Sherman Will Lead the March : Softball: Top Cal State Northridge assistant succeeds 13-year veteran Torgeson as head coach.

NORTHRIDGE — Janet Sherman, an assistant softball coach at Cal State Northridge for five seasons, has been named head coach, the school announced.

Sherman had been the top assistant the last three seasons and now takes the reins of a team that finished as Division I runner-up last year.

She replaces Gary Torgeson, a popular and successful coach who guided the Northridge program for 13 seasons.

Torgeson left Northridge to accept a position as dean of physical education and athletics at Sacramento City College.

During his tenure at Northridge, Torgeson’s teams compiled a record of 636-214-2 and won four national titles.

Because several members of the team were displaced by the Jan. 17 earthquake, last season was an extremely difficult one for Northridge.

Still, Torgeson managed to hold his team together, leading the Matadors to a 52-10 record and a berth in the final against Arizona.

Sherman believes it is important to have continuity.

“This is not a troubled program that needs any major changes,” she said.

“I think it will be helpful to the returning players that a familiar face will be around.”

Jen Richardson and All-American Kathy Blake will team to give Northridge a formidable pitching duo next year.

“We had a good recruiting class and we have some returnees, so I look for us to be really competitive,” Sherman said.

Northridge will compete in the newly formed American West Conference next season.

Sherman, a former All-American catcher at UCLA, becomes the third coach in the 17-year history of Northridge softball. She has yet to name an assistant.