The Bruins will put their undefeated home record on hold this weekend.
No. 4 UCLA baseball (4-0) will begin a three-game series at Georgia Tech (2-1) on Friday night – the first and only time the team will play on the East Coast this season.
In their first four games, the Bruins outscored their opponents 28-3 and outhit them 33-13. Their offense was buoyed by senior designated hitter Jake Pries, who posted an average of .500 during the homestand.
On the mound, the UCLA pitching staff did not give up an earned run in 36 innings. They also held their opponents to a .110 batting average and put up a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.25.
And with junior right-hander Ryan Garcia still out with flexor inflammation, coach John Savage will be using the same rotation he did last weekend – right-handers sophomore Zach Pettway, redshirt junior Jack Ralston and freshman Jesse Bergin.
However, according to Savage, the Bruins already have another focus.
“Whenever you take care of business at home, the next test is what we’re gonna be on the road,” Savage said.
UCLA will travel farther than it will all season this weekend to play an unfamiliar foe, Georgia Tech. The Bruins last faced the Yellow Jackets in 1999, getting swept.
“It’s gonna be a competitive weekend, not at the friendly confines of (Jackie Robinson Stadium),” Savage said. “Good teams need to play well on the road. There are a lot of teams that take care of business at home, but then turn upside down on the road. So this will be a good test for us.”
Last season, UCLA boasted a 22-6 record at home but went 13-13 on the road and finished fourth in the Pac-12. The Bruins had a 17-8 record on the road in 2013, when they won their first and only NCAA championship.
Freshman right-hander Nick Nastrini said that winning at home helps build confidence for road games.
“We’re really pumped to go on the road,” Nastrini said. “I think it was really important to get the momentum going into Georgia Tech so we have a good base when we get there.”
The Yellow Jackets have had success of their own at home, posting a 25-10 home record last season and only a 6-14 record on the road.
Pries said that the key for success as a visiting team is to treat the game like any other, regardless of location or opponent.
“We’ve gotta be the same guys no matter where we are,” Pries said. “Same toughness, same mindset no matter what we’re doing. I think if we can get that consistency with these guys, it will be a good run.”
First pitch will be at 1 p.m on Friday, followed by 11 a.m. and 10 a.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.