DATE: Saturday, July 12, 1997               TAG: 9707120635

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   99 lines

WOMEN'S FASTPITCH SOFTBALL OFF TO SLOW START BUT DESPITE SETBACKS, OPTIMISM REMAINS.

When the six-team Women's Professional Fastpitch softball league announced its formation last year, it did so with commitments from several members of the U.S. Olympic team, the promise of attracting a thousand or more at the gate each night and unfailing optimism.

Today, the Olympians are gone, struck down by a ruling forbidding national team members from taking part. The hoped-for 1,000-fan gates have been replaced by the reality that for half of the league, 500 is cause to rejoice.

But after the first half of the league's debut season, the optimism which marked those early days remains in place.

``It's probably gone better than most people expected,'' said Ron Rado, general manager of the Hampton-based Virginia Roadsters. ``We're very excited about what we've been able to do so far.''

Here's a look at some of the WPF's highs and lows and where it may be headed at the halfway point of Season No. 1.

THE GOOD

Big openings: The Roadsters drew more than 900 fans for their first exhibition; team officials said they were expecting around 300. And on June 2, an announced crowd of 2,379 braved windy, raw conditions at War Memorial Stadium to see the locals open regular-season play with a 7-3 victory over Carolina.

Television: ESPN2 officials say they have no complaints with the .6 rating (roughly 300,000 households) the prime-time, tape-delayed broadcasts have garnered five games into the network's six-game deal. Men's college basketball in prime time on the same network, by contrast, averaged a .4 rating. ``There's a certain amount of volatility in the ratings, but people are watching,'' network spokesman Dave Nagle said. ``A .6 on ESPN2 is pretty good.''

The Roadsters also will have tape-delayed games broadcast locally on WPEN Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m., with negotiations under way for more in August.

Quality of play: League president Mitzi Swentzell considers the league's talent pool, which consists of top former college players from across the nation, to be perhaps the WPF's main positive. A good deal of the talent is in Orlando, which won 27 of its first 34 games and blitzed to the first-half title by 9 1/2 games. ``Orlando's clearly the best team,'' said one umpire who has worked various levels of collegiate and high school softball in addition to several Roadsters games. ``They could definitely compete at the level of the NCAA champion.''

THE NOT-SO-GOOD

Overall attendance: In April, Rado said the team would need to average 1,500 fans a game to succeed financially. They've had to settle for just over half that many. The softball hardcore - fastpitch-playing girls and old-time veterans of area fastpitch leagues - have been enthralled; the rest apparently remain unconvinced. And Virginia leads the WPF in attendance - their approximately 850-fan average is some 250 better than second-place Durham and 100 more than Georgia and Carolina combined. This despite a league-average ticket price of just $4.50.

Still, Rado remains upbeat.

``The fact that we're halfway to 1,500 in half a season, I think that's pretty good,'' he said. ``With a whole year to prepare, imagine what we can do next year. Remember, we got a late start.''

Swentzell echoes the late-start argument, pointing out that the three-year, $3 million sponsorship deal with AT&T Wireless wasn't signed until October, general managers weren't installed with all six teams until January and most players weren't signed until May.

Weak hitting: Despite a juiced ball (WPF softballs have a livelier-than-normal core) and rules designed to promote offense, three pitchers ended the first half with ERAs under 0.75, the league leader in doubles has only eight and Georgia finished without a .300 hitter.

In addition, the league's decision to deter slap-and-bunt tactics by expanding the distance between bases from 60 to 65 feet has curtailed bunting and virtually eliminated the running game, according to the umpire. No one has stolen more than eight bases in 34 games.

``Steals of second are almost non-existent and I've yet to see anyone even attempt to steal third,'' he said.

Swentzell counters by saying average runs per game, nearly six, are up a full run over the past three weeks and that the six teams have combined to hit four home runs this week, a league high.

``We're pleased with the steady progression of offense,'' she said.

THE FUTURE

Local playoffs? Orlando guaranteed itself a berth in the WPF championship series with its first-half title. The second-half winner host Orlando in the first two games of the best-of-five playoffs beginning Aug. 26. Virginia finished the first half in third place with an 18-18 mark, a half-game behind Durham. The Roadsters were 2-4 against Orlando.

Expansion/relocation? Although Swentzell admits she's ``concerned'' with the poor attendance in Georgia and Carolina, cities will be given plenty of time to make their franchises work.

``The game needs to be in place for awhile before its viability there can be judged,'' she said.

And while Akron, Ohio has drawn well for exhibition games and is said to be eager to join the WPF, the league's sponsorship deal is with AT&T's Southeast Division. Expansion can only occur in this region of the country until addition sponsors can be brought on board. No Southeast expansion appears imminent, Swentzell said. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

RICHARD L. DUNSTON/The Virginian-Pilot

Gabby Guerrero is 2-2 with a 1.74 ERA for the Virginia Roadsters,

who finished the first half in third place.

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