UC IRVINE NOTEBOOK : Combs Lands Leading Role at UCI After Warming Bench at Arizona State

Mention the word Omaha to college baseball players, and grandiose visions begin to swirl through their imaginations.

Autograph seekers, major league scouts, nonstop media attention . . . The eastern Nebraska city, site of the College World Series, is a college baseball player’s Mecca. For two weeks each spring, it is brimming with the hoopla of which players dream.

Although UC Irvine has never made the trip to Omaha, senior outfielder Freddie Combs has.

He did so as a member of Arizona State’s 1988 team, which lost to Stanford in the final.

But while Combs enjoyed getting caught up in the hype, he did not enjoy merely catching in the bullpen. That was as close as he got to playing in a game.

“I thought I might’ve got to at least pinch hit once,” Combs said. “But (Arizona State Coach Jim Brock) never pinch hit very much.”

Combs, then a sophomore, wasn’t surprised, though, because he was seldom used in varsity games. Usually, he suited up for varsity games, only to sit and watch. Then he would play in the junior varsity game that followed, making most of his game days a noon-to-midnight experience.

“I had a couple of (varsity) at-bats the whole year,” Combs said. “I remember getting hit by a pitch in the 13th inning with the bases loaded against USC.

“ That ,” he says proudly, “was my claim to fame.”

But all has changed for Combs. After growing disillusioned at ASU, Combs was released from his scholarship there and transferred to Irvine in fall, 1988.

Today, he is the Anteaters’ lead-off man.

“It all worked out for the best,” Combs said. “I have no hard feelings toward Arizona State and I couldn’t be happier.”

And Irvine (2-2) is just as pleased.

Last year, Combs batted .273 with 26 RBIs and 11 stolen bases, but did so with a stress fracture in his right elbow--an injury no one knew he had until 10 games into the season.

“We had him at third base, and he was making some throwing errors,” assistant coach Robin Dreizler said. “We knew his arm was sore, but we thought it was more mental than anything. Finally, they took X-rays and found out it was broken.

“But with his intensity, he just kept playing.”

Although Combs was limited to designated hitter, he eventually played in 50 of Irvine’s 56 games last year.

Combs is healthy now and leading off in place of third baseman Ed Luna, who is out with a strained knee. “Freddie’s leading off because he’s the closest thing we have to a speed demon on this team,” Coach Mike Gerakos said. “We’re not real quick of foot.”

In contrast with Arizona State, a five-time national champion, Irvine is not real quick of anything.

But that doesn’t bother Combs.

“I have no regrets of coming to UCI,” he said. “There is nothing I would change if I could. Except getting back to Omaha--with this team.”

Irvine, which finished 20-35-1 and 6-15 (seventh) in the Big West last year, returns eight starters, 24 lettermen overall.

Al Rodriguez, a junior shortstop, was a second team all-Big West Conference selection last year after leading Irvine with .343 average and 36 RBIs.

Second baseman Chris Gallego, who was second in hitting at .331, returns as does center fielder Mike Goodcase (.275), and Brian Young, who hit six of the team’s 10 home runs last year.

Gerakos said pitching, defense and experience are the team’s strengths this year.

Finally, a lucky break: The women’s tennis team has been plagued by illness and injury this season, and entering last Friday’s scheduled match against Florida State, the Anteaters’ were more ragged than ever.

When Kelly Goldsborough and Biljana Korac joined the ranks of injured Anteaters--they both suffered pulled muscles in a match last Tuesday--Coach Doreen Irish had only four healthy players to face the Seminoles.

But that was enough. Because of an apparent scheduling mix-up, the Seminoles never showed. Thus Irvine won the match by default.

“We still don’t know why they didn’t show up,” Irish said. “I called (Florida State). They were in Arizona, playing in a tournament. They were on our schedule . . . It’s very bizarre.”

Anteater Notes

Freshman Yvonne Catala, leading scorer on the women’s basketball team, resumed practice on Tuesday after recovering from a bone chip and strain in her knee. Her condition is day-to-day. . . . Shannon Unfred had arthroscopic surgery last Tuesday to repair torn knee cartilage. But this week she started lifting weights and riding an exercise bike and could be back in two weeks. . . . The Anteater women’s basketball team (1-18, 0-10) plays host to Fresno State tonight and San Jose State Saturday.