The UCLA baseball team is riding high on a wave of confidence
going into today’s midweek matchup against No. 24 Pepperdine
(9-9). UCLA (9-9) has rebounded to win its last four games after
Cal State Fullerton swept it two weeks ago, including a win at Long
Beach State and a road sweep of No. 17 North Carolina State. The
Bruins’ current win streak ties their longest run of the 2005
season, which was more well-known for its UCLA school record of 19
consecutive losses. However, this year’s team refuses to be
satisfied. “We can’t think about the past,”
redshirt senior outfielder Chris Jensen said. “We’re
still .500. We had a good week, but we need to build on it.”
The Bruins will be up against a familiar opponent in the Waves in
the effort to extend the streak. The two teams last faced each
other Feb. 21 at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins won 2-0,
giving them their first shutout of the season. The win came on the
shoulders of a standout pitching performance from junior Brian
Schroeder, who is getting the nod for tonight’s game. The
left-hander recorded four strikeouts in six shutout innings,
allowing only four hits and two walks. “I remember Schroeder
pitched real well,” freshman shortstop Brandon Crawford said.
“So we’re looking for that again. We’re expecting
him to come out and deal.” Crawford has been dealing quite a
bit himself lately, going 4-for-4 at the plate Saturday afternoon
at North Carolina State. The Bruins also played a big role in the
win against Pepperdine, the Pleasanton native going 2-for-4 with an
RBI single and a stolen base against the Waves. “He’s a
five-tool player,” coach John Savage said. “He’s
been a lot of fun to watch in these first 18 games. He’s
played as well as any freshman in the country. He has a great
future as a Bruin.” The shortstop fits nicely into a lineup
that has been getting big hits after struggling earlier in the
season. Four different players had at least two RBIs in the 13-2
offensive explosion against NC State on Sunday. “We are
capable of swinging the bats,” Savage said. “We have
some offensive players, and guys are hot right now.”
Pepperdine is coming off a weekend series on the road against San
Diego State where it was able to stave off frustration. The Waves
dropped the first two games 3-1 and 13-3 but were able to pull out
an 11-7 win in the final game to avoid the sweep. Tonight is the
final game of the Bruins’ seven-game road trip before
returning home to Westwood for a seven-game homestand. The members
of the baseball team have proven at home or on the road that they
can hang with the college baseball’s big boys. “Look at
(this) week,” Savage said. “We have Pepperdine and Ole
Miss. We have a difficult schedule, and it’s going to remain
that way through league.”
POLL RANKINGS: N.C. State, which was ranked No.
17 before this last week, dropped out of the Collegiate Baseball
Top 25 Poll after the Bruins swept them.