March Madness is nearly here, but coach John Savage wants no part of it.
UCLA baseball is riding a hot streak as the winners of six games in a row and 11 wins out of 12 total games but the team isn’t getting caught up in the hype.
“You don’t want to be playing your best in March, maybe (in) basketball, but not baseball,” Savage said. “You want to be playing your best in May and June in baseball.”
However, No. 6 UCLA (11-1) will need to play its best baseball of the season this weekend against defending champion and No. 1 Vanderbilt (10-2), as well as No. 7 TCU (8-1) and No. 25 USC (12-1).
This weekend not only presents a different level of competition, but also a different format for the series matchup.
Usual weekend series consist of three games against one opponent, but this weekend will feature three different opponents for one game each.
Friday’s game versus Vanderbilt and Saturday’s game versus TCU will be held at Jackie Robinson Stadium, while Sunday’s game against USC will be played at Dodger Stadium. TCU and Vanderbilt will also face off at Dodger Stadium Sunday.
The Sunday matchups are part of the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, which hasn’t been played at Chavez Ravine since 2012 since the Major League ballpark has undergone major renovations during the past two winters.
“It’s not everyday that you get to play at Dodger Stadium,” said senior third baseman Chris Keck. “I’m sure some guys will be juiced up for the first couple innings, but then it will be relaxed and … just (be) a game.”
As the national rankings demonstrate, this will be anything but just three games. It is a showcase of some of the nation’s best teams and the biggest test of the season thus far for the Bruins.
Friday’s game between UCLA and Vanderbilt will feature the two most-recent NCAA champions – the Bruins won the title in 2013. The Commodores are “clearly the best team in the country,” according to Savage, and the stats back up that statement. They are tied for No. 7 in the nation in hits, tied for No. 8 in runs, rank No. 9 in batting average and have a respectable 3.29 ERA.
On the other hand, TCU has one of the best pitching staffs in the country. The Horned Frogs are No. 3 in the nation with a 1.24 ERA, tied for No. 1 in shutouts with four and No. 4 in walks plus hits per inning pitched.
Additionally, USC is playing its best baseball in a long time, Savage said. The Trojans are No. 2 in the nation in stolen bases and No. 17 in ERA with 2.07, which leads the Pac-12, with UCLA currently in second.
Meanwhile, over the last five games, UCLA’s pitching staff has posted a 0.88 ERA and 41 strikeouts. Overall, the staff is No. 21 in the nation in ERA at 2.27.
The Bruins also boast one of the best offenses in the country, nationally ranked No. 5 in scoring, No. 4 in home runs, and No. 8 in slugging percentage.
Thus, if the Bruins play in the same fashion that they’ve been competing so far this season, they should be up for the challenge.
“It’s going to be a big test,” said sophomore infielder Luke Persico. “(But) we feel that we’re ready for anyone that comes our way.”