After the first week of Pac-10 play, the UCLA softball team is
already close to striking out on winning the conference title.
With a pair of losses to top-ranked conference rival Arizona,
the Bruins will need help to take over first place in the
conference.
But for now the Bruins are just thinking about getting their
first Pac-10 victory after going 27-1 in the preseason.
“Looking ahead to the conference title is like looking at
your final before you’ve got your midterm,” pitcher
Keira Goerl said.
UCLA is currently tied for last place in the conference at 0-2,
but the Bruins should turn this around.
The real question is whether the Bruins can make up enough
ground to catch Arizona (38-1, 2-0 Pac-10).
Because the Bruins only play one more game against the Wildcats,
they will need help from other teams in the Pac-10 to close the gap
and take the conference title. While Arizona is the favorite right
now, the conference could be wide open. The Pac-10 boasts five of
the top 10 teams in the nation.
No one doubts that the Bruins have the talent to come back and
make a serious run in the conference. UCLA had leads over Arizona
for most of the weekend and could have been the team that is 2-0.
But instead, two late-inning collapses have the Bruins in the
unfamiliar position of conference bottom-dwellers.
But UCLA did play better against Arizona than they had played
against other teams in recent weeks, and coach Sue Enquist said
that perspective is what her team needs to focus on.
“They have to trust right now that as long as we get a
little bit better every weekend, we’re going to be in great
shape,” Enquist said.
This year’s Pac-10 title situation may remind the Bruins
of last year, when they lost a pair of games to Arizona early in
the conference schedule and finished second to the Wildcats.
UCLA went on to win the College World Series, showing that the
way the team plays at the end of the season is more important than
early conference losses.
“We have a tendency to get better as we go along, and
there aren’t too many clubs that can say that they are in the
top three in the country,” Enquist said.
But Enquist said the only way to approach her season is to take
it one game at a time.
“I think if I had a tendency to think ahead I would drive
myself crazy,” Enquist said. “You’d have to check
me into the VA.”
AWARD WATCH: Seniors Goerl and Stephanie Ramos
were among 25 finalists named for the 2004 USA Softball Collegiate
Player of the Year Award on Wednesday.
Goerl, who leads the team in wins (15) and strikeouts (136), was
nominated for the third consecutive year.
Ramos has had a breakout senior season and is the Bruins top
hitter, batting .440 with 24 RBI.
The list will be reduced to 10 players on April 28, and three
finalists will be announced May 11. The winner will be announced
May 26 at the opening ceremonies of the College World Series.