Though the UCLA baseball team has lost 21 of its last 22 games
and faces a very difficult weekend in the desert against a hot
Arizona State team, the morale of the Bruins remains high.
“They know they have to stay together,” coach John
Savage said. “They know what the task is. They’re still
playing hard and working hard.” “It’s just a
matter of getting over that hump.” That hump is a series
victory for the first time in nearly two months. That’s going
to be a tough obstacle to hurdle considering the team it is facing.
The No. 21 Sun Devils just completed a sweep of No. 15 Stanford and
are surging with a 25-15 record. “We can’t walk
people,” Savage said. “We have to limit them to three
outs an inning ““ we can’t let them have extra chances.
We need to go in there and pitch and play defense.” Defense
has been tough for the Bruins of late, as they have given up four
unearned runs in each of their last two games. But with only five
real infielders on the roster, they don’t have much depth to
compensate for defensive deficiencies. “The roster is what it
is,” said Savage. “We just don’t have the
personnel or depth to make those kinds of adjustments.” If
the Bruins are to have any chance of defeating Arizona State this
weekend, they will need their thin infield to play errorless
baseball.
TRACK AND FIELD: Part of the UCLA men’s
track and field team will compete this weekend at the UC San Diego
Triton Invitational. Craig Everhart and Brandon Johnson highlight
the Bruin sprinters who will head to San Diego, while most of the
throwers and jumpers will also make the trip. The fifth-ranked UCLA
women will also send a small contingent of throwers, jumpers and
sprinters. The remainder of the team will take a week off in
preparation for next Saturday’s crosstown dual meet against
USC.
Compiled by Bruin Sports senior staff.