Bruin Slugger’s Record Is One for the Ages

Stacey Nuveman has been at UCLA for so long ...

” ... That by the time I’m going to finish my career, I’m going to have my PhD,” she joked. Nuveman recently turned 24 and is in her sixth year at UCLA. She was a redshirt during the 1998 season and also received another redshirt year in 2000 to play for the U.S. Olympic softball team.

She hears the age jokes all the time, even from the 18-year-old freshmen. To her, 18 seems a lifetime ago.

“Some of the girls that just graduated, they say they’re going to bring their grandkids to watch me play,” Nuveman said with a laugh. “There are times when I feel so old that I’ll need to go to bed at 10:30.”

Seeing Nuveman at the plate has grown old for a lot of opposing coaches. College softball’s most feared batter set the NCAA all-time career home run mark on Saturday.

The momentous blast came in the top of the seventh inning of the Bruins’ 10-1 victory at Oregon State. Nuveman hit the first pitch from Kristen Hunter over the left-field fence for her 86th career home run, surpassing Arizona’s Leah Braatz and Laura Espinoza.

She added another home run Sunday in UCLA’s 8-0 victory.

“To be able to leave your mark in the record books in that high-profile category is a big deal,” Nuveman said. “Home runs are exciting. They’re what everyone wants to see. It means a lot to etch my name in that respect.”

The 6-foot Nuveman is finishing her collegiate career in awe-inspiring fashion. She is batting .555 (76 hits in 137 at-bats) with 17 home runs and 58 runs batted in. She is having a better all-around year than she did as a sophomore, when she led the nation with 31 homers and 91 RBIs, but batted only .446.

Arizona pitcher Jennie Finch, the reigning national player of the year, considers Nuveman the ultimate challenge.

“Facing Stacey, that’s what you work in this game for,” Finch said. “It’s why we play. Stacey is one of the best hitters in the game. It’s definitely fun every time I face her.”

Calling Nuveman a home-run hitter might elicit a raised eyebrow from the Bruin star. Perhaps her most impressive statistic is that she has struck out only seven times. With 54 walks this season and 225 in her career, she gets only a few choice pitches to hit during each at-bat.

“My challenge this year was to be aggressive but not too aggressive,” she said. “I have to have a certain discipline at the plate. The key is recognizing when that pitch comes. The sooner you can decide this is the one to hit, the better chance you have.”

More often than not, her decisions have been right on the ball.

*

Nuveman was one of three Bruins named finalists for the inaugural USA Softball college player of the year award. The 10 finalists were selected from a group of 25 in April.

Junior shortstop Natasha Watley and sophomore pitcher Keira Goerl are the other Bruins.

The list will be narrowed to three on May 31 and the winner announced on June 7.

*

Cal State Fullerton’s and Pacific’s softball teams head into weekend of Big West Conference play with 19-2 records atop the conference.

Fullerton (47-11 overall), ranked ninth in the country, has three games at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Friday and Saturday, while No. 17 Pacific (40-14) plays host to Cal State Northridge for three games.

Both will get postseason berths when the NCAA announces its 64-team playoff field Sunday.

*

Pepperdine’s Brad Keenan and Beau Daniels were the only local players named to the Assn. of Volleyball Coaches All-American first team. UCLA’s Matt Komer, Pepperdine’s Sean Rooney and Northridge’s Eckhard Walter were second-team selections.... UC Riverside freshman golfer Brandon Hillpot qualified to play in the West Regional tournament, May 16-18 at Albuquerque.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

This Week’s Top Events

Softball

No. 2 Arizona at No. 1 UCLA, Friday, 2 p.m. Nation’s powerhouses meet with Pacific 10 title on the line.

Baseball

Long Beach State at No. 15 Cal State Northridge, Friday, 3 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. Can the Matadors run away with the Big West title?

Washington at No. 20 USC, Friday, 6 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. Trojans finish home schedule.

Women’s Water Polo

NCAA Championships at USC, Saturday, semifinals, Stanford vs. Michigan at 3:30 p.m., UCLA vs. Loyola Marymount at 5 p.m; Sunday, consolation game, 3:30 p.m.; championship, 5 p.m. Stanford tries to avenge title-game loss to UCLA a year ago.

Men’s Tennis

NCAA Regionals at Pepperdine, Saturday, first round, Richmond vs. No. 8 Pepperdine at 10 a.m., Arizona State vs. Minnesota at 2 p.m.; second round, Sunday, noon.

NCAA Regionals at UCLA, Saturday, first round, San Diego State vs. Hampton at 9 a.m., No. 2 UCLA vs. UC Santa Barbara at 1 p.m.; second round, Sunday, noon.