Throughout the season, UCLA softball coach Sue Enquist has tried
to figure out how to best utilize the versatile players in her
lineup.
She has made adjustments all season long, including major
changes before last Saturday’s game against Stanford.
The players have responded to their new roles each time,
focusing on wins instead of changes.
“She’s mixing things up and trying to find every way
possible to make us win,” sophomore catcher Emily Zaplatosch
said. “If that helps us win, then I think everyone on our
team is for it.”
Zaplatosch was moved down to seventh in the lineup last week
against Stanford but said her position in the lineup doesn’t
matter.
With only a week left before the postseason, the focus is on
getting wins and trying to capture another national title, not on
playing time.
“It shows that we’re all in it to win,”
Zaplatosch said. “It doesn’t matter (what) your role
(is), we all want to win. Having that, we all are flexible to do
whatever it takes for us to get on the right path.”
Enquist’s first major lineup change came when the Bruins
were slumping at 2-6 in the Pac-10. The team responded with five
straight wins, stopping the early slide.
The Bruins responded once again after Saturday’s changes,
posting 13 runs in two games over Stanford, one of the
conference’s top teams.
Freshman shortstop Jodie Legaspi agreed that the batting order
doesn’t matter if the team is executing properly.
“We have tremendous talent (in positions) one through
19,” shortstop Jodie Legaspi said. “It doesn’t
matter where she puts anybody to hit. It’s just a matter of
us hitting the ball.”
The Bruins’ versatility is obvious from the beginning of
their lineup.
Sophomore Caitlin Benyi has been the Bruins leadoff hitter for
most of the season. But she also leads the team with 18 home runs,
so Enquist put her in the number three slot in the lineup for a few
weeks.
“I’ve got a home run hitter that is a vintage
leadoff hitter,” Enquist said. “That’s why I want
to figure out where she has the most potential.”
Enquist also has many choices at the bottom of her lineup. She
alternated between three different designated players and three
different left fielders in the non-conference season.
All six players have gotten playing time in key conference
games; five got starts this weekend.
“I’m just trying to put these puzzle pieces together
because I think we have all the necessary pieces to play excellent
post-season softball,” Enquist said.
“I think those pieces are on the table. I just have to be
able to put them together as efficiently as possible, and
that’s a nice problem as a coach.”