Baseball Hosts USC in Rivalry Weekend at JRS

UCLA (7-11, 2-4) vs. USC (7-13, 3-3)
Friday, March 22, 2024 - 7 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 23, 2024 - 2 p.m. PT
Sunday, March 24, 2024 - 2 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Jackie Robinson Stadium)
TV: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: J.B. Long, Wes Clements
Stream: Pac-12.com / Pac-12 Now app
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Broadcast talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats

UCLA Continues Homestand, Hosts USC in Rivalry Weekend
This weekend, the UCLA baseball team (7-11, 2-4 Pac-12) plays host to crosstown rival USC (7-13, 3-3) for a three-game Pac-12 series at Jackie Robinson Stadium, starting on Friday night at 7 p.m. PT and continuing at 2 p.m. PT on both Saturday and Sunday. The Pac-12 Networks will televise the entirety of the weekend set, with J.B. Long and Wes Clements on the call. Nick Koop will also be on hand all weekend for an audio-only broadcast accessible via UCLABruins.com. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball).

UCLA Quick Hits

UCLA is 7-11 on the season, including series wins over Gonzaga and WSU, and midweek wins over Nevada and LBSU
The Bruins are 7-3 so far this season in home games, but are seeking their first win away from Jackie Robinson Stadium
UCLA is 2-4 in Pac-12 play, absorbing a sweep at Cal before bouncing back for a series win over Washington State
The Bruins enter the weekend with a plus-23 walk differential (93 drawn, 70 issued)
UCLA has started multiple players at all nine defensive positions (plus DH)
UCLA is coming off a 28-24-1 campaign and a berth into the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament
It marked the program's 7th consecutive winning season and 15th overall in 19 seasons under HC John Savage
The Bruins' freshman class was the No. 1-ranked recruit class in the country (as was the junior class)
Junior 2B Duce Gourson earned Preseason All-America acclaim from Baseball America and Perfect Game
Gourson, Cody Schrier, and Luke Jewett were named to the 2024 Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team
The Bruins were picked to finish 3rd in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
Bruin alum Gerrit Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young, making UCLA the first DI school ever to have had multiple Cy Young winners on the same team

Projected Pitching Matchups
Friday, March 22 - 7 p.m. PT
UCLA - Jr. RHP Luke Jewett (1-1, 5.46 ERA)
USC - Jr. RHP Caden Aoki (1-3, 6.20 ERA)
Saturday, March 23 - 2 p.m. PT
UCLA - So. RHP Michael Barnett (1-1, 5.48 ERA)
USC - Sr. RHP Tyler Stromsborg (0-4, 6.26 ERA)
Sunday, March 24 - 2 p.m. PT
UCLA - Fr. Landon Stump (0-1, 4.64 ERA)
USC - Gr. RHP Jared Feikes (1-0, 1.69 ERA)

The Week In Review
UCLA is coming off a 2-1 week, taking a weekend Pac-12 series over Washington State at home:

FRI — UCLA used a big sixth inning record a 4-1 win over WSU in the series opener. All the game's scoring occured in the sixth, as WSU got on the board with a solo shot in the top half before UCLA responded with the game-winning rally in the bottom half. An infield single and three straight walks tied the game and set the foundation for that go-ahead rally, with AJ Salgado knocking in the decisive run with an RBI fielder's choice before Cashel Dugger and Roman Martin chipped in RBI singles. Luke Jewett posted six innings of one-run ball to earn the win, and Cody Delvecchio and Rashad Ruff followed with a combined three scoreless relief innings to lock down the win. Dugger (3-4) and Martin (2-3) both had multi-hit days to pace the UCLA offense.
SAT — WSU evened the series with a 12-5 win in game two. Eight of nine starters had a hit for UCLA, including a 2-4 effort with a home run from JonJon Vaughns, but the Bruins issued 13 walks as a team and hit a further three batters. UCLA led 3-1 after the first, but WSU answered with a go-ahead three-spot the next half-inning and went ahead for good with a four-run fourth. Luke Rodriguez was a standout of the bullpen, delivering 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He sent down the Cougars in order in three separate innings.
SUN — UCLA clinched the series with a 9-4 Sunday win. Roman Martin led the Bruins offensively, becoming the first UCLA batter this season to reach the five-RBI plateau. The Bruins never trailed in the contest, scoring four in the bottom of the first and later scoring five unanswered to close the game (all on Martin RBIs) after WSU battled back to tie it at 4-4 in the fourth. The Bruin bullpen posted five zeroes to finish the game, highlighted by a solid season debut from Chris Aldrich. Martin's RBI knocks both came with the bases loaded, a flare that scored two in the sixth and a line double into the left-field corner that cleared the bases in the eighth.
The Bruins did not have a midweek game scheduled this week due to final examinations.

The All-Time Series Against USC
Though USC holds the the advantage in the all-time series, UCLA has turned the tide in recent years. In 19 previous years under head coach John Savage, UCLA has lost the season series to USC just four times. The Bruins captured weekend sweeps of the Trojans six times in that span, most recently in 2018.

Last Year Against the Trojans
UCLA went 2-3 against USC in 2023, dropping two of three in a league series at Dedeaux Field and splitting a pair of non-nonconference meetings:

Game 1 (Mar. 5 at UCLA) — UCLA finished off the unbeaten run through the Southern Califonia College Baseball Classic by defeating USC at home, 5-3. The Bruins never trailed in the contest, as JonJon Vaughns hit a two-run homer in the second to put the Bruins up for good. USC didn't get on the board until the sixth inning, and UCLA immediately responded in the bottom half of that inning to make it 5-1. The Trojans made it a two-run game in the ninth off a Nate Clow homer, but that was as close as they would get. Kelly Austin pitched out of trouble to get through 4 1/3 innings without allowing a run. UCLA limited USC to a 1-10 line with runners in scoring position.
Game 2 (Apr. 21 at USC) — Duce Gourson matched a season-high with four RBIs to lead UCLA to a 9-3 Friday. The Bruins never trailed, going ahead for good with a four-run second. Gourson had an RBI in each of UCLA's first three run-scoring innings, helping the Bruins to an 8-3 lead by the sixth. Jake Brooks got the win for UCLA after going five innings with two earned runs against. Kelly Austin and Cody Delvecchio shut out the Trojans the rest of the way.
Game 3 (Apr. 22 at USC) — UCLA was limited to four hits in a 5-1 Saturday loss to USC. Caden Aoki went 6 1/3 strong for the Trojans, allowing just one earned run. Jack Holman hit a solo homer in the fourth to account for UCLA's one run.
Game 4 (Apr. 23 at USC) — UCLA ended up on the wrong end of a 6-5 thriller in Sunday's rubber match, as USC walked it off with a single in the ninth. The Bruins fought back from an early 3-0 deficit to take the lead, using a four-spot in the seventh to go ahead 5-3. USC answered with a pair in the bottom half of the seventh, and UCLA stranded multiple runners in both the eighth and ninth before Cole Gabrielson's walk-off knock with two strikes and two outs. Kyle Karros had UCLA's biggest swing of the game, clearing the bases for a three-run double to cap off the seventh-inning rally.
Game 5 (May 22 at Pac-12 Tournament) — No. 4-seeded USC recorded a 6-4 win over No. 7-seeded UCLA in the opening game of the Pac-12 Tournament for both teams. Austin Overn had a game-high five RBIs to lead USC. JonJon Vaughns figured in the scoring of every UCLA run, producing three RBIs and scoring one himself. UCLA led 4-1 midway through the fourth, but USC put up crooked numbers in the fifth and sixth innings to go ahead for good.

Current Bruins Against USC
Active Bruins with strong career numbers against the Trojans include Chris Aldrich (4.1 IP, 0 ER, 5 K in 3 GP), Cody Delvecchio (1.93 ERA in 4.2 IP over 3 GP), and JonJon Vaughns (.364/.563/.727, 2 HR, 4 XBH, 6 RBI in 10 GP).

Friendly Confines
The Bruins are off to a strong start in home games so far this season, going 7-3 at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA is outscoring its opponents 64-51 at home and holds sizable advantages in batting (.270-.225), OBP (.409-.338), slugging (.393-.348), and ERA (4.05-6.48).The Bruins went 19-9-1 at JRS a season ago, including a 13-game home winning streak to open the campaign. UCLA had a plus-63 run differential (207-144) in home games last year.

Bruins On the National Leaderboards
UCLA enters the week ranked in the upper-third nationally in the following team stats:
Double plays turned - 15 (5th in the Pac-12 / 58th in the NCAA)
BB/9 - 4.08 (4th / 64th)
ERA - 4.96 (6th / 77th)
WHIP - 1.46 (6th / 78th)
K-BB Ratio - 2.06 (7th / 98th)

Good Eye
So far this season, UCLA has issued more walks than its drawn just four times in 18 games. The Bruins own a plus-23 walk differential overall on the season (93 drawn, 70 issued), good for second in the Pac-12, fifth among schools in the western half of the country, and 42nd overall in the NCAA. UCLA is averaging 9.0 free passes (walks + hit batters) per game in wins this season, compared to 4.4 in losses.

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Baseball Hosts USC in Rivalry Weekend at JRS

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Players Mentioned

Chris Aldrich

Kelly Austin

Michael Barnett

Jake Brooks

Cody Delvecchio

Cashel Dugger

Duce Gourson

Jack Holman

Luke Jewett

Kyle Karros

Roman Martin

Luke Rodriguez

Rashad Ruff

AJ Salgado

Cody Schrier

Landon Stump

JonJon Vaughns

University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics

Baseball Hosts USC in Rivalry Weekend at JRS

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Chris Aldrich

Kelly Austin

Michael Barnett

Jake Brooks

Cody Delvecchio

Cashel Dugger

Duce Gourson

Jack Holman

Luke Jewett

Kyle Karros

Roman Martin

Luke Rodriguez

Rashad Ruff

AJ Salgado

Cody Schrier

Landon Stump

JonJon Vaughns

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