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Baseball: Valaika commits to UCLA

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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Hart senior infielder Pat Valaika, who hit .371 last season for the Indians, has committed to UCLA.

Valaika’s older brothers played at UC Santa Barbara, but the younger Valaika told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal that he chose UCLA because he felt like it was the best fit.

‘I just had a gut feeling about UCLA,’ Valaika said. ‘I wanted to continue the family tradition. It was something I definitely thought about, but my heart has been leading me this way, and it just weemed like the best spot for me.’

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--Ben Bolch

Varsity Times Insider
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. Twice awarded top-10 finishes in feature writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors, he began his second stint as the UCLA beat writer in 2016. His first stint, during the 2010-11 season, ended with yet another crushing loss to Florida in the NCAA tournament. Over his 25 years at The Times, Bolch has also covered the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, USC men’s basketball and high schools. His favorite athletes to cover were Dave Roberts, Jamal Crawford, Jose Lima, David Eckstein, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Thomas Welsh, Josh Kelley and Aday Mara. Bolch is also the author of the book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.”

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