No. 1 UCLA Set to Tangle With Titans on Tuesday Night

Tuesday, April 23

Fullerton, CA

6:00 PM

UCLA

UCLA at Cal State Fullerton

Kyle Mora (photo: Scott Chandler)

Photo by: Scott Chandler

No. 1 UCLA Set to Tangle With Titans on Tuesday Night

April 22, 2019 | Baseball

Game Notes (PDF)Listen Watch Live Stats

No. 1 UCLA (30-7) vs. Cal State Fullerton (16-19)
Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Fullerton, Calif. (Goodwin Field)
Stream: CSF Live Stream
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats

UCLA Heads To Fullerton For Midweek Showdown
No. 1 UCLA (30-7) plays its first road game since Apr. 7 on Tuesday night, traveling to Orange County for a 6:00 p.m. midweek contest at Big West-member Cal State Fullerton (16-19). UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of every game this season and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.

Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Apr. 23 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (4-0, 3.06 ERA)
CSF - Joe Magrisi, RHP, Fr. (0-1, 6.30 ERA)

The Story So Far
UCLA is 30-7 to start the 2019 campaign and 11-4 in Pac-12 play, winning all nine of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting an unbeaten 7-0 record in midweeks. At 30-7, UCLA is tied for the best 37-game start in the John Savage era, equaling the mark of the 2010 club.

Bruins Remain Consensus No. 1 Team In The Country
After winning the series over Cal, 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 sixth consecutive week. In addition, the Bruins topped the list of Collegiate Baseball for the third consecutive week, maintaining their status as 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.

The Week In Review
UCLA went 3-1 last week, edging Pepperdine in a home midweek before taking two of three from Cal over the weekend at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The Bruins opened the week with a 3-2 win over Pepperdine on Monday, recovering from an 0-2 deficit with a three-run seventh inning. Chase Strumpf had the big blow of the decisive rally, hitting a sharp single to left with the bases loaded to bring in the game-tying and go-ahead runs. Kyle Mora and Holden Powell pitched scoreless frames to lock down the win for UCLA. Jesse Bergin struck out eight in a six-inning start.
UCLA erased a four-run deficit to win the series-opener over Cal 8-7, ending the game on a true walk-off as Garrett Mitchell drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Trailing 7-3 at the midway point of the game, the UCLA bullpen helped faciliate the comeback with 4 2/3 innings of one-hit, shutout relief. Chase Strumpf cut the Bruins' deficit in half with a two-run single in the fifth, then UCLA tied it up in the eighth with a Kevin Kendall RBI single and bases-loaded HBP of Ryan Kreidler. UCLA went single, walk, hit-by-pitch, walk in the bottom of the ninth to produce the walk-off run. It was the Bruins' third walk-off win of the year.
Cal right-hander Jared Horn limited the Bruins to one run and three hits in a 4-1 loss for UCLA in the middle game of the series. It was just the second time this year that the Bruins dropped game two of a series. Ryan Garcia had a standout start of his own for UCLA, striking out nine over six innings of one-run ball. The Bears put up three runs in the seventh as part of a decisive rally. Kevin Kendall scored UCLA's lone run, walking to lead off the third and later coming in on a Garrett Mitchell sac fly.
The Bruins bounced back to clinch the series with a comfortable 6-1 win on Saturday. UCLA produced all the offense it would need in a three-run third, as Jack Ralston (6.1 IP, 1 ER) and the Bruin bullpen limited a potent Cal offense to one run. Ryan Kreidler doubled to ignite multi-run rallies in the third and eighth, and Chase Strumpf had a team-high two RBIs on the day. Noah Cardenas was 3-3 out of the nine-hole.

Fastest To 30
With Saturday's triumph over the Bears, the 2019 Bruins matched the 2010 club as the fastest team in program history to reach the 30-win plateau. John Savage has now led the Bruins to 30 wins in 40 games or less three times in his career (2015 the other).

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 (2.73, third), hits allowed per nine innings (6.49, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.10, ninth). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 15 of its 37 games this season.

Offense Heats Up
Over the last month, UCLA has averaged 6.8 runs per game, an increase of almost two runs compared to the season's first month (5.2 runs per game). Six UCLA regulars are batting north of .300 over the last month: Noah Cardenas (.435), Jack Stronach (.357), Kevin Kendall (.327), Michael Toglia (.324), Chase Strumpf (.311), and Jake Pries (.306).

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 12 straight appearances, spanning 13.0 innings, without allowing a run. In that span, he's struck out 19 compared to just four walks and two hits. He was near-unhittable last weekend against Cal, allowing just one baserunner over two appearances (2.0 IP). He earned the win in Thursday's series opener to even his record at 2-2. Powell leads the Pac-12 and is second nationally with 11 saves. He is the first Bruin with double-digit saves since David Berg had 13 in 2015. Powell last allowed a run on Mar. 17.

WHIP It Good
At 1.09, UCLA enters the weekend with the second-lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) in the country. The Bruins have posted a sub-1.00 WHIP 17 times in 37 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.90), Jack Filby (0.91), and Ryan Garcia (0.98) have the lowest WHIPs on the team among active pitchers.

Pitching And Defense Is The Name Of the game
A year after ranking third in the country with a .982 fielding percentage, UCLA is back in the top-10 this year at .981 (sixth). The Bruins are one of two teams (Georgia) who rank in the top-10 nationally in both fielding percentage and ERA.

Savage Records Pair of Milestone Wins in 2019
UCLA head coach John Savage has secured a pair of milestone wins during the 2019 season, earning his 500th at UCLA and 600th overall. His 500th with the Bruins came after a Friday night victory over Oregon State on Mar. 15, making him just the third bench boss in program history to reach that benchmark. Savage then notched his 600th overall after topping East Carolina University 7-5 on Apr. 12.

Cardenas Backs Up His Play As The Backstop
Noah Cardenas has been one of UCLA's hottest hitters in the last few weeks, leading to more playing time behind the dish. Over a seven-game hitting streak, Cardenas is batting .571 (12-21), which has raised his batting average 119 points overall. He's now second on the team with a .356 average for the season. After more or less splitting time behind the plate during the first half of the year, he's now started eight of the last 10 games. His seven-game hit streak is currently book-ended by career-high three-hit performances at Stanford and against Cal.

Run Producers
After going 21 straight games without an individual four-RBI performance to start the year, UCLA has received four over the last month. First, Jake Pries hit a first-inning grand slam to help UCLA to a 9-4 win over LMU 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. Toglia notched his second five-RBI day in a week's time and the fourth in his career after reaching that mark in the Friday game against ECU, powering UCLA to a 7-5 win with a game-tying three-run homer in the sixth and a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth.

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 14 of his last 17 games. He led the Bruins to a 4-0 week against UCI and ECU two weeks ago, going 7-15 with eight RBIs and four extra-base hits, including a walk-off home run in the opener of a Saturday doubleheader with the Pirates. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (37) and extra-base hits (19).

Scouting The Titans
Cal State Fullerton is 16-19 on the season and sits in fifth place in the Big West Conference with a 4-5 mark in league play. They have lost their last two series, at home against San Diego State and on the road at Hawai'i. CSF is 1-4 in midweeks this year, with their lone win coming against USC. The Titans are slashing a respectable .286/.371/.383 as a team, but the traditionally pitching-strong program has struggled on the mound, accruing a 5.09 team ERA. Mitchell Berryhill (.437/.507/.508) and Isaiah Garcia (.318/.395/.449) have been their hottest hitters.

Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, leading the Pac-12 and ranking fifth in the nation with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. UCLA has punched out at least 10 batters in 23 of its 37 games, including six straight and nine of the last 10 contests. UCLA has three of the top-10 strikeouts pitchers in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (60, fourth), Jesse Bergin (58, sixth), and Ryan Garcia (55, eighth). Garcia ranks second league-wide with a 12.4 K/9 ratio.

Stronach Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Junior Jack Stronach has been one of UCLA's unsung heroes this year, serving as one of the team's leading bats since assuming a full-time role on Mar. 1. From Mar. 1 to Apr. 7 (21 games), he posted a .444/.516/.619 slash line, leading the team by wide margins in all categories while collecting seven extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. He has been a Pac-12 Player of the Week nominee three times in the last six weeks. He has especially punished Pac-12 opponents, collecting at least five hits and batting .455 or better in all five of the Bruins' conference series. He was 5-10 (.500) against Oregon State, 6-11 (.545) against Arizona, 5-11 (.455) against USC, 6-12 (.500) against Stanford), and 5-11 (.455) against Cal.

Hot At Home
UCLA has won 20 of 24 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .735 winning percentage (61-22) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 15 consecutive series - including eight Pac-12 sets - on their home field dating back to April 21-23, 2017 (Oregon State).

Steady Strumpf
UCLA Preseason All-American second baseman Chase Strumpf has been a steadying force in the middle of the lineup. He currently holds a team-best 28-game reached base streak, and he has only been kept off base in two games so far this year. He has a hit in 30 of 37 games this year, the most of any Bruin.

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).

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 22-0 record when reaching the six-run plateau. UCLA opponents are just 4-3 when scoring six runs or more.

Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 17 triples this season, a figure which ranks 10th nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's six (fourth nationally, tied for the most by a Bruin since 1988). Jake Pries and Michael Toglia have three apiece.

Tackling The Titans
UCLA is 37-68-2 all-time against Cal State Fullerton, including a 14-27 mark under John Savage. More recently, the Bruins are 10-10 against the Titans since 2010, including a pair of series wins over CSF in the 2010 and 2013 Super Regionals. Barring a postseason matchup this spring, 2019 marks just the second time in the Savage era that UCLA and CSF will play just once in a season (2011 the other).

Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 127.2 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.18 ERA with strong peripherals including 11.7 K/9 and 5.1 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 30, and he has struck out 45 batters to this point in the season. Closer Holden Powell is pacing the Pac-12 in both saves (11) and games finished (23). Nate Hadley (6-1, 3.63 H/9) and Jack Filby (2-0, 1.23 ERA) have been excellent out of the pen as well.

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 51-12 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-39 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the second (28-12, plus-16). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 228-117 overall for the year.

Weekend Warriors
UCLA has won all nine of its weekend series this year, the longest streak by the Bruins since the program won 14 straight over the 2014-15 campaigns.

Midweek Notes
UCLA is an undefeated 7-0 in midweeks this season, going 4-0 at home and 3-0 on the road. Garrett Mitchell (.448/.500/.586), Noah Cardenas (.357/.500/.429), Ryan Kreidler (.318/.379/.500), and Michael Toglia (.308/.319/.500) have all feasted on midweek pitching this year. As a team, the Bruins are outhitting their opponents .275 to .200 in midweeks while holding a 1.86 to 4.58 ERA advantage. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).

Burning Rubber
A big reason the Bruins are undefeated in series this year is their performance in rubber matches. UCLA is 5-0 in rubber games this year, outscoring their opponents 40-17. UCLA has marked advantages over its opponents in batting average (.314 to .185) and ERA (2.60 to 6.28) in rubber matches.

Comeback Kids
UCLA has proven undaunted when facing a deficit this season, as 16 of the team's 30 wins this season have been of the come-from-behind variety.

Off To A Good Start
UCLA is an unbeaten 9-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. Similarly, the Bruins are 18-3 (.857 winning percentage) when scoring first, compared to a 12-4 (.750) mark when the opposition gets on the board first.

Shutting Them Out
UCLA's 3-0 blanking of ECU on Apr. 13 was the team's seventh shutout of the season, putting them one behind national leader Tennessee. 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.

Nailing It Down
The Bruins have been rock-steady at the back end of games this year, posting a 24-0 record this year when holding the lead after seven innings. Taking it further, the Bruins are 27-0 when leading after eight.

Bruins Earn Historic Series Win At Stanford
UCLA's early-April matchup at Stanford, 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.

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.