Monday, 6/9/97 Jon Heinrichs Baseball
On a team laden with superstars, senior left fielder Jon
Heinrichs is one of many unsung heroes who guided the team into the
College World Series for the first time in 28 years. Although he
has played this season in the shadows of Olympians Troy Glaus and
Jim Parque, he has quietly put together one of the best all-around
seasons in Bruin baseball history. Heinrichs’s final season in a
UCLA uniform turned out to be his best on the diamond. He has
become a solid left fielder and arguably one of the best leadoff
hitters in collegiate baseball. From the top spot in the lineup he
batted a .358 average, hit 28 home runs and knocked in 79 runs. He
broke the school record for doubles (28) and set a new Pac-10 mark
with total bases (223) in a single season. His accomplishments in
the field and at the plate placed him among the seven Bruins
selected to the all Pac-10 first team. Throughout his four years at
UCLA, Heinrichs has shown steady improvement on the field in
offense and defense. As a freshman, he started only seven games,
recording 14 assists and only committing one error at the
third-base position. Heinrichs’s breakthrough season came his
sophomore year. Expecting to be a reserve outfielder, he made his
way into the starting lineup due to an injury of the starting
center fielder, Brett Schafer. He finished his first full season
with a .303 average, and stole 21 out of 25 bases. His junior year,
Heinrichs established himself as an everyday player, starting all
61 regular-season games. He led the team with 21 stolen bases and
250 at-bats. Heinrichs also played a key role in the regional by
hitting a game-winning triple in the 10th inning against Southwest
Missouri State. He was named to the NCAA Central I All-Tournament
team and finished with a .474 batting average for the regional.
UCLA’s disappointing loss to Mississippi State brought Heinrichs’s
collegiate baseball career to a close. However, he is optimistic
that his playing days are not over. He was chosen in the ninth
round of the June baseball draft by the Florida Marlins. One thing
is for sure: Jon Heinrichs has his work cut out for him. But, his
years as a Bruin should help him matriculate successfully into the
ranks of the Major Leagues. By Tim Yun, Daily Bruin contributor.
Jon Heinrichs