Though the storm has passed, the effects of this past weekend’s weather are still being felt.
Following a weekend series with Oklahoma cut short due to rain, UCLA (1-1) will face off against Cal State Northridge (1-2) today at 2 p.m. at Matador Field in Northridge. The game was originally scheduled as a home game for the Bruins but was relocated due to wet conditions at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
On Saturday, sophomore right fielder Gabe Cohen hit a laser shot into the drizzle-filled sky beyond the left-field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving UCLA a dramatic 7-5 victory in the first game of a doubleheader.
“It was big,” coach John Savage said. “It was a great way to start the season, that’s for sure.”
The Bruins dropped the second game 3-2 in a tightly contested game that went 12 innings. Today’s weather forecast calls for mostly clear skies, which is a major difference from the environment the Bruins had to endure all of Saturday. The change in weather is something the players are sure to welcome with open arms.
“We’re anxious to get back out on the field,” Savage said. “Between putting the tarp on and taking it off, it was a long weekend, really. We had a long Saturday with 21 innings. I thought we played well, and we’ll be ready to go today.”
Savage will send sophomore left-hander Matt Drummond to the mound for the first time this season. The southpaw from Paso Robles made two starts as a freshman last year. The Matadors will counter with freshman right-hander Drew Muren, who will be making his collegiate debut.
“(Drummond) has thrown the ball extremely well,” Savage said. “He’s really grown up, and physically he’s gotten much stronger. He’s been very confident and commanded all four pitches. He is really looking to take off as a pitcher at UCLA, and I think he’s matured as a legitimate left-handed pitcher at this level.”
The wet conditions have influenced not only the Bruins’ schedule; they have also played a factor in personnel decisions. There are still roles on the team to be determined, including the midweek starter’s role, which Drummond will audition for today.
“Right now we have so many games early on in the season,” Savage said. “We’re just trying to see what we have. We’re trying to see how some of our young arms react. We’re trying to see who are going to be our Tuesday and Wednesday starters and who is going to come off the bench.”
When the two teams last met, in late April 2007, the Bruins were rude hosts. The Matadors, who finished at the bottom of the Big West Conference last season, were swept in the three-game series. This past Sunday, the Matadors avoided a sweep at the hands of Northwestern, putting up 17 runs in a rain-shortened ballgame.
“They’re a good, young team,” Savage said. “They have a lot of new faces. They are athletic and certainly seem to have a very good group. We just look to get back on track and look forward to the five games we have this week.”