This weekend the UCLA baseball team has a chance to remove the bitter taste in its mouth with a sweet victory against its archrival USC.
UCLA (15-16, 5-1 Pac-10) lost on Tuesday to the No. 17 Anteaters (24-8-1, 4-2 Big West). The Bruins were unable to pitch with effectiveness, play the normally stout defense that has become the staple of their success, and consistently get key hits and drive in critical runs. Their chance to put the loss behind them and continue their success in Pac-10 play comes this weekend with three games against the Trojans (19-15, 4-5 Pac-10) at Dedeaux Field.
“I think that we just need to keep doing what we have been doing the entire year and play our game,” junior second baseman Alden Carrithers said.
“We need to pitch well, play solid defense, and we need to drive in some runs. If we continue to successfully achieve those, then we can bounce back and win this weekend.”
Coach John Savage echoed his second baseman’s emphasis on playing the Bruins’ brand of baseball.
“Whenever we focus solely on ourselves, and do not worry about who the opponent is, we play our best baseball,” Savage said.
“This week, our preparation and focus are on our approach to the game because this is a critical series.”
Coming into Tuesday’s game, UCLA was fresh off a series victory against Washington at Jackie Robinson Stadium, taking the first two games, 6-5 and 11-2, and pushing their winning streak to a season-high seven games. But the Bruins dropped the series finale to the Huskies 9-4 and were unable to beat the Anteaters, falling 5-4.
The team is adamant about focusing more on the winning streak and what they were able to achieve over the weekend as opposed to their current two-game slide.
One of the reasons for the Bruins’ success against Washington and in conference play overall has been the winning mentality of the team, according to sophomore third baseman Jermaine Curtis.
“Going into conference play, we came in with the mentality that we need to win every game and to play well,” Curtis said.
“Every team in the Pac-10 is a good team, and we need to have the mentality of being ready to go and ready to play every time we come to the ballpark.”
The road for the Bruins will not get easier, starting this weekend when the Bruins face off against a tough Pac-10 foe in the Trojans.
“Whenever you play USC in any sport, it’s going to be a competitive game,” Savage said.
“Just the atmosphere and competitive nature surrounding the game. The players should be chomping at the bit to go out there and play in that sort of atmosphere. They will have a good crowd and these are two teams with a lot of history and tradition. … It will be an exciting weekend.”