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Tuesday, April 1, 1997

BASEBALL:

A 21-year dream, a stroke of luck make for stellar careerBy Sierra Roberts

Daily Bruin Contributor

From the age of 5 months, baseball has played a huge role in the life of Jon Heinrichs.

At first it was just a baseball lamp he gawked at as a baby in his room. Now, 21 years later, that baby has developed into the team captain and lead-off hitter for the UCLA baseball team and has his sights set on a professional baseball career.

But it's taken more than a lamp to get Heinrichs where he is today.

"I always knew or thought I was good enough or I could become good enough to get drafted," Heinrichs said. "It's just a matter of improving on the God-given abilities that I have."

It was also a matter of making the most of his opportunities.

When he started at UCLA he was expected to be a reserve, but in 1995, due to the injury of another player, he was given the chance to start in the third game of the season. He's been starting for the Bruins ever since. And so far this season, the senior left fielder leads the team with 61 hits, and has a .381 batting average, 15 doubles, 42 RBIs and 15 home runs.

"I feel bad for the guy that got hurt," Heinrichs said. "But it gave me the opportunity to show what I can do and from then on to prove to the coaches and myself and everyone that I can play Division I baseball for a good team and a great league."

The passion for baseball started at an early age for Heinrichs.

"My parents bought me a bat and a ball when I was 1, and ever since I could stand up, I was swinging," he recalls. "From then on my parents said I loved it; I couldn't put the bat down."

His mother, Joyce Heinrichs, admits that she and her husband Ted "were sports junkies." After having two daughters, the couple felt their family was complete with the birth of their son Jon. They took the opportunity to decorate his room with sports memorabilia. One focal point in the room was a baseball lamp that hung in the room and still does to this day.

By the age of 8, Heinrichs' dream of playing baseball for UCLA was already set. He became inspired when he went to a baseball camp in his native San Diego, where UCLA head coach Gary Adams spoke.

"I really liked him and from then on I wanted to come to UCLA," Heinrichs said.

His mother recalls him coming home raving about Adams and playing for UCLA. He decorated his room with UCLA souvenirs and began to wear the UCLA hat that he got at the camp ­ and he continued to wear that cap throughout high school.

Throughout his life Heinrichs has been active in sports, especially baseball. At age 13, his team won the Pony League national title, but lost in the World Series to South Korea. In high school he also competed in basketball and football.

But baseball was always his favorite, although it was rarely fun and games for Heinrichs.

"He always saw baseball as more of a job because he worked so hard at it," Heinrichs' mother said.

"I try to work as hard as anybody," Heinrichs said. "In the off season I work really hard in the weight room; I run and I hit all the time."

Not only has he worked at his own performance; now Heinrichs has the role of team captain to fulfill.

"I mostly lead by example," he said. "I get fired up every once in a while and yell a lot but not very often."

The support of his family, his ability to work hard, and the skills he's learned at UCLA are what Heinrichs credits for his vast improvement over the course of his career.

"I've learned a lot about the game of baseball since I've been here," he said. "In high school I knew you just go out and hit the ball, throw it, catch it. Now I know a lot more strategies; there's a lot more to the game than just going out there to win."

CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin

Senior left fielder Jon Heinrichs and the Bruins take on the Waves at Pepperdine University at 2 p.m. today.