When a team improves considerably from one year to the next with
almost all of the same players from the year before, the existing
players had to have gotten better. It’s only common sense.
For the UCLA softball team, which has already won more regular
season games (33) than last year’s national runner-up team
did (30), no two players exemplify improvement more than junior
outfielder Whitney Holum and sophomore outfielder Krista Colburn.
“Both of their games physically have grown,” coach Sue
Enquist said. “Colburn’s ability to be able to go into
the two spot and move runners and Whitney’s ability to be so
comfortable in pressure situations.” For Holum, it’s
been all about earning an opportunity to play and making the most
of it. Despite having only 55 at-bats and nine hits during her
first two years at UCLA, Holum has had a slugging percentage this
season that is nearly 200 points higher than her career slugging
percentage coming into the season. This is after only 16 at-bats
last season. “It’s definitely rewarding (to be playing
a bigger role),” Holum said. “Working hard for two
years and not really seeing the paybacks but being happy for
everyone else’s successes, I’m finally getting a chance
and feel like I’m contributing not only as a spirit motivator
but as an actual player. I’ve finally reached the dream
I’ve always set out for.” Colburn is a little bit of a
different story. A top recruit out of Kamiak High School in
Washington, Colburn was an everyday player as a freshman last year
and enjoyed great success. Colburn has elevated her game to a whole
new level this year. In addition to hitting for average (.327),
Colburn has become one of the team’s best run producers in
the lineup, with five home runs, a .566 slugging percentage, and a
team-leading 26 RBIs from the two-spot in the lineup.
“Fundamentally, I learned a lot of things last year,”
Colburn said. “I think I’m really settling into it this
year as opposed to last year.” But for both Colburn and
Holum, statistics alone don’t tell the whole story.
It’s been the clutch hitting of both players that has really
made an impact on the team. Against Michigan on a nationwide
broadcast of last year’s national title game, Holum hit the
game-tying home run with one out and no one on base in the bottom
of the seventh inning. Then in the bottom of the 10th, Colburn hit
the walk-off shot. “For me, (being in a pressure situation)
is almost more calming,” Holum said. “I’m not
thinking about my mechanics, I’m just thinking about that
run. It’s almost like you put yourself on the side, you
forget about stats and everything and just try to help your
team.”
DURAN HONORED: Though Andrea Duran’s
numerous accomplishments atop the lineup sometimes go
unappreciated, this week, the sophomore utility player received
plenty of deserved recognition. Duran was not only named Pac-10
Player of the Week, but was named the USA Softball National Player
of the Week for her outstanding performance in the Bruins’
three wins over Arizona State and Arizona last weekend. Duran hit
.545 on the road trip and two of her three home runs led off games.
For the season, she leads the Bruins with 10 home runs out of the
lead-off spot . With her two lead-off home runs last weekend, Duran
now has led off five games with home runs this year. “All I
try to focus on is getting on base,” Duran said of her
approach to leading off games. “If I happen to get a hold of
one, that’s just how it works. I’m not focusing on
hitting home runs.”