The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 5/1/98 Section: Undefined Section

As Jen Buford steps to the plate, she looks at the pitcher and then the defense. She weighs her options Ñ to swing away or lay down a bunt. The pitcher is ready and releases the pitch. Buford squares around for the bunt and lays the ball perfectly on the ground. As she glides down the first base line she beats out the throw and records another infield single. For Buford, speed is her luxury. The Colorado State University softball second baseman utilizes her speed in every aspect of her game. Whether it's bunting for a hit, running the bases or grabbing a ball hit sharply in the hole. She definitely considers herself fast. "It always helps to be blessed with speed," Buford said. "I get hits that normally would be out by beating them out. It's a luxury I have over other players."

Buford, a senior from Grand Junction, is batting .399 from the leadoff position and is doing her job in leading the Rams back from a miserable start to the season. "She is probably the toughest out in the league right now," head coach Candi Letts said. "She is a threat at the plate because she is so darn fast."

Buford was named Western Athletic Conference player of the week after hitting .555 in six games last week for the Rams who went 5-1 to push their record to 27-19, 13-11 in the WAC. CSU has won 11 of their last 13 and 16 out of 20. Buford currently heads the school's list with 56 career walks and holds the school record for stolen bases and runs scored with 79 and 164. Batting leadoff gives Buford the opportunity to get the offense started for CSU. "If Jen gets on in the first inning, we usually score a lot of runs," Letts said. "She has been such a threat, it gets the (offense) going." When she first came to CSU, Letts taught the right-handed Buford to bat left-handed, in part to utilize her speed. "It was a good move me over there getting me closer to first base," Buford said. Buford has the option to bunt or swing away when she comes to the plate and being playing second base herself, she can figure out what situations are best for her to bunt. On bunts the second baseman covers first, so Buford can look at where the second baseman is playing and know if the player can get to the bag to get her out or not. For Buford playing second helps her in the field also. "I can tell by where I am playing how long it is going to take me to get to first," she said. "There is a lot of things you pick up on playing second and being a left-handed hitter." Winning awards are an extra for Buford. The WAC player of the week award was special because of the amount of talent in the WAC and to be singled out is an honor. "There is always someone doing better than you, so to know you did the best that week, that is a great honor," she said. Buford was a second team All-American last season as well as All-WAC and All-West Region. She said to be All-American was not as big as winning All-WAC because the people who vote on All-American don't see her play and just look at offensive numbers. "The biggest honor for me was being All-WAC," Buford said. "The coaches see you play every week. They see you play both offense and defense." Buford is pleased with her career, especially the last two years, but does not want the season to end on a sour note. "(Buford) has helped our program get to where it is today," Letts said. With six games remaining this season, the Rams have put themselves in position to get into the regionals, but they have to win the games on the field. "You hate to leave it in a committees hands. We have to get the job done," she said. FYI Box: Softball Schedule Saturday: San Jose State, 2:30 p.m. Sunday: No. 4 Fresno State, 1:30 p.m. All games are doubleheaders held at Ram Field next to the Rec Center

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