With a week off and a struggling opponent, it would appear that
the UCLA baseball team would be well positioned for a win against
Loyola Marymount. However, there is one major roadblock.
The game is on a Tuesday.
Midweek games this season have torpedoed the Bruins’
record, as they have gone 0-9 against both good and bad teams. If
you were to discount the more laid-back Tuesday affairs, the Bruins
would sport a surprisingly impressive 19-16 record.
Of course, the reality is that at 19-25, 5-7 in the Pac-10, the
UCLA squad is in a perilous situation regarding the postseason.
They must win the majority of their remaining 15 games to be even
considered.
Fortunately, their schedule has softened after a rocky past few
weeks. After an 11-game stretch that included a seven-game losing
streak and nine games against teams that are or have been ranked
this year, the Bruins will try to improve their record with eight
home games against less-regarded opponents.
The LMU (22-23) team that arrives in Westwood today will appear
to be the opposite of the team the Bruins lost to 9-0 in early
March.
After beating UCLA, the Lions were peaking in the middle of a
streak of nine wins in 10 tries.
Conversely, they currently have lost six in a row and 11 of
their past 12 games.
Loyola is led by lead-hitter Jon Higashi, with his .352 average,
and sluggers Josh Whitesell and Jon Oller. They have 10 and 11
homeruns respectively.
The Bruins’ offense has been performing well of late
behind the consistent batting of freshman Brett McMillan, who has a
team-leading .362 average, and sophomore Wes Whisler. They have
also received some welcome contributions from little-used seniors
Christian Lewis and Warren Trott.
The pitching, however, has struggled mightily, giving up
seven-or-more runs in eight consecutive games, including 17 and 11
in the past two losses, respectively.
Again, though, UCLA has been facing some of the top offenses in
the country. Now, after a week of rest and against a struggling
opponent, the Bruins hope they can use Loyola to spring them to a
winning streak in Pac-10 games against Oregon State and
Washington.
To start that streak, however, will first mean overcoming a
streak that has haunted the team all year.