FULLERTON, Calif. - The 2015 Titans softball team ended their January with an exciting Leadoff Dinner at the Springfield Banquet Center.
More than $22,000 was raised for the softball program involving 240 guests. The third annual program featured several silent auction items, many of which left in the hands of the guests attending.
Alumnae in attendance included keynote speaker Jenny Topping, a four-time first team All-American and member of the 2004 Gold Medal United States Olympic Softball Team, and Titan Hall of Fame coach Judi Garman, who was the nation's winningest collegiate coach when she retired in 1999 after 20 seasons posting a 913-376-4 (.708) record.
Topping provided anecdotes on her life experiences, which included several pieces of advice such as the importance of mentorship for both the current and prospective student-athletes in attendance.
Garman entertained the crowd with some of her fondest memories, circling around the immediate impact the first alumnae had on the program's growth and drive to be a national contender in such little time. Fullerton's 1981 squad tallied the most wins in school history, posting a whopping 60-14 record in the first season of seven straight (1981-87) in which the Titans hung at least 50 wins with 14 or less defeats. The program's lone national championship came in 1986 with a 57-9-1 mark.
Garman took a special moment to present Pam Edde (1980-82) and Janet Lloyd (1980-82), two of the first CSF softball All-Americans (1981), the Titan Game Changer award for elevating the program onto the national stage.
Numerous other alumnae in attendance included Torrie Anderson (2008-11), Ari Cervantes (2008-11), Jessica Doucette (2007-08), Jenn Holt (2001-04), Pam Newton (1982-83) and Kristy Osborne (1998-2000).
Another trio of alumnae are still enriched in Titan Athletics including Special Events Coordinator Aly Fascetti (2010-12), Life Skills Coordinator Pam Newton (1982-83) and Administrative Assistant to the softball program Ariel Tsuchiyama (2010-14), who acted as the master of ceremony.
"I also wanted to send a special thanks to head women's soccer coach and alumnus Demian Brown for his continued support of Titans softball," added Ford. "Coach Brown issued a Big West Championship Challenge to our staff and student-athletes, and we've taken the softball he presented to us and had everyone sign it, it is now placed in our locker room as a special piece of inspiration for the 2015 campaign."
No. 25 Cal State Fullerton will now travel to Las Vegas for the UNLV Wilson/Demarini Desert Classic on Friday as the Titans face Boise State (3:45 p.m.) and Nevada (6:00 p.m.) to open the three-day tournament.