The UCLA baseball team is not buying into the hype that comes with being the defending national champions as it gets ready to begin its title defense at Jackie Robinson Stadium Friday night against Portland.
However, after being predicted to finish behind Oregon State and Oregon in the Pac-12 conference preseason coaches’ poll, it is not feeling underrated either.
“That’s right where we want to be. We don’t like the hype, we don’t need the hype,” said senior center fielder Brian Carroll. “Last year we weren’t predicted to do anything and then we played our game and we came out on top, so the polls don’t mean much to us.”
The Bruins will start the year nationally ranked No. 12 in the Baseball America top-25 poll. However, last season taught them it does not matter where they start, but only where they finish.
“I’d rather be standing in first at the end of the season than be ranked first and end up third at the end of it,” said junior pitcher David Berg.
Portland, which has never faced UCLA before, finished 2013 with a .333 winning percentage. Despite the Pilots’ poor track record, the Bruins are only focusing on executing their game plan, regardless of the opponent.
“We’re not even worried about Portland. We talk about (how) when we go out there and play we play nine guys named Joe,” Berg said. “We don’t go out there playing other teams. We come out and play our game, whether it’s the best team in the country, the worst team in the country or somewhere in between.”
Coach John Savage echoed that sentiment, as he expects his team to respect every opponent it faces. He said he wants to use these first few games to establish the team’s identity and to prepare for the tough Pac-12 competition it will face down the line.
“The early season is good to get that identity, to see what type of team you are, what type of bull pen we have, and replace some of those players that had significant roles,” Savage said. “We got to really get to know ourselves over the next couple of weeks before we head up to Cal to open up the Pac-12.”
Under Savage’s tenure, that identity has been focused on pitching and defense, a trend that will continue this season.
The team has a young pitching staff, with sophomores James Kaprielian and Cody Poteet joining the weekend rotation in the Friday and Sunday slots, respectively. Junior Grant Watson, who pitched on Sundays last year, will start on Saturdays this season and hopes to be a guide for his younger teammates.
“We have some good experience and some good young arms coming in,” Watson said. “I just hope I can help mentor the younger guys and help be (in) more of a leadership role for this team now.”
Watson’s leadership, along with that of the other upperclassmen, will help make up for the loss of several of UCLA’s top players from last season to the MLB draft.
With every opponent looking to take down the defending champions, the Bruins will need to rely on the collective experience of their veterans as a tough Pac-12 schedule looms in the distance.
“Regardless of who we play and where we play, we know that it’s going to be very competitive,” Savage said. “Whenever you win a national championship, I think they have to realize the X is on your back, so we’re looking forward to that opportunity.”