Part 1 provided early season news for the University of Utah Utes baseball and softball programs. This article covers the Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Bruins baseball and softball. As with the Utes schedule, the Bruins spent the first few weeks of their season on the road.
SLCC Baseball
In January preseason polls, the Bruins baseball program was ranked number 17 by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Among the players to watch is freshman Connor Williams. Williams was drafted by the Oakland A’s last year out of Bingham High School, but chose to play for SLCC this year. The tall outfielder/pitcher is currently hitting .385 AVE in 10 G, 26 AB, with 10 H, 1 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI. Sophomore pitcher Rhett Parkinson (LHP) leads the team with a 1.12 ERA, 16 K and 6 BB, in 16.0 IP.
The team began their season on the road on January 15, facing teams in Nevada and Arizona. They dropped the first game in their Scenic Western Athletic Conference (SWAC) schedule, against the College of Southern Nevada, on Feb. 21. However, since then it’s been full steam ahead and so far, the Bruins are 6-2 W-L in conference play, winning their last three games.
The opening homestand provides head coach D. G. Nelson and the Bruins a chance to get even against conference opponent Southern Nevada. The two teams will meet on Cate Field, on the SLCC Jordan Campus, for a pair of double-headers, on March 7 and 8.
SLCC Softball
For the second year in a row, and third time in the past four years, the Bruins softball program under head coach Mary Kay Amicone was voted number 1 in NJCAA preseason polls.
The Bruins opened the season with a win and a loss in Arizona. Next came a string of 18 wins, 14 against SWAC opponents, before a surprise loss to unranked College of Southern Nevada. The Bruins record in conference play is currently 12-0 W-L.
The team is batting .368 AVE and outscoring their opponents 174-59. Sophomore Maddy Woodard is leading the charge with a 33 RBI (eighth ranked nationally) and a .367 AVE. Sophomore Lyndsey Healey has 27 RBI (tied for 23rd) and .262 AVE.
Defensively, the key to the Bruins defense this season has been pitching. Or more specifically, a pitcher. Sophomore pitcher MaCauley Flint is shutting down the opposing batters with her 0.82 ERA (ninth ranked nationally), 10 W (tied for third), 117 SO (third), 20 BB (tied for third) and 2 SV (tied for 10th).
Bruins softball will host their first homestand of the season on March 15-16, on Bruin Field, on the SLCC Redwood Campus, with a pair of double-headers against Snow College.
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