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Matoian grooves out of slump…

By Daily Bruin Staff

May 7, 1996 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 8, 1996

By Brian Purcell

Daily Bruin Contributor

The only way that a hitter can break out of a slump is to
play.

Unfortunately, coaches often don’t have the time for a
slumbering bat to awaken, and the slumping player will quickly find
himself watching his team play a lot of baseball.

This is the dilemma that UCLA second baseman Chad Matoian faced
as he started the season in a one-for-30 funk. He was not getting
many starts, and his performance at the plate showed it. The few
times he would get in, he wouldn’t hit, and the slump worsened as
his playing time diminished.

Finally, on Apr. 23, the slump ended. And it ended quickly with
four hits in four at bats against Westmont. Matoian then repeated
his four-for-four performance in his next game. In UCLA’s first
game of a weekend series against Stanford, Matoian went
three-for-three, including his first home run of the season.

All told, Matoian had 11 consecutive hits, a UCLA record. Quite
a way to break out of a slump.

Matoian has now gone 16-for-28 since starting the season
one-for-30, in the process raising his batting average from .033 to
.293. His prolific hitting has earned him eight starts in the
team’s last 11 games, although the starts have not been coming at
second base. Brett Nista is still getting the vast majority of time
at the position, but head coach Gary Adams has been able to insert
Matoian’s hot bat into the lineup at both third base and designated
hitter.

"I haven’t played third base since I was a sophomore in high
school," Matoian said. "The ball comes a lot faster than it does at
second base. It’s not that big a deal, though. As long as I give
100 percent on every ball, and don’t shy away from anything, I’m
happy."

Despite feeling a little bit out of his realm at third, Matoian
feels that he can adjust to the position, and credits the regular
third baseman,Troy Glaus, with helping him make the transition.
Glaus plays shortstop when Matoian is at third, and his voice is
constantly alive, helping to position Matoian when necessary.

The UCLA coaching staff continued to give Matoian chances to
play when he was struggling, and they are being rewarded for their
patience. He now appears to have entrenched himself as a mainstay
in the Bruin lineup.

"It’s a much easier feeling to be in the lineup every day,"
Matoian said. "There is a big difference in the way you feel when
you’re stepping in the box day in and day out."

***

Sophomore Troy Glaus’ third-inning home run against Long Beach
State on Tuesday night made it four consecutive games in which he
has homered, tying a UCLA record held by four others. Glaus now
leads the Six-Pac with 14 home runs.

Tim DeCinces followed Glaus’ home run with one of his own,
making it three times this season that the pair has hit
back-to-back homers. The junior catcher now has 12 home runs, which
ties him for second in the league behind Glaus. DeCinces needs one
more home run to match his total from last year.

***

Eric Byrnes’ three-for-three performance with runners in scoring
position against Long Beach State raised his season average in that
category to a team-leading .387. Not surprisingly, he also leads
the team in RBIs with 50, and in two-out RBIs with 24. DeCinces is
second on the club in RBIs with 49.

***

Despite platooning in and out of the lineup, starting 15 of
UCLA’s 27 Six-Pac games, outfielder Nick Theodorou leads the team
in conference hitting with a .381 average. He is also first on the
team in on-base percentage with a .480 mark, and third on the team
in walks with 12.

Theodorou claims to accept his status as a player who doesn’t
play every day, even though his statistics seem to bear out the
fact that he should always be in the lineup.

"I know that coach is doing what is best for the team,"
Theodorou said after getting one at-bat against Long Beach State on
Tuesday night. "I’m happy with my role on the team."

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Chad Matoian saw the light at the end of a 1-for-30 slump with
11 consecutive hits.

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