This year, Cal State Fullerton softball coach Kelly Ford opened the First Titan Bank of Ford to the Cal State Fullerton softball team. It’s an interest-bearing account with a variable rate that comes without an early withdrawal penalty.
In fact, Ford would prefer the Titans make frequent withdrawals in the currency of cashing in scoring opportunities, pulling out all the defensive stops and withdrawing opposing base runners in the pitching circle.
Chalk up this new currency thusly: In these pesky inflationary times, Ford and her penchant for creating themes for her players to embrace — themes that lead them along paths of success — decided the teller windows were now open. ATM cards all around.
“We’re using a bank account as our analogy,” she said. “All the work they’ve put in, the hours and hours of training in the fall and in January have been deposits. Every game, we have an opportunity to make more deposits. In time, we cash in and make withdrawals. It’s a bank account, and we have so many deposits in there from putting the work in. As we put more work in, we gain interest and make withdrawals during our games.”
This is an interesting concept, not to mention an appropriate one when you survey recent history, because Ford and the Titans have used the Big West Conference as their personal, open-air ATM. Last year, the Titans won their fifth Big West title in six seasons, recapturing the crown Long Beach State swiped in 2021.
The 37-22 overall mark and 20-7 Big West record produced a 1-2 record at the NCAA Regional in Tempe, Ariz., where CSUF beat No. 22 LSU in an elimination game before succumbing, 8-5, to San Diego State. That record also produced nine All-Big West honors, including outfielder Megan Delgadillo earning Field Player of the Year. At one point in the season, CSUF enjoyed its highest RPI (rating percentage index) ranking (28th) since that statistic became official.
Based on a brutal pre-conference schedule, that mark should…
Read the full article here
