Good defense in the middle of the infield is one of the keys to
success for a baseball team, and UCLA has one of the better
double-play combos in the country. Junior shortstop Ryan McCarthy
and senior second baseman Mike Svetlic have combined for just eight
errors in 62 combined games, with three errors coming in a rare bad
game on Sunday. McCarthy attributed their success to hard work and
the effort of coach Gary Adams at practice. “We have worked
so hard since fall, and the work is really paying off,”
McCarthy said. “Skip (Adams) keeps on hitting us groundballs
and makes sure we are focused on the fundamentals.” Svetlic
and McCarthy are not just steady players. At many games, the combo
has stunned crowds with its diving stops and flashy double plays.
“It just comes naturally for us, the ball just seems to find
our gloves during the games,” McCarthy said. Of course, the
duo is pretty good at going out and finding the ball too. Back in
mid-February, Svetlic like made the play of the year in a close
13-11 win over Fresno State. In the ninth inning, he scaled all the
way up the chain-link bullpen fence to snag a foul ball. The Bruins
will certainly count on the rock-solid pair to continue performing
as they head into the stretch run of the regular season.
RELIEVER PERFECT: Walk-on reliever Kevin Brophy
won his fifth game of the season in Tuesday’s 5-4 thriller
over Cal State Fullerton. He has yet to lose a game. The Fullerton
victory comes on the heels of his win in another wild game,
Sunday’s 11-10 victory over Arizona State. In his last two
games, Brophy has pitched 4 2-3 innings, allowing only one earned
run. For the season he has an excellent 2.50 ERA and is tied for
the team lead in appearances with fellow freshman reliever Brian
Schroeder. The two wins put Brophy second on the team and only one
behind ace Casey Janssen for the team lead.
STREAK OVER: Senior outfielder Chad Concolino
had his 10-game hitting streak snapped in Tuesday’s win over
the Titans. He went hitless in three at-bats before being replaced
by sophomore Josh Roenicke in the seventh inning for defensive
purposes. Concolino batted .433 during the streak (13 hits in 30
at-bats) and raised his batting average from .158 to .279.
UPCOMING: The Bruins head to Berkeley for a
three-game series starting today. The Bears (21-23, 6-9 Pac-10) are
last in the conference, but were tough against the Bruins last
year, winning two out of three at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA has
played well of late, having won seven of its last 10. California is
led by second baseman David Nicholson, who is sixth in the Pac-10
in batting at .380, and center fielder David Weiner, who is sixth
in the conference in home runs with eight. Casey Janssen (6-2),
Bryan Beck (2-3), and Wes Whisler (1-3) will start for the
Bruins.