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Hunter a valuable commodity for Pepperdine
Hunter, a sophomore who graduated from Moorpark High in 2005, could work out of the bullpen or as a starter when Pepperdine (35-20) opens the Long Beach Regional today at Blair Field in Long Beach against UCLA (30-26). Contacted by phone on Wednesday, Hunter said he's tentatively scheduled to start the third game of the four-team, double-elimination tournament, if the Waves get that far. "If everything goes as planned I'll be starting on Sunday," Hunter said. "It's the third game though, so if something weird happens I might come in and close out on Saturday." Following an outstanding 2006 campaign in which he was named a Freshman AllAmerican, Hunter was solid again as a sophomore, posting a 6-5 record with a 3.94 ERA in 82.1 innings pitched. He also had two saves. Pitching roles and stat lines, however, mean little to Hunter at this point. The only thing he's interested in is winning this weekend and advancing to next week's Super Regionals. "I'm happy to do anything," he said. "I just like contributing. It doesn't matter to me what my role is." Hunter said he expects an intense environment in Long Beach, where Long Beach State (3718) and IllinoisChicago (3419) will also be competing. "There's always something extra when you're in a regional," he said. "It could possibly be the last part of your season. "It's more exciting, but you have to approach it without getting too hyped up about it." Pepperdine, ranked No. 24 in the nation by Baseball America, has now qualified for a school-record tying five straight NCAA Tournaments. After failing to make it out of the regional round a year ago, Hunter said the Waves match up well against the other three teams in Long Beach. "As a whole, as a team, we're really happy with the draw," he said. "It's nice, in a way, to be close to home, too, and to not have to travel very far." Today's game vs. UCLA is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. |
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