Occidental Offers Fuller Growth : Center Fielder Steals Chance to Improve Himself On and Off the Diamond

Bruce Fuller enjoys being spontaneous. Instinctive. To Fuller, nothing beats an evening spent sitting around with a group of friends in the dorms at Occidental College, talking and joking into the early morning before impulsively deciding to haul off to a local restaurant to order the entire left side of the breakfast menu.

Two weeks ago, Fuller and a few friends consumed, “40 some pancakes, Huevos Rancheros, hamburger patties,” and more during one such food run.

“I was pretty sick the next day,” said Fuller, who plays center field for the NCAA Division III Occidental baseball team.

Occidental opponents know that ill feeling well.

It seems to overcome them every time the senior from Newhall reaches base via line-drive single, drag bunt or base on balls. Fuller has been making pitchers and catchers look infirm for two years running with his shrewd, calculated exploits on the basepaths. Last season, he stole 31 bases in 33 attempts.

With six games left on this year’s schedule, he already has 31 thefts in 36 tries.

“At this level, you don’t always face catchers that can just rifle it,” Fuller said. “You don’t necessarily have to have great speed.”

You do, however, need intelligence.

Fuller, 21, is a two-time Academic All-American with a 3.8 grade-point average who is certain to earn the honor again this year.

In June, the economics major will conclude a college career that has been a model blend of academic and athletic success.

“Bruce was a shy, timid person when he got here,” Occidental Coach Jeff Henderson said. “He’s leaving as a confident, strong leader.”

Fuller’s transformation was gradual and his success in the classroom came much quicker than on the field.

The same student who was awarded the prestigious Charles List Memorial Award as the outstanding freshman at the college had difficulty grasping the concept of a safe lead off first base.

“As a freshman, I was the team’s designated runner,” said Fuller, who graduated from Hart High. “I didn’t really know what I was doing. I’d get a huge lead and get picked off. What a nightmare.”

Fuller spent his sophomore year learning how to turn physical disadvantages into strengths.

Henderson stressed mastering defensive fundamentals and the necessity of becoming a contact hitter who was capable of putting the ball in play to all fields.

By last season, Fuller was an integral part of the Tiger attack. He batted .285 as the leadoff man and was second-team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

This season, Fuller is batting .339 for the Tigers (16-15 overall, 7-5 in conference play), who play host to La Verne on Friday.

“Once he got his confidence as a base stealer, he changed into a dominant player on our team,” Henderson said.

Fuller, 5-10, 155 pounds, also has grown into a leadership role for the Tigers.

Last season, he was elected a team captain but did not take an active role because other, more vocal teammates served as motivators. The responsibility became Fuller’s this season.

“I kind of thought, ‘I’m going to go about my business and they’ll see me and then they’ll do it,’ ” Fuller said. “But I kind of realized in the middle of the year that you can’t always do that.

“I needed to take on a little different role. I needed to take a look at how people were, how they could get motivated and how I could help them. That’s one of the things I learned this year that wasn’t necessarily about baseball, but just how different people come together and how I need to act as a leader.”

After the season, Fuller will be part of a Henderson-coached SCIAC team that will make a two-week competitive tour of Australia.

He will work for a bank upon his return and said he may eventually pursue a career in sports marketing. To that end, Fuller’s senior project was a 50-page academic study of the efficiency and equity of free agency in baseball.

“Some guys dream about playing for big colleges and getting the chance to turn professional but I knew I never had the ability to play at those levels,” Fuller said. “I’m glad I came to Oxy. I’ve had the opportunity to get a good education, play baseball and meet a group of people with similar interests who I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life.”