HUFF HAS THE RIGHT STUFF UCLA LEFT-HANDER SLOTTED AS HIGH PICK.Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer John Savage John Savage may refer to:
Even when Huff last year committed to join Savage at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , the coach didn't think there was a good chance of having the pitcher on his staff this year. ``I thought the pros would get him,'' Savage said. ``It's fortunate for us things didn't work out between him and the Phillies.'' Huff has pitched so well for UCLA this season, Savage knows the junior left-hander won't be back next year. Huff, drafted in the 19th round last year after a season at Cypress Junior College, is projected as a first-round pick in next week's professional draft. Before that, he'll try to help the Bruins win their first NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Regional since 2000. UCLA begins the postseason today against Irvine in a four-team regional at Pepperdine. Huff likely will start Saturday's game. ``Right now that's all I'm thinking about,'' Huff said. ``I'm not really nervous about the draft or thinking about it that much. I've been through that before and I know it's not anything I can control. I'm more focused on the team and winning regionals.'' Huff was crucial to getting the Bruins to the postseason just a year after they'd endured a school-record losing streak and finished with only 15 victories. Along with junior right- hander Hector Ambriz, Huff anchored a young team, going 7-3 with a 2.82ERA and 90 strikeouts in 121 1/3 innings. He was named first-team All-Pacific-10 after ranking second in the conference in innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is in the game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. , third in strikeouts and fifth in ERA. The velocity of his pitches, which rarely top the upper 80-mph range, had been a knock against Verb 1. knock against - collide violently with an obstacle; "I ran into the telephone pole" bump into, jar against, run into, butt against collide with, impinge on, hit, run into, strike - hit against; come into sudden contact with; "The car hit a tree"; "He Huff in the past, but he quickly made believers of the Bruins. Facing Pacific in the third week of the season, Huff struck out the first nine batters he faced and finished with 15 strikeouts in eight innings. He threw threecomplete games in his first six starts. ``He's not a guy that throws 90,'' Savage said. ``If he was, and being a left-hander, he wouldn't be in college. He can pitch. He's very savvy on the mound. He can pitch out of problems. He's an athlete.'' Last year's selection by Philadelphia was the second time Huff was drafted. He was the 31st-round pick of the Angels in 2003 out of Edison High in Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. and decided to attend UC Irvine. ``I've always wanted to be a baseball player since I was running around in diapers,'' Huff said. ``When my brother first started playing baseball, I wanted to do everything he did. Even though I was a little runt The frame that remains after a collision on a CSMA/CD medium such as Ethernet. Runts are undersize packets, smaller than what the network protocol calls for, such as 64 bytes in Ethernet. Electrical interference or faulty wiring can also produce a runt. , I thought I should be playing baseball, too.'' Huff has drawn comparisons to stylish NewYork Mets' left-hander Tom Glavine Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25 1966 in Concord, Massachusetts) is an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently a free agent, having last pitched for the New York Mets. , one of his favorite players. Huff has command of four pitches, including an improving breaking ball and a changeup that ranks among the best in the country. He has been in big games since his freshman year, when he pitched in UCIrvine's first trip to the regionals. Huff spent last summer among the college elite in the Cape Cod Cape Cod, narrow peninsula of glacial origin, 399 sq mi (1,033 sq km), SE Mass., extending 65 mi (105 km) E and N into the Atlantic Ocean. It is generally flat, with sand dunes, low hills, and numerous lakes. League, where he posted a 1.46ERA and 49 strikeouts in 37 innings. ``We knew Dave was going to be a very special pitcher when he came to Irvine,'' Savage said. ``We knew what he could do when he came here this season and we had high expectations for him. But he's pitched beyond our expectations.'' heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 MALIBU REGIONAL SCHEDULE At Eddy D. Field Eddy D. Field is home of the Pepperdine University Waves' baseball team located in Malibu, California. It was originally built in 1973, but underwent renovations in 1980 and 1999. It now holds up to 2,000 spectators, all box seats. Stadium, Malibu TODAY Game 1: No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 UC Irvine, 11 a.m. Game 2: No. 1 Pepperdine vs. No. 4 Missouri, 3 p.m. SATURDAY Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m. Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3 p.m. SUNDAY Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 11 a.m. Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 3 p.m. MONDAY Game 7, if necessary, 11 a.m. NCAA MALIBU REGIONAL PEPPERDINE WAVES Record: 40-19 (15-6 in West Coast Conference, first place) He can hit: Senior infielder Nick Kliebert (.352) is the leading hitter among available Waves after leading hitter David Uribes injured his ankle two weeks ago. Junior catcher Chad Tracy Chad Austin Tracy (born May 22, 1980 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is a third baseman in Major League Baseball who plays with the Arizona Diamondbacks.Tracy also commonly known as "Opposite Field Tracy" bats left handed and throws right handed. Tracy compiled a . (.329, 6 HR, 43 RBIs) has a knack for delivering in the clutch. He can pitch: Sophomore right-hander Barry Enright (12-1, 4.20 ERA) leads the staff in wins for the second year in a row. Freshman Brett Hunter (5-3, 2.43 ERA) could have the biggest impact in his role as closer and spot starter. They can advance if: They have enough pitching to get through the final day of the regional, something that has hurt the Waves after making it to regional finals the past two years. UCLA BRUINS The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I-A as part of the Pacific Ten Conference. Athletic alumni Jackie Robinson, Rafer Johnson, Yang Chuan-kwang (C.K. Record: 32-23 (13-10 in Pacific-10 Conference The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I. Membership Full members , third place) He can hit: Senior outfielder Chris Jensen Chris Jensen (born October 28, 1963 in Fort St. John, British Columbia) is a retired NHLer. He played for the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. External links Chris Jensen's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database leads the starters with a .327 average, six home runs and team-high 35 RBIs. Freshman shortstop Brandon Crawford is the only other Bruin to start every game, and it is no wonder UCLA doesn't want him out of the lineup -- he's batting .320 with six home runs and 29 RBIs. He can pitch: First team all-conference juniors Dave Huff (7-3, 2.82 ERA) and Hector Ambriz (7-7, 3.97 ERA) are tied for the staff lead in victories, and both are expected to be drafted next week. They can advance if: The lineup that sometimes features six freshmen (including outfielder Tim Murphy, above) continues to play beyond its years and maintains its sound defense that ranked first in the Pac-10 (.977 fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player handles a batted or thrown ball properly. ). UC IRVINE ANTEATERS UC Irvine's Athletics program participates in the NCAA's Division I, as members of the Big West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The UC Irvine Anteaters is the nickname used for the sports teams. Record: 36-22 (11-10 in Big West Conference, third place) He can hit: Cody Cipriano, a former Marmonte League MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. while at Westlake High, is batting a team-high .361 with four home runs and 34 RBIs. Jaime Martinez is the biggest power threat with eight home runs and 45 RBIs. He can pitch: Former Chatsworth High All-American Justin Cassel (7-8, 3.41 ERA) took over as the Anteaters' ace this year as a junior, and has come on strong during the second half of the season. Right-hander Scott Gorgen (7-4, 2.52 ERA) was named Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year. They can advance if: Cassel gets the Anteaters off to a good start, and his team's small-ball tactics -- UCI UCI University of California, Irvine UCI Union Cycliste Internationale (International Cycling Union) UCI Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos UCI United Cinemas International (UK) stole 104 bases and freshman Ben Orloff leads the nation with 26 sacrifice bunts -- continue to make up for a lack of power. MISSOURI TIGERS Record: 31-25 (12-15 in Big 12 Conference, seventh place) He can hit: Senior outfielder Taylor Zane (.346, 2 HR, 41 RBIs) leads a group of five Tigers batting better than .300. Sophomore Jacob Priday's 11 home runs are the most among any player in the regional. He can pitch: Right-hander Max Scherzer (7-1, 1.89 ERA) is expected to be a first-round draft pick next week, and all-conference left-hander Nathan Culp (11-5, 3.24 ERA) won't be much easier for opponents. They can advance if: The pitching staff is able to carry the Tigers through one of the tournament's toughest regionals. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, 3 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) First-team All-Pac-10 pitcher Dave Huff is 7-3 with a 2.82 ERA at UCLA, helping the Bruins into the NCAA Regionals, which begin today. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer (2 -- color) Chase Utley is hitting .315 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs for the Phillies so far this season. Photo by Getty Images (3) outfielder Tim Murphy, above AP Box: (1) MALIBU REGIONAL SCHEDULE (see text) (2) NCAA MALIBU REGIONAL (see text) (3) A LINE OF TALENT THAT RUNS DEEP |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion