Baseball to weather the UNLV Rebels
By Yoni Tamler
Daily Bruin Contributor
Beginning tonight, the UCLA baseball team (0-1) hosts UNLV (0-0)
in a three-game series, and the odds are on the No. 10 Bruins to
clean up at the tables.
Last year, UCLA closed out its regular season in the city of
sin, sweeping the Hustlin’ Rebels in three games and averaging 13.7
runs in the process. Brandishing a lineup replete with hitters, the
Bruins are ready to wreak offensive havoc once again this
season.
One UCLA player that will stand out in UNLV’s minds this weekend
is sophomore Brett Nista. In the June 20 victory over Las Vegas,
Nista brutalized Rebel pitching in a four-for-six outing with two
home runs and a double. Nista also drove in a Six-Pac and team
record nine RBIs in the game.
"The coaches told me to be ready to play, but you never know,"
Nista said. "They didn’t want me to start Tuesday (in UCLA’s loss
to Cal State Northridge) because (Robby) Crabtree is a right-hander
and they didn’t want me to strike out a bunch of times and lose
confidence."
"Brett’s performance is a factor that’s going to enter our
decision going into the weekend," UCLA head coach Gary Adams
said.
The series marks the homecoming of two Rebels raised in the Los
Angeles area: Stacy Kleiner and Ryan Hankins, whose brother Mike
Hankins played for UCLA from 1987-90. Last year, Ryan earned
freshman All-American honors and was invited to the USA Olympic
trials last summer in Florida, where he joined Bruins Troy Glaus
and Jim Parque.
"Our coaching staff really liked Kleiner but we couldn’t afford
to recruit him," Adams said of the Rebels’ talented junior from
Simi Valley. "He can play second base, shortstop, outfield and even
catch."
Taking the mound in tonight’s 7 p.m. contest at Jackie Robinson
Stadium are two juniors. Bruin southpaw Ryan Lynch will start
against Rebel righthander Tom Larosa.
* * *
Because of showers that soaked Los Angeles on Wednesday, UCLA’s
road game against CSUN was cancelled with no make up date
scheduled.
"Last I heard about the weather, rain was a possibility
throughout the week, but it’s supposed to be clear for the
weekend," Adams said speculatively. "There are two things you have
no control over in baseball: one is the umpires, the other is the
Almighty God."Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu