By Nick Taylor Daily Bruin Contributor
When UCLA juggled its pitching rotation and made Rob Henkel the
No. 1 starter, the left-hander felt he needed to lead the team and
set the example that would turn around the Bruins’ season.
So far, he’s done exactly that.
Henkel has won three games in a row while striking out 50
batters in the last 22 innings. After earning one of the Louisville
Slugger National Player of the Week honors for striking out 16
hitters in six innings in a 14-4 win over Bradley University,
Henkel shut out Harvard for seven innings, striking out 16 more en
route to a 9-2 victory.
That wasn’t enough for Henkel, though. Against Washington last
Saturday, he struck out the first nine hitters he faced, one short
of the NCAA record. He struck out 18 for the game, a UCLA record,
while allowing one run, four hits and no walks in a complete-game
2-1 victory.
"Henkel is amazing right now," UCLA left fielder Bill Scott
said. "I’ve never seen anything like it. Nine strikeouts in a row –
there’s nothing better than that."
"For the most part, everything’s working," Henkel said. "I’m
trying to be efficient with my pitching. Against Washington, our
first conference game, I wanted to start off on the right
foot."
Buoyed by Henkel’s example, the Bruins are on a roll. After an
early-season slump that dropped them out of the national rankings,
they’ve won 10 of 11 games, raising their record to 17-11 (2-1
Pac-10). They swept Bradley and Harvard, won midweek games against
San Diego State and the University of San Diego, and nearly swept
Washington. Both offensively and defensively, things are coming
around for UCLA. Finally.
"The team is close to hitting on all cylinders," Right fielder
Nick Lyon said. "We’re playing a lot better ball. It makes a world
of difference and it’s nice to get on a roll."
While the team hasn’t played great schools, they still needed to
concentrate and churn out victories. That’s been the key, Scott
said.
"We need to go one game at a time," he said. "It was just a
matter of staying focused, and (the wins) were big for us. I think
things are coming together for us."
Part of the reason for UCLA’s turnaround is its finally settled
starting lineup. Bruin head coach Gary Adams moved slick-fielding
shortstop Josh Canales into the starting lineup and moved Garrett
Atkins over to first base to put the steady-handed Randall Shelley
at third. Those moves have helped UCLA put its best defensive team
on the field, which allows the pitchers to relax and throw
better.
In addition, Canales is leading off, setting the table for Chase
Utley, Atkins and Scott.
"He does the little things," Lyon said. "He plays solid defense,
steals bases, fires everybody up."
Adams also adjusted the pitching rotation, and his moves have
paid off. Jon Brandt was moved to the closer role, which actually
means he comes into the game whenever UCLA needs him. He has
notably come into games Josh Karp started, allowing Karp to build
the endurance he needs to pitch 7 to 9 innings.
In the meantime, pitcher Bobby Roe stepped into the rotation,
and it looks like he’s there to stay.
"We’ve got a lot out of Bobby," Scott said. "We needed him to go
out there and give us innings, and he’s done that."
Even the bullpen, which was shaky earlier this season, has
picked up its play. In UCLA’s 10-inning, 11-9 win over San Diego,
the bullpen came in and saved the game. Down 7-1 in the fourth,
reliever Kevin Jerkins threw three innings of shutout ball,
allowing UCLA to rally and take the lead. Brandt later came in with
the score tied then closed out the game for the victory. With
Jerkens and Ryan Carter pitching much better, the Bruins seem to be
filling their bullpen holes.
"We’re going to make tremendous strides this season," Henkel
said. "Guys are starting to understand their roles, and it’s been
working."
On offense, the Bruins continue to score a lot of runs. Four
players have reached double figures in homers and catcher Forrest
Johnson leads the team with 11 homers and 34 RBI.
In addition, Lyon has provided a fifth source of power, hitting
seven home runs and knocking in 20.
He and Johnson both hit bottom-of-the-ninth, game-winning home
runs during UCLA’s recent hot streak.