This weekend, six athletes will be competing for two starting
spots on a top-ranked team.
No, it’s not a new reality TV show. It’s the
decision UCLA softball coach Sue Enquist will face when filling out
the end of her lineup card.
Six different players got a start in the left field and
designated player positions last weekend as part of an ongoing
competition.
“Everyone goes out there working hard every day, just
trying to open their window of opportunity to get playing
time,” freshman Kristen Dedmon said.
Barring injury, the first seven spots in the Bruins’
lineup are set, but the final two lineup positions have been wide
open in the past few weeks.
None of the six players in the competition got more than two
starts, as Enquist gave everyone an opportunity to perform.
“We have great chemistry on the team,” Dedmon said.
“Everyone’s there for each other whether they’re
playing or not. There’s no rivalry over positions.”
Dedmon started the season as the everyday designated player,
getting at-bats in every game, but is now in competition with
freshman Whitney Holum.
Holum has hit for a higher batting average, while Dedmon has
been more of a power threat this season.
At the other end of the spectrum is senior outfielder Julie
Hoshizaki.
Throughout her career, she has been used mainly as a pinch
runner, but she got a surprising start in left field against UC
Santa Barbara two weeks ago.
After getting two more starts in last weekend’s
tournament, the door is open for her to compete for the starting
job.
“I’ve always been fighting in practice, but
I’ve never actually had the opportunity in the field as far
as starting in the preseason,” Hoshizaki said.
She is competing against sophomore Michelle Turner and freshmen
Tara Henry and Ashley Herrera for a spot in left field.
Another outfielder will get playing time defensively when
freshman Lisa Dodd moves from the field to pitch, but that extra
outfielder will not get at-bats.
Enquist said she wants to narrow the competition during the
Clovis Auto Row Classic, the last preseason tournament.
“I really want to try and pare that down so people who are
on the upper half get a greater opportunity to win a
position,” Enquist said.
However, she will not make a decision about who is in the upper
half until the tournament starts.
Ideally, she is looking for a combination of offense and
defense, but Enquist said defense is the priority.
The players are trying to do their best to win a starting spot,
but Dedmon said the most important thing is the team’s
success, not individual playing time.