Following two heart-wrenching and bitter losses to Cal State Fullerton in the Super Regionals, you could see it in the eyes and hear it in the voices of the players and coaches. You could see it in the watery eyes of catcher Ryan Babineau when he was asked to recollect the two games. You could see it in the determined gaze of the ace-to-be Gavin Brooks when someone inquired of next season. You could hear it in the firm voice of coach John Savage speaking about the potential of the Bruin baseball team.
This team could not wait until February to play the 2008 season, a season with Omaha potential and promise.
The Bruin baseball team can finally prepare for that road to Omaha now as the 2008 schedule was unveiled Thursday. If the Bruins wish to capture their first national championship, they will have to go through another rigorous and demanding schedule. Savage and the Bruins wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We are very excited about our upcoming season and we look forward to a very challenging schedule in 2008,” Savage told uclabruins.com. “We feel like we have all the players we need in terms of experience and ability, and we are just looking forward to the challenge that the 2008 season will bring us.”
Last season, the Bruins played the toughest schedule according to BoydsWorld.com. Their 2008 schedule was determined to be the third-most difficult in the nation by Boyd’s World.
But coach Savage believes that playing difficult schedules in his time with the Bruins has been essential in the development of the program from a national afterthought to a national contender.
“The last two seasons we have built our team to compete in conference and postseason play with great schedules,” Savage said. “We feel this schedule will prepare us for conference play and the postseason. We want to play in Omaha.”
If the Bruins wish to spend their first week of summer break in the sweltering heat of Nebraska, the team has its work cut out for them. In 2008, the Bruins will play against 23 teams who made the postseason this past season, including 11 games against teams who made an appearance in the College World Series (three against Arizona State, three against two-time national champion Oregon State, three against Cal State Fullerton and two against UC Irvine).
The Bruins open up the season at home against Oklahoma, which ended its 2007 season with a record of 34-24.
An interesting series begins on March 21 as the Bruins face Long Beach State. The last time these two teams met, the Bruins beat the No. 1-seeded Dirtbags 7-4 to advance to the Super Regionals. This time, the Bruins will play three games in two days as the two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday.
The Bruins will open Pac-10 play with a three-game series against Arizona in Tucson, followed by a three-game series at Jackie Robinson Stadium against crosstown rival USC, a team that the Bruins swept last season.
The end of the schedule could prove to determine the fate of the season for the team as they will play 8 of their last 11 games on the road, including a three-game series against the Beavers at Oregon State.
While the Bruins will face some tough competition during the season, the team is excited to get back on the field.
“Whenever you play Long Beach, Fullerton, Oklahoma and USC in a nonconference game, it’s a tough season,” Savage said. “But it is ultimately all about our team and playing to our abilities. We are excited for the season.”