Baseball finishes off Six-Pac with Cal
Bruins must sweep
Bears in Bay Area
for shot at playoffs
By Ross Bersot
UCLA baseball cracks open its last Six-Pac series of the season
tonight against California at Evans Diamond.
Although the Bruins are thirsty for a spot in the NCAA Regional
Playoffs, they will return to Westwood parched unless they sweep
the three-game series with the Bears (27-23 overall, 15-12
Six-Pac).
Even if UCLA (25-23, 12-15) accomplishes this task against a Cal
team that took two of three games earlier this season at Jackie
Robinson Stadium, it is not assured a playoff berth.
The Bruins can finish no lower than fourth in the conference to
have any chance at post-season play, and trail fourth-place Arizona
State by one game. Therefore, UCLA must rely on a Stanford knockout
of the Sun Devils this weekend in Tempe, Ariz.
As if the burden in Berkeley wasn’t already enough for the
Bruins to bear, they will be without the services of three pitching
mainstays. Freshman southpaw Jim Parque aggravated the rotator cuff
in his pitching arm during his last start and will rest for
precautionary reasons.
Senior reliever Bobby Kazmirski is also nursing an injury, while
John Phillips is beginning a four-game suspension. The sophomore
began the season as the third starter in the Bruin rotation and
reeled off four-straight wins, but has since tailed off, going 1-2
in his last four starts.
In Wednesday’s 8-3 loss to Loyola Marymount, Phillips took the
mound in the sixth inning and gave up a three-run homer. His next
pitch beaned a Lion batter in the head, an act the home-plate
umpire suspected as intentional and cause for ejection and the
suspension.
UCLA’s shuffled staff on the mound will feature Rick Heineman
(6-4, 6.50 ERA) tonight, Ryan Lynch (2-3, 4.53) on Saturday.
Sunday’s starter is yet to be announced, as are all Bear
starters.
Probable Cal pitchers tonight and Saturday are Jim Vorhis (3-5,
4.48) and Keith Evans (7-6, 4.85).