Players earn postseason successes

By Jeff Agase
Daily Bruin Staff
[email protected]

  Daily Bruin File Photo

Freshman Wes Whisler was named a Third Team
All-American by Baseball America. Whisler broke Chase
Utley’s UCLA freshman single-season home run
record.

UCLA freshman sensation Wes Whisler added to his growing
collection another accolade last week, while catcher Josh Arhart
and pitcher Wade Clark inked free agent contracts.

The do-everything Whisler, a pitcher/first baseman/designated
hitter from Noblesville, Ind., was named a Third Team All-American
by Baseball America. It came just days after the publication dubbed
Whisler a First Team Freshman All-American.

“I expected more than good things from Wes,” UCLA
head coach Gary Adams said. “I expected great things. But
what surprised me was that he caught on so quickly in his freshman
year.”

Whisler is just the second UCLA freshman to land on the
All-American team, joining Garret Atkins, who was a selection in
1998. He also rode a torrid finish to the year to brake Chase
Utley’s UCLA freshman single-season home run record.

After a shaky feeling-out process, Whisler exploded onto the
collegiate scene, finishing with a .320 average, 18 home runs, and
a 5-2 pitching record with a 4.06 ERA. His versatility and
offensive prowess aided the Bruins when starting pitcher Casey
Janssen and batting average leader Ben Francisco both went down
with mid-season injuries.

It came as little surprise to Adams, then, that Whisler’s
renaissance coincided with his team’s late-season
improvement.

“He hates to lose, hates to fail and loves to
succeed,” Adams said. “We were playing with such
mediocrity that I think he just said, “˜I’m tired of
this, so I’m going to do my part to change things and turn
things around.'”

Arhart, a senior catcher from Tustin, Calif., signed a contract
with the Princeton Devil Rays of the rookie-level Appalachian
League. After not being drafted, he joined the team for its late
season, which began June 18.

Arhart was second on the Bruins in batting average among regular
starters, and his 37 RBI put him behind only Whisler and fellow
senior Adam Berry. He improved his throw to second base and caught
17 of 53 men attempting to steal base.

“I think his senior year he got rid of the ball
quicker,” Adams said. “He improved himself in three
areas ““ getting rid of the ball quicker, accuracy and
strength, and if you improve a little bit in each area you might
improve one to two tenths of a second and it can make all the
difference.”

Mock draft predictions had Arhart going as high as the 15th
round, but his name was not called on draft day. Neither was
Clark’s, despite the 6-foot-7, 235 pound righty’s
imposing mound presence and big-league build.

Clark struggled to find his range in his three years at UCLA,
ending with a 6.88 ERA in 69.1 innings but plenty of potential.

“He’s not wild, but he has to locate his pitches a
little bit better,” Adams said.

Clark will play for the Detroit Tigers organization in the
short-season Rookie Gulf Coast League.