At first glance, it would be reasonable to think that the 2008 season for the UCLA softball team will be a rebuilding year.
The Bruins lose eight seniors, six of whom were regular starters, from a 2007 squad that struggled throughout the year.
But when taking a closer look at the returning players and the recruiting class for the 2008 season, it’s not unreasonable to think that next year’s Bruins could actually be better than they were this year.
The Bruins have already signed five talented freshmen for 2008: infielders Samantha Camuso (Foothill HS), GiOnna DiSalvatore (Countryside HS, Palm Harbor, Fla.), Monica Harrison (Pacifica HS), outfielder Katie Schroeder (Esperanza HS), and pitcher Donna Kerr (Patrick Henry HS). UCLA will also add junior infielder Amanda Kamekona, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton who will have two years of eligibility for the Bruins.
“I’m excited about the talent that’s coming in,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “They already have a high experience level. … The majority of them have been national champions and several are traveling and playing with the junior national team. They will be asked to come in and contribute right away.”
Camuso, DiSalvatore, and Harrison will compete for vacancies in the infield left by departing seniors Lisa Dodd and Jodie Legaspi. All three are credentialed defenders and hitters. Camuso and DiSalvatore are both left-handed hitters whose performance records at the high school and club levels made them top recruits. Harrison was a leader on the USA junior softball team that won the national title at the Pan American championships last fall.
Schroeder and Kerr were Harrison’s teammates on the 19-and-under national team. Schroeder will take over for graduated senior Tara Henry as the team’s center fielder. Like Henry, Schroeder is known for her ability as a slap-hitter, but unlike Henry, she also has the ability to hit for power.
“Schroeder is going to take over center field and be the quarterback of the outfield,” Inouye-Perez said. “Offensively, she’s going to come in and do some damage in the first part of the lineup.”
Meanwhile, Kerr is arguably the top pitching recruit in the nation and is expected to compete with junior Anjelica Selden and sophomores Whitney Baker and Megan Langenfeld for the top pitching spot.
If there’s one thing that the 2008 team should have that the 2007 team didn’t have, it’s pitching depth. While the 2007 season looked promising with the additions of Langenfeld and Baker to already established pitchers Selden and Dodd, a set of unfortunate circumstances hurt the team’s pitching output.
Dodd’s ability on the mound was limited all year after she had offseason knee surgery. She was only able to pitch in four games for the Bruins last season.
Baker, who was recruited to challenge Selden for the top pitching spot, suffered a collapsed lung in the fall, which prevented her from throwing for two months and set her development back.
Perhaps the most shocking thing about the season was the struggling Selden, who fell far short of her performance record that she established in her freshman and sophomore seasons. Selden’s 2.82 ERA and 17-11 record were far cries from the 1.08 ERA and 64-21 record she compiled in her first two seasons.
“Being one of the most televised pitchers and being so successful in her first two years, a lot of people had the ability to study (Selden),” Inouye-Perez said. “That’s part of the game, you have to be able to reinvent yourself as a pitcher. I told her at the end of the year, “˜Credit what you created because everybody is trying to figure out a way to beat you.’ I absolutely believe she’s going to be able to get back on track.”
With all of the dire circumstances surrounding the other Bruin pitchers, Langenfeld carried the pitching load for the Bruins down the stretch and provided a steadying force during UCLA’s second-half success in Pac-10 play.
With the addition of Kerr, the experience and success of Langenfeld, a healthy Baker, and prospects that Selden could regain her form, the Bruin pitching staff appears to be loaded heading into 2008. The only question that remains is how Inouye-Perez will use her pitchers. The coach said the No. 1 pitching spot will be earned in the fall and will go to who she deems to be the best pitcher, regardless of experience.
“In the circle, depth is the best coaching tool I can have,” Inouye-Perez said. “It’s going to push each pitcher and make them work harder everyday. In this day and age, you don’t just rely on one pitcher. We’re going to need to have a healthy staff.”