Bruins ready to begin winning streak

Tuesday, March 3, 1998

Bruins ready to begin winning streak

BASEBALL Top freshmen, Sunday’s win should help team find path
to victory

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Staff

With rays of sun finally penetrating El Nino’s wrath, rays of
hope are just now visible for the UCLA baseball team.

After losing six consecutive games to ranked teams, the unranked
Bruins (8-10) finally won one game to end their longest losing
streak of the season.

"That win (Sunday) was much more important to us," UCLA head
coach Gary Adams said. "If they would’ve won it, it’s nice. For us
to win it, it was big. It was huge. We just needed that."

Today in a non-conference game against Long Beach State (5-8),
the Bruins hope to start a winning streak.

UCLA sends sophomore right-hander Gabe Crecion (1-0 record,
11.17 ERA) to the mound. The 49ers send junior lefty Mike Gallo
(0-1, 7.71) to face the hot-hitting Bruins.

Oddly enough, UCLA’s run production seems to come from the
freshmen instead of the proven veterans. Senior Eric Byrnes and
junior Eric Valent hit a combined 3 for 27 (a .111 batting average)
against the Trojans this weekend.

However, freshman third baseman Garrett Atkins has five
consecutive multi-hit games in which he has hit 11 for 24. Atkins
has improved to .377, thanks to his scorching .424 average in
league play.

Freshman shortstop Chase Utley is also one of the leading
Six-Pac hitters with a .375 average (.314 overall). Freshman
designated hitter Michael Hymes is hitting .400 in league play,
freshman catcher Jason Green is batting .350 in league play, and
freshman designated hitter Nick Lyon hit homers in his first two
league at-bats.

"This team can definitely swing the bat," said USC starter Seth
Etherton, who threw 136 pitches in 8.2 innings of work Friday
night. "They’ve got a lot of juice throughout the whole lineup. I
just had to be careful and try to pitch to their weak spots."

Etherton came within one out of shutting out the Bruins for the
first time since 1996, but when he hung a slider and a change-up,
Atkins got a single and Utley smashed a double to right field –
Atkins moved to third and eventually scored on senior Cassidy
Olson’s fielder’s choice.

"They’re always going to be dangerous on offense," USC head
coach Mike Gillespie said. "You talk about these Atkins and Utley
and they’re freshmen. But boy, those are special freshmen. We
always feel like this is a team that can really break out on
you."

* * *

Correction: In Monday’s recap of UCLA’s 12-7 win over USC, Eric
Valent’s failed stolen base attempt took place with a five-run lead
in the top of the ninth.

JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS/Daily Bruin

Freshman shortstop Chase Utley slides safely past USC’s leaping
third baseman, Morgan Ensberg.