Although it is just months removed from a loss in the 2010 national championship game, the UCLA baseball team faced many unknowns going into its opening weekend series against San Francisco.
Rain was forecasted to pound Jackie Robinson Stadium throughout the weekend, moving Friday and Saturday’s games forward. The Dons came to Los Angeles as the obvious underdogs to the Bruins but after a 1-0 squeaker for the Bruins Friday, it was anybody’s guess as to what would happen Saturday and Sunday.
Outside of All-American junior pitchers Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, the Friday and Saturday starters, UCLA’s pitchers, laden with freshmen, were perhaps the most unproven Bruins on the roster.
Not anymore.
No. 2 UCLA (3-0) swept USF (0-3) without giving up an earned run and they did it with the help of three true freshman pitchers.
Bauer was pulled in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game after giving up an unearned run, the only run of the weekend surrendered by UCLA. Redshirt junior left-hander Mitchell Beacom struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth, giving freshman Nick Vander Tuig, the newly-anointed closer, a save opportunity in his first outing as a Bruin.
Vander Tuig wasted no time, sitting down three batters in short order and striking out USF junior shortstop Adam Clear to give UCLA the 4-1 win.
“I was nervous in the bullpen, but I knew once I got out there I would be fine,” Vander Tuig said after the win. “I just focused on the hitter, and I’m happy to get that first pitch in.”
Vander Tuig followed that feat by earning another save Sunday, striking out two in 19 pitches and securing UCLA’s second shutout of the season, 3-0. The 2010 squad only earned one shutout on its march to Omaha, Neb.
Adam Plutko, another true freshman right-hander, got his first start Sunday and allowed two hits in six innings of work. He was relieved by true freshman Zack Weiss, who had two strikeouts.
To top it all off, UCLA will trot out sophomore right-hander Scott Griggs Tuesday against Pepperdine. Griggs only made eight appearances last season, but UCLA coach John Savage doesn’t seem to mind.
“Scott earned that start,” Savage said. “He had a good January and February and now it’s time to go out and get the ball.”
UCLA, however, is not devoid of experience on the mound. Cole and Bauer combined for 21 strikeouts and Cole went the full nine innings in Friday’s win for the first time in his career.
“It wasn’t too big of a deal because you’re prepared to go nine in your first start. … I had full confidence in the guys in the bullpen to go out there and keep throwing up zeroes,” said Cole, who surpassed Jon Brandt for the No. 5 spot on UCLA’s all-time strikeout list.
“He was as good as he’s been his entire career and we needed it,” Savage added. “One run was the difference.”
While UCLA’s bats remained relatively quiet over the weekend, sophomore right-fielder Jeff Gelalich accounted for five of UCLA’s 20 hits.
With two outs in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game and UCLA clinging to a 2-0 lead, Gelalich laced a single up the middle, stole second and third base and scored on a USF throwing error. Savage likened Gelalich’s performance and manufactured run to MLB great Rickey Henderson.
“I talked with coach (Rick) Vanderhook before the game about the approach I wanted to take, and I was able to stick with that and concentrate on what I wanted,” Gelalich said. “I was lucky enough to put a good swing on it.”
Savage here to stay
UCLA and Savage agreed to a contract extension Tuesday that will keep him at UCLA until 2015.
“I’m very honored and humbled to be at UCLA,” Savage said. “I couldn’t be working for a better guy in Dan Guerrero. I worked for him at UC Irvine and I was fortunate enough to get the job at UCLA, and I’m proud to be a Bruin. I want to be a Bruin for the rest of my career.”