The UCLA baseball team will look to extend its historic start as they host the Nebraska Cornhuskers for three games at Jackie Robinson Stadium this weekend.
The Bruins, ranked No. 19 in the country, have won their first six games, good for their best start to a season since 1997. This weekend will pose a slightly different look schedule-wise than the typical weekend series.
Due to inclement weather, UCLA and Nebraska will play a double-header Friday, with usual Friday starter, Gerrit Cole, taking the ball in the 2 p.m. game and usual Saturday starter, Trevor Bauer, will get the nod in the 6 p.m. game later on Friday. It will be Bauer’s first start in nearly two weeks, after his scheduled appearance against Oklahoma State last Saturday was rained out. UCLA junior left-hander Rob Rasmussen, who started against USC last Sunday in the Dodgertown Classic, will get the start in the final game of the series, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The series will be Nebraska’s second trip to California this season. The Cornhuskers opened their season with a four-game series at Fresno State, dropping three out of four to the Bulldogs. Nebraska does enter the series against UCLA on a four-game winning streak, with their most recent victory a 5-3 win over Elon on Sunday at the Rice Invitational in Houston.
The Bruins defeated Japan’s Waseda University 6-4 in an exhibition game on Tuesday at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Senior Garett Claypool took his usual midweek turn in the rotation, but only went three innings.
Compiled by Ryan Eshoff, Bruin Sports senior staff