GIORDANO IN OLYMPIC MIX.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE

Nicole Giordano woke up some mornings unsure what city she was in or what day it was. All she really knew was that she wasn't at home in Valencia and she'd likely be playing a softball game that day.

For Giordano, the former Saugus High and current University of Arizona star, such was the glamorous life as a member of the United States National Softball team, which played in three major tournaments earlier this summer during a whirlwind tour that passed through San Diego, Oregon, Washington, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Hawaii and Canada.

``It was eat, drink and sleep softball,'' said Giordano, who played for the U.S. Red team, one of two teams the United States put together to serve as an audition for the 2004 Olympic team.

Both clubs gather again in September for another round of tryouts, at which time the 2004 team will start taking shape.

Giordano, an outfielder who provides quickness at the top of the batting order and aggressiveness on the basepaths, made a splashy national debut and positioned herself nicely for a spot on the Olympic team. It helps that the United States wants to get younger and faster in preparation for the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece.

``I mean, just getting invited to try out was humbling,'' Giordano said. ``To know that someone considered you one of the best 50 or so players in the country is amazing.''

It's been quite a year for Giordano, who helped lead Arizona to its sixth national championship while batting .393 and earning All-America and All-Pac-10 honors.

Not that she had much time to celebrate the championship - a few hours later she was headed to San Diego for the national-team camp.

After four days of tryouts, Giordano became one of 32 players selected to the national team, which was split into two 16-player teams. A week later, she was headed to Spokane, Wash., for the four-city USA Softball Shootout, followed by the U.S. Cup in Hawaii (June 21-24) and the Canada Cup (June 30-July 8).

``I never thought I'd ever get to this point in my career, coming from such a small town,'' Giordano said. ``I never thought I'd win the College World Series, let alone play with the U.S. National team. But things are going well. We'll see what happens in September, but I'm definitely excited.''

Giordano's Red team, which included former Camarillo and current Stanford star Jessica Mendoza, won the Shootout championship and the Gold Medal at the U.S. Cup. The Blue team features former Thousand Oaks and current Notre Dame pitcher Jennifer Sharron.

Mike Candrea, Giordano's coach at Arizona who is in the running to be coach of the U.S. team, says his star player's speed gives her the edge over rivals.

``If there is one thing our past Olympic teams have lacked, it's speed,'' Candrea said. ``She has a great mind for the game, and by putting the effort in, she's developed into an outstanding player.''