BRUINS SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED, BY DESPERATE COACH.

Byline: PATRICK HIPES / College Baseball 

Before UCLA lost its ninth game in 11 tries Sunday, a 9-3 setback to No. 7 Arizona State, coach Gary Adams shuffled his lineup in an effort to shake the team from its slump.

``We don't want to show panic here,'' Adams said, ``but we've got to make an adjustment.''

At least on the surface, he did just that to the Bruins (9-13), who went to the College World Series a year ago but are looking at the possibility of not making the 1998 playoffs.

A recap: Eric Byrnes, a preseason All-American, has been struggling in the No. 4 spot in the order, so Adams moved him to leadoff, inserting freshman third baseman Garrett Atkins into the cleanup role. Slumping second baseman Jack Santora was shifted to the ninth spot. Another freshman, shortstop Chase Utley, moved from seventh in the order to No. 2.

``No one was really shocked,'' senior first baseman Cassidy Olson said. ``He's just doing it to change things up. I think it's the right call.''

The Bruins are hitting .289 as a team, with pro prospects Byrnes (.272) and center fielder Eric Valent (.256) struggling.

``We just have to find the right mix,'' Olson said.

Patrick en fuego: No, not ESPN's Dan Patrick, CSUN junior infielder Kevin Patrick.

While the Matadors (12-17) struggled over the weekend at the UNLV Desert Classic, Patrick continued pounding the ball, running his hitting streak to 18 games. Over that stretch, Patrick - who has played both second and third base this year - is 30 for 72 (.417).

After returning Sunday from their 1-4 trip, the Matadors took Monday and Tuesday off before returning to practice today.

And he hits, too: In watching Fresno State recover from its atrocious 0-8 start, it's obvious the Bulldogs' offensive potential was there - it was just dormant.

Or, in the case of former Simi Valley High pitcher Jeff Weaver, it was just sitting in the bullpen.

The Fresno State ace, a second-round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox in 1997, is 7 for 14 in his new role as experimental designated hitter.

Bulldogs coach Bob Bennett liked what he saw of Weaver (3-2, 2.77 ERA) in the batting cage last week, inserting him into right field during a blowout loss to Pacific. Weaver tripled in his second at-bat.

The junior, whose fastball has been clocked in the low-to-mid 90s, went 5 for 8 in last weekend's DH stint at home against Utah.

Fresno State (9-12) has won nine of its last 13 games.

Rolling Waves: After sweeping Gonzaga over the weekend in its West Coast Conference opener, Pepperdine (12-9-1) has won seven consecutive games entering tonight's game at No. 21 Cal State Fullerton.

The Waves have solidified a pitching rotation - including closer Jay Adams (3-1, 1.31 ERA) - and have shuffled their lineup to include Jared Pitney, Steve Zorn and David Sugden, players who didn't see as much action in the beginning of the season.

Desert surprise: Yes, four of the six Pac-10 Southern Division teams are in the Baseball America Top 10, but one team that wasn't expected to be there - No. 5 Arizona - is anyway.

The Wildcats (23-4, 5-4) took a game from top-ranked Stanford this past weekend, entering that series with a conference-leading .388 team batting average. At last count, four of the five Six-Pac batting leaders are Wildcats, separated only by USC's Robb Gorr.

Arizona has already surpassed last season's home run total of 42, hitting that mark in its 22nd game. The Wildcats host UCLA in a three-game series beginning Friday.

The other War of 64?: The NCAA has already pushed its Division II baseball tournament from 24 to 32 teams and its Division III from 32 to 40 for the 1999 season. Now, a plan running through committees would bump the Division I field from 48 to 64 teams, according to USA Today Baseball Weekly.

If approved (it needs to float through three more committees), the format would change to 16 four-team regionals (up from eight six-team pools) and eight two-team super-regionals, with the winners advancing to Omaha. The change is expected to increase revenue by $100,000.

Short hops: Pepperdine left fielder Josh Oder was 8 for 11 against Gonzaga, raising his average to .284 and earning him WCC Player of the Week honors. . . . Oregon State's 13-6 victory against USC on Sunday was the Beavers' first win over the Trojans since 1967. . . . The Trojans' game Saturday vs. Arizona State at Dedeaux Field will be televised live on Fox Sports West at 1 p.m.

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

Today: Hosei University (Japan) at UCLA, 7 p.m.; Pepperdine at CS Fullerton, 7 p.m.

Thursday: Gonzaga at CSUN, 2:30 p.m.

Friday: Arizona State at USC, 7 p.m.; UCLA at Arizona, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Arizona State at USC, 1 p.m.; UCLA at Arizona, 12 p.m.; Pepperdine at Saint Mary's, 11 a.m. (DH)

Sunday: CS Los Angeles at CSUN, 1 p.m.; Arizona State at USC, 1 p.m.; UCLA at Arizona, 12 p.m.; Pepperdine at Saint Mary's, 1 p.m.

BASEBALL AMERICA TOP 10

No. Team Record L.W.

1. Stanford 19-2 1

2. Miami 16-4 3

3. USC 16-5 2

4. Alabama 15-2 6

5. Arizona 23-4 5

6. Auburn 15-3 7

7. Arizona St. 15-6 8

8. Oklahoma 13-1 9

9. LSU  12-5 10

10. Rice 16-6 11

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BOX: THIS WEEK`S GAMES (see text)