GETTING IN HER INNINGS IF ANGELO AILS, THOUSAND OAKS WILL BE IN TROUBLE.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - The flu bug that swirled around the Thousand Oaks High softball team this week had yet to sting Nicole Angelo by Wednesday. Maybe it's because Lancers coach Gary Walin has forbidden Angelo to catch anything. Really.

Angelo, a junior, has been Walin's only pitching option this season. She shared the innings with Sheridan Fowler when they were sophomores, but Fowler's arm injuries prevented her from pitching this year.

So when it became clear that Angelo was needed on a game-by-game basis, Walin begged her not to fall ill enough to miss any scheduled outings. Twenty-two Angelo victories later, Walin's pleas have been answered.

``She came up to me the other day and said . . . she's always gotten sick during the season,'' Walin said. ``I think there's something about the brain here, that can will yourself to stay basically strong.''

Angelo might have remained healthy all year, but she's caused some severe headaches for opposing teams.

Her numbers are not as staggering as those of Crescenta Valley's Meredith Cervenka (one earned run, 41 hits allowed and 334 strikeouts in 180 innings). But Angelo's 185 1/3 innings and 0.26 ERA are nothing to sneeze at.

Only Erin Voeltz of Marmonte League rival Westlake has thrown more innings (186 1/3) than Angelo among pitchers in the region. Angelo (22-4) leads the area in complete games with 25 and she's faced a tough schedule, both in and out of league play.

Angelo makes her 28th start today when the 22-5-1 Lancers host Buena in a Southern Section Division II playoff opener.

``It is tough (to pitch every game),'' Thousand Oaks senior first baseman Shawna Lane said. ``And Nicole has the drive to do it and she gets the job done.''

Walin was concerned but never panicked when Fowler became unavailable. In an early-season doubleheader against Rio Mesa, Angelo threw nine innings in a no-decision and then sat out the nightcap. But she's gone the rest of the way.

Angelo went unbeaten in 12 Marmonte League games - ``That was such a big accomplishment,'' she said - and held up through a brutal stretch the final week of April. She threw six games in one week at the Righetti and Thousand Oaks tournaments.

``That was crazy,'' she said. ``It's really tiring, mentally and physically. I guess I'm kind of used to it.''

Angelo has thrown enough pitches to carry the load. From the first time she picked up a ball as a 5-year-old, Angelo knew she wanted to pitch.

A varsity starter her first two years at Thousand Oaks and her demanding travel-team commitments prepared Angelo for a starring role with the Lancers.

``I think in her situation, this has benefited her to pitch every game. I think it's made her stronger, both mentally and physically,'' Walin said.

Her statistics would contradict, but Angelo claims, ``Being a pitcher is so hard.'' She's not one to just block everything out and throw.

When facing a batter, Angelo analyzes the ramifications of each pitch, whether it's a swing-and-miss or hit. Thinking about every possible scenario is critical to her success.

And Angelo doesn't have the physical traits of a hard thrower. Her fastball is ordinary. But that's what she prefers; to be considered crafty rather than overpowering.

``I don't really care what my speed is, but movement is a big thing. It's always been like that since I was little,'' she said. ``My dad and my pitching coach tell me this all the time: `No matter how hard you throw, it's your movement. You can pitch 75 mph and if it's right down the middle they're going to hit it.' ''

Her 191 strikeouts are less than Cervenka's and Voeltz's totals, but Walin reminds that she's improved her strikeout-to-innings-pitched ratio from her sophomore year and should continue that trend as a senior.

Besides, putting the ball in play isn't a catastrophe. Thousand Oaks is blessed with one of the region's best defenses. The Lancers were charged with just 16 errors in 28 regular-season games.

``Nicole has done great. She's awesome,'' said Lane, one of the main reasons for Thousand Oaks' handy glove work.

Angelo's trust in her fielders is reciprocated. There's a sense of security on both sides.

``I know our defense has been really good the past couple years. And knowing that you go out there . . . pitch the pitches and try to (strike) them out,'' Angelo said. ``But if you don't, it's not a big deal because your defense makes the plays behind you.''

IRON WOMEN

Thousand Oaks junior Nicole Angelo is among a handful of pitchers to throw the majority of her team's innings this season. A look at the pitchers leading their teams in total innings pitched:

Erin Voeltz (Westlake) 186 2/3

Nicole Angelo (Thousand Oaks) 185 2/3

Meredith Cervenka (Crescenta Valley) 180

Christina Lupacchini (Chaminade) 162

Cori Herbert (Hoover) 156

Amanda De La Cerda (Notre Dame) 149

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: Nicole Angelo of Thousand Oaks (22-4) leads the area in complete games with 25. Her coach has forbidden her to get sick.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box: (Ran in Simi and Conejo only) Iron Women (see text)