Undefeated softball prepares for UCLA tourney
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 28, 1995 9:00 p.m.
Undefeated softball prepares for UCLA tourney
No. 2 Bruins, led by Brundage and Burns, host Utah, UNLV,
Michigan this weekend
By Rick Pal
With a lopsided 10-2, 9-0 doubleheader sweep of No. 19 Long
Beach State on Saturday under its belts, the only thing that can
slow down the red-hot UCLA softball team is time.
The second-ranked Bruins (14-0 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-10) will
next see their next action Friday morning after a one-week layoff.
The UCLA/Easton Reebok Invitational will provide UCLA with its
first major test. The Bruins will face three ranked teams, No. 5
UNLV, No. 7 Utah, as well as No. 18 Michigan.
Utah is hoping to bounce back from an 8-1 whipping received last
Sunday at the UNLV Softball Classic. After a slow start, Utah,
currently 5-7, will probably start All-American Ali Andrus against
the Bruins. With a less-than-convincing 3-5 record and 2.69 ERA,
Andrus is hoping to prove her All-American status against the
Bruins.
The invitational will also feature fifth-ranked UNLV, a team
that has already proven that it has the talent to knock off UCLA
when the Rebels beat the Bruins 1-0 last year. The Bruins got their
revenge though, eliminating UNLV in the regionals from the College
World Series, 3-2.
The Rebels are hot off the heels of a first-place finish at
their own tournament. They currently sport an impressive 15-2
record.
"We haven’t seen a lot of these teams because they don’t play in
our region but we know UNLV is tough," UCLA third baseman Jennifer
Brundage said. "They have most of their pitchers and big hitters
back and they’re going to be gunning for us because of what we did
to them last year."
* * *
Speaking of Brundage, her several clutch hits in the Long Beach
State series boosted her batting average to a staggering .673. She
finished last season with a .440 batting average. Her slugging
percentage remains maxed out at 1.000.
"I’ve worked on my mental approach and so I am more confident
when I step into the batters box," Brundage said. "Also, with the
fact that the team is hitting, there is a lot less pressure on me.
I know that even if I don’t get the big hit, I know someone else in
the lineup will."
With eight batters hitting over .400, it’s not hard to figure
out why the Bruins have roughed up the opponent’s pitchers.
Shortstop Nicole Odom, outfielder Kathi Evans, and second baseman
Kelly Howard have lit it up, averaging .487 between them. Odom has
three home runs to back her .478 average.
Couple those stats with the outstanding pitching of back-to-back
Pac-10 pitcher of the week B’ Ann Burns, who currently owns a 10-0
record with 55 strikeouts and an untouchable 0.53 ERA, and you have
a championship caliber ballclub. With a team this good, things can
only go downhill from here, right?
Not according to Brundage.
"There is definitely room for improvement," Brundage said.
