No. 8 UCLA (0-0) vs. Loyola Marymount
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats
No. 8 UCLA Continues Homestand With LMU Midweek
After a season-opening weekend sweep of UC Riverside, the No. 8-ranked UCLA baseball team continues a nine-game homestand by hosting local rival Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. Tim Wilhelm will have the call for the game on UCLABruins.com.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Feb. 18 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jared Karros, RHP, Fr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LMU - Josh Robins, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Midweek Notes
UCLA recorded an undefeated 11-0 record in midweeks last season, going 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road. 2019 marked the second time in the John Savage era that UCLA went 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).
Successful Start to 2020
UCLA had an impressive start to the new season this past weekend, sweeping Big West-member UC Riverside and outscoring them 21-3 on aggregate for the weekend. It was the third consecutive season in which UCLA swept its opening series and the sixth time overall in the John Savage era (since 2005). The Bruins allowed just 12 hits over the weekend to the Highlanders, including a combined three-hitter on Saturday and a combined two-hitter in the Sunday finale.
Bruins In The Preseason Polls
UCLA is represented in all five of the preseason major national polls. The Bruins are ranked as high as No. 8 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll), but are also tabbed at No. 10 (Baseball America), No. 11 (NCBWA), No. 12 (Collegiate Baseball), and No. 14 (D1Baseball).
Slick Gloves
UCLA went its entire opening series without committing an error. That is the first time the Bruins have gone without committing an error in their first series of the year under John Savage (since 2005). UCLA is one of 13 teams to have not committed an error to this point of the season.
Karros Set for Collegiate Debut
Freshman right-hander Jared Karros, a standout at Mira Costa High School and son of former UCLA and Los Angeles Dodgers standout Eric Karros, is set to make his NCAA debut on Tuesday night. He becomes the first Bruin freshman to start a game on the mound this year. Karros was the 2019 Bay League Pitcher of the Year after going 7-3 with a 0.86 ERA as a senior at Mira Costa.
Back to Back
Freshman Michael Curialle and sophomore Matt McLain launched solo homers in back-to-back fashion during the first inning of Sunday's series finale against UCR. The pair of jacks represented UCLA's first set of back-to-back homers since Michael Toglia and Chase Strumpf did so on May 21, 2017 against Utah.
McLain Breaks Out
Sophomore Matt McLain made the most of a new role last weekend - he went from a bottom-of-the-order center fielder in 2019 to three-hole shortstop in 2020 - going 7-12 (.583) with a pair of home runs and a team-high six RBIs en route to a Pac-12 Player of the Week nomination. McLain matched a career-high with four RBIs in the Saturday contest against UCR, crushing a two-run homer in the first inning before adding a two-run single later in the game. He also played error-free defense at shortstop, converting on all nine of his total chances.
Bullpen Getting It Done
While UCLA's starters were impressive in their own right against the Highlanders, UCLA's bullpen was downright unhittable, tossing 11 innings of scoreless relief with just three hits against. Junior Michael Townsend (three separate scoreless appearances of an inning apiece, just one baserunner allowed) and junior closer Holden Powell (2.1 IP, one save, five strikeouts) have been especially impressive out of the pen.
Plenty Of Preseason Pub For Mitchell, Powell
After breakout sophomore campaigns, UCLA juniors Garrett Mitchell and Holden Powell have been picking up plenty of preseason praise this winter. Mitchell has been a unanimous Preseason All-America selection, including First Team designation from D1Baseball, Baseball America, and Perfect Game. Powell meanwhile picked up First Team Preseason All-America acclaim from Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game.
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats
No. 8 UCLA Continues Homestand With LMU Midweek
After a season-opening weekend sweep of UC Riverside, the No. 8-ranked UCLA baseball team continues a nine-game homestand by hosting local rival Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. Tim Wilhelm will have the call for the game on UCLABruins.com.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Feb. 18 - 6:00 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jared Karros, RHP, Fr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LMU - Josh Robins, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Midweek Notes
UCLA recorded an undefeated 11-0 record in midweeks last season, going 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road. 2019 marked the second time in the John Savage era that UCLA went 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).
Successful Start to 2020
UCLA had an impressive start to the new season this past weekend, sweeping Big West-member UC Riverside and outscoring them 21-3 on aggregate for the weekend. It was the third consecutive season in which UCLA swept its opening series and the sixth time overall in the John Savage era (since 2005). The Bruins allowed just 12 hits over the weekend to the Highlanders, including a combined three-hitter on Saturday and a combined two-hitter in the Sunday finale.
Bruins In The Preseason Polls
UCLA is represented in all five of the preseason major national polls. The Bruins are ranked as high as No. 8 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll), but are also tabbed at No. 10 (Baseball America), No. 11 (NCBWA), No. 12 (Collegiate Baseball), and No. 14 (D1Baseball).
Slick Gloves
UCLA went its entire opening series without committing an error. That is the first time the Bruins have gone without committing an error in their first series of the year under John Savage (since 2005). UCLA is one of 13 teams to have not committed an error to this point of the season.
Karros Set for Collegiate Debut
Freshman right-hander Jared Karros, a standout at Mira Costa High School and son of former UCLA and Los Angeles Dodgers standout Eric Karros, is set to make his NCAA debut on Tuesday night. He becomes the first Bruin freshman to start a game on the mound this year. Karros was the 2019 Bay League Pitcher of the Year after going 7-3 with a 0.86 ERA as a senior at Mira Costa.
Back to Back
Freshman Michael Curialle and sophomore Matt McLain launched solo homers in back-to-back fashion during the first inning of Sunday's series finale against UCR. The pair of jacks represented UCLA's first set of back-to-back homers since Michael Toglia and Chase Strumpf did so on May 21, 2017 against Utah.
McLain Breaks Out
Sophomore Matt McLain made the most of a new role last weekend - he went from a bottom-of-the-order center fielder in 2019 to three-hole shortstop in 2020 - going 7-12 (.583) with a pair of home runs and a team-high six RBIs en route to a Pac-12 Player of the Week nomination. McLain matched a career-high with four RBIs in the Saturday contest against UCR, crushing a two-run homer in the first inning before adding a two-run single later in the game. He also played error-free defense at shortstop, converting on all nine of his total chances.
Bullpen Getting It Done
While UCLA's starters were impressive in their own right against the Highlanders, UCLA's bullpen was downright unhittable, tossing 11 innings of scoreless relief with just three hits against. Junior Michael Townsend (three separate scoreless appearances of an inning apiece, just one baserunner allowed) and junior closer Holden Powell (2.1 IP, one save, five strikeouts) have been especially impressive out of the pen.
Plenty Of Preseason Pub For Mitchell, Powell
After breakout sophomore campaigns, UCLA juniors Garrett Mitchell and Holden Powell have been picking up plenty of preseason praise this winter. Mitchell has been a unanimous Preseason All-America selection, including First Team designation from D1Baseball, Baseball America, and Perfect Game. Powell meanwhile picked up First Team Preseason All-America acclaim from Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game.