Friday, March 29
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
UCLA
at
USC
Garrett Mitchell is hitting .417 since moving to the leadoff spot in the lineup (photo: Scott Chandler)
Photo by: Scott Chandler
No. 1 UCLA Set to Face Crosstown Rival USC
March 28, 2019 | Baseball
No. 1 UCLA (18-4, 4-1) at USC (9-14, 2-4)
Friday, Mar. 29, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, Mar. 30, 2019 - 4:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, Mar. 31, 2019 - 4:00 p.m. PT
Location: Dedeauxย Field
TV/Stream: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: JB Long (play-by-play), Scott Erickson (analyst)
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats: USC Live Stats
UCLA Heads Crosstown For Three-Game Series Against USCย ย ย
No. 1-ranked UCLA (18-4, 5-1), which has won five straight and nine of its last 10 games, heads across town this weekend for a three-game series against rival USC (9-14, 2-4). The series starts with a Friday night contest at 7:00 p.m. followed by 4:00 p.m. first pitches on both Saturday and Sunday. All three games will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks. UCLA defeated USC earlier this year, taking a 7-5 decision to cap off the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic on Mar. 10. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of each game, and fans can also follow along on Twitter atย @UCLABaseball.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, Mar. 29 - 7 p.m. PT
UCLA - Zach Pettway, RHP, So. (2-1, 2.66 ERA)
USC - Connor Lunn, RHP, Jr. (2-1, 3.28 ERA)
Saturday, Mar. 30 - 4 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, RJr. (3-0, 3.09 ERA)
USC - Isaac Esqueda, LHP, So. (2-0, 0.95 ERA)
Sunday, Mar. 31- 4 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (1-0, 1.20 ERA)
USC - Kyle Hurt, RHP, So. (0-3, 5.40 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 18-4 to start the 2019 campaign, winning all five of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting midweek wins home-and-away against LMU and on the road at CSUN and Long Beach State. At 18-4, UCLA is off to its second-best 22-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 22-0 out of the gate.ย
Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings
After sweeping Pac-12 rival Arizona last weekend, UCLA remained atop nearly every major national poll. On Monday, the Bruins were tabbed No. 1 in the nation by D1Baseball, Baseball America, ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, the NCBWA, and Perfect Game. The only poll that doesn't have the Bruins on top, Collegiate Baseball, has them at No. 2. UCLA jumped to No. 1 in the country last week after taking two of three from defending national champion Oregon State, the first time the Bruins had been atop the rankings since the final polls of the 2013 season. USC is unranked in all polls.ย
The Week In Review
Over the last week, UCLA swept a weekend series against Arizona at Jackie Robinson Stadium and defeated LMU in a road midweek. It was the Bruins' first series win over the Wildcats since 2015, also a sweep.ย
ย ย -UCLA scored in each of the first five innings and in six of eight innings overall to defeat Arizona 10-5 in the series opener on Friday night. The Bruins shook off a two-spot from the Wildcats in the top of the first, going on to score 10 unanswered runs incuding a decisive four-run fourth inning. Kevin Kendall was 3-3 and scored four runs for the Bruins. Jack Stronach drove in the eventual game-winning run with a two-run double as part of that big fourth inning. UCLA starter Zach Pettway bounced back after the first inning, never allowing a runner to get past first over the remainder of his seven-inning outing.ย
ย ย -UCLA clinched the series with a 12-10 win on Saturday, needing a season-high in runs to outlast Arizona. UCLA eliminated deficits of 0-1, 4-7, and 8-10 to claim the win, going ahead for good with a two-run rally in the eighth. Several Bruins had standout days with the bat, including Stronach (3-4), Kendall (2-4, three runs), Michael Toglia (2-4, two RBIs), Garrett Mitchell (2-4, two runs, two extra-base hits), and Chase Strumpf (1-2, two runs, hit game-tying home run in the sixth). Jesse Bergin (2.1 IP), Kyle Mora (1.1 IP), and Holden Powell (1.0 IP) settled the game down for UCLA, combining to hold Arizona off the board for the final four innings of the game.ย
ย ย -The Bruins completed the sweep with a 3-1 Sunday victory. Ryan Garcia and Arizona lefty Andrew Nardi dueled for the first two-thirds of the game, keeping the score at 0-0 heading to the 7th inning stretch. Michael Toglia broke through for the Bruins with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, but the Wildcats answered right back with a run off the UCLA bullpen in the top of the eighth. That tie wouldn't last long, as Jack Stronach would put UCLA up for good after hitting a fly ball of the right field foul pole for a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. Holden Powell shut the door in the ninth inning to pick up his first win of the campaign.ย
ย ย -On Tuesday night, UCLA used a six-run first inning to defeat LMU by a score of 9-4. Jake Pries had the biggest blow of the rally, hitting a grand slam over the blue monster in left field with nobody out. The Bruins strung together three singles later in the inning to plate another pair. UCLA's bullpen allowed one earned over 4 1/3 innings to help make that cushion hold up. UCLA's six-spot represented the highest-scoring first inning for the program this year and the second-highest scoring inning overall (seven runs, bottom 7 vs. St. John's on Feb. 17).ย
ย ย -UCLA has scored 34 runs over the last week, the most runs scored by the Bruins in a four-game stretch this year.ย
Garcia Named Pac-12 Pitcher Of The Weekย ย ย
UCLA received the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award for the second consecutive time on Monday, as junior righty Ryan Garcia was tabbed by the league after throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-hit ball on Sunday. Garcia retired 22 of the final 23 batters he faced after walking the leadoff batter of the game, including 11 straight to end his outing. It was the first career weekly honor in Garcia's career. Zach Pettway was the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week last week after allowing three hits over seven shutout innings against OSU, the first time in nearly two years that UCLA had the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week. UCLA is the first team to have consecutive Pac-12 Pitcher/Player of the Week honors this season.ย
UCLA Pitching Gets Off To Hot Start
UCLA's pitching has been driving the boat in the early going, as the Bruin staff has produced some of the best numbers in the nation. The Bruins are among the best in the nation in ERA (2.53, fourth), hits allowed per nine innings (6.11, second), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.42, eighth), and WHIP (1.04, second). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 10 of its 22 games this season.
ย
Savage Wins 500th At UCLAย ย ย
The Friday night victory over Oregon State on Mar. 15 represented the 500th as head coach at UCLA for John Savage, making him just the third bench boss in program history to reach that milestone. He is within striking distance of another milestone, as he needs just seven more wins to reach 600 overall in his career.ย
Shutting Them Out
The 8-0 blanking of Oregon State on Mar. 15 was UCLA's sixth shutout of the season, moving them into a tie for the national lead (Tennessee, Auburn). UCLA recorded a shutout in its first four weekend series - once in the opener, twice in the middle game, and once in the finale. The Bruins also have shutouts in two of their four midweek games.ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA ranks 11th in the country with 21 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down eight times, pacing the league and ranking second nationally.ย
Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, leading the Pac-12 and ranking fourth in the nation with 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bruins have struck out at least eight batters in every game so far this year, and have reached double digits in 13 out of 22 games including four of the last five. UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including league-leader Zach Pettway (49), Jesse Bergin (33, eighth), and Kyle Mora (32, ninth).ย
Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been taking advantage of an uptick in playing time. Over the last seven games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted an 11-25 line (.440) with two home runs, nine RBIs, and five runs scored. He drove in the game-winning run in two of three games in the Arizona series, doubling in a pair in the fourth inning on Friday and hitting a two-run homer off the right field foul pole in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie on Sunday. He has been a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee in each of the last two weeks.ย
Hot At Home
UCLA has won 12 of 15 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .716 winning percentage (53-21) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 13 consecutive series - including seven Pac-12 sets - on their home field dating back to April 21-23, 2017 (Oregon State).ย
Putting Down Roots
UCLA is not scheduled to leave Los Angeles County for the entirety of March, as the squad's only road games are at LBSU, LMU, and USC. The Bruins don't leave LA County until Apr. 5 (at Stanford) and don't leave California until May 3 (at ASU).ย
Mitchell Stepping Up
One of UCLA's more consistent hitters early on in the year, sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell has stepped it up another level since moving to the leadoff spot. In nine games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 15-36 (.417) with at least one hit in each game (except for the Arizona series finale, when he was forced to leave early after an HBP on the helmet). Mitchell has also scored 12 runs in that span, drawn five walks, and stolen two bases. He hit a leadoff home run on Mar. 12 at Long Beach State - a noted pitcher's park - for his first career roundtripper.ย
Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 12 triples already this season, a figure which ranks seventh nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's three. ย
Down But Not Out
UCLA has proven itself undeterred when facing a deficit, as the Bruins are 8-2 this year in games where the opponent scores first. Of those 10 games, the Bruins fought back to tie or take the lead in all but one.
ย
Scouting The Trojans
USC is 9-14 overall on the season and 2-4 in Pac-12 play, taking two of three from California before suffering a sweep at Washington last weekend. The Trojans are next-to-last in the Pac-12 in scoring (5.0 runs per game) and seventh in ERA (4.41). CJ Stubbs (.302/.378/.500) has been their top hitter, while lefty Isaac Esqueda (2-0, 0.95) has led a pitching staff that features just four pitchers with ERAs south of 4.00. USC has reached extra innings in each of its last three games, and is most recently coming off an 8-5 win over Long Beach State in 10 innings.ย
Last Time out Against USC
Led by 6 2/3 innings of one-run relief from the bullpen, UCLA shook off a 4-0 deficit to defeat USC 7-5 on Mar. 10 in the finale of the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. The Bruins took advantage of Trojan errors - they made four total for the game - as part of multi-run rallies in the third and seventh innings. Freshman Matt McLain drove in the eventual game-winning run with a two-run double in the eighth. Garrett Mitchell had a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot for UCLA while Ryan Kreidler and Chase Strumpf both had RBI singles.ย
Tackling The Trojans
Though USC holds the edge in the all-time series, UCLA has turned the tide in recent years. Over 14 previous seasons under head coach John Savage, UCLA has either won or split the season series 12 times including weekend sweeps in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, and 2018. The Bruins have swept the last two weekend series against the Trojans, and have just one weekend series loss head-to-head in the last 10 years (2014). John Savage has 34 wins over USC as head coach at UCLA, his most against any single opponent nationwide.ย
Picking Their Spots
UCLA has been efficient on the basepaths this year, stealing 26 bases as a team against just four caught stealings. At 87%, they are one of just two Pac-12 teams over the 80% threshold (Washington, 92%). The Bruins are 9-9 in stolen bases over the last two weeks.
Strumpf Is Streaking
UCLA's standout second baseman, Chase Strumpf, now has a hit in a team-high 13 straight games. He's been held without a hit just three times in the Bruins' 22 games. Strumpf has started to find his power stroke lately as well, as he has two home runs and four extra-base hits over his last five games.ย
Flashing The Leather
A year after ranking third in the country with a .982 fielding percentage, UCLA has been a standout on the defensive side of the ball again in 2019. With a .982 fielding percentage this year, the Bruins currently rank seventh nationally. UCLA is the only school nationwide to rank top-10 in both ERA and fielding percentage.
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 81.1 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.43 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.2 K/9 and 5.9 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 19, and he has struck out 32 batters to this point in the season, good for ninth in the Pac-12. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (seven) and games finished (15). Nate Hadley (4-0, 2.25 ERA) and Jack Filby (2-0, 0.93 ERA) have been excellent out of the pen as well.ย
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Something about the seventh inning gives the Bruins an extra pep in their step. They are outscoring their opponents 34-4 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-30 run differential. UCLA has a plus-38 run differential in all other innings combined. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 13 of their 22 games, more than any other single inning. Sac State and Oregon State are the only squads to score against the Bruins in the seventh.ย
Bruins Picked to Win Pac-12 in Preseason Coaches Poll
In a vote of all 11 Pac-12 coaches, the Bruins were picked as the favorites to win the league in 2019. UCLA received eight of 11 first place votes and a league-high 97 points. 2015 was the last time that UCLA was picked to finish first in the Preseason Coaches Poll, which was also the last time that UCLA won the league. Stanford (two first place votes, 90 points) and Oregon St. (one first place vote, 85 points) also received first place votes. They were followed in succession by Arizona (67), Washington (60), Arizona State (59), Oregon (49), California (37), USC (32), Washington State (15), and Utah (14).ย
Strumpf Named a Unanimous First Team Preseason All-American
UCLA junior Chase Strumpf was the First Team second baseman on every Preseason All-America team released this offseason, as he was honored by Baseball America, D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game. He was one of just four players nationwide to gain consensus First Team status, joining catcher Adley Rutschman (Oregon State), first baseman Andrew Vaughn (Cal), and third baseman Josh Jung (Texas Tech). Strumpf slashed .363/.475/.633 last year with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs en route to All-America and Dick Howser Award semifinalist honors.ย
Toglia, Ydens Also Pick Up All-American Acclaim
Strumpf wasn't the only Bruin to get preseason publicity, as both Michael Toglia and Jeremy Ydens were named Preseason All-Americans. Toglia was a Second Teamer in D1Baseball and a Third Team choice in Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, while Ydens was a Second Team outfielder per Collegiate Baseball. Toglia (.336 average, 11 home runs) and Ydens (.350 average, 28 extra-base hits) were key middle-of-the-order bats for the Bruins last year.
Fabulous Freshmen
UCLA's newest class of newcomers was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country (D1Baseball). The Bruins' new class was the highest-ranked in the Pac-12 and in the western half of the country. UCLA has turned in a top-25 recruiting class for five consecutive seasons, while the Bruins' No. 4 ranking is the highest for the program since 2015. A trio of frosh players were selected to D1Baseball's Top-100 Impact Freshmen List, including list-topper Matt McLain, catcher Noah Cardenas (No. 81), and right-handed pitcher Sean Mullen (No. 89).ย
Friday, Mar. 29, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, Mar. 30, 2019 - 4:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, Mar. 31, 2019 - 4:00 p.m. PT
Location: Dedeauxย Field
TV/Stream: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: JB Long (play-by-play), Scott Erickson (analyst)
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats: USC Live Stats
UCLA Heads Crosstown For Three-Game Series Against USCย ย ย
No. 1-ranked UCLA (18-4, 5-1), which has won five straight and nine of its last 10 games, heads across town this weekend for a three-game series against rival USC (9-14, 2-4). The series starts with a Friday night contest at 7:00 p.m. followed by 4:00 p.m. first pitches on both Saturday and Sunday. All three games will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks. UCLA defeated USC earlier this year, taking a 7-5 decision to cap off the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic on Mar. 10. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of each game, and fans can also follow along on Twitter atย @UCLABaseball.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, Mar. 29 - 7 p.m. PT
UCLA - Zach Pettway, RHP, So. (2-1, 2.66 ERA)
USC - Connor Lunn, RHP, Jr. (2-1, 3.28 ERA)
Saturday, Mar. 30 - 4 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, RJr. (3-0, 3.09 ERA)
USC - Isaac Esqueda, LHP, So. (2-0, 0.95 ERA)
Sunday, Mar. 31- 4 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (1-0, 1.20 ERA)
USC - Kyle Hurt, RHP, So. (0-3, 5.40 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 18-4 to start the 2019 campaign, winning all five of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting midweek wins home-and-away against LMU and on the road at CSUN and Long Beach State. At 18-4, UCLA is off to its second-best 22-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 22-0 out of the gate.ย
Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings
After sweeping Pac-12 rival Arizona last weekend, UCLA remained atop nearly every major national poll. On Monday, the Bruins were tabbed No. 1 in the nation by D1Baseball, Baseball America, ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, the NCBWA, and Perfect Game. The only poll that doesn't have the Bruins on top, Collegiate Baseball, has them at No. 2. UCLA jumped to No. 1 in the country last week after taking two of three from defending national champion Oregon State, the first time the Bruins had been atop the rankings since the final polls of the 2013 season. USC is unranked in all polls.ย
The Week In Review
Over the last week, UCLA swept a weekend series against Arizona at Jackie Robinson Stadium and defeated LMU in a road midweek. It was the Bruins' first series win over the Wildcats since 2015, also a sweep.ย
ย ย -UCLA scored in each of the first five innings and in six of eight innings overall to defeat Arizona 10-5 in the series opener on Friday night. The Bruins shook off a two-spot from the Wildcats in the top of the first, going on to score 10 unanswered runs incuding a decisive four-run fourth inning. Kevin Kendall was 3-3 and scored four runs for the Bruins. Jack Stronach drove in the eventual game-winning run with a two-run double as part of that big fourth inning. UCLA starter Zach Pettway bounced back after the first inning, never allowing a runner to get past first over the remainder of his seven-inning outing.ย
ย ย -UCLA clinched the series with a 12-10 win on Saturday, needing a season-high in runs to outlast Arizona. UCLA eliminated deficits of 0-1, 4-7, and 8-10 to claim the win, going ahead for good with a two-run rally in the eighth. Several Bruins had standout days with the bat, including Stronach (3-4), Kendall (2-4, three runs), Michael Toglia (2-4, two RBIs), Garrett Mitchell (2-4, two runs, two extra-base hits), and Chase Strumpf (1-2, two runs, hit game-tying home run in the sixth). Jesse Bergin (2.1 IP), Kyle Mora (1.1 IP), and Holden Powell (1.0 IP) settled the game down for UCLA, combining to hold Arizona off the board for the final four innings of the game.ย
ย ย -The Bruins completed the sweep with a 3-1 Sunday victory. Ryan Garcia and Arizona lefty Andrew Nardi dueled for the first two-thirds of the game, keeping the score at 0-0 heading to the 7th inning stretch. Michael Toglia broke through for the Bruins with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh, but the Wildcats answered right back with a run off the UCLA bullpen in the top of the eighth. That tie wouldn't last long, as Jack Stronach would put UCLA up for good after hitting a fly ball of the right field foul pole for a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. Holden Powell shut the door in the ninth inning to pick up his first win of the campaign.ย
ย ย -On Tuesday night, UCLA used a six-run first inning to defeat LMU by a score of 9-4. Jake Pries had the biggest blow of the rally, hitting a grand slam over the blue monster in left field with nobody out. The Bruins strung together three singles later in the inning to plate another pair. UCLA's bullpen allowed one earned over 4 1/3 innings to help make that cushion hold up. UCLA's six-spot represented the highest-scoring first inning for the program this year and the second-highest scoring inning overall (seven runs, bottom 7 vs. St. John's on Feb. 17).ย
ย ย -UCLA has scored 34 runs over the last week, the most runs scored by the Bruins in a four-game stretch this year.ย
Garcia Named Pac-12 Pitcher Of The Weekย ย ย
UCLA received the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award for the second consecutive time on Monday, as junior righty Ryan Garcia was tabbed by the league after throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-hit ball on Sunday. Garcia retired 22 of the final 23 batters he faced after walking the leadoff batter of the game, including 11 straight to end his outing. It was the first career weekly honor in Garcia's career. Zach Pettway was the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week last week after allowing three hits over seven shutout innings against OSU, the first time in nearly two years that UCLA had the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week. UCLA is the first team to have consecutive Pac-12 Pitcher/Player of the Week honors this season.ย
UCLA Pitching Gets Off To Hot Start
UCLA's pitching has been driving the boat in the early going, as the Bruin staff has produced some of the best numbers in the nation. The Bruins are among the best in the nation in ERA (2.53, fourth), hits allowed per nine innings (6.11, second), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.42, eighth), and WHIP (1.04, second). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 10 of its 22 games this season.
ย
Savage Wins 500th At UCLAย ย ย
The Friday night victory over Oregon State on Mar. 15 represented the 500th as head coach at UCLA for John Savage, making him just the third bench boss in program history to reach that milestone. He is within striking distance of another milestone, as he needs just seven more wins to reach 600 overall in his career.ย
Shutting Them Out
The 8-0 blanking of Oregon State on Mar. 15 was UCLA's sixth shutout of the season, moving them into a tie for the national lead (Tennessee, Auburn). UCLA recorded a shutout in its first four weekend series - once in the opener, twice in the middle game, and once in the finale. The Bruins also have shutouts in two of their four midweek games.ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA ranks 11th in the country with 21 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down eight times, pacing the league and ranking second nationally.ย
Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, leading the Pac-12 and ranking fourth in the nation with 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bruins have struck out at least eight batters in every game so far this year, and have reached double digits in 13 out of 22 games including four of the last five. UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including league-leader Zach Pettway (49), Jesse Bergin (33, eighth), and Kyle Mora (32, ninth).ย
Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been taking advantage of an uptick in playing time. Over the last seven games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted an 11-25 line (.440) with two home runs, nine RBIs, and five runs scored. He drove in the game-winning run in two of three games in the Arizona series, doubling in a pair in the fourth inning on Friday and hitting a two-run homer off the right field foul pole in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie on Sunday. He has been a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee in each of the last two weeks.ย
Hot At Home
UCLA has won 12 of 15 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .716 winning percentage (53-21) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 13 consecutive series - including seven Pac-12 sets - on their home field dating back to April 21-23, 2017 (Oregon State).ย
Putting Down Roots
UCLA is not scheduled to leave Los Angeles County for the entirety of March, as the squad's only road games are at LBSU, LMU, and USC. The Bruins don't leave LA County until Apr. 5 (at Stanford) and don't leave California until May 3 (at ASU).ย
Mitchell Stepping Up
One of UCLA's more consistent hitters early on in the year, sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell has stepped it up another level since moving to the leadoff spot. In nine games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 15-36 (.417) with at least one hit in each game (except for the Arizona series finale, when he was forced to leave early after an HBP on the helmet). Mitchell has also scored 12 runs in that span, drawn five walks, and stolen two bases. He hit a leadoff home run on Mar. 12 at Long Beach State - a noted pitcher's park - for his first career roundtripper.ย
Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 12 triples already this season, a figure which ranks seventh nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's three. ย
Down But Not Out
UCLA has proven itself undeterred when facing a deficit, as the Bruins are 8-2 this year in games where the opponent scores first. Of those 10 games, the Bruins fought back to tie or take the lead in all but one.
ย
Scouting The Trojans
USC is 9-14 overall on the season and 2-4 in Pac-12 play, taking two of three from California before suffering a sweep at Washington last weekend. The Trojans are next-to-last in the Pac-12 in scoring (5.0 runs per game) and seventh in ERA (4.41). CJ Stubbs (.302/.378/.500) has been their top hitter, while lefty Isaac Esqueda (2-0, 0.95) has led a pitching staff that features just four pitchers with ERAs south of 4.00. USC has reached extra innings in each of its last three games, and is most recently coming off an 8-5 win over Long Beach State in 10 innings.ย
Last Time out Against USC
Led by 6 2/3 innings of one-run relief from the bullpen, UCLA shook off a 4-0 deficit to defeat USC 7-5 on Mar. 10 in the finale of the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. The Bruins took advantage of Trojan errors - they made four total for the game - as part of multi-run rallies in the third and seventh innings. Freshman Matt McLain drove in the eventual game-winning run with a two-run double in the eighth. Garrett Mitchell had a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot for UCLA while Ryan Kreidler and Chase Strumpf both had RBI singles.ย
Tackling The Trojans
Though USC holds the edge in the all-time series, UCLA has turned the tide in recent years. Over 14 previous seasons under head coach John Savage, UCLA has either won or split the season series 12 times including weekend sweeps in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, and 2018. The Bruins have swept the last two weekend series against the Trojans, and have just one weekend series loss head-to-head in the last 10 years (2014). John Savage has 34 wins over USC as head coach at UCLA, his most against any single opponent nationwide.ย
Picking Their Spots
UCLA has been efficient on the basepaths this year, stealing 26 bases as a team against just four caught stealings. At 87%, they are one of just two Pac-12 teams over the 80% threshold (Washington, 92%). The Bruins are 9-9 in stolen bases over the last two weeks.
Strumpf Is Streaking
UCLA's standout second baseman, Chase Strumpf, now has a hit in a team-high 13 straight games. He's been held without a hit just three times in the Bruins' 22 games. Strumpf has started to find his power stroke lately as well, as he has two home runs and four extra-base hits over his last five games.ย
Flashing The Leather
A year after ranking third in the country with a .982 fielding percentage, UCLA has been a standout on the defensive side of the ball again in 2019. With a .982 fielding percentage this year, the Bruins currently rank seventh nationally. UCLA is the only school nationwide to rank top-10 in both ERA and fielding percentage.
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 81.1 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.43 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.2 K/9 and 5.9 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 19, and he has struck out 32 batters to this point in the season, good for ninth in the Pac-12. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (seven) and games finished (15). Nate Hadley (4-0, 2.25 ERA) and Jack Filby (2-0, 0.93 ERA) have been excellent out of the pen as well.ย
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Something about the seventh inning gives the Bruins an extra pep in their step. They are outscoring their opponents 34-4 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-30 run differential. UCLA has a plus-38 run differential in all other innings combined. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 13 of their 22 games, more than any other single inning. Sac State and Oregon State are the only squads to score against the Bruins in the seventh.ย
Bruins Picked to Win Pac-12 in Preseason Coaches Poll
In a vote of all 11 Pac-12 coaches, the Bruins were picked as the favorites to win the league in 2019. UCLA received eight of 11 first place votes and a league-high 97 points. 2015 was the last time that UCLA was picked to finish first in the Preseason Coaches Poll, which was also the last time that UCLA won the league. Stanford (two first place votes, 90 points) and Oregon St. (one first place vote, 85 points) also received first place votes. They were followed in succession by Arizona (67), Washington (60), Arizona State (59), Oregon (49), California (37), USC (32), Washington State (15), and Utah (14).ย
Strumpf Named a Unanimous First Team Preseason All-American
UCLA junior Chase Strumpf was the First Team second baseman on every Preseason All-America team released this offseason, as he was honored by Baseball America, D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game. He was one of just four players nationwide to gain consensus First Team status, joining catcher Adley Rutschman (Oregon State), first baseman Andrew Vaughn (Cal), and third baseman Josh Jung (Texas Tech). Strumpf slashed .363/.475/.633 last year with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs en route to All-America and Dick Howser Award semifinalist honors.ย
Toglia, Ydens Also Pick Up All-American Acclaim
Strumpf wasn't the only Bruin to get preseason publicity, as both Michael Toglia and Jeremy Ydens were named Preseason All-Americans. Toglia was a Second Teamer in D1Baseball and a Third Team choice in Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, while Ydens was a Second Team outfielder per Collegiate Baseball. Toglia (.336 average, 11 home runs) and Ydens (.350 average, 28 extra-base hits) were key middle-of-the-order bats for the Bruins last year.
Fabulous Freshmen
UCLA's newest class of newcomers was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country (D1Baseball). The Bruins' new class was the highest-ranked in the Pac-12 and in the western half of the country. UCLA has turned in a top-25 recruiting class for five consecutive seasons, while the Bruins' No. 4 ranking is the highest for the program since 2015. A trio of frosh players were selected to D1Baseball's Top-100 Impact Freshmen List, including list-topper Matt McLain, catcher Noah Cardenas (No. 81), and right-handed pitcher Sean Mullen (No. 89).ย
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/ BaseballUCLA Baseball Postgame - Coach Savage & Players vs. LSU (June 17, 2025)
Tuesday, June 17
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Tuesday, June 17
UCLA Baseball Postgame - Coach Savage & Players vs. Murray State (June 14, 2025)
Saturday, June 14
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Saturday, June 14