After losing their ninth midweek game in nine tries, this time
to the No. 1 Cal State Fullerton Titans 11-1, the reaction was
mixed among the UCLA baseball team.
For sophomore Wes Whisler, there was only the weariness of
defeat.
“It’s frustrating because we know we can compete
with them. We’ve shown that over the course of the
year,” Whisler said.
Senior Warren Trott points to a lack of urgency in midweek
games.
“There wasn’t the intensity we needed to
tonight,” Trott said. “We have to want it
more.”
Head coach Gary Adams, however, is completely flabbergasted.
“I don’t know what it is, I wish I knew the
answer,” Adams said. “When you don’t get many
hits it looks like you’re not trying, but I know how bad they
wanted to win this game.”
For whatever reason, the team is 0-9 in midweek games and
falling further away from postseason contention. Thankfully for the
Bruins, the team will have the weekend off to nurse their
wounds.
“This break will really help us to regroup, refocus. We
need to come back fired up,” Whisler said. “We pretty
much have to win every series from here on out to have a shot at
the postseason.”
The Titans jumped on UCLA early and never looked back, scoring
three in the second inning on back-to-back RBI hits off Bruin
starter Bryan Beck.
Hector Ambriz would relieve Beck to start the third inning, but
gave up a solo shot to Fullerton’s Kyle Boyer.
Trott provided UCLA’s only run and RBI of the game by
slamming his first home run of the season in the bottom of the
fourth. The Bruins managed seven hits but drew only two walks
compared to five for the Titans, and the lack of a patience at the
plate hampered UCLA’s offense.
“The approach was OK, we just didn’t catch any
breaks,” Trott said. “Still, I feel that we
should’ve hit them better. We need to do a better job of not
chasing the high fastball.”
The proverbial door slammed shut on the Bruins in the top of the
sixth, when Fullerton put on an offensive showcase. Displaying the
kind of patience that UCLA lacked, the Titans put together four
hits and two walks to score six runs. In doing so, Fullerton proved
why it is the consensus No. 1 team in the nation.
“They’re as tough a Fullerton team as I’ve
ever seen. They have a deep, quality pitching staff,” Adams
said. “Their lineup also does a great job of throwing you off
balancing by alternating righties and lefties.”
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In addition to losing another midweek game, the team will have
to battle through a more significant setback. Catcher Chris Denove,
one of the hottest hitters on the team, broke his right clavicle
when a foul tip got underneath his protective shoulder pad during
the weekend against Arizona State. He could miss anywhere from four
to eight weeks and is unlikely to return this season.
“It hurts. It sucks. I hate to watch,” Denove
said.
Adams acknowledged that the loss of Denove behind the plate and
in the lineup will hurt the Bruins.
“You hate to lose his bat as well as his catching
skills,” Adams said.