Going into the second weekend of Pac-10 play, the UCLA baseball
team is optimistic about its chances in conference play.
Despite the tough non-conference schedule that featured 13 of
Baseball America’s top 50 teams, the unheralded Bruins
(16-13, 1-2 Pac-10) have played well enough to be in contention for
their first playoff spot since 2000.
“We’re a lot better team than last year,”
senior third baseman and co-captain Brandon Averill said.
“There’s a more positive attitude and outlook about
what we can accomplish.”
The Bruins have had an up-and-down preseason, winning seven in a
row before suffering through a losing stretch in which they lost
five of six games.
But with the start of the Pac-10 season last weekend against
Stanford, it feels like a new beginning for the players.
“We still have faith we’re a good team, and with the
Pac-10 season starting, it’s like a whole new season,”
Averill said.
But for coach Gary Adams it is the beginning of the end of his
long and distinguished coaching career. The wealth of emotions that
comes with retirement are starting to rise to the surface.
“I guess I talked tough at the beginning, but I admit that
my last game at USC had special meaning to me,” Adams said.
“And it meant a lot to me to win the last game there.
“And when I was at UC Irvine, I felt a little emotion
because that’s where I started my head coaching career. To be
perfectly honest, I’m starting to think about (the end of the
year) more.”
Despite these admissions, Adams insists he is still focused on
the present.
“Nevertheless, nothing has gotten in the way of preparing
for the games,” Adams said.
Averill echoes Adams’ sentiments.
“I don’t know that coach’s retirement has
creeped in our minds that much,” Averill added.
“He’s honored everywhere we go, but it’s not
affecting the way we prepare. We’re still just going out to
win.”
And UCLA has entered the stretch of the season where each win
has added importance as the Pac-10 teams compete with each other
for playoff spots. The general precedent to reach the playoffs is
to finish in the top four of the Pac-10. Additionally, to qualify
for the playoffs, teams must be above .500.
“A lot of teams are hovering around (.500). ‘SC,
Cal, and ourselves are all competing in that range,” Adams
said.
In Adams’ view, with the exception of No. 1 Stanford, the
parity of the Pac-10 makes the conference wide open.
“The Pac-10 is a grab bag,” he said.
The main competitors for the last three possible playoff spots
are all flawed, including UCLA.
Washington and Arizona State both have questionable pitching.
Arizona and Cal were both highly rated going into the conference
season but have slumped. USC is ranked second to last in batting
average and ERA. Washington State and Oregon State piled up
impressive non-conference records but were picked last and second
to last respectively in the Pac-10 preseason coaches poll.
Meanwhile, the Bruins’ bats struggled in the
non-conference season while the pitchers excelled. But in the first
series of the Pac-10 season, that situation was flip-flopped as
UCLA’s offense scored 23 runs while the pitchers gave up 31
runs in three games against Stanford.
To separate themselves from the pack, the Bruins need to find
the right combination quickly, as the Pac-10 season has hit its
stride and the Gary Adams era rapidly comes to a close.