Friday, April 5
Stanford, CA
6:05 PM

UCLA

at

Stanford

Kreidler SC
Ryan Kreidler (photo: Scott Chandler)
Photo by: Scott Chandler

UCLA Faces Stanford in Rare No. 1 vs. No. 2 Matchup

April 03, 2019 | Baseball

No. 1 UCLA (21-5, 7-2 Pac-12) at No. 2 Stanford (19-3, 6-0 Pac-12)
Friday, Apr. 5, 2019 - 6:05 p.m. PT
Saturday, Apr. 6, 2019 - 2:05 p.m. PT
Sunday, Apr. 7, 2019 - 1:05 p.m. PT

Location: Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif.ย 
TV/Stream: Stanford Live Stream
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats: Stanford Live Stats

UCLA Heads North For 1-2 Matchup At Stanfordย ย  ย 
No. 1 UCLA (21-5) heads north this weekend for a critical Pac-12 series at No. 2 Stanford (19-3, 6-0) starting on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. The Bruins have won two straight series and three out of the last four against the Cardinal. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of each game of the series, and fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย 

Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, Apr. 5 - 6:05 p.m. PT
UCLA - Zach Pettway, RHP, So. (2-2, 3.59 ERA)
STAN - Brendan Beck, RHP, So. (1-2, 2.45 ERA)
Saturday, Apr. 6 - 2:05 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, RJr. (4-0, 2.66 ERA)
STAN - Jacob Palisch, LHP, So. (2-0, 4.94 ERA)
Sunday, Apr. 7 - 1:05 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (2-0, 1.35 ERA)
STAN - Erik Miller, LHP, Jr. (3-0, 2.56 ERA)

The Story So Far
UCLA is 21-5 to start the 2019 campaign and 7-2 in Pac-12 play, 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 CSUN and on the road at Long Beach State. At 21-5, UCLA is off to its second-best 26-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 23-3 out of the gate.ย 

Bruins Remain Atop National Rankings
After winning the series over crosstown rival USC last 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. Stanford is ranked No. 2 in the country.ย 

The Week In Review
Over the last week, UCLA took two of three from crosstown rival USC in a weekend Pac-12 series at Dedeaux Field and then defeated CSUN 10-1 at home on Tuesday night.
  • 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 
  • 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 
  • 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 
  • UCLA out-scored USC 16-3 over the final two games of the series and 18-10 overall.ย 
  • UCLA wrapped up the week with a 10-1 midweek win at home over CSUN. It was just UCLA's second home midweek this year. Jesse Bergin took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and the bullpen shut out the Matadors over the final 3 1/3 frames of a combined three-hitter. Jack Stronach (three-run double), Ryan Kreidler (two-run double), and Michael Toglia (two-run triple) all had key run-scoring extra base hits for UCLA. Chase Strumpf and Kevin Kendall also drove in runs with a double and single, respectively. The Bruins never trailed, taking a 4-0 lead with a four-run second inning. CSUN scored its lone run in the sixth.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 (2.54, third), hits allowed per nine innings (6.08, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.15, ninth). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 13 of its 26 games this season.ย 

No. 1 Clashes With No. 2
This weekend's series represents a rarity in college baseball, as the two top-ranked teams in the country are set to face off against each other head-to-head. This the first time No. 1 has faced No. 2 in any game since 2016, and this is the first time that two Pac-12 teams have faced off in a weekend series at No. 1 and No. 2 in the country since 1998. Courtesy of Baseball America, here are all the prior known occurences of No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups.ย 
  • 2016: No. 1 Texas A&M at No. 2 Florida (Florida swept)
  • 2015: No. 2 Texas A&M at No. 1 LSU (LSU wins two of three)
  • 2008: No. 2 North Carolina at No. 1 Miami (UNC wins two of three)
  • 2008: No. 2 Arizona at No. 1 Arizona State (midweek, won by ASU)
  • 2000: No. 2 Cal State Fullerton at No. 1 Stanford (Stanford swept)
  • 1998: No. 1 Stanford at No. 2 USC (Stanford wins two of three)
  • 1991: No. 2 Long Beach State at No. 1 Arizona State (ASU wins two of three)
  • 1990: No. 2 Stanford at No. 1 USC (USC wins two of three)
  • 1986: No. 2 LSU at No. Florida State (midweek, won by FSU)
  • 1984: No. 1 Oklahoma St. at No. 1 Arizona State (ASU swept)
  • 1982: No. 2 Stanford at No. 1 Arizona (ASU swept)
  • 1981: No. 2 Wichita State at No. 1 Arizona State (ASU wins two of three)

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 Wednesday. 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 1.04, 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 14 times in 26 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.87) 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 four 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 has received two over the last 10 days. First, Jake Pries hit a first-inning grand slam to help UCLA to a 9-4 win over Loyola Marymount on Apr. 26. 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 seven straight and 10 of his last 11 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 seven-game hitting streak, he's 11-28 (.393) with five extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (23) and co-leads the team in extra-base hits (12) alongside Garrett Mitchell.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 14th in the country with 23 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down nine times, pacing the league and ranking third nationally.ย 

Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, leading the Pac-12 and ranking ninth in the nation with 10.4 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), Jesse Bergin (41, sixth), and Kyle Mora (37, 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 11 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 17-39 line (.436) with two home runs, 13 RBIs, and eight 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 13 of 16 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .720 winning percentage (54-21) 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 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 13 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 19-56 (.340) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. His leads or co-leads the team in doubles (nine) and extra-base hits (12).ย 

Seeing Triple
The Bruins have legged out 13 triples already this season, a figure which ranks eighth nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain and Michael Toglia who have three apiece. 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 Cardinal
Stanford is 19-3 on the season including an unbeaten 6-0 mark in Pac-12 play. The Cardinal have won 10 consecutive games entering the weekend, taking three of four from then-No. 12 Texas, sweeping Utah and Washington State, and then shutting out Fresno State 2-0 this past Tuesday. Stanford leads the NCAA with a 2.36 team ERA, including a 1.54 ERA from its bullpen. Will Matthiessen has been their best hitter, putting together a .355/.446/.539 slash line with team-highs in RBIs (19), extra-base hits (10), and total bases (41). Brandon Wulff has a club-best five homers on the year.ย 

History Against Stanford
UCLA is 151-201 all-time against the Cardinal, but has won two straight and three of the last four head-to-head series between the two. The Bruins are an even 21-21 against Stanford under head coach John Savage and have won their last two series at Sunken Diamond.ย 

Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 90 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.20 ERA with strong peripherals including 12.1 K/9 and 5.2 hits per nine innings ratios. Junior Kyle Mora leads the nation in appearances with 22, and he has struck out 37 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 (16). Nate Hadley (4-0, 1.80 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 38-6 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-32 run differential, nearly half of the team's plus-85 overall differential. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 14 of their 26 games, more than any other single inning.

Positional Power Rankings Update
UCLA remained well-represented in the latest D1Baseball positional power rankings, published the last week of March:
UCLA Baseball Postgame - Coach Savage & Players vs. LSU (June 17, 2025)
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UCLA Baseball Postgame - Coach Savage & Players vs. Arkansas (June 17, 2025)
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UCLA Baseball Postgame - Coach Savage & Players vs. Murray State (June 14, 2025)
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