Softball Notebook

Bruin bruises

The only remaining significant injury for the Bruins is Courtney
Dale’s shoulder. Dale has been rehabilitating a torn labrum
in her pitching shoulder for over a month, but has shown
improvement lately.

Against Oregon in the final week of the season, Dale pitched her
first complete game since returning. She started Friday’s
game against Long Beach State before giving way to Freed. Dale also
pitched the final inning of Sunday’s regional championship
game.

During Saturday’s game Dale’s pitches were
consistently clocked in the mid-60s, and as high as 66. According
to UCLA head coach Sue Enquist, this is extremely close to where
Dale would like to be.

The Bruins, however, almost suffered another injury Tuesday.

At Tuesday’s practice Enquist was hit in the head with a
stray ball. Although she never lost consciousness, the medical
staff on hand insisted she leave practice.

Enquist was completely fine, though she was disappointed that
she had to leave.

Pac-10 update

All eight Pac-10 softball teams made it to the postseason, but
only four are left in the College World Series.

No. 1-seed Stanford had the most disappointing result, losing
its first two games against sixth-seeded Central Michigan and
second-seeded Michigan. Stanford, playing in the Ann Arbor
Regional, was the first of the 48 teams eliminated.

The most surprising loss in the Pac-10, though, was No. 1-seed
Arizona State, which could not hold off Alabama in Tempe.

No. 2-seed Oregon State lost to host Oklahoma in the Regional
final held in Norman.

And as the fifth seed in the Baton Rouge Bracket, the Oregon
Ducks played well, but eventually lost to Regional champ Southern
Mississippi.

Top seeds Washington, Arizona and UCLA all cruised through their
regionals, while third-seed Cal won twice on the final day of
competition to edge No. 1-seed Fresno State for a trip to the World
Series.

The Pac-10 is the only conference in the history of NCAA
softball to send every member to the postseason.

Perfect deja vu

On May 18, Samantha Iuli of the University of Illinois-Chicago
pitched a perfect game against Central Michigan University at
Michigan’s Alumni Field.

On the same day, Florida State assistant coach and UCLA alumnus
Heather Compton watched her Seminoles defeat Iowa 4″“1.

The day before, Compton, one of UCLA’s most prolific
pitchers, celebrated the ninth anniversary of her NCAA Regional
perfect game against the same Central Michigan Chippewas.

Postseason honors

UCLA’s Freed, Lyndsey Klein, Julie Marshall, Natasha
Watley and Stephanie Swenson all made the All-Pac-10 team. Freed,
Klein, Marshall and Watley earned first-team honors, while Swenson
was awarded honorable mention.

Last year Marshall made the first team, while Klein and Freed,
who was a first-team All-American last year, made the second
team.

Watley and Klein also earned first-team All-Region honors and
Marshall earned a spot on the second team.

Stanford’s Jessica Mendoza, who led the NCAA with a .479
batting average, won the Player of the Year Award. Jennifer
Spediacci of Washington won the Pitcher of the Year Award, while
the Huskies’ Teresa Wilson and Arizona’s Mike Candrea
shared Coach of the Year honors. Jenny Topping of Washington, who
led the NCAA in home runs and RBI, won Newcomer of the Year
honors.

Compiled by Greg Lewis, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.