The UCLA baseball team asked for big challenges this season,
when it gave itself one of the toughest schedules in the country.
This weekend, the Bruins are getting just what they bargained for,
in the form of the No. 16 Miami Hurricanes.
The series begins tonight at Jackie Robinson Stadium with UCLA
ace junior Hector Ambriz squaring off against Miami hurler Carlos
Gutierrez.
Ambriz will need to rebound from his rough start against Fresno
State ““ in which he gave up six earned runs in 2.1 innings
““ to keep the Bruins in the game.
“Ambriz is the key to set the tone on Friday night,”
UCLA coach John Savage said. “We need him to pitch well and
get hits in the middle of the lineup.”
Savage emphasized the fundamentals as the key going into this
weekend’s difficult matchup.
“It breaks down to good pitching, playing catch on
defense, clutch hitting and quality at bats,” he said.
In the other dugout, Miami’s pitching staff has been
stingy, with its three-man rotation giving up only a combined six
earned runs in 27 innings of work.
The Hurricanes are also a big threat on the offensive side of
the ball. Junior outfielder Jon Jay and third baseman Danny
Valencia are two hitters who could carry Miami through the weekend
if they get hot.
“Jay and Valencia are proven three and four hitters that
we need to keep in check,” Savage said.
In only a handful of games, however, Miami (3-2) leaves evidence
to suggest that the vaunted South Florida program might not be as
seemingly unbeatable as in years past.
The Hurricanes dropped both games of a double-header against
Winthrop this past week to lose the series.
A change of scenery and time zones might also be a hiccup. The
Hurricanes are making their first road trip to the West Coast since
2003.
UCLA (1-2), meanwhile, enters the series after dodging a
season-opening sweep with a 12-2 victory over Fresno State last
Sunday.
In order to prove they can build off that victory, the Bruins
are going to depend on big production from players who are still
breaking in their blue-and-gold uniforms.
Last week, the Bruins had eight new players in the starting
lineup, including freshman Tim Murphy. The young outfielder got off
to an auspicious beginning, hitting .600 for the weekend. UCLA is
hoping he can continue to swing a big bat and provide protection
behind Ambriz and senior third baseman Brett McMillian in the
lineup.
“People got a glimpse of the future. He’s a guy who
had an outstanding weekend,” Savage said about Murphy.
The Bruins will look to him and other new faces to compliment
the veteran play of seniors Chris Jensen, Sean Smith and
McMillan.
History, however, doesn’t bode well for the Bruins, who
are a lifetime 0-8 against the Hurricanes.
But that doesn’t mean this weekend’s prospects are
hopeless. The last three times the Bruins started 1-2, they then
went on a six-game winning streak in 2001, and went 5-1 in their
next six games in both 2002 and 2005.
Ignoring the long term, Savage is just making sure his team
stays focused on the first pitch of the next game.
“We’re looking to play well on Friday,” he
said. “And ultimately our goal is to win the
series.”