to take several different career courses.

“I think you have to figure out what you’d like to do. There are a lot of people who started in the creature shop who like doing puppets,” Morris said.

Films such as “Titanic,” “Starship Troopers” and “The Lost World,” impressed Morris with their innovation. He is also looking forward to “Godzilla,” expected to be this summer’s box-office behemoth.

“Everything looks great on ‘Godzilla,’” Morris said.

Susan Doggett, an advisor for Communications Week, as well as a friend of Morris’, asked him to come and speak.

“Every show is different because

store encourages writing in the style of a literary great.

By JASON M. TAYLOR Daily Titan Staff Writer

A pair of men in ermine capes and knee-length breeches spilled Elizabethan tunes from their recorders and a crumb horn, a bizarre curved reed instrument that sounded like a warped kazoo.

After a few sets, they made the announcement that the expected master of ceremonies, Sir Francis Drake, had been waylayed by bandits and would be late.

The two men, actors from the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, never broke character as they worked the room at the annual “Write Like Shakespeare” contest at Border’s

Books and Music in Brea.

The listeners included some 147 entrants who had submitted 170 sonnets to the competition. The object was to write a poem with as Shakespearean a feel as possible in celebration of Shakespeare’s April 23 birthday.

Susan Tally, an English teacher who judged the competition, said that form was the main consideration in selecting the 10 winning sonnets.

A Shakespearean sonnet follows a strict pattern of 14 ten-syllable lines with specific rhyme schemes.

After that, she said, criteria included word choice, rhythm, imagery and the overall ideas in the poem.

The judges read more than double the number of sonnets entered in past years, said Mike Gibb, the store’s community relations coordinator. The first sonnet contest, held in 1996, received only 80 entries;

Adeline Yen Mah

herself, “I yearned desperately to be accepted.”

It was not until her stepmother’s death that Yen Mah felt compelled to write the book. “It is everything I wished to say to her as a child but dared not.”

The book was released in England in March 1997 and became an international best seller. It soon soared to No. 1 in both Hong Kong and Australia and hit the top five in England, New Zealand and Singapore.

Before her success as a writer, Yen Mah’s career in the medical field flourished. She served as chief of anesthesia at West Anaheim Community Hospital and medical director of an outpatient surgical clinic.

She lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and two children.

—compiled by Julie Harden

Sports event for disabled planned

n EVENTS: “Special Games”

for disabled students began with a class project.

By LAURIE SCHULTZ Daily Titan Staff Writer

the developmentally disabled, in the following nine weeks.

“We wrote letters to companies, asking them for blue ribbons, and drove all over the place, picking up donations,” Whaley said.

After pulling the event off, the three students almost forgot that they needed to write a paper about it for a grade.

“We had a wonderful time. We felt the event was a part of who we were. It touched us. We had to do it again,” Whaley said. “The report and slide show on the event were only an afterthought.”

Their class project has turned into an annual event. Forty athletes participated and 50 people volunteered in the first Special Games. Last year, over 1,723 athletes participated in the event and almost 1,200 people volunteered in it.

Whaley and Faley planned the

ILM does so many movies per year that each time he comes he brings newer and newer stuff,” Doggett said. “He’s a tremendously popular speaker.”

Morris has always loved movies.

He began filming Claymation at age nine in his family’s backyard. The 33-year-old also worked in a movie theater when he attended college.

Morris earned a bachelor’s degree in television and film at Oral Roberts University. Since then, he’s been working behind the scenes in the

visual effects field. In addition to the afore-mentioned films, Morris has worked on several eclectic projects, including Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” video, a Sun Diamond Walnuts commercial, and Mattel’s Computer Warriors.

CSUF student Sam Yap said he is interested in computer effects and would like to work in Morris’ field.

“I want to work with the computers and models. I don’t want to work with the cell animation or Disney stuff,” he said.

In 1986, students Dan Faley, Lisa Whaley and Tom Bohen were struggling with an idea for a group project in their Public Relations Management class. They were assigned to analyze a business or campaign.

“We sat in the group at the end of the deadline when we had to have the idea for the project. We told each other to come back with three ideas for the project tomorrow. All three of us came back with ideas to help the handicapped,” Whaley said.

With the help of the Special Olympics and Disabled Student Services, the students created Special Games, a non-competitive sports event for

the 1997 contest received only a few more.

Gibb, a CSUF graduate and 1971 editor of the Daily Titan, attributed the high response to the involvement of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

This year, the Faire provided a free pair of tickets to every entrant, along with more tickets and VIP parking for the grand prize, which also included a $100 Border’s gift certificate.

Fifty-dollar and $25 certificates were given to the second and third place winners; other runners-up received poetry books.

“I can’t believe I . . . won,” said Kenneth Callen King, the first place winner. King’s winning entry was titled “In St. Martin’s Churchyard,” a sonnet he wrote after visiting Dylan Thomas’ grave in Dyfed, Wales.

King, carrying an armload of Greek literature he bought with his prize, said that visiting the graves of great

poets while looking for inspiration is an ancient literary tradition.

Although his formal training is in philosophy, King said poetry has been his long-standing hobby. King listed Thomas as one of his greatest poetic influences.

Carol Celeste, of Orange, won second place in the competition, and Roslyn Nelson, also from Orange, took third. Cal State Fullerton anthropology professor Susan Parman placed sixth in the contest.

Although most of the winners were in the 30-and-over category, 12-year-old Caitlin Orr proved that authors of any age can be competitive. Her sonnet, “Not Time’s Fool,” won fourth place.

Orr said her exposure to Shakespeare came from her father, who read Shakespeare, and from an interest in acting.

“I just did it,” she said. “I just wanted to have fun.”

Kenneth King reads his sonnet at Borders Books and Music in Brea.

JEFF CHONG/Daily Titan

David Morris of Industrial Light and Magic answers questions for the audience during Communications Week.

Poets win with Shakespearean style

n CONTEST: A local book-

Adeline Yen Mah spent her childhood ostracized by her wealthy Chinese family. But as an adult, she triumphed over the abuse through her best selling book, “Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter.”

Though it is a Chinese taboo to reveal family “ugliness” in public, Yen Mah will reveal her childhood deprivations and indignities today at 1 p.m. in the Titan Theatre.

Following her mother’s death two weeks after her birth, Yen Mah was shunned by her family as she bore the double burden of being blamed for the death and for being the youngest stepchild.

She endured beatings from her stepmother and was sent to boarding school where she was rarely visited by family members. When her father died in 1988, Yen Mah’s stepmother robbed her from inheriting any of the family’s $30 million and made her other children her co-conspirators.

Such abuse inspired Yen Mah to write an autobiography exposing the drama of seven children striving for the love of their parents.

“All my life,” Yen Mah wrote of

Copyright ©1998, Daily Titan

see GAMES/ 2

DORATI KAN/Daily Titan

page

2 n NEWS

two

A GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING

BRIEFS

Congressional Budget Director to speak

Debaters win at national tournament

June E. O’Neill, director of the Congressional budget, will speak Friday, May 8, at 1:30 p.m. in the Ruby Gerontology Center-Mackey Auditorium. She is expected to deliver a 90-minute speech on “Dealing With Surplus: A New Set of Budget Problems.”

O’Neill has worked in the Congression Budget Office since 1995 as a senior economist on the staff of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors and served as director of the Office of Programs, Policy and Research with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

For more information on O’Neill’s speech, contact Eric J. Solberg, professor of economics, at 278-2237, or the Economics Department at 278-2228.

Laura Heider, 21, an extended education student, and Demetruis Lambrinos, 22, philosophy major, placed in the top 10 at the 52nd annual National Debate Tournament at the University of Utah.

Heider placed sixth while Lambrinos followed in ninth place, both earning a berth for the National Tournament. They will compete for National Champion of the Year by having an overall good debating record over the course of the year.

They were one of 16 teams to receive a first round at-large bid.

For more information on the debate team or questions in general, contact K. Jeanine Congalton, co-director of forensics and associate professor of speech communications, at 278-3575.

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The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Tuesday through Friday.

Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises.

The mail subscription price is $45 per semester, $65 per year, payable to the Daily Titan, Humanities 211, CSUF, Fullerton, CA 92834.

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April 28, 1998

TUESDAY

CALENDAR OF EVENTS The Theatre and Dance Department presents “Vanities,” a bittersweet comedy exploring the friendship of three southern women, running through Sunday. For information call 278-3371.

Darden will address the campus community on the legal profession today at 7 p.m. in the Education Classroom Building, room 32. For more information contact Susan Metzler-Katsaros at 278-4854.

The School of the Arts presents “Romeo and Juliet” through May 3 in the Little Theatre. Admission is $8 ($6 with advance Titan Discount). For information on running times, contact the Performing Center Box Office at 278-3371.

The Department of Mathematics presents a panel discussion on teaching mathematics in high school and middle school on Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. in Langsdorf Hall, room 402. For further information, call 278-2728.

Attorney Christopher

“Planning a Low Cost

GAMES • from

page 1

first five years of the Special Games.

Faley’s sister, Kathleen, who volunteered in the first Special Games, was killed a year after them in a car accident. The event was named in her memory.

Paul Miller, the director of Disabled Student Services and one of the executive directors of the event,

Wedding,” a free seminar, will take place today at noon in the Education Classroom Building, room 32. A free tote bag will be given to the first 25 participants.

Associated Students Productions presents an early celebration of Cinco de Mayo with El Mariachi Zacatecas Thursday at noon in the Pub. Admission is free.

Southeast Asian financial crisis, the downward trend in unemployment and the rapid growth in housing.

The cost is $30 per person.

To make reservations, call Ginny Pace at 278-2566.

The mid-year economic update is scheduled for Thursday at 7:15 a.m. at the Sutton Place Hotel in Newport Beach.

The discussion will cover the

The Deputy Consul General of France will hold a free lecture on the new European Currency the “Euro Dollar,” on May 5 at 11:30 a.m. in Titan Student Union Titan Theatre.

For more information, contact Linda R. Andersen-Fiala, professor of foreign languages and literatures, at 278-2137.

said volunteers are affected by the disabled athletes. Gene Murphy, a football coach at Fullerton College, told him that his players stopped complaining during practice after volunteering at the Special Games.

“When non-disabled people spend the day at the Special Games and observe what is happening, they walk away with an appreciation of life,” Miller said. “Many also walk away learning new things about disabilities and realizing what they have

taken for granted.”

A football toss, a basketball hoop toss and track and field races are some of the activities they participate in at this event, which concludes with a barbecue lunch.

CSUF students can volunteer to coordinate the activities and interact with the athletes at the next Special Games on May 1. Sportscaster Ed Arnold will be master of ceremonies.

Volunteers may sign up at the Disabled Student Services office.

Opinion

Tuesday, April 28, 1998

Mexico is more than Tijuana clubs B

Frank C. Diaz

aja California, especially Tijuana, can be dangerous to your health, pocketbook and even your dignity, so said a colleague of mine recently; a fellow writer for the Daily Titan.

Time for a different perspective.

I’ve been going down to Tijuana for most of my life. If you take a close look at my mug above this column you’ll get a good idea of how long that’s been.

Personally, I prefer Ensenada. Not because of ketball with about 38 orphans was hardly what Additionally, Tijuana draws a huge population the low-lifes that might infest TJ, mind you. I don’t you’d refer to as a dirty; extremely dusty, mind you, of native Mexicans who are using the city as an really care what they do or who they do it to. I just but not dirty. (If you’re interested in what happened, exit point for leaving Mexico and entering the U.S. feel sorry for the Donkey. be patient. I’ll be writing a separate story about it — they hope. Most don’t make it and end up stayI go to Ensenada because I like going camping later.) ing there. on the beach and shopping in cheap stores, comHow will south-of-the-border ever outlive this The main tourist drag for Tijuana, an area of pared to the States. bad rep? about 10-20 square blocks, is not typical of the If I wanted to give into sin and temptation instead Baja California has three large cities — by city as a whole. In this small section, if you’re an of sun and tide motion I wouldn’t go that far south, Baja standards. They are Tijuana, Mexicali and American with American dollars in your pocket I’d gladly stop at TJ. Ensenada. Tijuana and Ensenada mostly exist to you can pretty much do and get what you want.

I was down in Ensenada this weekend, as a cater to the American tourist trade. Mexicali hapMy colleague was right when he wrote about guest of over 30 Fullerton students from different pens to be the state capitol. having Godzilla grope him in a bar. Americans are campus Latino clubs who definitely “fair game” in went down there to spend certain parts of Tijuana.

My colleague was right when he wrote about having the day.

Bu, there is a key factor Want to know what here that might be overtheir purpose was? looked. If you walk into a Godzilla groping him in a bar. Americans are definitely They went to visit an bar/strip club/whorehouse, orphanage, play with the you’re not likely to find fair game in certain parts of Tijuana. kids and take care packchurchgoers sitting next to ages of food and clothing. you. But remember, you’re Thirty Fullerton students the one who decided to go playing soccer and basin there to begin with.

Letters: apathy wins in CSUF elections You can’t spell “apathetic” without p-a-t-h-et-i-c.

That's the equation of this election, ladies and gentlemen. If there is one thing my experience having been a candidate for the A.S. Board of Directors has proven to me, it is the near impossibility of getting elected to that board without being an undergraduate and a fraternity member.

No, this is not a slam against my opponent Jared Brummel. He did nothing to me; in fact, he ran a clean campaign and he got more votes.

Period.

Simply, so few of you, especially you science majors, cared enough to learn about the candidates, or God forbid, vote. Sadly, 200 votes is probably historic for the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and that is just pathetic.

I went out there, I told people what I stood for, and I simply talked to them. In return I got all but slapped in the face (and if I hadn’t ducked a couple of times, I probably would have received a nice shiner). Absolutely pathetic.

It proves one thing to me: it is nearly impossible of get your message out when you run as an independent. Maybe I should have run for president—I wouldn’t have won that one either, but at least the Daily Titan might have spelled my name right and written more than one paragraph about my campaign before the actual election.

Maybe I should have put up Poloroids of myself... after all, issues don’t seem to matter to the students.But I digress.

Some 200 or so of you actually DID vote and that’s a start. Of course, many of you voted for the wrong reasons, or didn’t know both sides of the story, but still, at least you took the 20 seconds to make two x’s and be on your way.

I got almost 70 votes and I am satisfied with that, given my disadvantages (I’m not an undergrad, I’m in a relatively small major, I’m not in a fraternity, the Titan “forgot” to publish the campaign platforms for my race, and oh, yes, I was outnumbered approximately 20-1 as far as campaign staff).

Even with all my disadvantages, I still managed to make it closer than a 2-1 vote. Of course, I would have been happier if it had been even closer, but then again, I suppose I was far too foolish. I was a fool to think that NSM students would care. Oops, I forgot, NSM students don’t even know what NSM stands for. Sorry. Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Yes, I’m talking to all the Biology, Biochemistry, Geology, Physics, Math and Chemistry majors out there who didn’t bother to vote at all.

One memorable individual told a group of us who were campaigning (myself and two of the people from both presidential teams) to “get a life.” Well I think that would make a great motto for NSM. Or perhaps an epithet.

Note to the wise: Learn from my mistake.

It’s just not worth it to but your ass for two days, unless you’ve got no opposition or are endorsed by the Sigma Nu presidential slate. The students in NSM (look above if you forgot what that stands for already) have voted, in their apathy: “We don’t

If American didn’t go down to TJ to party, party houses wouldn’t exist. All they’re doing is providing the supply to the American demand.

If you don’t believe me, take a close look when you go down there and count the ratio of drunken American tourists to natives in any of those joints.

As for me, I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed going South until this past Saturday, when I went with the campus group.

Driving down the coast, 75 miles past Tijuana on the way to Ensenada made me wish I could just jump out of the car and spend the next month on the beach.

Especially during this time of the semester.

Maybe next month, when I’m done with my finals, I can spend at least a weekend.

Just a reminder though, look for me on the beach working on a tan and not in a bar trying to get a date with Ms. Godzilla.

FRANK C. DIAZ is a Daily Titan staff writer.

EDITORIAL POLICY care.”

If I hear any of you complain about what the Associated Students is or is not trying to do next year, remember this: When they try to raise your fees, you had a chance to stop them last week.

When they fail to improve the parking situation, you had the chance to tell them, “Hey! Just because we don’t get staff parking doesn’t mean there’s no problem!”

When the campaign rolls around next year, and nobody honest is willing to run, don’t be surprised--it’s because of YOU that they don’t want to run.

Yes, I failed to get more votes than Mr. Brummel, but the real losers are the students who failed to vote. May you all get what you deserve.

Until you make an effort to become involved in the process, nothing will ever change...except of course to get worse.

Mike Bourdaa Graduate student, Chemistry

Columns are the personal opinion of the authors. They do not reflect the views of the Daily Titan or CSU Fullerton faculty, staff or student body.

Editorials are the opinion of the Executive Board.

Letters should not exceed 350 words, and must include the author’s legal name, major, class standing or staff position (if any), and a phone number.

Letters are subject to editing.

Send letters to: Letters to the Editor The Daily Titan 800 North State College Blvd.

Fullerton, CA 92834 Or e-mail us at: dailytitan@yahoo.com

Sports

Tuesday, April 28, 1998

Titans leave no doubt at LBSU n BASEBALL: CSUF finishes

off convincing sweep over the 49ers at Blair Field.

By BRIAN DIERIEX

Daily Titan Sports Photo Editor LONG BEACH—On Sunday Titan baseball proved it is a team on the way up by finishing off the sweep of Long Beach State at Blair Field.

Not even during the Nevin or Kotsay eras did the Titans pull off such a feat in Long Beach.

The sweep over the 49ers—the first since 1988— improved the Titans’ record to 36-12 and 19-4 in the Big West Conference. But more importantly, it vaulted the Titans three games ahead of the second place 49ers.

After taking the first two games, the Titans knew LBSU would come out wanting a win on Sunday.

“This series is all about the unpredictability,” Titan Head Coach George Horton said. “It’s about motivation and who’s going to do the best job tomorrow regardless of what their names are.”

The 49ers scored first on a balk by Greg Jacobs.

Jacobs, 3-for-4 in the game, put the Titans on the board in the sixth with a two-run double to left field.

In the bottom of the sixth Paul Day knotted the score at two with a single to left field, that brought in Chuck Lopez

Softball leads the way in win

from third.

With one out in the top of the seventh Ryan Moore walked, and pinch hitter Steve Chatham sliced a double into right field. David Trentine followed with a walk to fill the bases. Reed Johnson then smacked a hard grounder to shortstop Justin Hall, who bobbled the ball and could only get Trentine at second. Moore crossed the plate to give the Titans a 3-2 advantage.

“I smoked that ball real hard,” Johnson said. “I knew if he came up clean they could get a double play. I just kept my head down and ran as hard as I could, I knew if I beat it out we’d get a run out of it.”

Hall redeemed himself in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run to tie the score at three.

Pitching coach Dave Serrano quickly replaced Jacobs with Kirk Saarloos, who retired the next two batters he faced to end the inning.

Jacobs led off the eighth inning with a single to right and Rowand then hammered a double to right field. LBSU coach Dave Snow saw the trouble brewing and replaced reliever Dennis Kordich with Daryl Grant.

Grant struck out Kevin Duck, but hit Chad Olszanski to load the bases. Chris Beck then drilled a grounder that caromed off second baseman Sam Monroy into right field, scoring Jacobs and Rowand.

n SOFTBALL: Team splits

with tough Long Beach State squad.

By Jeff Howe

Daily Titan Staff Writer

see SWEEP/ 6

By the numbers CSUF versus LBSU

26

10

CSUF runs scored

LBSU runs scored

CSUF series RBI

LBSU series RBI

25

7 Titan earned runs given up 3 CSUF games up on LBSU

8

24 49er earned runs given up 10

CSUF game winning streak

Baseball Big West crown in sight

LANDON NEGRI

Daily Titan Staff Writer It may be too soon to sign, seal and deliver this Cal State Fullerton baseball team to the College World Series, but unless a total meltdown is awaiting in the final two weeks of the season, the Titans at least appear to be on the correct path.

In terms of playoff implications, things took a hefty turn for the better this past weekend as CSUF (20-4 in the Big West, 36-12 overall) swept conference foe Long Beach State (17-7 in the Big West) in a three-game road series.

Going into the weekend, both teams were tied for the Southern Division lead, but now the Titans hold a three-game lead over the 49ers with six conference games left.

The margin is sizeable, but almost insurmountable considering the Titans play three-game sets against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara, teams CSUF owns a 6-0 record against and has outscored by a 66-23 margin.

Still, CSUF coach George Horton is careful not to overlook the remaining games.

"The real important part of the season is still ahead of us," Horton said. "We've showed that at this point of the season, we're playing pretty good. But there are some areas we need to shore up and get better at.

"The task is not over yet," he added. "We have to continue to work hard and get better."

If CSUF can hold off LBSU, it will lock up the top seed in the Big West Conference Tournament, which begins May 14 at Titan Field.

The Titans can advance to the NCAA Regionals (begins May 21 at a site yet to be determined) in one of two ways: They can gain an automatic bid by winning the conference tournament, or hope their record is good enough for a berth via the selection committee. Both tournaments, like the College World Series, are double elimination.

How has CSUF put itself in such a prime situation? The Titans have won 10 consecutive games 16 of their past 17.

One reason is the hitting of Aaron Rowand. He leads the team with 12 home runs and 53 RBI, and ranks second with a .385 batting average. For Rowand, a little more plate discipline has been a key.

"I'm being more patient at the plate," he said. "I'm not swinging at balls in the dirt. I'm also getting good pitches to hit and doing the most with them."

But the CSUF pitching staff may have been the most impressive thus far.

Cal State Northridge transfers Benito Flores (10-0, 2.94 ERA) and Erasmo Ramirez (7-5, 3.68) lead a staff that tops the Big West in ERA.

MYLES ROBINSON/Daily Titan

Reed Johnson is called safe while stealing second. Shortly after, Johnson made matters worse for the 49ers as he went on to steal third. The Titans moved up to 10th in the Collegiate Baseball Poll.

Falling into

Place

The season is coming to an end, and the playoff picture is beginning to clear for baseball and softball

When a team’s leadoff hitters get on base, generally that signals a win. The Cal State Fullerton softball team did just that, placing six of seven leadoff batters on base to defeat the Long Beach State 49ers 2-0 in the second game of a Big West Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at 49er field.

The Titans (27-24, 11-13 in conference) lost the opening game 1-0 on a suicide squeeze bunt by Deidra Oliver in the bottom of the fourth.

“They (LBSU) did three things in a row successfully,” said Titan Head Coach Judi Garman. “They had a double, then a sacrifice to third, then a perfect suicide.”

LBSU (32-13, 13-8), challenging for a conference championship with Cal State Northridge and the University of Pacific, boasts the top-ranked defense in the nation. However, the 49ers did not live up to that billing in this contest, committing four errors.

“I didn’t know they were the No. 1 defense until (Garman) told us after the game,” said second baseman Nikki Hart.

“I was surprised because they didn’t look like it.”

Hits were sparse in the first contest.

In fact, both teams were hitless until the fourth inning.

Wendi Griffin led off the top of the fourth for CSUF by reaching on an error.

But Griffin got caught trying to advance too aggressively and was gunned down at second. Christa Saindon followed with a single and was also nailed at second after Brenda Iglesias hit an infield grounder.

The Titans threatened when Stacy Pierson reached on another error. Christy Sears stepped up and drove a single into

see SOFTBALL/ 6

Miracle needed for postseason

By Jeff Howe

Daily Titan Staff Writer At this point in a season, teams turn their thoughts to the post-season. For some, making “season two” will be automatic.

For others, it will be a little tougher.

Cal State Fullerton’s softball team finds itself in the latter category. With a 27-24 overall record and an 11-13 mark in the Big West Conference entering tonight’s game at home versus Fresno State, the Titans need more help than seems possible to make regional play.

“I don’t think there is any chance in conference any more,” said Titan Head Coach Judi Garman. “We’d have to win all 10 of our remaining games and (Cal State) Northridge would have to lose four of six for us to tie as conference champs.”

Garman added that in this scenario, CSUN would still receive the automatic bid to regional competition by virtue of its four wins over CSUF this season.

Each conference champion automatically makes regional play. The remaining teams are considered based on their records, difficulty of schedule, play against ranked teams and performance against other teams in the region.

“We’re hoping to get four teams from our region and it may help if we get to No. 5,” Garman said. “(New Mexico State) is in front of us in the region and we’re 2-2 against them. NMSU will have to lose some games.

“We’d have to win almost all our games to even have a chance,” Garman added.

The Titans have the opportunity to get themselves into stronger contention by winning some crucial games ahead.

Fresno State, who struggled recently against NMSU, comes to town tonight, followed by the University of Pacific tomorrow. UOP is directly in front of CSUF in the standings. Following those matchups, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo come in, both unranked in conference. Then, in the season finale, the Titans take on LBSU. While tonight will be the first time CSUF will face Fresno this season, the Titans have had some experience against the other teams in front of them.

CSUF is 0-2 against Cal Poly SLO, losing at SLO on March 4. The Titans split a doubleheader against Pacific on March 13 and again against UCSB on April 15.

“To make regionals would be slim,” Garman said. “If we sweep LBSU and could sweep Fresno and UOP, it would give us a slight shot.

“If we could go 7-3 over our remaining games, who knows

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Titans finish in bottom of pack n TRACK: Despite impres-

sive performances by several individuals, Titans still end up close to last.

By KERRY MURRAY

Daily Titan Assistant Sports Editor Three Cal State Fullerton jumpers leaped into the finals of the Cal/Nevada Track and Field Championships on Sunday, but the rest of the Titans did not fare as well.

In team scoring, the CSUF women tied for 18th place with UC Riverside out of 23 teams and the men took 19th place out of 21 teams.

Despite the disappointing team scores, Elders said several individuals had noteworthy performances.

TreShawn Banford, Quincy Simms and Gary Van Sluis each advanced in the highly competitive meet, and Banford and Van Sluis each set new CSUF records.

Banford placed seventh in the triple jump with her 37-02.25 leap and improved upon the CSUF record she had already held.

Van Sluis got into the finals with his 16-3 1/2 pole vault, a new record, but could not clear the starting height in the final.

“He had some good attempts, but couldn’t clear it,” Titan Head Coach John Elders said.

Elders said Deanna Mendibles and Dominick Sturz were one jump away from making the finals in the high jump and each barely ticked the bar to miss qualifying.

In sprinting events, Gary Charles ran seasonal bests in the 100-meter and 200m with times of 10.87 seconds and 22.12 respectively.

Deumka Langford did not advance to the finals, but also earned personal bests in the 100m and 200m.

Omar Anderson, despite knocking over a hurdle in the 400m hurdles, ran a seasonal best with his time of 55.32.

Anderson was running in second, but when he hit the hurdle he was forced to slow down, dropping him into seventh.

The men’s 4x400m team ran a seasonal best with a time of 3:21.34 and missed qualifying to the finals by one place. Elders said Anderson and Charles each ran sub-50 second times and anchor Phil Sitner ran a seasonal best 50.4.

“All four guys should run under 50 and improve their individual times by at least a second,” Elders said.

In distance events, Erin Remy did not run because she was sick and Elders said the rest of the distance team had mediocre performances.

Sarah MacDougall placed seventh in the 3000m. Elders said she made a tactical mistake early in the race when she got boxed in and opted to avoid getting out of the box. She got separated from the leaders, but Elders said she ran a good race at the end.

Francisco Vasquez and Carrie Garritson, who each ran the 10000m the previous weekend at the Mt. Sac Invitational, looked tired in the same race this past weekend according to Elders.

“Overall, I was really pleased with our performances,” Elders said. “We had a few disappointments, but we also had a lot of personal bests.”

Up next for the Titans is the Steve Scott Invitational this weekend.

The meet, which is held at UC Irvine on Saturday, is set to start at 10 a.m.

The Titans will then compete in three more meets the following two weekends before the Big West Conference Championships which are in Reno May 22-23.

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if that would do it,” Garman continued. “It would matter what the other teams did.”

But whether the teams in front of the Titans win or lose, Garman emphasized that her team must continue to win for any of these scenarios to matter.

“I told the team that all we can do is go out and do our best and that’s why I was pleased with (Saturday’s game) at Long Beach,” she said. “No one felt we played over our head. They all felt we could win both games.”

The Titans have been playing well of late. The loss in the first game at LBSU snapped a four-game winning streak.

Over the past 10 games, CSUF has won seven. But Garman conceded it may not be enough.

“That’s your goal each year—to make regionals,” she said. “The only sure way is to win the conference.

“I feel bad because there’s players who came to this program who had expectations to make regionals. It’s good that we’re playing well at the end but frustrating that it took us all year to put it together.”

Winning the rest of their contests is important for another reason.

“You can’t even be considered (for regionals) if you don’t have a winning record,” Garman added. “Ours is going to be compared against other teams in other regions. It pretty much shuts the door if you only have a few more wins than losses.”

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center field. Carrie Davis, pinch running at second, rounded third but was called out at home in a controversial call.

“It looked like the tag was high on her shoulder and she slid in under the tag,” Garman said.

LBSU took advantage in the bottom half of the inning and strung three plays together to bring home a run on that squeeze play.

In game two, the top-ranked 49er defense faltered, committing an error in both the third and fourth innings to help the Titans out.

CSUF threatened in the second. Iglesias led off with a single and one out later, catcher Dara Marzolo added a hit of her own. However, a bad baserunning blunder cost the Titans the inning. Linda Anderson, running for Iglesias, was caught off third on a botched squeeze play. LBSU third baseman Jaclyn Fredrickson gunned the ball down to second base to catch Marzolo off guard.

“That was a suicide squeeze and our batter didn’t do anything with that pitch,” Garman said.

In the third inning, Kristy Osborne singled and was sacrificed to second.

One out later, another 49er error allowed Hart to reach base and Osborne to score for all the offense CSUF would need.

The Titans tacked on another score in the next inning on a walk, two fielderschoice plays and a single for the 2-0 win.

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CSUF added another run in the inning on a Chatham grounder to third baseman Scott Redfox who threw to second to get Beck, but the play scored Olszanski.

The Titans put one more on the board in the ninth, and Adam Johnson closed the door on the 49ers to secure CSUF’s tenth consecutive victory.

Erasmo Ramirez, like Jacobs, kept the 49er offense at bay on Saturday. He allowed only three runs, scattered 10 hits and fanned four, while walking none.

In the fourth inning Ramirez loaded the bases with no outs and Hall then just missed clearing the fence for a grand slam and instead settled for a two-run double, which gave the 49ers a 3-1 lead.

“I knew this game was going to be pretty tough,” Ramirez said. “I expected them to come out swinging. I just wanted to keep them to three runs and that’s what I did.”

Rowand, 6-for-12 in the series, cut

the lead to one with a double in the fifth inning that scored Pete Fukuhara.

In the seventh inning Rowand added another double that scored two runs and gave CSUF a 4-3 edge.

Chatham knocked a grounder past diving shortstop Hall to drive in Rowand.

The Titans added three more runs in the ninth and Johnson shut down the 49ers to ensure the 8-3 victory. He also picked up his fifth save of the season.

In Friday’s 11-4 trouncing the 49ers, Benito Flores pitched a complete game and picked up his 10th victory without a loss.

Only one of the four LBSU runs were earned, as the defense struggled and committed four errors.

“He pitched in character and kept a very good offensive team off balance all night.”, Serrano said.

CSUF scored in each of the first four innings in the game. The Titan shelling of LBSU pitchers was led by Reed Johnson who was 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.

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