MICHAEL MANTEL/Daily Bruin Senior Amanda Freed hurls one to the
plate against Stanford this season. The Bruins start NCAA Regionals
play today.
By Michael Sneag
Daily Bruin Contributor
[email protected]
UCLA softball, the top seed in its region, must travel to South
Carolina this weekend to play in the Regional playoffs. It turns
out that the powerful wake caused by the events of Sept. 11 has
triggered changes in the NCAA softball tournament’s playoff
structure.
Despite the fact that UCLA (50-4, 18-3 Pac-10) ended the year as
the No. 1 team in the country after winning its seventh Pac-10
title, it has been forced to travel to Columbia, S.C. As the No. 1
seed going into Regional play, they have been given a favorable
bracket, but the privilege of hosting the regional tournament has
been lost this year.
The NCAA has attempted to try to minimize travel by keeping
local teams in the same geographic area. However, this has resulted
in none of the eight No. 1 seeds being allowed to host the regional
tournaments. Of the seven Pac-10 teams, five are being sent on
trips across the country. Arizona is heading to Minnesota,
Washington is trekking to Michigan, and Arizona State is heading to
Louisiana.
The Bruins, however, are looking at the experience as a positive
challenge they can definitely overcome.
“Initially it was upsetting and disappointing because we
felt we earned the right to be at home,” senior Stacey
Nuveman said. “But at the same note, it’s just another
challenge. You can look at it in a good way that we won’t
have distractions. We won’t be at home ““ we’ll be
away ““ kind of in our own little world.”
The Bruins will experience softball, Southern style. They will
have to contend with hot, muggy conditions and new teams. They open
up play on Thursday against Liberty (28-31), a team they have never
faced.
The other teams in their region are Georgia (57-15), host South
Carolina (43-18), Eastern Kentucky (36-12), and the University of
Maryland-Baltimore County (46-19). Except for South Carolina, (the
Bruins hold a 8-0 edge), the Bruins have never faced any of the
other teams.
“We’re going to first do our homework on all the
teams that are in the Regional,” UCLA head coach Sue Enquist
said. “I don’t know a whole lot about Liberty. The only
team that we’re more aware of is Georgia. They’ve been
playing well. We’re going to size up who we’re going to
see on Thursday, and then I’m literally going to go game to
game.”
Experience will play a big part this weekend and the Bruins are
hoping that works to their advantage. With a team composed of
seasoned veterans who have been to the World Series final the past
two years, they should have the upper hand in that department.
The pitching from the dynamic duo of senior Amanda Freed and
sophomore Keira Goerl has been tremendous while the offense has
provided a spark of its own. The team has also managed to stay
focused during the Nuveman home run chase, and provided the support
that Nuveman has needed to break the career home run record.
Though the team got off to a tremendous start, a certain amount
of inconsistency was ever-present. However, in the past month,
everything has come together, and the focus demanded by Sue Enquist
has finally emerged, which they hope will continue through
Regionals and the World Series the following weekend.
The Bruins head into the postseason on an impressive 17-game
winning streak, all of which has occurred during Pac-10 play. After
starting out 1-3 in conference play, the team has regrouped, found
its focus, and has not lost since despite the tough Pac-10
schedule.
If the team continues to play as it has been the past month, the
trip to South Carolina will be just another road trip and the final
step to Oklahoma City and the World Series.
“We’re UCLA softball,” Enquist emphasized.
“I believe we can win anywhere and we can play anyone.
That’s the mindset that we have. We’re looking it as
the time of year you’ve worked so hard for is finally here.
And that’s our focus in the clubhouse.”