Kathy Welter has been Cal State Bakersfield's softball coach for 23 years.

In all that time, “I really can't think of any player we've had who didn't play travel ball,” she said during a recent phone interview.

Welter's program is a recent NCAA DIvision I member. “It's a four-year process and we'll be in year three of the transition process,” in 2008-09, she said. “We started playing as a Division I program last year. After next year we'll be eligible for post-season play.”

Welter's teams won three NCAA Division II championships before the 2007 season began. Going into that year, she had already become the eighth coach at any NCAA level to reach the 1,000-win plateau. She had 1,009 career NCAA victories going into 2007.

What she said about travel ball softball echoed what much of the other coaches interviewed by the Santa Maria Times said about it. Travel ball is extensive, travel ball is expensive and travel ball is a must if a player wants a college scholarship.

“They can play a lot more games than they can (during the high school season), and of course they'll have a better chance of being recruited by coaches,” thanks to exposure tournaments, Welter said.

Those tourneys are deemed exposure, or showcase, tournaments because, well, players get a lot of exposure and are showcased. Droves of college coaches go to those tournaments.

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The Oxnard-based California Waves have many of the best high school softball players on the Central Coast. Waves coach Jess Hernandez said his team recently went to the biggest exposure tournament in the nation, in Colorado earlier this summer.

“I usually go to three exposure tournaments in the fall,” Welter said. “My assistant went to five in the summer.

“We are limited by the NCAA to four (tournament) weekends in the fall. We're limited to 50 recruiting days.”

Welter agreed with other coaches interviewed that some potentially good travel ball players are priced out of the system.

“I definitely think so,” she replied when she was asked if the cost eliminated some players from the running for travel ball. “The drive to Orange County and Los Angeles all those weekends is very expensive.”

Not to mention the cost of going to out-of-state travel tournaments.

Much of the softball travel ball situation in Bakersfield mirrors that on the Central Coast. That is, “A lot of the players from Bakersfield don't play on local travel ball teams,” said Welter. “The top kids in Bakersfield go to L.A. and Orange County and play.

“Most of the Bakersfield kids that we get do play local travel ball,” although Welter said that, “Maybe 25 percent of our team comes from within 75 miles of Bakersfield.

“Fifty percent of them are from Orange County,” which is a time-honored softball hotbed. “Twenty five percent come from the Bay Area or Northern California.” Former Templeton star Jill McClelland has signed to play for Cal State Bakersfield.

What happens to the top Bakersfield area softball prospects by the time they leave high school? “They're generally snapped up by the top schools in the nation,” Welter said.

“There are actually some good players on those weaker travel ball teams. Coaches actually like to get those kinds of players - they have the most potential to improve.

“I used to get those kinds of players a lot. I don't much any more. To make a special trip to see a weaker travel ball team play, with all the other traveling that's involved, is really hard.”

Like other coaches, Welter has noticed the specialization factor. “Kids used to play a variety of sports and if they don't specialize too early, that's great,” she said.

“It's probably ideal that they don't specialize. But that's tough, because the trend is toward specialization.”

Welter said summer and fall ball are both necessary for players. She implied that they can take a break, though.

When it comes to exposure tournaments, “You don't need to pick every one,” she said.

“You just have to be at the right ones.”

Sports writer Kenny Cress can be reached at 739-2237 or by e-mail to kcress@santamariatimes.com

August 10, 2008