After a dominating performance in last weekend’s Los Angeles Regional, the No. 5 UCLA softball team advanced to the Super Regionals.
Up next will be an upset-minded Louisiana-Lafayette squad who took down No. 12 LSU en route to advancing out of the Baton Rouge Regional.
The Daily Bruin’s Chris Chen caught up with two key seniors, third baseman Julie Burney and catcher Kaila Shull, to discuss the team’s prospects, their careers, and the UCLA softball program ““ its legacy, championship prowess, and chances at title No. 12. Burney is having a career season, hitting .314 with 16 home runs and 44 runs batted in. Burney hit a solo shot in the top of the seventh against Fresno State Sunday to help the Bruins advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. Meanwhile, Shull is hitting .250 through 50 games, has five home runs on the year, and leads the team with 279 putouts. Shull belted a no doubt two-run home run in the fourth against St. Mary’s Friday.
Daily Bruin: UCLA is obviously one of the top sports colleges in the country. But was there any other reason why you chose to play softball here?
Julie Burney: It’s always been a dream of mine just like everyone else at this school. It’s a school well known for its championships and it’s kind of a school that you look at and say, “Are you able to get there?” just because of how amazing the tradition is here.
I worked really hard in high school and once I found out that they were recruiting me, I had to give up a lot of things because I wasn’t the straight A student in high school, so I had to basically give a lot up to work harder in school so I can academically get in. You’d think that student athletes just get in no matter what but for softball, I had to have a certain GPA. I didn’t have that so I had to work really hard my junior and senior year to get in here. … I did it, and it was a huge accomplishment, probably the biggest that I have ever accomplished.
Kaila Shull: It was always my dream to come here. I have always wanted to be here with their tradition, with their program, their excellence. It was something that I wanted to be a part of.
The recruiting process came really late and fast with UCLA. I was actually trying to get to Stanford just, because it was closer to home and it was still in the Pac-10. After going through the process, I wasn’t committed anywhere yet, and UCLA saw me and offered me to come down for a visit. So I came down and saw the campus, met some of the girls, and loved it.
DB: Julie, how is it playing third base? Say you see Clipper Darrell (who is an Easton regular) in the stands and a scorching line drive is headed for your area. What do you do? What do you say to coach Inouye-Perez if the ball gets past you?
JB: I really can’t pay attention to the stands. You would think that being out on the field with everyone being so loud, you just want to pay attention, but I don’t really catch myself looking, especially before a pitch is coming.
I am so much closer than all of the other positions, to the batter, and the balls come so much harder. I have to be ready way before the shortstop is ready or the second baseman is ready or even the outfield because right when the ball hits the bat it’s going to come quick. … When (Clipper Darrell is) cheering it’s mainly in between pitches. I think it is more out of respect because you don’t do that when the pitcher is throwing, just because of respect for the team.
DB: From all accounts, playing catcher will result in fatigue, and many knee injuries to say the least. Kaila, what has kept you going throughout all the years playing such an arduous position?
KS: I love catching. It’s awesome. You are in every play. You have to be connected to everybody and it really structures you to be able to focus on a lot of things at once.
You have your pitcher, your defense, what pitch is going to be called. What the batter is doing. There are a ton of factors. It keeps me in the game, every pitch.
It is actually funny. When I was younger, I didn’t want to catch. I was like, “I’m just going to try it,” and I never looked back after I did.
Being at the collegiate level is completely different. There are a lot more responsibilities. You have film, more pitchers, that kind of thing. But that’s why it’s great. It’s stretched my game so much, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
DB: Julie, describe how you have grown since your freshman year and your progress on the field. This year you really turned it around ““ career highs in batting average (.314), while leading the team with 16 home runs.
JB: I have definitely grown. I’ve become more mature over the years and I have been able to handle tough situations better. … It just seems that it is getting a little bit easier because I am older and more experienced.
DB: Describe the dynamic of the team as it heads deeper into the postseason.
JB: The team concept is really strong. There is no one individual that is leading us. Our whole team is working together so well and we are all the MVPs.
We are meshing really well, we are connected. We are working really well on the field together, we communicate. I just feel like our team aspect is on the right track for postseason because you need everybody out there, as well as in the dugout to win.
KS: The dynamic is great between the seniors, we are really close. We know that we have been through a lot, just like every class, but we came in and had the initial coaching change. That was something that our class will always have, so I think our class is really tight.
We have a great dynamic going on. … It’s like a pack of 20 sisters out there that actually get along.
DB: Best moment at UCLA?
JB: A best moment for myself would be hitting a home run and being told by the coaches and the alumni that it is probably the farthest home run that has ever been hit at Easton. It happened against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Hit it over the scoreboard and over the trees (in left field).
Team greatest moment would definitely be against Cal two weeks ago when the pitcher was no-hitting us until the last out when I doubled. Kaila Shull came up and walked. Then B.B. Bates, our freshman, hit a home run to win the game, a walk-off. That was amazing and the feeling that all of us had at home plate was the best feeling I have ever had here at UCLA. I couldn’t see or breathe; I was screaming so loud.
KS: There have been a lot of best moments. Probably the most recent is just being with this year’s team and the way we’ve come back and turned our season around. Taking two out of three from Arizona was huge (to clinch second place in conference and a No. 5 seed in the tournament). … Seeing B.B. get the walk-off was huge.
For me personally, I know that one of the things that I will always remember was the home run I hit at Cal State Fullerton. At that time in my life, it was the farthest ball I have hit in my life.
Read the full version of the interview on dailybruin.com/categories/sports
DB: Last November, Kaila, your boyfriend proposed to you at Easton Stadium. Is it safe to say that UCLA softball will be a part of your life for a long time to come?
KS: It was awesome. It was neat for him to incorporate softball into the proposal as well as Megan (Langenfeld), who is actually going to be my maid of honor in the wedding. (The seniors) are really close and it’s funny because we always talked about when we were younger and thought that it would be cool to get married on a field at home plate.
I don’t know where softball is going to take me after this but I know that it has been a huge part of my life and he, being an athlete as well, recognizes that and it was awesome just the way he brought everything together.
DB: What is your favorite pitch to catch? Why?
KS: Favorite pitch to catch would be the change-up when the hitter is not expecting it. To catch them off guard, you see the knees buckle, the hands start to fly, even the ones that chase. It pumps the pitcher up too, and it gets the whole team going.
DB: Missouri (who upset the Bruins last year in the NCAA tourney) advanced to the second round of the tournament again. Any words?
JB: If we are matched-up with them, it is going to be a battle. We are pumped to play whoever we play, that is always exciting.
KS: Honestly, I know a lot of people hang onto the Missouri game. This year is a completely different year. We are a completely different team. … If you hang onto those moments too much, it can come back and bite you. Each year is a new year and we are just going to get whoever is going out there on the field with us.
E-mail Chen at cchen@media.ucla.edu.