In what has been a season of tests for the UCLA baseball team,
this weekend will be no exception.
No. 10 Arizona State (27-12, 6-3 Pac-10) will be the first
ranked team UCLA (21-15, 5-4) has played in over a month.
But the Bruins are confident they can pick up where they left
off, when they took two of three games from Ole Miss in the middle
of March.
“They’re a very good
team,†freshman Cody Decker said of the Sun Devils.
“But we can play with anyone. At this point, I
think we match up well, and I think we can beat anyone you put in
front of us.â€
This confidence is the product of a nonconference schedule that
tested the Bruins’ ability to come back from
their worst season in 60 years and post a winning record against
some of the toughest teams in the nation.
With a series victory over Ole Miss and sweeps of San Diego
State and North Carolina State, the Bruins have outpaced even the
most reasonable expectations for this season.
“There’s no question (that
the tough nonconference schedule was valuable),†UCLA
coach John Savage said. “Right before league play
started, we started to play really well. You need to be locked in
when you start to play teams like ASU. Now we’re
ready to go play.â€
The Bruins have won each of their last two Pac-10 series and
will be looking to make it three in a row against the Sun Devils,
who took two of three from No. 18 USC last weekend.
“It’s going to be a fun
weekend,†Savage said. “They are one
of the best teams in the Pac-10, and we’re going
to need everyone ready to go.â€
Junior pitcher Hector Ambriz was taken out of Tuesday
night’s game against Long Beach State after
fouling a ball off of his knee. All indications, however, are that
he will be ready for Arizona State tonight.
“We need him,†Savage said.
“It was just a precautionary measure. (With a guy
who plays two ways) you have to be cautious with how much you play
him.â€
Joining Ambriz in the starting lineup will be senior Josh
Roenicke, who has been indispensable for the Bruins.
Roenicke, who has assumed both centerfield and closer duties,
has been batting .357 in Pac-10 play, with nine RBI in the nine
games. He also has four saves on the season for a team that has
been without junior closer Brant Rustich for nearly two months.
Against the Sun Devils, Roenicke will once again have to display
the many facets of his game if the Bruins are to win.
“It’s not too hard (to both
hit and pitch),†he said. “With
pitching, I just try to throw strikes. And with hitting,
it’s best not to think too
much.â€