Despite having a losing record, the UCLA baseball team remains optimistic about its chances of reaching its fourth consecutive postseason.
An early-season 10-game losing streak, though, is the main reason why the Bruins now stand 96th in the latest Ratings Percentage Index, which determines which 64 teams will earn bids. Regardless of their current standing, the Bruins are hopeful of turning the season around quickly.
“The season is far from being over with,” coach John Savage said. “The guys haven’t given up.”
That was evident on Tuesday in San Diego, where the Bruins rallied to a crucial 7-3 win against San Diego State. Although UCLA (14-19, 6-6 Pac-10) should benefit from its impressive road victory over the Aztecs, who are currently ranked No. 23 in the RPI, the Bruins are aware that they must put a winning streak together.
UCLA looks to build off of Tuesday’s win tonight at Jackie Robinson Stadium against Washington (14-19, 4-5).
“It’s given us some momentum,” senior second baseman Eddie Murray said of the team’s win on Tuesday.
“If you hang around, you can get back in the picture,” Savage said. “We beat a top 25 team again (Tuesday night). We have to string a bunch of wins together, and we’ll be back in the mix.”
Much like last weekend, the Bruins head into this weekend with some confidence. Last week, UCLA earned a lifting win over No. 5 UC Irvine but then dropped two of three in a conference series at Stanford.
The team hopes things work out differently this time.
“We thought we had gained some momentum from the Irvine game,” Savage said. “But then we lost a tough one at Stanford.”
The Bruins, who currently rank sixth in the Pac-10 standings, will send freshman right-hander Gerrit Cole to the mound to start tonight’s series opener. Fellow freshman right-hander Trevor Bauer, who leads the team with five wins and 52.1 innings pitched, is slated to take the hill Saturday. Junior right-hander Charles Brewer will start Sunday’s finale.
“We’re looking forward to playing (the Huskies),” Murray said. “We know Washington is tough. They’re a good team.”
The seventh-place Huskies have won four-straight games, including a three-game sweep of California last weekend.
“Washington is coming in playing well,” Savage said. “We have to play good baseball to get us back to the upper echelon of the Pac-10.”
UCLA pitchers will have to be cautious when facing Washington right fielder Kyle Conley, who leads the conference with 13 home runs. Conley also touts a team-high .361 batting average and 37 runs batted in. Bruin senior first baseman Cody Decker is right behind Conley with 12 home runs.
Savage is hopeful that junior infielder Casey Haerther, UCLA’s leading hitter, will be back on the field this weekend. Haerther, who did not dress for Tuesday’s game, fouled a pitch off of his toe last weekend in a game against Stanford.
“Hopefully the couple days off before Washington help, because we need him,” Savage said.
With their postseason hopes at stake, the Bruins need all the help they can get.
“We don’t feel pressure,” Murray said. “We’ve just got to play baseball like we can.”