With the season about two-thirds of the way done, the Bruins will get a peek into what the postseason holds.
“It’ll be a good test for us. … We play doubleheaders in the playoffs so we’ve got to be able to take care of it,” said junior center fielder Beau Amaral.
This weekend, No. 14 UCLA will face No. 13 Purdue at Jackie Robinson Stadium, with two games on Saturday and one early Sunday afternoon.
Coach John Savage said a while back that Purdue is a solid NCAA regional team, and that non-conference series against top teams are big opportunities for the Bruins.
UCLA is still looking for a comeback after last weekend’s series loss against Stanford. Although they got the 2-1 win against Long Beach on Tuesday, it was not the triumph that would have boosted their confidence.
“We’ll be ready to play, we need to bounce back from last weekend as well,” said coach John Savage. “We did that a little bit (on Tuesday) but we need to do that over the weekend as well.”
The Bruins will not be alone in the search for a comeback ““ the Boilermakers were shut out for the first time in 2012 last weekend.
This weekend will be the Bruins’ last chance for a home field advantage for a while ““ their next nine games will be played away at five different locations.
With only two more home series before the postseason begins, this is when the Bruins need to be on their game, and they aren’t worried.
“I don’t think that’s a big deal at all for us. We’ve played well on the road all year, and it’s definitely one of our strengths. It’ll be fun,” said Amaral.
While the packed schedule this weekend will be tough on UCLA, it also gives them an extra day to practice, which is a bonus in the Bruins’ favor.
“We have an extra day to practice and prepare for them. We need to go out and do the same thing we do every weekend,” said first baseman Trevor Brown.
Instead of looking at this weekend as a hardship, Savage looks at it as an opportunity, not only to prepare for the postseason, but also to give chances to players who have not seen as much action.
Though their outlook is positive, the Bruins are not underestimating the power of the Boilermakers, who have become one of the top teams in the nation this season.
“They’re having a special year, as good as any team in the country. There’s a ton of respect and we know it’s going to be a tough weekend,” said Savage.