Friday, May 17
Los Angeles, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
vs
Washington at UCLA
Chase Strumpf (photo: Don Liebig)
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
No. 1 UCLA Set to Host Washington
May 16, 2019 | Baseball
No. 1 UCLA (42-8, 19-5 Pac-12) vs. Washington (28-19. 12-12)
Friday, May 17, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 18, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, May 19, 2019 - 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Jackie Robinson Stadium)
TV/Stream:ย Pac-12 Networks
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
No. 1 UCLA Hosts Washington In Final Regular Season Home Seriesย ย ย
The No. 1-ranked Bruins (41-8), winners of 21 of their last 23 games, host Washington this weekend in the final regular season home series of the year at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Pac-12 Network will televise all three games of the series, with Jim Watson and Wes Clements on the call. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of every game this season and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, May 17 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (7-0, 1.27 ERA)
WASH - David Rhodes, RHP, Fr. (5-4, 4.09 ERA)
Saturday, May 18 - 7:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, Jr. (9-0, 2.34 ERA)
WASH - Jordan Jones, RHP, Jr. (4-4, 4.91 ERA)
Sunday, May 19 - 12:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (5-0, 3.88 ERA)
WASH - John Burgmann, So. (4-5, 3.91 ERA)
The Story So Far ย
UCLA is 42-8 to start the 2019 campaign and 19-5 in Pac-12 play, winning all 12 of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting an unbeaten 11-0 record in midweeks. At 42-8, UCLA is second in the country in winning percentage (.840) and has the best record through 50 games in program history, besting the previous mark of 39-11 (2010).
Bruins Remain Consensus No. 1 Team In The Country
After sweeping the series at Washington State, 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 ninth consecutive week. In addition, the Bruins topped the list of Collegiate Baseball for the sixth consecutive week, maintaining their status as the consensus No. 1 team in the country. UCLA jumped to No. 1 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 2013. At nine weeks, this is the longest consecutive stretch of being ranked No. 1 nationally in program history.ย
The Week In Review
UCLA went 4-0 in an all-away week, sweeping Washington State before blanking UC Irvine in midweek action.ย
Weekend Warriorsย ย ย
UCLA has won all 12 ย of its weekend series this year, the longest streak by the Bruins since the program won 14 straight over the 2014-15 campaigns. The Bruins are the only team in Division I who has yet to drop a weekend series in 2019. UCLA is looking to go unbeaten in all home series for the second consecutive season.ย
UCLA Takes Over National Lead In ERA
For the third consecutive week, UCLA is leading the nation in team ERA. The Bruins enter the weekend with a 2.65 ERA after surrendering one earned run or fewer in four of the last five games. UCLA also ranks among the nation's best in hits allowed per nine innings (6.3, second) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.06, eighth). UCLA has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 33 of its 50 games this season (66%). Were the season to end today, UCLA's ERA would be the fifth-best in program history.ย
Mitchell Named Pac-12 Pitcher Of The Week
After an explosive week at the top of the lineup, UCLA sophomore outfielder Garrett Mitchell was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week. It was the first league weekly honor in his career and UCLA's 64th all-time. The Bruins have had the Pac-12 Pitcher or Player of the week in six of the last nine weeks. Mitchell was 11-19 last week, collecting multiple hits in all four games. He had three extra-base hits in a 2-1 win over LBSU, homered to lead off the first game of the WSU series, and ended the week with six runs scored and four stolen bases in as many attempts.ย
Mitchell Tearing It Up
Mitchell has been tearing the cover off the ball over the last three weeks. Before Tuesday's game at UCI, he had a nine-game hitting streak that featured eight multi-hit performances. He posted a 24-40 overall line (.600) during that span with nine extra-base hits including two home runs. Mitchell scored at least one run during each game of the hitting streak, coming across the plate a total of 16 times.ย
Mitchell Invited to USA Baseball Collegiate national Team
Garrett Mitchell received an invitation to play for the USCNT this week, joining a group of elite UCLA players to have previously suited up for Team USA including Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer, Brandon Crawford, and Troy Glaus. He is slated to become the first Bruin position player to don the red, white, and blue since Steve Rodriguez in 2010. The USCNT will play four intrasquad exhibitions in late June before facing off against Cuba, Chinese Taipei, and Japan in July.ย
Garcia, Ralston earn Golden Spikes and Dickย Howser Consideration
A pair of Bruin starters appeared on Player of the Year watch lists this week. Friday night starter Ryan Garcia was one of 25 players named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, while both Garcia and Jack Ralston were named Dick Howser Award Semifinalists. UCLA has had a GSA Semifinalist in nine separate seasons, tied for the most in the country. Garcia and Ralston are among just eight starting pitchers in consideration for the Dick Howser Award.ย
Shutting Them Out
UCLA has recorded a shutout in two of the last three games, allowing the team to take over the national lead in shutouts at 10. ย The Bruins have a shutout in seven of their 12 weekend series and in three midweeks.The last time the Bruins had as many as 10 shutouts was 2011.
Saturdays Are For The Routs
After blowing out ASU and WSU, UCLA has outscored its opponents 28-3 over the last two Saturdays. The Bruins hold a 40-5 scoring advantage on Saturdays over the last month.ย
Welcome Back
Tuesday's game at UCI came with a pair of highly-anticipated returns for UCLA. Jeremy Ydens made his first appearance since Mar. 1 and collected a season-high three hits in four at-bats. Southpaw Justin Hooper tossed 2/3 of an inning in his first appearance in game action since 2017.ย
Bruin Starters On A Roll
A huge part of UCLA's success in the past weeks has been the dominance of its starting pitchers. Bruin starters have allowed two earned runs or fewer in 14 of the last 16 games, and one earned run or fewer in 12 of 16. The current weekend rotation of Ryan Garcia, Jack Ralston, and Jesse Bergin is a combined 21-0 with 234 strikeouts in 206 innings.ย
Fastest To 40ย ย ย
UCLA's win over Washington State on May 11 represented the team's 40th win of the year in the 48th game of the season, making the 2019 Bruins the quickest to 40 wins in program history. The previous mark was held by the 2010 club, which needed 51 games to get to 40 victories.ย
The Bats Came Out In Washingtonย ย ย
UCLA's bats were very hot in Pullman, as the team scored 29 runs over the weekend, a season-best for a three-game series. The Bruins batted .360, had 17 extra-base hits (5.6 per game), and eight home runs. Two-thirds of the UCLA lineup hit .333 or better for the three-game set (Mitchell, Strumpf, Toglia, Kreidler, McLain, Cardenas).ย
Race For The Pac-12 Title Heats Upย ย ย
The Bruins' sweep of the Cougars moved them into a three-way tie for first place in the Pac-12 Conference with two weekends of league play remaining. The two teams tied with UCLA - Stanford and Oregon State - face off this weekend in Northern California. The Bruins are seeking their fourth Pac-12 title in the John Savage era, having previously finished atop the league in 2011, 2012 (co-champions), and 2015.ย
Midweek Notesย ย ย
UCLA recorded an undefeated 11-0 record in midweeks this season, going 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road. 2019 marks the second time in the John Savage era that UCLA has gone unbeaten in midweeks (2012). UCLA outhit its opponents by 100 points in midweek games (.282 to .182) and held a 1.59 to 4.81 advantage in team ERA. Top offensive players in midweeks included Garrett Mitchell (.438/.481/.667) and Noah Cardenas (.364/.464/.409) while top pitchers included Nate Hadley (5-0, 0 R in 11.1 IP), Felix Rubi (1.42 ERA in 12.2 IP), and Nick Nastrini (0 R in two starts).ย
Toglia In A Grooveย ย ย
UCLA junior first baseman Michael Toglia has been seeing the ball well lately, collecting multiple hits in six of his last eight games and going 14-38 (.368) overall. That spree has raised his average 16 points to .302, bringing him over the .300 mark for the first time all year. He has five home runs since Apr. 27, giving him a team-high 11 on the year. Toglia also had 11 home runs as a sophomore in 2018, making him the first Bruin since 2000 to log double-digit home runs in consecutive seasons (Chase Utley, Garrett Atkins, and Bill Scott all accomplished the feat in 1999-2000).ย
To Be The Best, You Have To Beat The Best
So far in 2019, the Bruins have played - and won - five series against ranked teams, including three currently in the top-10. The Bruins have won series against No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Georgia Tech, and No. 7 East Carolina University. The Bruins had beaten four top-10 teams - the only club in the country to do so - until Oregon State dropped to No. 11 last week.
History against The Huskies
UCLA is 51-25 all-time against Washington, including a 27-15 mark under head coach John Savage. The head-to-head matchup has been a streaky one. UW has won three consecutive series over the Bruins, but UCLA had reeled off nine consecutive series wins prior to that (2007-15). The Huskies have won just one series in six tries at Jackie Robinson Stadium since 2006.
Holden' It Down At The End Of The Game
Sophomore closer Holden Powell has been one of college baseball's top closers this year, leading to his inclusion on the Preseason and Midseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch Lists. He paces the Pac-12 with 14 saves, third-most in UCLA single season history and the most since David Berg's NCAA-record 24 in 2013. Since Mar. 17, he's allowed just three earned runs over a span of 25 innings, accruing 32 strikeouts in that time compared to just eight hits.ย
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 .982 (third). The Bruins are the only team in the country to rank top-10 in both fielding percentage and ERA.
Cardenas Figuring It Out As A Freshman
Noah Cardenas has been one of UCLA's hottest hitters in the last few weeks, a trend which was underscored by his monster performance in the desert against ASU. Cardenas started all three games of that series - a career first - and capitalized on that playing time by posting a 9-13 line (.692) with five runs scored. He went 5-5 on Saturday and then singled in his first three at-bats Sunday, giving him hits in five straight plate appearances. He "cooled off" at Washington State, going 3-9 and scoring five runs. Since Apr. 7, he's batting .500 (29-58). He now leads the team with a .396 overall average this season.
Hot At Home
UCLA has won 24 of 28 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .747 winning percentage (65-22) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 16 consecutive series - including nine Pac-12 sets - on their home field dating back to April 21-23, 2017 (Oregon State).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 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bruins have punched out at least 10 batters in 30 of their 50 games, and have three of the top-10 strikeout pitchers in the Pac-12, including Ryan Garcia (82, third), Jack Ralston (78, fourth), and Jesse Bergin (74, sixth).
Offense Heats Up
Over the last month, UCLA is averaging 7.1 runs per game and has five regulars hitting .300 or better: Noah Cardenas (.500), Garrett Mitchell (.420), Chase Strumpf (.345), Michael Toglia (.328), and Jack Stronach (.305). ย For the season, UCLA ranks in the top-five league-wide in batting average (.293, fourth), on-base percentage (.385, third), slugging (.465, fifth), runs (327, third), and home runs (48, fifth).ย
Steady Strumpf
UCLA Preseason All-American second baseman Chase Strumpf has been a steadying force in the middle of the lineup. Starting on Mar. 1, Strumpf reached base in 36 consecutive games, the longest streak recorded by a Bruin so far in 2019. That stretch was snapped on May 7 against LBSU. He's been held off base in just three games all season, and has a hit in 41 of 50 games, the most of any Bruin.ย
NCAA-Most Seven Bruins Named to Baseball America Top 500
UCLA was well-represented in the Baseball America's list of the 2019 Top-500 MLB Draft Prospects, as seven current players and eight commits were included. UCLA tied with Georgia and Vanderbilt for the most current players listed. Current Bruins included Chase Strumpf (No. 44), Michael Toglia (6), Ryan Garcia (90), Ryan Kreidler (136), Jack Ralston (199), Jeremy Ydens (351), and Jake Pries (486). UCLA commits included Corbin Carroll (No. 12), Evan Fitterer (57), Michael Curialle (102), Emanuel Dean (324), Joshua Hahn (354), Adrian Chaidez (416), Darius Perry (473), and Jared Karros (481).ย
Triple Threat
The Bruins have legged out 22 triples this season, a figure which ranks sixth nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's six (seventh nationally, tied for the most by a Bruin since 1988). Garrett Mitchell has five, and Michael Toglia has four.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 170 2/3 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.32 ERA with strong peripherals including 11.1 K/9 and 5.6 hits per nine innings ratios. The Bruin bullpen has gone unscored upon 50 times in 50 games this year. Standouts include Kyle Mora (NCAA-high 38 appearances this year), Holden Powell (league-leading 14 saves), and Nate Hadley (8-1, 4.3 hits per nine innings).
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 61-12 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-49 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the second (43-16, plus-27). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 327-156 overall for the year.ย
WHIP It Good
At 1.07, UCLA enters the weekend with the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) in the country. The Bruins have posted a sub-1.00 WHIP 24 times in 50 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Ryan Garcia (0.88) and Nate Hadley (0.93) have the lowest WHIPs on the team among active pitchers.ย
Comeback Kids
UCLA has proven undaunted when facing a deficit this season, as 18 of the team's 42 wins this season have been of the come-from-behind variety (43%).ย
Friday, May 17, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 18, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, May 19, 2019 - 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Jackie Robinson Stadium)
TV/Stream:ย Pac-12 Networks
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
No. 1 UCLA Hosts Washington In Final Regular Season Home Seriesย ย ย
The No. 1-ranked Bruins (41-8), winners of 21 of their last 23 games, host Washington this weekend in the final regular season home series of the year at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Pac-12 Network will televise all three games of the series, with Jim Watson and Wes Clements on the call. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of every game this season and fans can follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.ย
Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, May 17 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (7-0, 1.27 ERA)
WASH - David Rhodes, RHP, Fr. (5-4, 4.09 ERA)
Saturday, May 18 - 7:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jack Ralston, RHP, Jr. (9-0, 2.34 ERA)
WASH - Jordan Jones, RHP, Jr. (4-4, 4.91 ERA)
Sunday, May 19 - 12:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Fr. (5-0, 3.88 ERA)
WASH - John Burgmann, So. (4-5, 3.91 ERA)
The Story So Far ย
UCLA is 42-8 to start the 2019 campaign and 19-5 in Pac-12 play, winning all 12 of its weekend series, taking two of three in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, and posting an unbeaten 11-0 record in midweeks. At 42-8, UCLA is second in the country in winning percentage (.840) and has the best record through 50 games in program history, besting the previous mark of 39-11 (2010).
Bruins Remain Consensus No. 1 Team In The Country
After sweeping the series at Washington State, 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 ninth consecutive week. In addition, the Bruins topped the list of Collegiate Baseball for the sixth consecutive week, maintaining their status as the consensus No. 1 team in the country. UCLA jumped to No. 1 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 2013. At nine weeks, this is the longest consecutive stretch of being ranked No. 1 nationally in program history.ย
The Week In Review
UCLA went 4-0 in an all-away week, sweeping Washington State before blanking UC Irvine in midweek action.ย
- After trading single runs in both of the first two innings, UCLA pulled away and outscored WSU 4-0 the rest of the way to claim a 6-2 win in the series opener at Bailey-Brayton Field. Garrett Mitchell led off the game with a homer for the Bruins, bashing an 0-2 breaking ball over the right field fence. Michael Toglia added a double and a triple, and Ryan Garcia allowed just two runs (one earned) over his eight innings of work. Garcia and Kyle Mora - who threw a scoreless ninth - limited WSU to two hits over the final seven frames of the contest.ย
- UCLA dominated WSU on Saturday, winning 10-0 to clinch the series. The Bruins hit four home runs as a team, while Jack Ralston struck out a career-high 12 and gave up just four hits over seven shutout innings. He was overwhelming in the middle innings, retiring nine straight and striking out seven between the fifth and seventh innings. Ryan Kreidler was 3-4 and finished a triple short of the cycle to pace the Bruin offense, but five separate UCLA players finished with multiple hits. Freshman southpaw Daniel Colwell made his NCAA debut in the win, throwing a scoreless ninth.ย
- The Bruins completed the sweep on Sunday, emerging victorious by a score of 13-10 in a see-saw series finale. The Bruins gave up six runs in the bottom of the fourth, but posted five-spots in both the fourth and seventh innings to win the game, which featured four lead changes. Matt McLain homered twice in the game, giving him three big flies on the weekend, and the Bruins had 17 hits as a team, second-most on the year. Michael Toglia was 3-5, Garrett Mitchell was 4-6, and Chase Strumpf reached base four times. Nate Hadley settled down the game on the pitching side for the Bruins, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, his eighth of the year.ย
- UCLA finished off an undefeated midweek schedule after blanking UC Irvine 7-0 on Tuesday night at Anteater Ballpark. Felix Rubi made the start for the second straight Tuesday, throwing five scoreless to earn his first career win. The bullpen finished off the shutout with four scoreless innings of relief. Nate Hadley had the most impressive relief outing, getting a three-pitch strikeout to get out of an inherited bases-loaded jam before throwing a scoreless seventh. Jeremy Ydens (3-4 in his return to the lineup) and Ryan Kreidler (solo homer, two runs scored) paced the Bruin offense, which put the game away with a four-run fifth inning.ย
Weekend Warriorsย ย ย
UCLA has won all 12 ย of its weekend series this year, the longest streak by the Bruins since the program won 14 straight over the 2014-15 campaigns. The Bruins are the only team in Division I who has yet to drop a weekend series in 2019. UCLA is looking to go unbeaten in all home series for the second consecutive season.ย
UCLA Takes Over National Lead In ERA
For the third consecutive week, UCLA is leading the nation in team ERA. The Bruins enter the weekend with a 2.65 ERA after surrendering one earned run or fewer in four of the last five games. UCLA also ranks among the nation's best in hits allowed per nine innings (6.3, second) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.06, eighth). UCLA has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 33 of its 50 games this season (66%). Were the season to end today, UCLA's ERA would be the fifth-best in program history.ย
Mitchell Named Pac-12 Pitcher Of The Week
After an explosive week at the top of the lineup, UCLA sophomore outfielder Garrett Mitchell was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week. It was the first league weekly honor in his career and UCLA's 64th all-time. The Bruins have had the Pac-12 Pitcher or Player of the week in six of the last nine weeks. Mitchell was 11-19 last week, collecting multiple hits in all four games. He had three extra-base hits in a 2-1 win over LBSU, homered to lead off the first game of the WSU series, and ended the week with six runs scored and four stolen bases in as many attempts.ย
Mitchell Tearing It Up
Mitchell has been tearing the cover off the ball over the last three weeks. Before Tuesday's game at UCI, he had a nine-game hitting streak that featured eight multi-hit performances. He posted a 24-40 overall line (.600) during that span with nine extra-base hits including two home runs. Mitchell scored at least one run during each game of the hitting streak, coming across the plate a total of 16 times.ย
Mitchell Invited to USA Baseball Collegiate national Team
Garrett Mitchell received an invitation to play for the USCNT this week, joining a group of elite UCLA players to have previously suited up for Team USA including Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer, Brandon Crawford, and Troy Glaus. He is slated to become the first Bruin position player to don the red, white, and blue since Steve Rodriguez in 2010. The USCNT will play four intrasquad exhibitions in late June before facing off against Cuba, Chinese Taipei, and Japan in July.ย
Garcia, Ralston earn Golden Spikes and Dickย Howser Consideration
A pair of Bruin starters appeared on Player of the Year watch lists this week. Friday night starter Ryan Garcia was one of 25 players named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, while both Garcia and Jack Ralston were named Dick Howser Award Semifinalists. UCLA has had a GSA Semifinalist in nine separate seasons, tied for the most in the country. Garcia and Ralston are among just eight starting pitchers in consideration for the Dick Howser Award.ย
Shutting Them Out
UCLA has recorded a shutout in two of the last three games, allowing the team to take over the national lead in shutouts at 10. ย The Bruins have a shutout in seven of their 12 weekend series and in three midweeks.The last time the Bruins had as many as 10 shutouts was 2011.
Saturdays Are For The Routs
After blowing out ASU and WSU, UCLA has outscored its opponents 28-3 over the last two Saturdays. The Bruins hold a 40-5 scoring advantage on Saturdays over the last month.ย
Welcome Back
Tuesday's game at UCI came with a pair of highly-anticipated returns for UCLA. Jeremy Ydens made his first appearance since Mar. 1 and collected a season-high three hits in four at-bats. Southpaw Justin Hooper tossed 2/3 of an inning in his first appearance in game action since 2017.ย
Bruin Starters On A Roll
A huge part of UCLA's success in the past weeks has been the dominance of its starting pitchers. Bruin starters have allowed two earned runs or fewer in 14 of the last 16 games, and one earned run or fewer in 12 of 16. The current weekend rotation of Ryan Garcia, Jack Ralston, and Jesse Bergin is a combined 21-0 with 234 strikeouts in 206 innings.ย
Fastest To 40ย ย ย
UCLA's win over Washington State on May 11 represented the team's 40th win of the year in the 48th game of the season, making the 2019 Bruins the quickest to 40 wins in program history. The previous mark was held by the 2010 club, which needed 51 games to get to 40 victories.ย
The Bats Came Out In Washingtonย ย ย
UCLA's bats were very hot in Pullman, as the team scored 29 runs over the weekend, a season-best for a three-game series. The Bruins batted .360, had 17 extra-base hits (5.6 per game), and eight home runs. Two-thirds of the UCLA lineup hit .333 or better for the three-game set (Mitchell, Strumpf, Toglia, Kreidler, McLain, Cardenas).ย
Race For The Pac-12 Title Heats Upย ย ย
The Bruins' sweep of the Cougars moved them into a three-way tie for first place in the Pac-12 Conference with two weekends of league play remaining. The two teams tied with UCLA - Stanford and Oregon State - face off this weekend in Northern California. The Bruins are seeking their fourth Pac-12 title in the John Savage era, having previously finished atop the league in 2011, 2012 (co-champions), and 2015.ย
Midweek Notesย ย ย
UCLA recorded an undefeated 11-0 record in midweeks this season, going 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road. 2019 marks the second time in the John Savage era that UCLA has gone unbeaten in midweeks (2012). UCLA outhit its opponents by 100 points in midweek games (.282 to .182) and held a 1.59 to 4.81 advantage in team ERA. Top offensive players in midweeks included Garrett Mitchell (.438/.481/.667) and Noah Cardenas (.364/.464/.409) while top pitchers included Nate Hadley (5-0, 0 R in 11.1 IP), Felix Rubi (1.42 ERA in 12.2 IP), and Nick Nastrini (0 R in two starts).ย
Toglia In A Grooveย ย ย
UCLA junior first baseman Michael Toglia has been seeing the ball well lately, collecting multiple hits in six of his last eight games and going 14-38 (.368) overall. That spree has raised his average 16 points to .302, bringing him over the .300 mark for the first time all year. He has five home runs since Apr. 27, giving him a team-high 11 on the year. Toglia also had 11 home runs as a sophomore in 2018, making him the first Bruin since 2000 to log double-digit home runs in consecutive seasons (Chase Utley, Garrett Atkins, and Bill Scott all accomplished the feat in 1999-2000).ย
To Be The Best, You Have To Beat The Best
So far in 2019, the Bruins have played - and won - five series against ranked teams, including three currently in the top-10. The Bruins have won series against No. 3 Stanford, No. 6 Georgia Tech, and No. 7 East Carolina University. The Bruins had beaten four top-10 teams - the only club in the country to do so - until Oregon State dropped to No. 11 last week.
History against The Huskies
UCLA is 51-25 all-time against Washington, including a 27-15 mark under head coach John Savage. The head-to-head matchup has been a streaky one. UW has won three consecutive series over the Bruins, but UCLA had reeled off nine consecutive series wins prior to that (2007-15). The Huskies have won just one series in six tries at Jackie Robinson Stadium since 2006.
Holden' It Down At The End Of The Game
Sophomore closer Holden Powell has been one of college baseball's top closers this year, leading to his inclusion on the Preseason and Midseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch Lists. He paces the Pac-12 with 14 saves, third-most in UCLA single season history and the most since David Berg's NCAA-record 24 in 2013. Since Mar. 17, he's allowed just three earned runs over a span of 25 innings, accruing 32 strikeouts in that time compared to just eight hits.ย
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 .982 (third). The Bruins are the only team in the country to rank top-10 in both fielding percentage and ERA.
Cardenas Figuring It Out As A Freshman
Noah Cardenas has been one of UCLA's hottest hitters in the last few weeks, a trend which was underscored by his monster performance in the desert against ASU. Cardenas started all three games of that series - a career first - and capitalized on that playing time by posting a 9-13 line (.692) with five runs scored. He went 5-5 on Saturday and then singled in his first three at-bats Sunday, giving him hits in five straight plate appearances. He "cooled off" at Washington State, going 3-9 and scoring five runs. Since Apr. 7, he's batting .500 (29-58). He now leads the team with a .396 overall average this season.
Hot At Home
UCLA has won 24 of 28 home games so far this year, right in line with the program's .747 winning percentage (65-22) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 16 consecutive series - including nine Pac-12 sets - on their home field dating back to April 21-23, 2017 (Oregon State).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 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bruins have punched out at least 10 batters in 30 of their 50 games, and have three of the top-10 strikeout pitchers in the Pac-12, including Ryan Garcia (82, third), Jack Ralston (78, fourth), and Jesse Bergin (74, sixth).
Offense Heats Up
Over the last month, UCLA is averaging 7.1 runs per game and has five regulars hitting .300 or better: Noah Cardenas (.500), Garrett Mitchell (.420), Chase Strumpf (.345), Michael Toglia (.328), and Jack Stronach (.305). ย For the season, UCLA ranks in the top-five league-wide in batting average (.293, fourth), on-base percentage (.385, third), slugging (.465, fifth), runs (327, third), and home runs (48, fifth).ย
Steady Strumpf
UCLA Preseason All-American second baseman Chase Strumpf has been a steadying force in the middle of the lineup. Starting on Mar. 1, Strumpf reached base in 36 consecutive games, the longest streak recorded by a Bruin so far in 2019. That stretch was snapped on May 7 against LBSU. He's been held off base in just three games all season, and has a hit in 41 of 50 games, the most of any Bruin.ย
NCAA-Most Seven Bruins Named to Baseball America Top 500
UCLA was well-represented in the Baseball America's list of the 2019 Top-500 MLB Draft Prospects, as seven current players and eight commits were included. UCLA tied with Georgia and Vanderbilt for the most current players listed. Current Bruins included Chase Strumpf (No. 44), Michael Toglia (6), Ryan Garcia (90), Ryan Kreidler (136), Jack Ralston (199), Jeremy Ydens (351), and Jake Pries (486). UCLA commits included Corbin Carroll (No. 12), Evan Fitterer (57), Michael Curialle (102), Emanuel Dean (324), Joshua Hahn (354), Adrian Chaidez (416), Darius Perry (473), and Jared Karros (481).ย
Triple Threat
The Bruins have legged out 22 triples this season, a figure which ranks sixth nationally and second in the Pac-12. Five separate Bruins have multiple three-baggers, led by Matt McLain's six (seventh nationally, tied for the most by a Bruin since 1988). Garrett Mitchell has five, and Michael Toglia has four.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
UCLA's bullpen has been one of the team's strongest assets all season. Through 170 2/3 innings, Bruin relievers have combined to record a 2.32 ERA with strong peripherals including 11.1 K/9 and 5.6 hits per nine innings ratios. The Bruin bullpen has gone unscored upon 50 times in 50 games this year. Standouts include Kyle Mora (NCAA-high 38 appearances this year), Holden Powell (league-leading 14 saves), and Nate Hadley (8-1, 4.3 hits per nine innings).
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 61-12 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-49 run differential. UCLA's next-best single-inning differential is the second (43-16, plus-27). The Bruins are outscoring their opponents 327-156 overall for the year.ย
WHIP It Good
At 1.07, UCLA enters the weekend with the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) in the country. The Bruins have posted a sub-1.00 WHIP 24 times in 50 games, including in 10 of the first 11 games of the year. Ryan Garcia (0.88) and Nate Hadley (0.93) have the lowest WHIPs on the team among active pitchers.ย
Comeback Kids
UCLA has proven undaunted when facing a deficit this season, as 18 of the team's 42 wins this season have been of the come-from-behind variety (43%).ย
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Saturday, June 14