Able pitchers, others travel to San Diego

Donna Kerr is ready to go home. Fortunately for her, UCLA softball’s road trip takes her back to San Diego, home of the Aztecs, the Toreros and the San Diego Classic.

“I haven’t been home since Christmas time,” the Bruins’ freshman pitcher said. “So a lot of friends and family will be out (at the game). (I’m) definitely excited to go home.”

But because it’s a softball road trip, the homecoming won’t be the most friendly.

“San Diego State recruited me,” Kerr said. “(They) are a pretty good team. … So it should be a good game for us.”

Because softball crowds tend to be smaller and less rabid than, say, basketball crowds, Kerr isn’t worried about heckling. If it does come, however, it will probably be an extension of Kerr’s performance, rather than any hard feelings. The freshman is 6-1 with a 0.80 ERA over 44 innings. She’d probably be the team’s star pitcher if it weren’t for the team’s veteran ace.

Senior smoke artist Anjelica Selden (7-1) is cemented as the Bruins’ best pitcher. She just won her eighth Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week award and got some national recognition as well. She was awarded player of the week honors from the USA Softball program and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

How? Well, she did strike out 17 on Sunday, when the then No. 5 Bruins played then-No. 2 Northwestern. That was the main course after fanning 21 the previous two days. She’s the Bruins’ all-time strikeout leader and is 16 away from reaching the 1,200 strikeout milestone.

But awards don’t matter much.

“I continue to say that we’re playing our own game,” Bruin coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said.

“(The other teams) just present an opportunity for us to practice. … I’m trying to get (the team) to play at a level and at a standard that is UCLA softball.”

San Diego State should present quite a challenge. The No. 20 Aztecs (11-4) have knocked off defending champion Arizona and No. 5 Northwestern. They hold their highest all-time ranking, they are off to their second-best start in team history, and they are scheduled for the middle of UCLA’s weekend.

But the Bruins (14-2) are ready for that kind of challenge.

“We’re ready to go,” Kerr said. “Our practice got us ready for the weekend.”

The Bruins face James Madison and San Diego today, Eastern Michigan and the Aztecs on Saturday, and St. Peter’s on Sunday.

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