Matador Hall of Fame Spotlight: Barbara Jordan

Throughout the history of CSUN softball, the name Barbara Jordan is one that is held in high regard.

As a player, Jordan joined the Matador program in 1984. Playing for the late Hall of Famer Gary Torgeson, Jordan led the Matadors to four consecutive Division II National Championship games, winning three national championships. Individually, Jordan was a three-time first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-Region selection, and was named first-team All-Conference four times.

A two-time CCAA MVP, Jordan concluded her CSUN career as the school record holder in career games played (269), games started (269), at-bats (82). She is second in school history in run scored (167), third in school history in career hits (259) and third in career stolen bases (82). She remains the Division II record holder for most at-bats in a season (262, 1985).

Jordan led Division II in hits (73, 1986) and Division II in stolen bases (0.44, 1986). Her efforts in a Matador uniform resulted in being recognized on the NCAA Division II All-Anniversary Team as a Top 25 player over a quarter-century period. She was inducted into the CSUN Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

"My favorite game playing at CSUN…there were many…especially with our rival, Cal Poly SLO," Jordan said. "However, my favorite victory came during the 1986 semifinals at the NCAA Championship in Akron, Ohio. We were down by three runs in the bottom of the seventh and if we lost, we were eliminated. We came from behind, scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning which sent us into the championship game. I can still replay the final runs scoring in my mind in slow motion. The celebration after this win was classic and it remains one of my favorite victories ever."
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Jordan would continue her playing career upon graduation, but she faced a challenge off the field that occurred right away.

"My emotional life after playing at CSUN was challenged immediately," Jordan said. "In 1988, my sister, Beverly, was murdered by her fiancé, Eric Lewis. It took decades to overcome the terrifying memories that endured in my heart and my mind although I and others rarely spoke of it."

On the field, Jordan was part of teams that won five U.S. National Championships in Amateur Softball Association competition (ASA) and an Australian National Championship. Along the way, Jordan struggled with injuries.

"I continued playing softball post-college in Women's ASA for the Redding Rebels," said Jordan. "In 1992 in the ASA Championship game, I took a rise ball to the face which fractured my jaw in two places. I woke up in ICU after having reconstruction surgery. I thought that maybe my playing days were over. After that summer is when they announced that softball would be part of the Olympics for the first time in 1996. After a long talk with my parents, I made the commitment that I would work to be part of that team."

"My team, the Redding Rebels were back to back to back Nationals Championships from 1993-1995," Jordan said. "By competing on this team, it gave me the recognition I needed to be seen by USA Softball. I broke my ribs in the ASA Championship in 1994 by again being hit by a pitch. Once again, I found myself challenged with working through physical injuries, and still present but not known to many, was the constant heartbreak of going after my dream without my sister Beverly, and her great support of confidence that she had always provided."

Jordan played for Team USA for eight seasons, playing on multiple national and international gold medals and championships including the World Championships and Pan American Games. Her USA Softball playing career culminated in winning the Gold Medal in the 1996 Summer Games. However, the road to Atlanta was a bumpy one.

"At the 1996 Olympic tryouts in Oklahoma City I was recorded as having the second-highest batting average out of the 60 participants," Jordan said. "It was a five-day tryout and I was able to shine on my biggest stage ever. However, I was not named to the team of 15 players and five alternates. Only after an alternate (1-of-5) dropped off the team moments after the team was selected, is when they were able to add me to the squad of 20."

Jordan became the first member of the 1996 national team to sign and play professionally in the WPSL, the forerunner of today's NPF. Jordan played for a pair of teams (the Virginia Roadsters and Tampa Bay FireStix) and was named an All-Star in 2000.

"I continued playing for USA through 1998 and when women's professional softball, the WPSL provided me a contract, I accepted their offer, playing two years and culminating my career being named to the WPSL All-Star team," said Jordan.

After her playing days ended, Jordan rejoined the CSUN program as an assistant coach under Janet Sherman. She would ascend to the head coaching position of her alma mater in 2002.

"After two years as the assistant, I became the head coach at CSUN and I was thrilled," said Jordan. "It was challenging being so young and enthusiastic in this position yet finding a fine line demanding every detail of excellence from the athletes that I could muster. I wish I had the insight I have now, back then."

In eight seasons at the helm, Jordan recorded a 202-177-1 record. She led CSUN to three NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2004, Jordan's Matadors were 2-2 at the Florida State regional, defeating No. 20 Florida and Ohio State.

Jordan's teams defeated Top-25 opponents 13 times. She coached two players to All-American (Kia Fennell, 2003, Kristen Bedwell, 2004), seven to All-Region, and 39 to All-Conference honors.
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"One of my favorite team highlights was going down to the Fullerton tournament where they always stacked us against the toughest opponents," said Jordan. In three days, we knocked off three top-20 teams including Notre Dame and Arizona State. The biggest win was taking down No. 2 Arizona. I was proud of our showings at the NCAA Tournaments. Our biggest postseason wins were when we knocked off Florida and Ohio State in the Tallahassee Regional in 2004."

As CSUN head coach, Jordan returned to the USA Softball program, serving as an assistant coach from 2004-2012.

"While coaching at CSUN I was fortunate to be named as an assistant coach to USA Softball on their Junior National and Women's National Team," Jordan said. "This experience helped me grow as a coach and it was an honor to be able to wear the letters USA as a player and as a coach."

Upon leaving the coaching box, Jordan moved to the broadcasting booth. Since 2010, she has covered the game for ESPN, Fox Sports, CSS, Cox, MLB.com, Olympic Channel, and CBS Sports Network. She currently serves as the color analyst for the NPF and has covered the league for 10 years.

"The best part about broadcasting is that it allows me to not only be around the game but to get to know the current stars of the game," said Jordan. "It is a thrill to be down on the field during batting practice and just hang out and listen to the players talk, be silly or tell you about their thoughts about an upcoming game. Covering the National Pro Fastpitch league has been a wonderful experience and I am grateful each season for an opportunity to cover and promote the greatest players in the world."

Jordan became a two-time CSUN Athletic Hall of Famer in 2016 when her 1984 and 1985 teams were inducted along with coach Torgeson who passed away in March of 2020. Whether as a player or as a coach Torgeson was an important influence on Jordan's softball career.

"Coach Torgeson is one of my life's greatest blessings," Jordan said. "He was a great coach and he was a man with tremendous integrity and we all knew it. He recruited me at the High School All-Star game. During that time in the '80s, the High School All-Star game was played at CSUN. I was fortunate to have played a really good game. When the game was over, I met coach under one of those big oak trees in the shade at the field. He offered me a scholarship and the rest is history!"

"Coach was highly competitive and he pushed us to become the very best every time we took the field," Jordan continued. "Every practice, every minute was detailed. National rankings of where our team was ranked were posted weekly. He spoke to us after every practice and summarized his thoughts sometimes until the sun went down. Coach showed up and gave us his best every day. There is not a day that I can remember ever getting to the field before coach, and ever leaving the field after him. I grew up in a family that exemplified a good work ethic. Coach was a big reinforcement that there is no substitute for hard work."
It has been over 30 years since Jordan first stepped on campus and those memories and experiences continue for Jordan today.

"The best part of playing softball for CSUN is the lifelong friendships that I have with my former teammates," said Jordan. "We still get together once a year or more for a function and it is always filled with much laughter, ragging, and sarcasm. In everyday life, whenever one of us has had a personal tragedy, my softball sisters are always there supporting each other. After 30 years it is safe to say these women are like a chest of treasure. They cannot be replaced."

~#UniteTheValley~

California State University Northridge Athletics

Matador Hall of Fame Spotlight: Barbara Jordan

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