FOR NOW, IT'S ALL GREEK FOR HER PITCHER SETTLES IN WITH ADOPTED TEAM.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

Sarah Farnworth, a two-time All-Big West Conference pitcher from Cal State Northridge, never wanted to stop playing softball. But there are no minor leagues in the sport, and the only professional leagues are overseas. Grudgingly, she began to move on with her life outside of the game she loved.

She became a teacher at a middle school. She coached the softball team and continued to play during the summers. But still, Farnworth, 24, missed the game.

Last August, all of that changed.

Farnworth received a call from her uncle, who had heard about players of Greek descent being invited to try out for the Greek national team that will compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

At first she didn't know what to make of it. But with a full-blooded Greek grandmother, Farnworth and her two cousins - Stacey and Jamie - were eligible. All three tried out and made the team, which had been formed because of Greece's automatic entry into the Olympics as host country.

``I wasn't going to make the U.S. Olympic team, and if you don't play there, it's like, what else is there?'' Farnworth said. ``... I don't even know how (playing for Greece) was brought up; I heard it through the grapevine and then it all came together so fast. I thought I was done with softball when I left CSUN, so this is amazing.''

Playing for Greece isn't as much of a culture shock as one might expect. Thirteen of the 15 players on the roster for last week's European Softball Championships were from North America, as are both coaches: Linda Wells from Arizona State and Diane Ninemire of California.

The reason? Before being awarded the 2004 Summer Olympics, there was no organized softball in the country. The Hellenic Softball Federation wasn't formed until 1998, and the first league didn't arrive until 2000. Since then, the International Softball Federation has worked closely with the Greek team and federation so the country will be prepared to compete in the Games.

``There's like one softball field in Athens,'' said Farnworth, who is in Greece for the first time in her life playing in the Greece Cup, which concludes today. ``Everyone wants to represent themselves well and that's why they got U.S. players. But hopefully, we'll grow the sport over in Greece. We're going over to put on clinics, and when we play for Greece in the Olympics, I think the people are really going to love us.''

Greece is not the only country to recruit North American softball players.

Former Washington All-American pitcher Jennifer Spediacci is the ace on the Italian national team, which qualified for the 2004 Olympics by winning the European championships.

Italy's other pitcher is Leslie Malerich, who played at Florida State, and former North Carolina standout Natalie Anter is a catcher and third baseman.

Puerto Rico, which is looking to qualify for the Olympics this weekend at Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, is led by another Florida State standout, Jessica Van Der Linden.

None was in contention for the United States national team, which won the gold medal at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, the only two summer games where softball has been an Olympic sport. But all were fine collegiate players who will make their teams more competitive in Athens.

At the recently concluded European championships, Farnworth went 5-0 and did not allow a run in 27 innings in helping the Greek team to an undefeated 8-0 record and a pool-play victory.

Farnworth also batted .484 for the tournament with three home runs.

``It's definitely a little weird to play those teams,'' said former Camarillo High standout Jessica Mendoza, a member of the U.S. team. ``It's not like playing a national team. It feels more like summer ball or college because you've played against those girls for years.

``I'm not sure how I feel about it because (the Olympics) are about representing your country and playing against other countries. It's a cultural experience to play against China or Japan, but I guess it's good for the sport because we want the games to be competitive, and hopefully, in a few years, those countries can field teams with their own players.''

Farnworth is trying to make playing for the Greek team, which already has acquired a nickname (``The Hellas''), a cultural experience for herself.

``I'm learning about my family background and trying to pick up a little Greek,'' she said.

Ramona Shelburne, [phone]

ramona.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

FARNWORTH