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Softball swings

into '95 season

Bruins begin title

hunt today with San Diego State

By Melissa Anderson

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Last year's fourth-place finish at the College World Series left the UCLA softball team hungry for more. So hungry, in fact, that this year's squad has its sights set on nothing less than a national title.

The Bruins return 11 players, including All-American selections Jennifer Brundage ('94), Jenny Brewster ('93), and Kathi Evans ('92), as well as four new players that will add depth to the UCLA lineup.

The loss of All-American pitcher DeeDee Weiman to graduation has opened up the starting spot to sophomore B'Ann Burns, who posted a 21-5 record last season and earned Pac-10 honorable mention honors. The legacy left behind by Weiman, however, has added little pressure to Burns' season outlook.

"I don't really feel that much pressure," Burns said. "I'm excited about it. My goal, and everyone's goal, is to win. To win it all."

Co-head coaches Sharon Backus and Sue Enquist feel Burns will have no trouble stepping into the leadership position on the mound, as long as the rest of the team can support her.

"B'Ann is an individual that is very confident, has great presence on the mound and knows how to handle pressure," Enquist said. "The key for us is not to put her in a situation where she has to be perfect. In other words, we have to hit."

Hitting shouldn't be much of a problem for the stacked Bruin squad. Six returning starters posted batting averages above .300 last season, with Brundage leading the pack at .440 while tallying 39 RBI and a .591 slugging percentage.

In addition, junior Kelly Howard and sophomores Nicole Odem and Alleah Poulson are all expected to make big contributions to the offense.

"Jennifer Brundage is in a better place than she's ever been in terms of her mental preparation and toughness," Enquist said. "There are a number of other people on this team who can come in and take charge."

Defensively, the Bruins also look to be extremely strong. Starting spots in the infield are basically set,with Brundage at third, Odem at shortstop, Howard at second and Poulson earning the start at first.

The outfield spots are much less concrete. Both Evans and junior Ginny Mike have previously started in center, while senior Jenny Brewster has three years under her belt in left. Sophomore Kari Robinette will probably start the season in right, but freshman Laurie Fritz and senior Felicia Cruz will also see playing time.

Picked to finish second in the Pac-10 behind conference powerhouse Arizona, UCLA is expected to wage quite a battle with the Wildcats in hunt of its ninth national championship trophy.

"Arizona will be our toughest competition," Enquist predicted. "We're trying to get our players to focus on their own execution and not worry about the opponent. We want them to focus on themselves because, ultimately, they are the only ones that can beat them."

Attitude is an important part of any team's success, but according to Burns, it will be instrumental to the Bruins.

"We lost a lot of good players, but I think that the attitude is better this year and sometimes that outweighs the ability," she said. "We haven't won (a national title) in a few years. I think everybody, especially the seniors who won it their first year, really want to win it."

That desire to win is obvious in the effort that the players have put out in the preseason.

"They're all very committed and they're hungry," Enquist said. "As a coach, when you have those qualities you know that that is a good starting place."

UCLA gets its season underway this afternoon in a matchup with San Diego State at Easton Stadium. The 1 p.m. game should be a good warm-up for the Bruins, though little is known about the unranked Aztecs.

SDSU finished last season with a 21-29-1 overall record under head coach Linda Spradley.

But the arrival of assistant coach Kathy Van Wyk from Fullerton as well as three new scholarships should give added depth to the program.

"Van Wyk is an excellent coach who knows how to win," Enquist said. "I anticipate her bringing that team to another level.

"We're hopefully going to get a chance to see a number of individuals at a number of different positions so we can really see where we are in terms of execution."

The Bruins, however, want to make sure they do not overlook anyone they face this season.

"Any time anyone is playing UCLA, they peak and seem to have their best game against us. This team has to have the discipline not to let down based on their opponents," Enquist said. "Focus on yourself because once you worry about your opponent, you become their prisoner."

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