Tuesday, April 9
Los Angeles, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
vs
UC Irvine at UCLA
Jack Filby (photo: Scott Chandler)
Photo by: Scott Chandler
No. 1 UCLA Opens Homestand With No. 16 UC Irvine on Tuesday
April 08, 2019 | Baseball
UCLA Returns to Jackie Robinson Stadium To Host No. 16 UC Irvineย ย ย
After playing six of seven on the road over the last two weeks, No. 1-ranked UCLA (23-6) opens up an eight-game homestand Tuesday night by hosting No. 16 UC Irvine (21-5) at 6:00 p.m. The Bruins are 3-0 against Big West teams in 2019. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of the game and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Apr. 9 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (3-0, 3.00 ERA)
UCI - Jordan Bocko, RHP, Sr. (3-0, 3.38 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 23-6 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 midweek wins home-and-away against LMU and CSUN and on the road at Long Beach State. At 23-6, UCLA is off to its second-best 29-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 26-3 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 6-4 this year against top-25 teams and currently have the nation's No. 2 strength of schedule, including the No. 1 non-conference strength of schedule, acccording to WarrenNolan.com.ย
The Week In Review
Last week, UCLA defeated CSUN 10-1 in a Tuesday midweek then took two of three at Stanford in a rare 1-vs-2 matchup.
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 (2.55, second), hits allowed per nine innings (6.25, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.18, 10th). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 13 of its 29 games this season.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 week with the third-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 29 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.81) and Ryan Garcia (0.93) have the two-lowest individual WHIPs on the club. Tuesday represents a matchup of two top-three WHIP clubs, as UCI leads the country with a 1.05 clip.ย
RPI Report
UCLA entered the week with the top RPI in the country. The Bruins have gone 12-3 this year against top-50 RPI clubs. UCI enters Tuesday's matchup ranked No. 64 in the RPI while East Carolina is at No. 16.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 two 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 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 - junior first baseman Michael Toglia is starting to heat up with the bat, collecting hits in nine of his last 10 games. That stretch includes a season-high three hits at USC on Mar. 31 and a season-high five RBIs on Apr. 6 at Stanford. Over the last 10 games, he's gone 14-38 (.368) with eight extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (29) and extra-base hits (15).
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 five midweek games.ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA ranks 15th in the country with 25 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 16 of its 29 games, including three of the last four. UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (56, third), Jesse Bergin (43, sixth), 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 14 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 23-51 line (.451) with two home runs, 16 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. He has hits in seven straight and 13 of the last 14 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 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 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 13 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 24-69 (.348) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. He leads the team in doubles (nine).ย
Midweek Notes
UCLA is 5-0 in midweeks this year, going 2-0 at home and 3-0 on the road. Garrett Mitchell (.391/.440/.522), Jake Pries (.333/.400/.611), and Ryan Kreidler (.333/.381/.556) have all feasted on midweek pitching. The Bruins have outscored their opponents 30-8 in midweeks, recording a team 1.50 ERA compared to a 4.40 mark by their opponents. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).
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 17-0 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 Anteaters
UC Irvine is off to an outstanding start to the 2019 season, posting a 21-5 overall record with a 5-1 mark in Big West action. UCI is coming off a sweep of Long Beach State, its fifth of the season, and has won all eight of its weekend series. This year represents the second-quickest they've reached 20 wins in a season. Brandon Lewis (.349/.431/.764) leads an offense that averages 6.8 runs per game. The Anteaters lead the country with a 1.05 WHIP. Jordan Bocko is slated to start for UC Irvine. He has made 10 appearances this year, all out of the bullpen, pitching to a 3.38 ERA. He had seven saves in 2018.ย
History Against UC Irvine
UCLA is 55-33-1 all-time against UC Irvine, including a 21-12 record under head coach John Savage. The Bruins have lost the season series to the Anteaters just once since 2010.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 97 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.60 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 24, 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, 1.69 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 46-7 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-39 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the second (21-11, plus-10). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 183-90 overall for the year.ย
Off To A Good Start
UCLA is an unbeaten 8-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. Similarly, the Bruins are 14-2 (.875 winning percentage) when scoring first, compared to a 9-4 (.692) 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 20-0 record this year when holding the lead after seven innings. Taking it further, the Bruins are 22-0 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
After playing six of seven on the road over the last two weeks, No. 1-ranked UCLA (23-6) opens up an eight-game homestand Tuesday night by hosting No. 16 UC Irvine (21-5) at 6:00 p.m. The Bruins are 3-0 against Big West teams in 2019. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of the game and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Apr. 9 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (3-0, 3.00 ERA)
UCI - Jordan Bocko, RHP, Sr. (3-0, 3.38 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 23-6 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 midweek wins home-and-away against LMU and CSUN and on the road at Long Beach State. At 23-6, UCLA is off to its second-best 29-game start of the John Savage era (since 2005), trailing only the 2010 club that went 26-3 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 6-4 this year against top-25 teams and currently have the nation's No. 2 strength of schedule, including the No. 1 non-conference strength of schedule, acccording to WarrenNolan.com.ย
The Week In Review
Last week, UCLA defeated CSUN 10-1 in a Tuesday midweek then took two of three at Stanford in a rare 1-vs-2 matchup.
- UCLA started 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.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 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 (2.55, second), hits allowed per nine innings (6.25, second), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.18, 10th). UCLA has allowed one earned run or fewer in 13 of its 29 games this season.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 week with the third-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 29 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Nate Hadley (0.81) and Ryan Garcia (0.93) have the two-lowest individual WHIPs on the club. Tuesday represents a matchup of two top-three WHIP clubs, as UCI leads the country with a 1.05 clip.ย
RPI Report
UCLA entered the week with the top RPI in the country. The Bruins have gone 12-3 this year against top-50 RPI clubs. UCI enters Tuesday's matchup ranked No. 64 in the RPI while East Carolina is at No. 16.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 two 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 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 - junior first baseman Michael Toglia is starting to heat up with the bat, collecting hits in nine of his last 10 games. That stretch includes a season-high three hits at USC on Mar. 31 and a season-high five RBIs on Apr. 6 at Stanford. Over the last 10 games, he's gone 14-38 (.368) with eight extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Toglia currently leads the Bruins in RBIs (29) and extra-base hits (15).
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 five midweek games.ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA ranks 15th in the country with 25 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 16 of its 29 games, including three of the last four. UCLA has three of the top-10 leaders in strikeouts in the Pac-12, including Zach Pettway (56, third), Jesse Bergin (43, sixth), 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 14 games, all in the cleanup or No. 5 spot in the lineup, Stronach has crafted a 23-51 line (.451) with two home runs, 16 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. He has hits in seven straight and 13 of the last 14 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 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 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 13 games since going atop the lineup, he's gone 24-69 (.348) while reaching base safely in all but one contest. He leads the team in doubles (nine).ย
Midweek Notes
UCLA is 5-0 in midweeks this year, going 2-0 at home and 3-0 on the road. Garrett Mitchell (.391/.440/.522), Jake Pries (.333/.400/.611), and Ryan Kreidler (.333/.381/.556) have all feasted on midweek pitching. The Bruins have outscored their opponents 30-8 in midweeks, recording a team 1.50 ERA compared to a 4.40 mark by their opponents. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).
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 17-0 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 Anteaters
UC Irvine is off to an outstanding start to the 2019 season, posting a 21-5 overall record with a 5-1 mark in Big West action. UCI is coming off a sweep of Long Beach State, its fifth of the season, and has won all eight of its weekend series. This year represents the second-quickest they've reached 20 wins in a season. Brandon Lewis (.349/.431/.764) leads an offense that averages 6.8 runs per game. The Anteaters lead the country with a 1.05 WHIP. Jordan Bocko is slated to start for UC Irvine. He has made 10 appearances this year, all out of the bullpen, pitching to a 3.38 ERA. He had seven saves in 2018.ย
History Against UC Irvine
UCLA is 55-33-1 all-time against UC Irvine, including a 21-12 record under head coach John Savage. The Bruins have lost the season series to the Anteaters just once since 2010.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 97 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.60 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 24, 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, 1.69 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 46-7 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-39 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the second (21-11, plus-10). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 183-90 overall for the year.ย
Off To A Good Start
UCLA is an unbeaten 8-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. Similarly, the Bruins are 14-2 (.875 winning percentage) when scoring first, compared to a 9-4 (.692) 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 20-0 record this year when holding the lead after seven innings. Taking it further, the Bruins are 22-0 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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