Bauer Works Swing Shift for Wildcats

Lauren Bauer, the leadoff batter for the No. 1-ranked Arizona softball team, credits a more relaxed hitting approach for her improvement this season.

Bauer, who played at Foothill High, is batting .447 with 10 home runs and 41 runs batted in. She leads the team with 69 runs scored. “I think I’ve learned to sit back and enjoy the game more,” Bauer said. “I’m still the same intense player I was, but I don’t stress out now. I think it’s helped my hitting a lot. “

Bauer has doubled her home run total from last season, when she batted .356 with 48 RBIs. She belted her 10th homer of the season last weekend in Arizona’s 7-0 victory over Stanford.

“I’m swinging with a lot more confidence this season,” Bauer said. “I had a role of being more of a slap hitter in the past because of my speed.”

Bauer is one of three former Orange County players who are in key roles for the Wildcats.

Toni Mascarenas, a Pacific High alum, leads the Wildcats in RBIs with 61, and is batting .403 with 16 homers. Catcher Lindsey Collins, who played at Fountain Valley High, is batting .287 with nine homers and 32 RBIs.

The Wildcats (51-4) are in a tight race for the Pacific 10 Conference championship and its automatic berth into the NCAA playoffs. However, several Pac-10 teams are expected to receive at-large bids. Seven are ranked in the top 20. Arizona moved into the No. 1 spot this week ahead of UCLA, which dropped to second. Stanford is ranked third and California fourth in the National Softball Coaches Assn. poll.

Arizona split two games against UCLA this season, winning, 4-0, and losing, 3-0, on the Bruins’ home field. The third of three regular-season games between the teams is scheduled for May 11 in Tucson.

“Our conference is extremely tough this season,” Bauer said. “Every weekend you know you’re going to have tough games.”

Bauer said she hopes her team will have a strong finish.

“That’s the most important thing,” she said. “That’s more important to me than the individual statistics. I want to end my senior season on the best note possible.”

BIG SERIES FOR KOLBACH

UC Santa Barbara’s Mike Kolbach had a five-for-five day last weekend in the Gauchos’ 13-6 baseball victory over Sacramento State.

Kolbach, a senior who graduated from Mater Dei, scored three runs and had three RBIs in the game. He was nine for 14 (.643) with four RBIs and four runs in the three-game series.

His effort earned him Big West Conference player of the week honors.

In the series’ final game, Kolbach was three for five and had the game-winning hit in the 10th inning.

“Some of our guys wanted me to go to Las Vegas with them after that,” Kolbach joked.

NOTEWORTHY

Freshman Lindsey Knoff pitched a 17-inning shutout for the Long Beach State softball team last weekend in a 1-0 victory over Cal State Northridge. She earned Big West pitcher of the week honors for the effort. Knoff, a graduate of Troy High, gave up eight hits and struck out eight in the game. Sophomore closer Brian Cortes, who played at Century High, broke the season and career save records for Cal State Dominguez Hills recently. He has 15 saves this season--the best in Division II--and 22 for his career.

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Staff writer Paul McLeod contributed to this story.

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