COLLEGE BASEBALL / GARY KLEIN : Young DeCinces Has His Game in Shape

Tim DeCinces and UCLA Coach Gary Adams sat down for a player evaluation meeting two years ago.

Tim, the son of former major leaguer Doug DeCinces, had been a redshirt during the 1993 season and Adams was not completely pleased with the catcher’s progress since arriving in Westwood from Corona Del Mar High.

“Tim wasn’t in terrible shape, but he still looked soft physically,” Adams said. “I remember saying, ‘You have to do something to get your body into a more athletic-looking condition. . . . If you want to play pro ball, you can forget about it unless you do something.’ ”

DeCinces took the advice to heart. A nutrition program combined with running, weightlifting and other aerobic activities helped him trim the fat.

“He went from a colt to a stallion,” Adams said. “I have never seen such a change in one of my players in such a short time. It made him quicker behind the plate and quicker with the bat.”

DeCinces, 6 feet 2 and 195 pounds, had a productive season in 1994. He batted .305 with six home runs and 48 runs batted in and was named a freshman All-American by Baseball America. In 24 games this season, he is batting .309 with seven homers and 22 RBIs for the Bruins, who are 15-11 overall and 4-5 in the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division.

“After talking with Coach Adams after that redshirt year, I just made a mental decision to basically let it all hang out and get into the best shape I could,” DeCinces said. “I knew a lot of people had criticized him for even recruiting me. Some guys play for coaches they want to prove wrong. It was really motivating to play for a coach you want to prove right.”

Last summer, DeCinces put special emphasis on improving his throwing from behind the plate. He worked out with his father and also took advantage of tutoring sessions with Bob Boone, the Kansas City Royal manager who caught more major league games than any player in history.

DeCinces also has continued his exercise regimen during the season to sustain the physical and mental benefits he has reaped.

“It gives me a little bit of a mental edge to know that I have prepared more than maybe some other guys with more physical ability,” he said. “It gives you an added confidence to know that you worked as hard as you can.”

DeCinces turns 21 later this month and will be eligible for the draft in June.

He always has dreamed of following his father into the major leagues but said he might delay turning pro a year to give something back to a freshman-laden UCLA program probably a year away from contending for a trip to the College World Series for the first time since 1969.

“I feel fortunate that I have a coach who didn’t beat around the bush with me,” he said. “He took a chance on me out of high school and has given me an opportunity to develop. I’d like to help him take the program to the next level.”

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DeCinces isn’t the only son of a former major league third baseman having a big season in the Pac-10 Southern Division.

Infielder Dan Cey of California, son of Ron, has a team-high 18 RBIs for the Golden Bears, who lead the conference with a 5-1 record.

Cey was six for 14 with three doubles and a homer last weekend in a three-game sweep at Arizona. Cal visits UCLA Saturday for the first game of a three-game series.

Also for Cal, Keith Evans, a sophomore right-hander who graduated from Encino Crespi High, is 3-0 with a 2.49 earned-run average in conference play. The Golden Bears have not won or shared the conference title since 1980.

Arizona State is in second place behind Cal in the Six-Pac at 5-2. Stanford is 5-3, UCLA 4-5, USC 3-6 and Arizona 2-7.

College Baseball Notes

Cal State Fullerton’s Mark Kotsay is making a strong bid for national player-of-the-year honors. The sophomore from Santa Fe Springs is batting .453 with seven home runs, nine doubles and three triples and has struck out only three times in 106 at-bats. He also has six saves in eight appearances and has not given up a run. Fullerton first baseman D.C. Olsen is batting .330 with 13 doubles, seven homers and 27 RBIs. . . . Jason Minici of Long Beach State is batting .300 with three homers, three triples and six doubles and 19 RBIs for the 49ers (12-11-1). Long Beach plays host to 14th-ranked Nevada in a Big West Conference opener Friday. . . . Reliever Eric Brubaker is 5-1 with a 1.42 ERA for Pepperdine, which is 12-10 overall and 3-1 in the West Coast Conference. The Waves, who swept Loyola Marymount last weekend, travel to the University of San Diego this weekend for a WCC series against the 8-0 Toreros.