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Overview — Will start the season at first base for the second year … A proven experienced player who is a tough out at the plate … “He is showing signs of getting a little more pop in his bat. Maybe he will be a guy who will hit more home runs than he has in the past. We have our fingers crossed on that one. He's gotten bigger and stronger, even since last year, but certainly since his first year here. We're looking at Eric to be one of the team leaders and provide us with a left-handed bat,” said Head Coach Gary Adams.
2000 (As A Junior) — Started 13 of the first 14 games at first base before going down with a right wrist injury … Sidelined until the last series of the year at Stanford (May 19-21) when he played in all three games, starting the last one at first base.
Notes: Became the first Bruin since Eric Valent (1998) to hit for the cycle when he did it at Hawaii on opening day on February 3… Is the only UCLA player ever to hit for the cycle on opening day … Tripled in his first at-bat of the season and was 4-5 with three runs and three RBI in that game … Began the year on a seven-game hitting streak (12-32 (.375) with ten runs, three doubles and nine RBI during streak) and a four-game RBI streak … Hit safely in 10 of 14 starts … Was 2-5 with two RBI vs. #16 North Carolina on February 18.
1999 (Summer) - Played C, 1B, 3B, LF, and RF for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots along with UCLA teammates Tyler Dersom and Paul Diaz ... Led the team with a .284 batting average and had 12 RBI.
1999 (As A Sophomore) - After appearing in only 3 of the first 19 games, Reece appeared in all 43 of the remaining contests, starting 35 of them ... Started at DH 34 times and at third base once ... Hit cleanup seven times, fifth 15 times, and sixth 13 times.
Notes: Had a breakthrough season last year, putting him in a position to be the everyday starter at first base this year ... Made his first start of '99 vs. Cal at DH and went 3-4 with a career-high three runs, 2/26 ... Hit his first career triple against Cal as part of another 3-4 performance the next day, 2/27 ... Was 3-4 at Pepperdine with a homer and two RBI, 3/17... Hit his first career grand slam and had a career-high six RBI at Cal, 4/3 ... Had a seven-game hitting streak, 4/24-5/8 ... Won the third-year Academic Award at the team's year-end banquet.
Inside The Numbers: Hit .317 in nonconference games, .302 in Pac-10 play ... Had 12 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games.
1998 (Summer) - Played every position but pitcher for the Grand Forks Channel Cats of the Northwoods League under coach Tim Walton ... Recorded an assist or putout at each position but second base ... Led the Cats in batting average (.361) and hits (69) ... Finished second in the league in batting average and second on his team in home runs and RBI ... Slugged game-tying and game-winning home runs in consecutive at-bats to win a regular-season thriller, 2-1.
1998 (As A Redshirt Freshman) - Made the team after an extremely impressive display of hitting in preseason intrasquad games ... Served as a pinch-hitter and reserve first baseman until the end of the season, when he moved into the starting lineup at first base ... Appeared in 14 games, making three starts at first base ... Started in the sixth spot of the batting lineup once and the seventh spot twice.
Notes: Made his collegiate debut in the field on 1/30 at Hawaii ... Received his first collegiate at bat on 2/06 at Georgia Tech ... Collected his first collegiate hit, a home run, on 4/13 vs. Hawaii-Hilo ... Made his first collegiate start on 4/28 at Long Beach St. and was 1-2 ... Hit safely in all three of his starts.
1997 (Summer) - Played behind the plate, third base, shortstop and left field for the San Luis Obispo Blues in the California Coast League under coach Craig Conklin ... Led his team in triples and finished second in doubles.
1997 (As A Freshman) - Redshirted.
Oak Ridge HS (El Dorado Hills, CA) - Lettered in baseball for three years as a shortstop under coach Mike Isherwood, in basketball for two years as a guard and forward under coach Dan McGee and in football for two years as a quarterback under coach Mark Watson ... Baseball: Earned All-League honors three times ... Served as captain of his team and was named Player of the Year his senior season when he batted .456 (.475 in league games) with a .633 slugging percentage and a .529 on base percentage ... Led his team in batting average three years in a row ... Basketball: Earned All-Tournament honors at the Drake Invitational ... Football: Earned All-League honors ... Served as captain of his team ... Received Optimist All-Star Scholar/Athlete awards from the Sierra Foothill League and the National Football Foundation.
Personal - Also recruited by Pepperdine, California, UC Santa Barbara and the University of San Diego ... Favorite MLB team is the Montreal Expos ... Favorite player is Larry Walker ...Majoring in Geography ... His parents are Bob and Lanette Reece ... His father played professional baseball ... Has a younger brother, Marc and a younger sister, Sonia ... His cousins, Brett and Geoff Jenkins, both play professional baseball and Geoff made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1998 ... Full name is Eric Christopher Reece ... Born on June 16, 1978, in Pointe Claire, Quebec.
CAREER STATISTICS
| YR | AVG | G-GS | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | SLG% | HBP | BB | SO | GDP | OB% | SH | SF | SB-SBA | PO | A | E | FLD% |
| 1998 | .250 | 14-3 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | .438 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .250 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 32 | 2 | 1 | .971 |
| 1999 | .308 | 43-35 | 146 | 25 | 45 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 60 | .411 | 1 | 16 | 29 | 3 | .376 | 2 | 2 | 0-1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | .714 |
| 2000 | .271 | 17-14 | 59 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 24 | .407 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 0 | .348 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 116 | 10 | 3 | .977 |
| Totals | .294 | 74-52 | 221 | 37 | 65 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 41 | 91 | .412 | 2 | 22 | 50 | 3 | .360 | 2 | 2 | 0-1 | 153 | 12 | 6 | .965 |
