On paper, it looks simple.
UCLA (46-7) has the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament,
is the No. 1 team in the nation, and has won 10 NCAA
Championships.
South Florida (50-23) is unseeded and is making its first Super
Regional appearance in the program’s history.
But in order for UCLA to advance to its eighth consecutive
College World Series, South Florida is the team it has to take two
out of three from this weekend, and the veteran Bruins know better
than to overlook their opponent.
“I have no worry about my team looking past South
Florida,” coach Sue Enquist said. “If we do not perform
well, it won’t be because we’re looking past them. (The
players) have been very, very emotionally disciplined and
that’s probably one of the things I’m most proud of
regarding this team.”
If the Bruins need any further motivation to bring their top
game to Easton Stadium, they don’t have to look too far into
the past.
Just two seasons ago, Pac-10 rival Arizona had won the Pac-10,
was the top-seed in the NCAA Tournament and was the No. 1 team in
the country, just like the 2006 Bruins.
Yet the Wildcats, after winning their first two regional games,
lost their next two games to Oklahoma and Louisiana-Lafayette and
were denied a 17th consecutive appearance in the World Series.
Arizona isn’t the only Pac-10 champion to have trouble in
recent years. In fact, the last three Pac-10 teams to win National
Championships (UCLA in 2003 and 2004, and California in 2002) did
not win the Pac-10.
“We’re just doing our own thing right now,”
senior second baseman Caitlin Benyi said. “We’re not
really concerned with the jinxes or what we’re supposed to
do. We’re just doing what we know we can.”
In order to get past the Bulls of South Florida, the Bruins will
be relying heavily on the arm of sophomore Anjelica Selden.
Selden, who has pitched the last two seasons with injuries to
her pitching shoulder and arm, was at the top of her game last
weekend, defeating Missouri State, Long Beach State and San Diego
State.
After allowing two runs against Missouri State, Selden threw a
pair of complete game shutouts against the 49ers and the Aztecs to
allow the Bruins to advance to the Super Regionals.
The sophomore pitched every post-season inning for the Bruins
last season and is eager to do so again this year.
“(My arm) is healthy, it’s strong, and I feel like
however many innings Coach needs me to pitch, I’m able to do
it,” Selden said.
In addition to her regular practice routine, Selden has spent
some extra time watching film this week, studying the tendencies of
the Bulls’ hitters and devising a plan of attack.
“With the video that we have, with any team, you’re
able to see weaknesses in their at-bats,” Selden said.
“But you also have to take into account the fact that
they’re facing a different pitcher, so you can’t really
trust video too much.”
South Florida as a team is a bit of a mystery to UCLA. The
Bruins and the Bulls have not met in a game since 2001 and the lack
of common opponents between the teams this year makes it hard for
the Bruins to gauge the Bulls.
Despite trying to prepare for this weekend by watching film of
South Florida, ultimately the team is going to approach the series
with the same basic mind-set and game plan they always have.
“We’ve seen enough to know that they can give us
trouble,” Benyi added. “We can have all the film in the
world, but we’re still gonna be focused on
ourselves.”
And if the Bruins do come out of this weekend victorious, the
reward is ample. UCLA would be headed to its eighth-straight
College World Series and Benyi and the other seniors will compete
for their third national title in four years.
“As a senior, it’s your last year around and you
don’t want to get left at home,” Benyi said.
“We’re just trying to do this thing one game at a
time.”