University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Hawaii
Hawaii Shuts out the Bruins, 3-0 on Opening Day
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
January 23, 1999
HONOLULU - Despite three hits from senior shortstop Jack Santora and two from sophomore left fielder Bill Scott, UCLA was defeated on opening night 3-0 by Hawaii before a crowd of 1,111 at Rainbow Stadium in Honolulu. It was the first time in 142 games that UCLA was shutout. UCLA had to borrow Louisville Slugger wood bats from Hawaii because the Pac-10 informed UCLA head coach Gary Adams that the indemnity clause Easton signed, where it agreed to be responsible for any injuries, did not apply to nonconference games. Hawaii head coach Les Murakami found that Louisville Slugger had not signed an indemnity clause yet either, so Hawaii was forced to use wood bats as well.
Sophomore lefthander Ryan Carter (0-1), earned the start for the Bruins, making it five years in a row that UCLA has started a lefthander on opening day. Carter pitched well, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings while striking out seven, but he walked five and two of those walks ended up scoring. Adams told the team after the game, "Hawaii didn't beat you, you beat yourselves." Sophomore righthander Jon Brandt pitched three innings and allowed just an unearned run on three hits while striking out four.
Hawaii pushed across single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, aided by the walks, Bruin miscues and a controversial call. The first run scored when it appeared that sophomore right fielder Forrest Johnson had caught a line drive for the third out of the inning, but the umpire ruled he trapped the ball. Despite an argument from Adams and Johnson, who had to be held back by Adams, the call stood and Hawaii took the lead. The Rainbows then added a run in each of the next two innings.
Santora, a 1998 Cape Cod League All-Star, started the season by going 3-4. Scott, a 1998 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American honorable mention selection, had the only extra base hit of the night for the Bruins, a double that almost certainly would have been a home run with an aluminum bat. Scott was 2-4. Sophomore second baseman Chase Utley, a 1998 Freshman All-American and 1999 Preseason third-team All-American, played an outstanding game. He was 1-4 but hit the ball hard every time he was up at the plate and looked very sharp out on the field. His hit came on his weakest swing of the night. Adams went to his extremely deep bench to try to ignite the offense but junior Michael Hymes popped out and junior transfer Brian Baron flied out.
Junior lefthander Jamie Aloy pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits while striking out eight and walking none.
Everyone was talking about the different look in the UCLA dugout before the game. Eight of the 10 starters were underclassmen. Only three players from the 1997 College World Series team (Santora, senior catcher Jason Green, redshirt junior pitcher Dan Keller) were on the travel roster (redshirt sophomore Rob Henkel is not on the travel roster due to an elbow injury). For the first time in 254 games, UCLA's all-time hits leader, Eric Byrnes, was not on the UCLA dugout. For the first time in 197 games, UCLAs all-time home run leader, Eric Valent, was not in the UCLA dugout. Byrnes was an eighth round draft choice of the Oakland A's and Valent a supplemental first round draft choice of the Philadelphia Phillies. Valent will be honored next week by the Baseball Scouts of Southern California as Southern Californias first-year minor league player of the year. Even Jeff Blank, who was the Baseball SID for four years, was not on hand for a UCLA baseball game for the first time in 254 games.
UCLA and Hawaii will play game two of the series on Saturday at 3:05 PST with sophomore lefthander Bobby Roe, a 1998 Freshman All-American, set to make his first collegiate start for UCLA. He will be faced by Rainbow lefthander Randon Ho.
