If the UCLA baseball team is looking to play itself out of an
early season slump, then this weekend provides the perfect
opportunity. The Bruins (5-6) travel to College Station, Texas, to
play a dizzying tournament schedule featuring six games in four
days ““ Friday through Monday ““ with two games each
against Texas A&M (4-1), Creighton (0-2), and Utah (4-2).
“This weekend will be a true test for us,” freshman
pitcher Adam Simon said. “These are the toughest opponents
we’ve played so far. We’ll find out how good we are
this weekend.” The problem is, the Bruins have revealed how
good they can be, and then maddeningly reverted to substandard
play. They played well in winning two out of three against
top-opponent Cal State Northridge, but have also dropped games at
softer spots in their schedule against UC Riverside, Hawaii and UC
Santa Barbara. The prime culprit in the inconsistency thus far has
been the offense. In their five wins the Bruins averaged eleven
runs a game compared with less than five in their losses. No
seniors have started in the field all year, and many of the key
contributors are freshmen and sophomores. Additionally, the hitter
that was supposed to lead the attack, sophomore first baseman and
preseason All-American Wes Whisler, has started slowly, much like
he did last year. While UCLA awaits Whisler’s emergence, the
team lacks a formidable presence in the middle of the lineup. This
weekend, head coach Gary Adams will surely look at some different
players because of the necessity of platooning to avoid exhaustion.
On the plus side, the pitching has been positive behind starters
senior Mike Kunes and junior Chris Cordeiro and a few solid bullpen
performances. Adams heads to Texas hoping his team can play itself
into a healthy rhythm as the Pac-10 season approaches. Making
weekend success even more imperative are the two daunting weekends
ahead. Feb. 28-March 2 the Bruins play a tournament against No. 24
Tulane, No. 6 Cal State Fullerton, and defending national champion
No. 4 Texas. Then they play No. 8 USC March 7-9 in non-conference
play. “I told the team “˜let’s go to Texas and
turn the corner,'” Adams said. “It’s going
to be a challenge, it’s going to be tough. We’re going
to go in there and we’re going to get her done.”