It’s one thing to take on the No. 5 team in the country in the second weekend of the season. It’s another thing entirely to do it on the road.
When Tyson Brummett takes the mound today at 4 p.m. for the No. 11 Bruins (2-1), he’ll be a long way from home against some very stiff competition.
UCLA’s first road trip of the season takes the team all the way to Coral Gables, Fla., for a three-game series at No. 5 Miami (0-2). The Hurricanes own a 10-1 record against UCLA since 1975, with the Bruins notching that first win a season ago when the two teams faced off in Westwood with returning players Tim Stewart and Will Penniall both going deep.
Staff ace Brummett isn’t intimidated about the trip.
“I’m excited to go down there,” Brummett said. “Its a fun place. … They’re a really good team, we’re gonna have to go out there and battle.”
If Brummett can have a repeat performance of his first start this season, the Bruins should be in a good way. The redshirt senior, slated to go against left-hander Scott Maine today, threw 8.0 innings of one-run baseball to get the win over visiting Winthrop last weekend.
“If he can give us those quality starts every Friday we’re going to have a lot of competitive Friday nights and start weekends off the way we want to,” UCLA coach John Savage said.
Taking the mound Saturday at 4:30 p.m. will be either senior Paul Schmidt or redshirt sophomore Brendan Lafferty, with freshman Gavin Brooks going for his first win as a Bruin on Sunday at 10 a.m. Brooks pitched well in the Bruins’ rout of Winthrop last Sunday but did not remain in the game long enough to notch the win (throwing 4.0 innings), and reliever Lafferty ended up recording the win.
When Brummett faced Miami a season ago, he had more trouble. As the Sunday starter, he gave up five runs in 7.1 innings and was hit with the loss.
The Bruins fell 3-1 Friday, bounced back for a 7-4 Saturday, and then fell 5-2 Sunday.
UCLA left a total of 28 runners on base in the series, a problem that plagued the team throughout the year.
This season the Bruins bring in an improved offensive lineup against a Miami team that has yet to record a win.
The first four batters in UCLA’s lineup come out of the opening weekend with a combined .420 batting average and a .507 on-base percentage, helping the team bring home the series win.
The ‘Canes have had more problems getting the job done, dropping two games in a row at home against Mercer, with the third game of the series getting cancelled because of rain.
The Bruins have some issues of their own, coming into the second weekend of the season still not quite at full strength. Sophomore Jermaine Curtis is still ineligible pending the resolution of an academic issue.
Until Curtis is available, the Bruins will have to do without his big bat near the top of the lineup and his inspiring presence on the field.
The Bruins are also without would-be Saturday starter freshman Charles Brewer, who is still recovering from illness.
The first two games of the series will be televised online at accselect.com, which requires a subscription to watch.