The UCLA baseball team rose to the No. 1 spot in the country largely on the strength of its Pac-10 series victories.
To maintain that lofty ranking, the team will need to continue to implement the same formula. The Bruins will get their third crack at a conference opponent this weekend when they host the Oregon Ducks in a three-game set at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
UCLA (26-3, 4-2 Pac-10) defeated UC Riverside 10-0 on Tuesday, but at this stage in the season, it is all about the weekend series against Pac-10 foes. The Bruins have taken two out of three games from both Stanford and Oregon State, the former victories coming at home and the latter coming last weekend on the road.
Meanwhile, the Ducks (21-11, 4-5) continue to have one of the more intriguing story-lines in the conference. Oregon reinstated their baseball program in 2009 after a long hiatus, and thus will be making its first trip to Jackie Robinson Stadium since 1979. Under coach George Horton ““ formerly the pilot of the powerhouse Cal State Fullerton program ““ the Ducks have assembled a collection of ballplayers from up and down the West Coast that could make a significant impact in the Pac-10 race.
“They’re going to be very tough,” said UCLA coach John Savage. “They have a very good coaching staff. They’ve got a year under their belt. They’re a very good Pac-10 team that is going to represent a tremendous challenge for us. We know it’s going to be a hard-fought series.”
Oregon did not have a midweek game this week, so the Ducks will be in action for the first time since taking two out of three from Stanford in Palo Alto over the weekend.
The weekend rotation for UCLA will remain unchanged, with sophomores Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer and junior Rob Rasmussen getting the starting nods. The trio has combined for a 16-1 record on the season, and has recorded 201 strikeouts in 142 and a half innings.
That pitching staff has been key in generating a buzz rarely seen around the program, excitement that has been manifested in the crowds that have poured into the stadium over the last few weeks.
“It’s a credit to our players for playing good baseball,” said Savage of the crowd support. “The fans have been great with coming out. It’s just great to see that atmosphere at Jackie Robinson Stadium because the players deserve that. It’s the highest level of college baseball and it’s great to have the support of all the Bruin fans.”
Savage added that having played in front of 15,000 people at Dodger Stadium has been beneficial to the popularity of the team.
With reports from Blair Angulo, Bruin Sports senior staff.