Colleges

Bulls believe they're armed for the task

Led by pitching duo, undaunted USF takes on powerhouse UCLA.

By GREG AUMAN
Published May 26, 2006

TAMPA - Cristi Ecks had the kind of unbelievable high school statistics that without even seeing her pitch in person, Ken Eriksen knew he had landed a prized recruit. When you've thrown a perfect game by striking out all 21 batters, as Ecks did last year, the potential on paper is exciting all by itself.

It wasn't until last summer, after she had signed with the Bulls, that USF's softball coach was able to watch her pitch.

"I started to get goose bumps," Eriksen said. "I got very excited about the combination of a power drop pitcher in Bree Spence and this young lady, who has a lot of spin. I started to sleep very well at night at that point."

Spence, a sophomore from Countryside who was last year's Conference USA rookie of the year, and Ecks, a freshman from Manassas, Va., who earned a share of the Big East's top newcomer honors this season, are the 1-2 combo that has landed USF in the NCAA super region for the first time.

On Saturday, the Bulls (50-23) open a three-game series against top-ranked UCLA (46-7), with the winner advancing to the College World Series in Oklahoma City. The Bruins are a softball dynasty, with 11 national titles, including two in the past three seasons.

That said, Spence and Ecks make the Bulls confident underdogs, well-prepared thanks to two games this season against teams who were ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA poll at the time. After alternating starts during the regular season, Eriksen used both together in last week's region in Gainesville, to great success.

Spence started all three games, and after one trip through the lineup, just as opposing batters might start to get their timing down, Ecks was in, not allowing a run in her first 12 innings. Their success starts with being able to co-exist in a pitcher's circle normally reserved for one ace.

"Egos can get in the way. You have to sell them on the philosophy that this is a pitching staff, and I'm not averse to making three or four changes in a ballgame," Eriksen said. "It's the way we'll be able to win a championship. It's a sign of maturity. If it's ever going to be an issue of egos, only one is going to win out, and that's mine."

Ecks said she didn't expect to make such an impact as a freshman, thinking much of this year would be spent adjusting to the college game. She and Spence are competitive but also take the pressure off one another, having a combined seven saves largely in relief of the other.

"We feed off each other," Ecks said. "If she needs help, I go in, and if I need help, she goes in. It's been a lot easier that way. In high school, I was the only one, so if they had to take me out, they pretty much didn't have anyone."

At Manassas' Osbourn High, Ecks was legendary, finishing her senior year with 366 strikeouts and a microscopic ERA of 0.07. After she struck out all 21 batters in a seven-inning perfect game, a Washington Post columnist suggested moving the mound farther from home plate, writing: "I thought softball was supposed to be a team sport. Who needs outfielders when someone like Cristi Ecks is on the mound."

Ecks is a humble freshman, however, having picked USF over nearby Virginia because she liked the way she fit in with her future teammates. This year's Bulls as a whole are a low-key, loose group that Eriksen said won't be in awe this weekend, even as they visit their sport's most dominant program.

"We're going out there with a slingshot," Eriksen said. "But we're not going to change our game plan because it's UCLA or anything else. We've played two No. 1 teams this year, and we didn't fare well, but they were great experiences, and we knew it would prepare us for what we might face at the end."

[Last modified May 26, 2006, 00:51:15]