By now it’s no secret: a sense of urgency surrounds the UCLA baseball team.
With a mere 11 games left in the 56-game collegiate baseball season, teams on the selection bubble are desperately looking to make that last push toward securing a postseason berth.
The Bruins are one of those teams, and they hope their bubble doesn’t burst.
“Everything matters,” coach John Savage said.
“We all know how important these games are,” junior outfielder Gabe Cohen said. “I wouldn’t say it’s do-or-die, but we’re going out there trying to win every game.”
UCLA (23-22, 13-8 Pac-10), which has won seven of its last nine conference games, looks to continue that trend this weekend against Pac-10 foe California at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins and Golden Bears (20-26, 6-15 Pac-10) open their three-game set tonight at 6:00 p.m.
In order to capture the program’s fourth consecutive regional bid, the Bruins must finish the season in the upper echelon of the Pac-10. They currently sit in second place, three games behind first-place Arizona State and a half-game ahead of both Oregon State and Washington State. The Golden Bears are in ninth place.
“We’re in pretty good position,” Savage said. “People, I think, haven’t given us enough credit. (Our resume) is kind of funny, but I think it’s a strong resume.”
With a 15-2 victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday, the Bruins improved to a game over .500 for the first time since the third contest of the season. UCLA has won 10 of its last 13 games overall.
“We’ve got to keep it small, go inning by inning,” said Cohen, who has hit three home runs over the Bruins’ last two games. “We’re really staying true to that.”
Recent results back that up. The Bruin offense has combined to score 29 runs over the last three games while the pitching staff has surrendered just five runs over the same span. “We’re competing and putting a lot of good at-bats together,” Cohen said of the offense.
“We have confidence that (our pitchers) are going to give us a chance to win the game if (the offense) can produce for them,” senior catcher Gino Aielli said.
Aielli also attributed the team’s current run to freshman pitchers Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, who will start the first two games of this weekend’s series.
“There is no doubt we wouldn’t be where we are without Trevor and Gerrit,” Aielli said. “Every time they take the mound, we’ve got a shot. … I’m glad they’re on our team and I don’t have to face them.”
Instead, a highly potent Cal offense, which has hit .302 collectively, will have to worry about the pair of freshmen this weekend.
“We expected to have our hands full,” Savage said.
The Bruins have their eyes on reaching the postseason, and with only six conference games left, they are well aware that their chances depend on how they fare in the Pac-10.
“We’re in position to take that next step,” Savage said.
“We all want that first spot,” Cohen said. “It’s within reach ““ destiny is in our hands.”