Former Santa Monica High baseball star Cody Decker has come out of a prolonged batting slump to aid UCLA’s bid for an NCAA Tournament bid in recent weeks.
Decker, a junior who hit a team high 14 home runs and batted .307 for the Bruins a year ago, had slumped so badly this season that his average fell to .200 and he was taken out of the lineup in several Pac-10 Conference games.
But he regained his hitting stroke and hit three homers this month, including a grand slam May 16 in a 10-0 win over Washington State. Decker also hit some key singles as his average rose.
In a 7-6 win over Washington State on Saturday, May 17 Decker went three-for-four with two RBI.
UCLA has had a disappointing season after being rated first in the nation in one early poll. The Bruins are 28-23, including 10-10 in conference games and in danger of not being invited to the playoffs without a strong finish to their schedule.
