UCLA pitcher Burns tops All-America heap

Thursday, May 30, 1996

Burns chosen on first team while two others also honoredBy Brent
Boyd

Daily Bruin Contributor

With the conclusion of the Women’s College World Series came the
announcement of the 1996 All-American softball teams. UCLA’s B’Ann
Burns, Alleah Poulson and Julie Adams were among the 54 players
nationwide to garner such honors.

Burns was the sole member of the UCLA softball team to gain
first-team honors. After winning two games at the College World
Series, she concluded the season with 31 wins, tied for the second
best mark in school history, and placed sixth in the nation in
victories. In addition to her 31-8 record, she set a UCLA record
with 43 appearances and placed second with 251 innings pitched.
After losing three of four games in a mid-season slide against
Arizona and Washington, Burns recovered to win 12 of her next 13
games prior to the World Series.

Earning second-team honors was junior first baseman Alleah
Poulson. Making her second consecutive All-American appearance
after being named to the third team a year ago, Poulson finished
third on the team with a .396 batting average and led the team with
48 RBIs.

Julie Adams earned third-team honors. Hitting .389 and finishing
second on the club with 10 home runs, Adams was one of three
freshmen to garner All-American status.

As a team, the Bruins also finished quite well statistically.
UCLA was second in the nation with a .356 batting average, and had
the nation’s best defense with a .976 fielding percentage.

* * *

Any debate as to which conference is the strongest in Division I
softball was surely put to rest over the course of the NCAA
Championships. Each of the Pacific 10 teams which earned spots in
the playoffs ­ UCLA, Arizona, Washington and California ­
won its respective region and advanced to the World Series. En
route to Columbus, Ga., Pac-10 teams tabbed a combined 13-1 record
(the only blemish was UCLA’s 5-1 loss to Cal State Fullerton) and
outscored their opponents by a score of 91-30. The conference
comprised half of the World Series field, the first time such a
feat has been accomplished.

But, the conference was not yet done flexing its muscles. The
first round of the World Series featured a Pac-10 sweep. All four
schools handily beat their opponents by a combined 16-3 score. The
only time a Pac-10 school lost to a non-conference opponent was
Iowa’s 1-0 breakthrough against California in a loser’s bracket
contest, after California lost to Washington. Three of the final
four teams were Pac-10 rivals, while the championship game was a
conference duel for the second consecutive year, with Arizona
defeating Washington, 6-4.

* * *

Despite finishing third at the World Series, not one Bruin
appeared on the All-Tournament team. Instead the team was led by
Arizona second baseman Jenny Dalton, who garnered MVP honors.

Three other Wildcats and four players from Washington comprised
the majority of the 13-member squad.

PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin

B’Ann Burns was named on the All-America softball first
team.