Friday, April 12
Los Angeles, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
vs
East Carolina at UCLA
Jack Stronach (photo: Don Liebig)
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
No. 1 UCLA Hosts No. 8 East Carolina in Top-10 Matchup
April 11, 2019 | Baseball
No. 1 UCLA (24-6) vs. No. 8 East Carolina (25-7)
Friday, Apr. 12, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, Apr. 13, 2019 - 2:00 p.m. PT (Doubleheader Game 1)
Saturday, Apr. 13, 2019 โ TBD (Doubleheader Game 2)
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats:ย UCLA Liveย Stats
UCLA Hosts No. 8 East Carolina In League Bye Weekย ย ย
No. 1 UCLA (24-6) continues an eight-game homestand this weekend by hosting No. 8 East Carolina (25-7) for a three-game non-conference series at Jackie Robinson Stadium, consisting of a Friday night game and a Saturday doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m. UCLA will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Friday night. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of the game and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, Apr. 12 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Zach Pettway, RHP, So. (2-2, 3.42 ERA)
ECU - Jake Agnos, LHP, Jr. (4-2, 2.76 ERA)
Saturday, Apr. 13 - 2:00 p.m. PT (Doubleheader Game One)
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, RJr. (5-0, 2.76 ERA)
ECU - Tyler Smith, RHP, Jr. (4-0, 5.05 ERA)
Saturday, Apr. 13 - TBD (Doubleheader Game Two)
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (3-0, 1.67 ERA)
ECU - Jake Kuchmaner, LHP, So. (3-0, 1.99 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 24-6 to start the 2019 campaign and 9-3 in Pac-12 play, winning all seven of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting an unbeaten 6-0 record in midweeks. At 24-6, UCLA is off to its second-best 30-game start of the John Savage era, trailing only the 2010 club that went 26-4 out of the gate.ย
Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings, Gain Consensus Status
After winning the 1-vs-2 matchup at The Farm last weekend, UCLA retained its place at the top of the polls. 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 for the fourth consecutive week. In addition, the Bruins topped the list of Collegiate Baseball for the first time this season, making them the consensus No. 1 team in the country. UCLA jumped to No. 1 in the country in mid-March 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.ย
Tough Sledding
Starting last weekend against Stanford and going through this weekend's series with East Carolina, UCLA is currently in a stretch that sees them play seven straight games against ranked opponents. The Bruins are 7-4 this year against top-25 teams and currently have the nation's No. 1 strength of schedule acccording to WarrenNolan.com.ย
The Week In Review
Last week, UCLA won a road series at No. 2 Stanford before returning home for a midweek win over No. 16 UC Irvine.ย
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 (2.57, second), hits allowed per nine innings (6.21, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.13, 10th). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 13 of its 30 games this season.ย
Offense Heats Up
The Bruins' offense has kicked it into high gear recently, scoring at least nine runs in five of the last six games including a trio of double-digit outputs. Over the last month, UCLA has averaged 7.6 runs per game, an increase of over two runs compared to the season's first month (5.2 runs per game).ย
Bruins Earn Historic Series Win At Stanford
Last weekend's series in Northern California, featuring the top-two-ranked teams in the country, was a rarity in college baseball. It was just the 13th-ever matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, and the first featuring two Pac-12 teams since 1988. It was just the third time in those 13 instances where the road team won the game/series.ย
Bouncing Back
The Stanford series represented the fourth time this season that UCLA has lost on a Friday. In each of those past four occasions, the Bruins have bounced back to win the final two games of the weekend.ย
Holden' It Down At The End Of The Game
UCLA sophomore closer Holden Powell is in the midst of a hot streak. He's gone seven straight appearances, spanning 8.0 innings, without allowing as much as a hit. In that span, he's struck out 13 compared to just two walks. Most recently, Powell tossed 2 2/3 innings of near-perfect relief against the Cardinal. Only one of the nine batters he faced reach (via error) while he fanned four. On Sunday, he pitched 1 2/3 innings to lock down his Pac-12-best eighth save of the year, the first this season that required him to record more than three outs. Powell last allowed a run on Mar. 17.ย
Savage Named Midseason Coach Of The Year
UCLA head coach John Savage was named the Coach of the Year in Perfect Game's Midseason Baseball Awards, published on Apr. 3. The outlet noted that "UCLA entered the year with lofty expectations, but it's important to note that they have met, and even surpassed, those expectations to this point of the year and have done so without being at full strength." Savage was the 2010 and 2013 National Coach of the Year and the 2015 Pac-12 Coach of the Year.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 15 times in 30 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.76) and Ryan Garcia (0.93) have the two-lowest individual WHIPs on the club. This weekend represents a matchup of two top-15 WHIP clubs, as ECU ranks 13th in the country at 1.16.ย
RPI Report
UCLA entered the week with the top RPI in the country, and now leads the nation in both RPI and strength of schedule. This weekend should be helpful for the Bruins' RPI ranking, as ECU is currently No. 11 in the RPI.ย
Savage Wins 500th At UCLA, On The Verge Of 600 Overallย 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 on the precipice of another milestone, as his next win will be the 600th 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 has received three over the last two weeks. First, Jake Pries hit a first-inning grand slam to help UCLA to a 9-4 win over Loyola Marymount on Mar. 26. Then on Mar. 31 at USC, 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. Michael Toglia added a five-RBI performance in the Saturday game of the Stanford series, the third time in his career that he's reached that plateau.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 - first baseman Michael Toglia is starting to heat up with the bat, collecting hits in 10 of his last 11 games. That stretch includes a season-high three hits on two separate occasions and a season-high five RBIs on Apr. 6 at Stanford. Over the last 11 games, he's gone 17-43 (.395) with nine extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (29) and extra-base hits (16).
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 midweek games.ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA ranks 13th in the country with 26 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down nine times, pacing the league and ranking fourth nationally.ย
Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, leading the Pac-12 and ranking seventh in the nation with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. UCLA has punched out at least 10 batters in 17 of its 30 games, including the team's last four contests. UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (56, third), Jesse Bergin (50, fifth), and Jack Ralston (40, 10th).ย
Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been taking advantage of an uptick in playing time. Over the last 15 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 23-54 line (.426) with two home runs, 17 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. He has hits seven of his last eight games, including a career-high four hits at Stanford on Saturday. Stronach has been a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee in three of the last four weeks. ย
Hot At Home
UCLA has won 14 of 17 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .724 winning percentage (55-21) 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 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 Stanford Apr. 5-7, 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 17 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 27-72 (.375) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. He leads the team in doubles (10).ย
Six Is The Magic Number
If the Bruins can get to six runs, they're in pretty good shape. So far this season, UCLA has posted an unbeaten 18-0 record when reaching the six-run plateau. UCLA opponents are just 3-3 when scoring six runs or more.ย
Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 15 triples this season, a figure which ranks ninth nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's four. Jake Pries and Michael Toglia have three apiece.
Scouting The Pirates
ECU has put together a solid resume so far, posting a 25-7 overall record and a league-leading 8-1 mark in American Athletic Conference play. They enter the weekend ranked as high as No. 8 in the country, the first time they've cracked the top-10 this season. ECU has not dropped a series yet in 2019. The Pirates have five regulars batting .300 or higher, including Spencer Brickhouse who has a standout .376/.496/.731 slash line along with a team-high eight homers. On the pitching side, ECU has recorded a 3.09 team ERA. The PIrates have been successful in limiting free passes, as they rank top-15 in the country in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.36, sixth) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.97, 12th).
History Against East Carolina
UCLA is 5-1 all-time against East Carolina, playing a pair of series - one home and one away - since 2007. The Bruins swept the Pirates at Jackie Robinson Stadium from Feb. 16-18, 2007, outscoring the visitors 22-14 for the set. UCLA returned back east two years later, taking two of three from at ECU from Mar. 13-14, 2009.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 101.0 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.22 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.0 K/9 and 5.2 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 25, and he has struck out 39 batters to this point in the season. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (eight) and games finished (18). Nate Hadley (4-0, 1.59 ERA) and Jack Filby (2-0, 0.90 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 48-7 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-41 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the fourth (18-4, plus-14). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 192-93 overall for the year.ย
Off To A Good Start
UCLA is an unbeaten 9-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. Similarly, the Bruins are 14-2 (.875 winning percentage) when scoring first, compared to a 10-4 (.714) mark when the opposition gets on the board first.ย
Nailing It Down
The Bruins have been rock steady at the back end of games this year, posting a 21-0 record this year when holding the lead after seven innings. Taking it further, the Bruins are 23-0 when leading after eight.ย
Positional Power Rankings Update
UCLA remained well-represented in the latest D1Baseball positional power rankings, published the last week of March.ย
Friday, Apr. 12, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, Apr. 13, 2019 - 2:00 p.m. PT (Doubleheader Game 1)
Saturday, Apr. 13, 2019 โ TBD (Doubleheader Game 2)
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats:ย UCLA Liveย Stats
UCLA Hosts No. 8 East Carolina In League Bye Weekย ย ย
No. 1 UCLA (24-6) continues an eight-game homestand this weekend by hosting No. 8 East Carolina (25-7) for a three-game non-conference series at Jackie Robinson Stadium, consisting of a Friday night game and a Saturday doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m. UCLA will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Friday night. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of the game and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, Apr. 12 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Zach Pettway, RHP, So. (2-2, 3.42 ERA)
ECU - Jake Agnos, LHP, Jr. (4-2, 2.76 ERA)
Saturday, Apr. 13 - 2:00 p.m. PT (Doubleheader Game One)
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, RJr. (5-0, 2.76 ERA)
ECU - Tyler Smith, RHP, Jr. (4-0, 5.05 ERA)
Saturday, Apr. 13 - TBD (Doubleheader Game Two)
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (3-0, 1.67 ERA)
ECU - Jake Kuchmaner, LHP, So. (3-0, 1.99 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 24-6 to start the 2019 campaign and 9-3 in Pac-12 play, winning all seven of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting an unbeaten 6-0 record in midweeks. At 24-6, UCLA is off to its second-best 30-game start of the John Savage era, trailing only the 2010 club that went 26-4 out of the gate.ย
Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings, Gain Consensus Status
After winning the 1-vs-2 matchup at The Farm last weekend, UCLA retained its place at the top of the polls. 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 for the fourth consecutive week. In addition, the Bruins topped the list of Collegiate Baseball for the first time this season, making them the consensus No. 1 team in the country. UCLA jumped to No. 1 in the country in mid-March 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.ย
Tough Sledding
Starting last weekend against Stanford and going through this weekend's series with East Carolina, UCLA is currently in a stretch that sees them play seven straight games against ranked opponents. The Bruins are 7-4 this year against top-25 teams and currently have the nation's No. 1 strength of schedule acccording to WarrenNolan.com.ย
The Week In Review
Last week, UCLA won a road series at No. 2 Stanford before returning home for a midweek win over No. 16 UC Irvine.ย
- The Bruins lost the Stanford series opener in heartbreaking fashion, rallying for two runs to tie it at 2-2 in the top of the ninth before the Cardinal answered with a walk-off single in the bottom half of the frame. Ryan Kreider had the key hit of the ninth inning rally, pulling a liner into the left field corner for a run-scoring double. RJ Teijeiro followed with a pinch-single to tie it up. Stanford loaded the bases in the bottom half, ending the game on a line single from Will Matthiessen. UCLA starter Zach Pettway allowed a solo homer in the first, but was outstanding from there on out, holding Stanford off the board the rest of the way until there were two outs in the eighth.ย
- UCLA responded with a season-high 15 hits on Saturday, winning 11-5 to even the series. Jack Stronach had four hits while Michael Toglia drove in a season-high five runs to lead the Bruin offense. Garrett Mitchell (3-5, two runs), Jake Pries (2-4, three RBIs), and Ryan Kreidler (2-5, two runs) all chipped in as well as the Bruins reached the double-digit run mark for the fifth time this season. Jack Ralston limited the Cardinal to two earned in his five-inning start, and the bullpen - Jesse Bergin, Nate Hadley, and Holden Powell - shut it down with four hit-free innings of relief.ย
- The Bruins captured the series with a 10-7 win on Sunday, using a six-run seventh inning to go ahead for good. Kreidler and Matt McLain had the big hits of the rally, clubbing a two-run double and three-run triple, respectively. The outburst represented UCLA's third six-run inning of the year. Ryan Garcia had a career-high 11 strikeouts in the win, becoming the first Bruin since Griffin Canning in 2017 to notch that many strikeouts in a game. He moved to 3-0 with the win. UCLA scored three runs early on sac flies from Jake Pries (2) and Jake Hirabayashi.
- The Bruins scored 23 runs in the series, their most at Stanford since 2007
- UCLA scored in each of its first three at-bats to take a sizable lead en route to a 9-3 victory over No. 16 UC Irvine on Tuesday. After UCI posted a two-spot in the top of the first, the Bruins responded with one run in the bottom half before posting back-to-back three spots to take a 7-2 lead after three. Michael Toglia had a leadoff hit to spark multi-run rallies in the second, third, and seventh innings. The Bruins held UCI to one run after the first inning. Six separate Bruins drove in multiple runs. Jesse Bergin struck out seven in a five-inning start to improve to 4-0 on the year.
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 (2.57, second), hits allowed per nine innings (6.21, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.13, 10th). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 13 of its 30 games this season.ย
Offense Heats Up
The Bruins' offense has kicked it into high gear recently, scoring at least nine runs in five of the last six games including a trio of double-digit outputs. Over the last month, UCLA has averaged 7.6 runs per game, an increase of over two runs compared to the season's first month (5.2 runs per game).ย
Bruins Earn Historic Series Win At Stanford
Last weekend's series in Northern California, featuring the top-two-ranked teams in the country, was a rarity in college baseball. It was just the 13th-ever matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, and the first featuring two Pac-12 teams since 1988. It was just the third time in those 13 instances where the road team won the game/series.ย
Bouncing Back
The Stanford series represented the fourth time this season that UCLA has lost on a Friday. In each of those past four occasions, the Bruins have bounced back to win the final two games of the weekend.ย
Holden' It Down At The End Of The Game
UCLA sophomore closer Holden Powell is in the midst of a hot streak. He's gone seven straight appearances, spanning 8.0 innings, without allowing as much as a hit. In that span, he's struck out 13 compared to just two walks. Most recently, Powell tossed 2 2/3 innings of near-perfect relief against the Cardinal. Only one of the nine batters he faced reach (via error) while he fanned four. On Sunday, he pitched 1 2/3 innings to lock down his Pac-12-best eighth save of the year, the first this season that required him to record more than three outs. Powell last allowed a run on Mar. 17.ย
Savage Named Midseason Coach Of The Year
UCLA head coach John Savage was named the Coach of the Year in Perfect Game's Midseason Baseball Awards, published on Apr. 3. The outlet noted that "UCLA entered the year with lofty expectations, but it's important to note that they have met, and even surpassed, those expectations to this point of the year and have done so without being at full strength." Savage was the 2010 and 2013 National Coach of the Year and the 2015 Pac-12 Coach of the Year.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 15 times in 30 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.76) and Ryan Garcia (0.93) have the two-lowest individual WHIPs on the club. This weekend represents a matchup of two top-15 WHIP clubs, as ECU ranks 13th in the country at 1.16.ย
RPI Report
UCLA entered the week with the top RPI in the country, and now leads the nation in both RPI and strength of schedule. This weekend should be helpful for the Bruins' RPI ranking, as ECU is currently No. 11 in the RPI.ย
Savage Wins 500th At UCLA, On The Verge Of 600 Overallย 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 on the precipice of another milestone, as his next win will be the 600th 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 has received three over the last two weeks. First, Jake Pries hit a first-inning grand slam to help UCLA to a 9-4 win over Loyola Marymount on Mar. 26. Then on Mar. 31 at USC, 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. Michael Toglia added a five-RBI performance in the Saturday game of the Stanford series, the third time in his career that he's reached that plateau.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 - first baseman Michael Toglia is starting to heat up with the bat, collecting hits in 10 of his last 11 games. That stretch includes a season-high three hits on two separate occasions and a season-high five RBIs on Apr. 6 at Stanford. Over the last 11 games, he's gone 17-43 (.395) with nine extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (29) and extra-base hits (16).
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 midweek games.ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA ranks 13th in the country with 26 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down nine times, pacing the league and ranking fourth nationally.ย
Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, leading the Pac-12 and ranking seventh in the nation with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. UCLA has punched out at least 10 batters in 17 of its 30 games, including the team's last four contests. UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (56, third), Jesse Bergin (50, fifth), and Jack Ralston (40, 10th).ย
Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been taking advantage of an uptick in playing time. Over the last 15 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 23-54 line (.426) with two home runs, 17 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. He has hits seven of his last eight games, including a career-high four hits at Stanford on Saturday. Stronach has been a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee in three of the last four weeks. ย
Hot At Home
UCLA has won 14 of 17 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .724 winning percentage (55-21) 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 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 Stanford Apr. 5-7, 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 17 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 27-72 (.375) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. He leads the team in doubles (10).ย
Six Is The Magic Number
If the Bruins can get to six runs, they're in pretty good shape. So far this season, UCLA has posted an unbeaten 18-0 record when reaching the six-run plateau. UCLA opponents are just 3-3 when scoring six runs or more.ย
Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 15 triples this season, a figure which ranks ninth nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's four. Jake Pries and Michael Toglia have three apiece.
Scouting The Pirates
ECU has put together a solid resume so far, posting a 25-7 overall record and a league-leading 8-1 mark in American Athletic Conference play. They enter the weekend ranked as high as No. 8 in the country, the first time they've cracked the top-10 this season. ECU has not dropped a series yet in 2019. The Pirates have five regulars batting .300 or higher, including Spencer Brickhouse who has a standout .376/.496/.731 slash line along with a team-high eight homers. On the pitching side, ECU has recorded a 3.09 team ERA. The PIrates have been successful in limiting free passes, as they rank top-15 in the country in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.36, sixth) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.97, 12th).
History Against East Carolina
UCLA is 5-1 all-time against East Carolina, playing a pair of series - one home and one away - since 2007. The Bruins swept the Pirates at Jackie Robinson Stadium from Feb. 16-18, 2007, outscoring the visitors 22-14 for the set. UCLA returned back east two years later, taking two of three from at ECU from Mar. 13-14, 2009.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 101.0 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.22 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.0 K/9 and 5.2 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 25, and he has struck out 39 batters to this point in the season. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (eight) and games finished (18). Nate Hadley (4-0, 1.59 ERA) and Jack Filby (2-0, 0.90 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 48-7 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-41 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the fourth (18-4, plus-14). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 192-93 overall for the year.ย
Off To A Good Start
UCLA is an unbeaten 9-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. Similarly, the Bruins are 14-2 (.875 winning percentage) when scoring first, compared to a 10-4 (.714) mark when the opposition gets on the board first.ย
Nailing It Down
The Bruins have been rock steady at the back end of games this year, posting a 21-0 record this year when holding the lead after seven innings. Taking it further, the Bruins are 23-0 when leading after eight.ย
Positional Power Rankings Update
UCLA remained well-represented in the latest D1Baseball positional power rankings, published the last week of March.ย
- First Base - Michael Toglia, No. 11
- Second Base - Chase Strumpf, No. 6
- Third Base - Ryan Kreidler, No. 10 (up from No. 29 in the preseason rankings)
- Outfield - Garrett Mitchell, No. 35 (up from No. 62)
- Starting Pitcher - Ryan Garcia, No. 20; Zach Pettway, No. 22 (up from No. 100); Jack Ralston, No. 118
- Relief Pitcher: Holden Powell, No. 42; Kyle Mora, No. 57; Jack Filby, No. 78
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