UCLA Still Has Plenty in Reserve

When UCLA softball Coach Sue Enquist learned that her two All-Americans, catcher Stacey Nuveman and center fielder Christie Ambrosi, were two of the three collegians to make the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, it was a classic good news/bad news situation.

There’s no doubt that Enquist was happy for the two. Having been a coach on the gold-medal U.S. team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she appreciates representing the U.S. on the world stage.

Problem was, Nuveman and Ambrosi, mainstays who led UCLA to its ninth national title last season, had to choose whether to play college ball or try out for the Olympic team. They are redshirting this season, and still have eligibility left.

“It was a shock because we didn’t know if it was going to affect us,” Enquist said. “We originally believed that they’d be available on the collegiate and Olympic level. We found out that was not the case.”

At least those were blows Enquist knew about coming into the season. On Feb. 25, the Bruins learned that sophomore pitcher Courtney Dale had suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder and would be out of the lineup for weeks.

Shoulder problems weren’t news. Third baseman Julie Adams had a second surgery on her left shoulder in the off-season after dislocating it in last year’s College World Series.

Talk about being down for the count.

But for a team that has undergone many changes, nothing seems to change UCLA. The third-ranked Bruins are in the national championship hunt again with a 39-11-1 record and they play host to a six-team NCAA regional beginning today at Easton Stadium.

Sophomore Amanda Freed filled Ambrosi’s place in center field while also becoming the team’s No. 1 pitcher. Senior Julie Marshall moved back to catcher in place of Nuveman. Returning shortstop Crissy Buck moved to a reserve outfield role to make way for freshman Natasha Watley. The lineup also features two other freshmen--first baseman Tairia Mims and utility player Toria Auelua.

“I couldn’t be more proud of what this team has accomplished, given everything that has been handed to them,” Enquist said. “With Ambrosi and Nuveman departing, the absence of Julie Adams and the injury of Courtney Dale throughout March and April, this team has sustained in spite of the obstacles and remained together as a unit.”

All have been major contributors, but none may have had as big an impact as Watley. She leads the team in hits (70) and batting average (.427) and set a school record for stolen bases in a season (27), eclipsing Ambrosi’s 25 set last season.

“To be honest, I’m not surprised at what she’s done,” Enquist said of a player who was among the final cuts for the Olympic team. “We needed some speed and she has been a mainstay of our offense.”

As for Dale, she made a major step in her comeback Saturday by pitching a seven-inning, complete-game 5-2 victory over Oregon.

How important is Dale to UCLA’s title chances? In 1999, she tied Lisa Fernandez’s school record of 33 wins in a season.

“We had set the timetable [for seven innings] a week earlier, but she wasn’t quite there,” Enquist said of Dale, who will undergo surgery after the season. “That was a big corner to turn. She had been spot pitching until that time and to finish all seven was a huge emotional lift for her.”

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UCLA opens the softball regional against Canisius (33-21), which got its tournament berth when it defeated St. Peter’s twice for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament championship after losing its opening game.

The sixth-seeded Golden Griffins are led by junior outfielder Jacqueline Fusco, junior shortstop Lynn Stoczynski and senior second baseman Raquel Alvarez, formerly of Bishop Amat High.

“I think we have good balance in our regional,” Enquist said. “Everyone merits respect whether a team has a softball reputation like an Iowa or a team that may not have a great tradition.”

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USC freshman Candie Kung took second place at the NCAA West Regional women’s golf tournament Saturday, finishing with a 54-hole score of 211, two strokes behind medalist Miriam Nagl of Arizona State.

In the process, she also helped the Trojans advance to the NCAA championships next week at Sunriver, Ore. USC took third place behind Arizona and San Jose State.

Kung put herself in contention for medalist honors with a 65 on Friday for the low round of the regional. Leila Chartrand also helped USC with a three-day 221 total to finish in a tie for 15th overall.

Pepperdine was also one of 13 teams that advanced; the Waves finished eighth at 898. UCLA finished 14th and did not qualify. The Bruins’ Amanda Moltke-Leth failed to reach the NCAAs; her 298 score left her one stroke behind qualifier Kristen MacLaren of Texas El Paso.

COLLEGE DIVISION

The Redlands men’s tennis team continued its championship tradition as the Bulldogs clinched their ninth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III championships with a 6-1 victory over UC San Diego Sunday in the West Regional.

Redlands (16-9) travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., to play Gustavus Adolphus College in the quarterfinals. This may be one of the more rewarding years for the program because the Bulldogs have kept winning without any seniors in the regular lineup.

“We have a very young group in our top six,” fourth-year Coach Geoff Roche said. “We’ve got two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. This is not something that we expect all the time, but we look forward to getting back here each year.”

Three singles victories proved to be decisive against UC San Diego. Steve Marshburn, Marco Bravo and Rob Condiotty, the Bulldogs’ top three players, each won their matches after losing the first set.

“I think conditioning was the key,” Roche said. “Their guys seemed to tire a bit as the matches went on.”

On March 29, Gustavus Adolphus played at Redlands and won, 6-1.

“I think we’ve improved since then and I’m sure they feel they have turned things on,” Roche said. “It should be an exciting match.”

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Azusa Pacific reached its third National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics softball championship tournament in the past five years by winning the Region II playoffs last weekend. Senior pitcher Jodi Miller threw 18 shutout innings in 1-0 wins over Point Loma Nazarene and Cal State Hayward, the latter coming in 11 innings to win the region. Azusa opens the 16-team NAIA tournament against Athens (Ala.) State at Decatur, Ala.

UC Riverside hired Reggie Howard as an assistant to men’s basketball Coach John Masi last week. Howard played at Riverside and was an assistant at Cal State San Bernardino the past three years.

Cal State Dominguez Hills freshman Carmelitta Jeter was one of two double winners at the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. track and field championships Sunday, winning the 100 and 200 meters. Jeter also led the Toros to victory in the 4x100-meter relay, and Dominguez Hills’ Donna Mills won the 1,500 meters. Araceli Martinez won the 10,000 for the Toros.

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Best of the Week

WOMEN’S TENNIS

* NCAA Championships, Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center, Pepperdine, Today-May 26, 8 a.m.: USC and UCLA are among the final 16 teams that will be playing in the single-elimination tournament through Sunday’s championship match. The individual singles and doubles competition will begin Monday.

SOFTBALL

* NCAA Regionals, UCLA, Today-Sunday, 10 a.m.: The top-seeded Bruins play host to a six-team regional that includes Long Beach State, Iowa, Florida State, Bethune-Cookman and Canisius. The winner advances to the College World Series. UCLA won its ninth national championship last year.

MEN’S GOLF

* NCAA Division II Championships, Turlock Golf & Country Club, Turlock, Calif., today-Friday, all day: Cal State Bakersfield is among five California Collegiate Athletic Assn. teams that are competing in the 16-team, four-day tournament that began Tuesday. The Roadrunners finished third at the NCAA West Regional last week.

TRACK AND FIELD

* Pacific 10 Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., Saturday and Sunday, all day: UCLA will go after its fourth consecutive women’s title and the USC men will be looking to defend their championship. Last year, the Bruins’ Seilala Sua became the only female athlete in Pac-10 history to sweep the throwing events (shotput, discus and javelin). She is back to defend those titles.