The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 39

THE FRESNO BEE Sunday October 12 1986 D9 NCAA makes move to rid softball of b-o-r-i-n-g label Pitching rubber will be moved back in attempt to beef up offense (They're trying to increase the offense In their thinking the batter will have three more feet to see the ball The really good pitchers will have more room for the ball to move It's going to make our pitchers even better Margie Wright FSU softball coach Fresno City College Coach Steve Uyeda believes the rule will drastically affect the junior colleges whose pitchers clearly aren't the same caliber as in the four-year rente help the offense all he said "Our pitchers aren't as Milutinovich believes even a better method to increase the college run production to return the outfield fences to 225 feet all the way around The NCAA required that distance in 1985 but reneged last season leaving the distances to the discretion of the home teams Last year Bulldog dimensions were 210 to both corners and 220 to dead center "I don't mind putting a little more offense into the game but it should be with those Milutinovich said "That way you have more doubles and triples" Milutinovich said the NCAA association initially pushed to more the pitching rubber back even one more foot to 44 feet That proposal was accompanied with an amendment allowing pitchers to hare just one foot on foe rubber while starting their delivery rather than both feet as required by American Softball Association rules "We felt with just one foot on foe mound a pitcher would be able to rock and by the time she released the ball would be back up there Milutinovich said So after strong objection partic- Dever a highly touted freshman recruit out or Woodlake High School Gardner who has recovered remarkably well from knee surgery which sidelined her the entire season said the rule will especially expose the borderline pitcher hurt the mediocre pitchers because the batters will just wait on them" she said Gardner one of the nation's top pitchers in her junior year see justification in the rule change "If the NCAA wants more offense why they just create a college slow-pitch softball she said sarcastically Parrent who like her teammates already is practicing at the new distance believes it all will work to her advantage "It feels pretty much the same not that much of a difference" said the junior All-American one of the few left-handers "I think it will help My drop for one thing will drop better "But I know have to be real accurate when we throw a rise ball so it come in flat Well really have to make the ball And how will Bulldog batters measure up to it? Wright again foresees heavenly things going to help us all the way around she said "It will make peo-le like Iclean-iip hitter Gena trang and designated hitter Laura Macedo even better because they already hare the patience and can wait on By RON OROZCO Bee sports writer In a landmark rules change college softball will uproot the pitching rubber and replant it three feet farther from home plate starting with the 1987 season The motive is as dear as a soft-ball is white: to enliven a game that for years has been belittled as b-o-r-i-n-g reason for the rule is to generate more said Diane Milutinovich Fresno State Universi- ty assistant athletic director and a member of the NCAA softball rules committee which approved the change The rule affects only NCAA member schools at all divisions and the community colleges which adhere to NCAA rulings The California Interscholastic Federation which governs the high school sports will keep its pitching rubbers at 40 feet tiying to increase the offense" said Bulldogs Coach Margie Wright of the rule makers their thinking the batter will have three more feet to see the And that could translate into more hits more runs and more fan interest Milutinovich said The game has been largely criticized Milutinovich said for its typically low-scoring outcomes 1-0 2-0 2-1 etc Milutinovich said however FSU fans joined the majority by knocking the game as seen at Bulldog Diamond ulariy from NCAA Division II end III schools the 43-feet two-feet-on-rubber rule was passed by a 10-2 vote Milutinovich said television also played a in foe rule change "TV has to be interested in our game and everyone knows TV generates revenue she said ESPN the sports cable network has telecast the NCAA College World Series in Omaha Neb the past few seasons "But never lire and it always has been edited into a two-hour time Milutinovich said "They just show parts of the game nothing worse than to actually see foe game then watch it on TV with parts cut out "Lire TV is where foe revenue is But television keeps telling us RESERVED SEATS CALL 255 Haudenschild triumphs at Kings season finale not the diehard fans who Milutinovich said those who really understand the game" No doubt the rule change which puts the rubber at 43 feet will throw a few firecrackers into the game Wright and Milutinovich agree But they also believe the highly respected pitching staff miss a sleeping on it "The really good pitchers will have more room for the ball to Wright said going to make our pitchers even better really all in how you approach Milutinovich who spoke in behalf of the rule change dunng the NCAA debate admitted a feeling the extra three feet will provide only a mental cushion "They think just something up she said pointing to ner head "But they say for the junk ball Eitchers the going to move a it FSU pitchers Lori Romeiro Gardner Melanie Parrent and Carie Dever who figure to form one of the top college staffs in America next season also envision the new rule making their drop balls and change-ups perform that much better But the rule serve as bows and ribbons to every pitcher they say make the better pitchers even better and kind of weed out the average predicted ance of his 5-foot 3-inch frame Haudenschild continued to dog McSpadden with Steve Kent the track champion running third until lap 20 The Ohio driver stayed on foe high side while McSpadden stayed low Coming out of turn 4 and into the home straight Haudenschild got even then shot past McSpadden just before the start-finish line to grab the lead for good From there Haudenschild breezed in with McSpadden running a strong second ahead of Kent foe Fresno driver Brent Kaeding Each P15580RI3 WhitewaiL the 1984 champion here from Campbell was fourth and Bobby Michnowicz of Carson fifth A pair of valley drivers both new-' comers to the sprinters were foe next to finish Pete Shuklian of Visalia turned in another good rookie effort to come in sixth while asphalt champion Paul Durant of Fresno was seventh Notes Durant was running an Al Warmuth hybrid car that used a Mike Raypholtz 409 cubic-inch motor in Warmuth chassis was a I for Marvin MitcheD He became a 1 Friday then won a heat race and the eemimain In one of his best showings fc $1 00000 PER YEAR GROSS (Potential) Leading manufacturer in its field has exclusive hi-potential cash generating areas available now Equipment approved under new Calif state recycling law Must be qualified to pay $15000 minimum to secure equipment Excellent financing available upon credit approval Not a franchise Call today for information Dial toil free Mr Webb 1 -800-824-7888 Opr 227 48 to (76 LESS PER SET OF 4 than our original 1966 priced Long-wearing 721 with all-season tread Two tough steel cord stabilizer belts not enough action So now see if there Is more action and if television does a good job or i Milutinovich said the new rule has been adopted for two years which all but etches it in granite "Most of the time rules might be slightly modified but they usually change them back" she said Around the hom Wright said FSU sophomore Jill Polanco who was used primarily as a pinch runner last season is recovering rapidly from an automobile accident Wright said Polanco broke tire ribs punctured her lung and received a gash on her forehead They figure in fire to six weeks She'D be back to normal again maybe sooner She's a fighter" Wright added Wright said freshman shortstop Martha Nofsmger has performed impressively In the Bulldogs' fal program 3081 730 AM TO PM kxmdsielmt? at the track He finished 10th In season points Shuklian sdfdlfied his claim on rookie of the year honors which he also took at Santa Maria' Speedway and la a strong contender for at Baytands Raceway In Fremont The long-awaited debut of the Ford-powered Brock Robertson car fizzled when the valve train malfunctioned Danny Smith of DanvHle IK another Outlaw driver was Mining the car AD the rest of the field and most sprinters run Chevrolet-based motors Three cars from the Valley Modified Racing Club rounded out the field with Tony Pereira Charles McGough and Mike Seibert None made the mala The proposed Nov 7 at Kings Speedway race has been dropped eft r- ww November I SMS isassii MsdhooNL Ofe- pnotMMS firestone S-211 firs mo Imported am AR-season head bohtored by two steel beta November I PRICE IN TOWN? a IM7MI4 SefberOng rocSai long-wearing a-i WhrtewaS ftyhng available at all Firestone stores Sale ends By GAYLEN LUMLEY Bee sports writer HANFORD Jac Haudenschild played foe role of outlaw to foe hilt at Kings Speedway Friday night The soft-spoken veteran off foe World of Outlaws circuit hit town and the track and snatched the Cotton Classic main event win out from under Lealand McSpadden in the season finale on the three-eighths mile dirt track "We just figured it would be better to stay out here than tow back Haudenschild said after he won the 30-lap race at the fairground circuit Haudenschild from Millersburg Ohio is a regular on the touring Outlaw sprint-car circuit That group was running in Syracuse NY this weekend but returns to California later this month to run at the San Jose and Calistoga tracks So Haudenschild and car owner Daryl Saucier kept their car in California and picked up the $2000 first prize as he topped McSpadden in foe Don Berry car from Selma Haudenschild who started on the Outside of the front row never was far off foe pace in a race marred by red- and- yellow flags Anthony Simone the pole sitter held the lead for the first eight laps before spinning out on turn 4 and bringing out yellow flag Then McSpadden the Tempe Tornado ana one of the busiest sprint-car drivers in foe west got the lead on the restart He lost foe lead on the next restart after Dare Regier flipped but that was nulli- Haudenschild had passed McSpadden but a nasty crash by Jimmy Sills canceled the lap Sills who had the fastest time in qualifying did a triple flip on turn 1 on lap 11 car flew apart to such an extent that pieces of it lodged in the scoreboard The Rancho Cordova driver who ranks fourth in the standings was unhurt McSpadden went to the front again on the restart and held off the charging Haudenschild whose driving style belies the youthful appear a oports nOw6S Dan Takeuchl 54 of Fresno placed first in the 50-59 divisic -165-pound class of foe Billie Hise Memorial Weightlifting Champion- ship last week at Glendale He al received first place as best lifter over 40 years old Foothill College beat the Fresno -City College club soccer team 3-0 Thursday in a Camino Norte Conference game at Fresno CC leaving the Rams 0-3 in foe CNC and 0-5 overall ONCARTRUOC fit REPAIRS 56 SOUR LABOR RATUARfUPrO 20LESS muN other IDEAlERSlNl FRESNO AREA TRANSMISSION fiSERYiaM INCLUDES LABOK GASKET pans A FLUID SMEMi ALL GM CARS IT DUTY TRUCKS -nrym toot 737 STREET SANGER 875-2578 or FRESNO 268-6716 IMPORT RADIUS 40 to 60 LESS than our original 1986 prices per of 4 Orig 1986 price $4895 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