Tuesday, April 2
Los Angeles, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
vs
CSUN at UCLA
Nate Hadley (photo: Scott Chandler)
Photo by: Scott Chandler
No. 1 UCLA Returns Home to Host CSUN
April 01, 2019 | Baseball
No. 1 UCLA (20-5) vs. CSUN (12-16)
Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium Stadium
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats
UCLA Returns To Jackie Robinson Stadium to Host CSUNย ย ย
No. 1 UCLA (20-5) returns to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday night to host Big West-member CSUN (12-16) for a 6:00 p.m. midweek contest. The Bruins defeated the Matadors 4-3 earlier this season in Northridge. Tuesday's game is the lone home contest for UCLA in a two-week stretch; the Bruins won a series at USC last weekend and are on the road at No. 2 Stanford this upcoming weekend. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of Tuesday's game, and fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Apr. 2 - 6 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (2-0, 3.49 ERA)
CSUN - Cassius Hamm, RHP, RSr. (2-1, 5.73 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 20-5 to start the 2019 campaign, winning all six 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 20-5, UCLA is off to its second-best 25-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 23-2 out of the gate.ย
Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings
After winning the series over crosstown rival USC over the weekend, UCLA remained atop nearly every major national poll for the third consecutive week. 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. 3. UCLA jumped to No. 1 in the country two weeks ago 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. CSUN is unranked in all polls, though upcoming opponent Stanford is ranked No. 2 in the country.ย
The Week In Review
Over the last week, UCLA defeated LMU in a road midweek and then took two of three from crosstown rival USC in a weekend Pac-12 series at Dedeaux Field. ย
ย ย -Last 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 dropped the series opener against USC by a score of 7-2. The Trojans opened up a 5-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning, and went on to score in each of the odd-numbered innings. Michael Toglia singled in Chase Strump to break up the shutout in the sixth inning, and then Jack Filby provided an RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth in his first-ever collegiate plate appearance. Felix Rubi pitched a scoreless eighth in his Division I debut for UCLA.ย
ย ย -The Bruins rebounded for a resounding 7-1 win on Saturday. Jack Ralston was flat-out dominant on the mound for UCLA, holding the Trojans off the board until Jamal O'Guinn hit a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Before that roundtripper, no USC player had advanced past first base all day. Ralston would end up one out short of the complete game, as Kyle Mora came in to finish the job. Jake Pries hit a three-run homer in the top of the first to provide all the offense UCLA would need, but the Bruins put up another three-spot in the third after stringing together four straight hits capped off by a two-run double from Michael Toglia.ย
ย ย -UCLA captured the series with a 9-2 rubber match win. After USC tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the second, the Bruins would go on to score seven unanswered runs. Jarron Silva hit his first collegiate home run and had a career-high four RBIs to lead the Bruin offense. Michael Toglia also homered and had a season-high three hits. After a shaky first couple innings, Ryan Garcia and the UCLA bullpen shut out USC for seven straight innings to close the game.ย
ย ย -UCLA out-scored USC 16-3 over the final two games of the series and 18-10 overall.ย
UCLA Pitching Getting It Done
UCLA's pitching has been been on fire in 2019, as the Bruin staff has produced some of the best numbers in the nation. The Bruins are among the NCAA leaders in ERA (2.60, fourth), hits allowed per nine innings (6.20, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.07, 11th). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 12 of its 25 games this season.ย
WHIP It Good
At 1.06, UCLA enters the weekend with the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of any team in the country. The Bruins have posted a sub-1.00 WHIP 13 times in 25 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.86) and Ryan Garcia (0.95) have the two-lowest individual WHIPs on the club.ย
Savage Wins 500th At UCLAย ย ย
UCLA's 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 five more wins to reach 600 overall in his career.ย
Run Producersย ย ย
After going 21 straight games without an individual four-RBI performance to start the year, UCLA received two last week. First, Jake Pries hit a first-inning grand slam to help UCLA to a 9-4 win over Loyola Marymount. Then on Sunday, Jarron Silva doubled his previous career-best with a four-RBI day, hitting a two-run homer in the second and then lining a bases-loaded double to bring in another pair in the ninth.ย
Toglia Teeing Off
After a bit of a slow start to the season - he was batting .207 through the team's first 15 games - junior first baseman Michael Toglia is starting to heat up with the bat, collecting hits in six straight and nine of his last 10 games. That stretch includes a season-high three-hit performance on Sunday against USC featuring a home run over the right field scoreboard at Dedeaux Field. In his current six-game hitting streak, he's 10-24 (.417) with four extra-base hits and nine RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (21) and is second in extra-base hits (11).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 22 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down nine 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 11th in the nation with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Last weekend was a rarity for the Bruins, who picked up just 15 strikeouts against the Trojans. UCLA had at least 28 strikeouts in each prior weekend this year and as many as 41 (against St. John's). UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (51, second), Kyle Mora (35, T-10th), and Jack Ralston (35, T-10th).
Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been taking advantage of an uptick in playing time. Over the last 10 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 16-36 line (.444) with two home runs, 10 RBIs, and seven 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 was a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee after both the Oregon State and Arizona series.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
Midweek Notes
UCLA is 4-0 in midweeks this year, including a 3-0 mark on the road. Garrett Mitchell (.412/.474/.588), Noah Cardenas (.400/.556/.400), and Ryan Kreidler (.313/.556/.500) have been especially hot at the plate against midweek opponents. UCLA has shown up on the mound for its Tuesday games, recording a team 1.75 ERA compared to a 4.37 clip from its opponents. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).
Putting Down Roots
UCLA didn't leave Los Angeles County for the entire month of March, as the team's only road games were at LBSU, LMU, and USC. After traveling to Palo Alto this weekend, the Bruins stay in Southern California for the rest of April, traveling for just two road contests (at Cal State Fullerton and at Pepperdine). 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 12 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 17-50 (.340) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. His nine doubles and 12 extra-base hits this season are both team highs.ย
Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 12 triples already this season, a figure which ranks 12th 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 9-3 this year in games where the opponent scores first. Of those 12 games, the Bruins fought back to tie or take the lead in all but two.ย
Scouting The Matadors
CSUN is 12-16 overall this season and 0-3 in Big West play, most recently coming off a sweep at Cal Poly. The Matadors rank in the bottom half of their league in scoring (5.0 runs per game) while they are fifth in Team ERA (4.41). Kyle Barret (.333/.429/.537) has been their top hitter. CSUN has clubbed 25 home runs as a team, good for top-50 in the nation. Projected starter Cassius Hamm is 2-1 on the year with a 5.73 ERA. He's making just his second start of the year, both against the Bruins.ย
Last Time out Against CSUN
UCLA eked out a 4-3 win against CSUN at Matador Field on Feb. 26 of this year, taking advantage of a late throwing error to plate the game-winning run as Matt McLain scored all the way from second, moving up 90 feet on a wild pitch and then advancing home on the same play after a throw down to second base caromed off Garrett Mitchell and into center field. With a one-run lead, Kyle Mora and Holden Powell shut the door to preserve the 4-3 win. Nick Nastrini allowed three hits over five shutout innings for UCLA, while McLain (2-4, two RBIs) and Ryan Kreidler (2-4, RBI) had solid days with the bat.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 86.2 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.28 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.0 K/9 and 5.9 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 21, and he has struck out 35 batters to this point in the season, good for 10th in the Pac-12. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (seven) and games finished (16). Nate Hadley (4-0, 1.93 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 34-6 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-28 run differential, over half of the team's plus-48 overall differential. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 13 of their 25 games, more than any other single inning.
Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium Stadium
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats
UCLA Returns To Jackie Robinson Stadium to Host CSUNย ย ย
No. 1 UCLA (20-5) returns to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday night to host Big West-member CSUN (12-16) for a 6:00 p.m. midweek contest. The Bruins defeated the Matadors 4-3 earlier this season in Northridge. Tuesday's game is the lone home contest for UCLA in a two-week stretch; the Bruins won a series at USC last weekend and are on the road at No. 2 Stanford this upcoming weekend. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of Tuesday's game, and fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Apr. 2 - 6 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (2-0, 3.49 ERA)
CSUN - Cassius Hamm, RHP, RSr. (2-1, 5.73 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 20-5 to start the 2019 campaign, winning all six 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 20-5, UCLA is off to its second-best 25-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 23-2 out of the gate.ย
Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings
After winning the series over crosstown rival USC over the weekend, UCLA remained atop nearly every major national poll for the third consecutive week. 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. 3. UCLA jumped to No. 1 in the country two weeks ago 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. CSUN is unranked in all polls, though upcoming opponent Stanford is ranked No. 2 in the country.ย
The Week In Review
Over the last week, UCLA defeated LMU in a road midweek and then took two of three from crosstown rival USC in a weekend Pac-12 series at Dedeaux Field. ย
ย ย -Last 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 dropped the series opener against USC by a score of 7-2. The Trojans opened up a 5-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning, and went on to score in each of the odd-numbered innings. Michael Toglia singled in Chase Strump to break up the shutout in the sixth inning, and then Jack Filby provided an RBI single up the middle in the top of the ninth in his first-ever collegiate plate appearance. Felix Rubi pitched a scoreless eighth in his Division I debut for UCLA.ย
ย ย -The Bruins rebounded for a resounding 7-1 win on Saturday. Jack Ralston was flat-out dominant on the mound for UCLA, holding the Trojans off the board until Jamal O'Guinn hit a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Before that roundtripper, no USC player had advanced past first base all day. Ralston would end up one out short of the complete game, as Kyle Mora came in to finish the job. Jake Pries hit a three-run homer in the top of the first to provide all the offense UCLA would need, but the Bruins put up another three-spot in the third after stringing together four straight hits capped off by a two-run double from Michael Toglia.ย
ย ย -UCLA captured the series with a 9-2 rubber match win. After USC tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the second, the Bruins would go on to score seven unanswered runs. Jarron Silva hit his first collegiate home run and had a career-high four RBIs to lead the Bruin offense. Michael Toglia also homered and had a season-high three hits. After a shaky first couple innings, Ryan Garcia and the UCLA bullpen shut out USC for seven straight innings to close the game.ย
ย ย -UCLA out-scored USC 16-3 over the final two games of the series and 18-10 overall.ย
UCLA Pitching Getting It Done
UCLA's pitching has been been on fire in 2019, as the Bruin staff has produced some of the best numbers in the nation. The Bruins are among the NCAA leaders in ERA (2.60, fourth), hits allowed per nine innings (6.20, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.07, 11th). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 12 of its 25 games this season.ย
WHIP It Good
At 1.06, UCLA enters the weekend with the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of any team in the country. The Bruins have posted a sub-1.00 WHIP 13 times in 25 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.86) and Ryan Garcia (0.95) have the two-lowest individual WHIPs on the club.ย
Savage Wins 500th At UCLAย ย ย
UCLA's 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 five more wins to reach 600 overall in his career.ย
Run Producersย ย ย
After going 21 straight games without an individual four-RBI performance to start the year, UCLA received two last week. First, Jake Pries hit a first-inning grand slam to help UCLA to a 9-4 win over Loyola Marymount. Then on Sunday, Jarron Silva doubled his previous career-best with a four-RBI day, hitting a two-run homer in the second and then lining a bases-loaded double to bring in another pair in the ninth.ย
Toglia Teeing Off
After a bit of a slow start to the season - he was batting .207 through the team's first 15 games - junior first baseman Michael Toglia is starting to heat up with the bat, collecting hits in six straight and nine of his last 10 games. That stretch includes a season-high three-hit performance on Sunday against USC featuring a home run over the right field scoreboard at Dedeaux Field. In his current six-game hitting streak, he's 10-24 (.417) with four extra-base hits and nine RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (21) and is second in extra-base hits (11).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 22 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down nine 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 11th in the nation with 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Last weekend was a rarity for the Bruins, who picked up just 15 strikeouts against the Trojans. UCLA had at least 28 strikeouts in each prior weekend this year and as many as 41 (against St. John's). UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (51, second), Kyle Mora (35, T-10th), and Jack Ralston (35, T-10th).
Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been taking advantage of an uptick in playing time. Over the last 10 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 16-36 line (.444) with two home runs, 10 RBIs, and seven 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 was a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee after both the Oregon State and Arizona series.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
Midweek Notes
UCLA is 4-0 in midweeks this year, including a 3-0 mark on the road. Garrett Mitchell (.412/.474/.588), Noah Cardenas (.400/.556/.400), and Ryan Kreidler (.313/.556/.500) have been especially hot at the plate against midweek opponents. UCLA has shown up on the mound for its Tuesday games, recording a team 1.75 ERA compared to a 4.37 clip from its opponents. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).
Putting Down Roots
UCLA didn't leave Los Angeles County for the entire month of March, as the team's only road games were at LBSU, LMU, and USC. After traveling to Palo Alto this weekend, the Bruins stay in Southern California for the rest of April, traveling for just two road contests (at Cal State Fullerton and at Pepperdine). 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 12 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 17-50 (.340) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. His nine doubles and 12 extra-base hits this season are both team highs.ย
Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 12 triples already this season, a figure which ranks 12th 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 9-3 this year in games where the opponent scores first. Of those 12 games, the Bruins fought back to tie or take the lead in all but two.ย
Scouting The Matadors
CSUN is 12-16 overall this season and 0-3 in Big West play, most recently coming off a sweep at Cal Poly. The Matadors rank in the bottom half of their league in scoring (5.0 runs per game) while they are fifth in Team ERA (4.41). Kyle Barret (.333/.429/.537) has been their top hitter. CSUN has clubbed 25 home runs as a team, good for top-50 in the nation. Projected starter Cassius Hamm is 2-1 on the year with a 5.73 ERA. He's making just his second start of the year, both against the Bruins.ย
Last Time out Against CSUN
UCLA eked out a 4-3 win against CSUN at Matador Field on Feb. 26 of this year, taking advantage of a late throwing error to plate the game-winning run as Matt McLain scored all the way from second, moving up 90 feet on a wild pitch and then advancing home on the same play after a throw down to second base caromed off Garrett Mitchell and into center field. With a one-run lead, Kyle Mora and Holden Powell shut the door to preserve the 4-3 win. Nick Nastrini allowed three hits over five shutout innings for UCLA, while McLain (2-4, two RBIs) and Ryan Kreidler (2-4, RBI) had solid days with the bat.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 86.2 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.28 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.0 K/9 and 5.9 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 21, and he has struck out 35 batters to this point in the season, good for 10th in the Pac-12. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (seven) and games finished (16). Nate Hadley (4-0, 1.93 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 34-6 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-28 run differential, over half of the team's plus-48 overall differential. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 13 of their 25 games, more than any other single inning.
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