Having put an end to its 19-game losing streak, all that remains
for the UCLA baseball team is to salvage something from its season
with a better second half. With over 20 games left to be played,
the Bruins (8-24) still feel they can make this a respectable
season. “There are still a lot of games to be played,”
UCLA coach John Savage said. “We need to be firing on all
cylinders to win games. We need to have everything working.”
Saturday’s victory over UC Santa Barbara, in which the Bruins
squeaked by from contributions from nearly everyone who played,
appears to be the model for whatever success the team can have in
the second half. “We’re making strides in the right
direction,” Savage said. “But we’re going to have
to come ready to play every day if we’re expecting to win
some series.” The team hopes the return of injured outfielder
Chris Jensen will inject a spark in a Bruin offense that sputtered
during the losing streak. “To help the team, I’ve got
to keep doing things the same way,” Jensen said.
“I’ve got to keep my hitting routines. It’s more
than just one guy, though. I can’t try to do too much.”
With Jensen back in the lineup, Savage is now hoping to get injured
second baseman Sean Smith back on the field as well. Smith’s
return is expected to significantly bolster the beleaguered
offense. “We’ve had a lot of trouble scoring
runs,” Savage said. “We’ve really missed their
bats.”
UPCOMING GAME: The Bruins play San Diego State (10-24) tonight
in San Diego. The game is a makeup of one of the rained out games
against Utah in February. The Aztecs are coached by former San
Diego Padre great Tony Gwynn and are having a season almost as
woeful as the Bruins.