UCLA Hosts Pepperdine in Tuesday Tune Up

No. 9 UCLA (15-7) vs. Pepperdine (11-11)
Tuesday, Mar. 30, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Live Stream
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Play-by-Play Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats

UCLA Hosts Pepperdine in Tuesday Matchup    
No. 9 UCLA (15-7) returns to Jackie Robinson Stadium to host WCC-member Pepperdine (11-11) in midweek action on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. The contests features two teams on hot streaks; UCLA has won four of five and the Waves had won five straight prior to a one-run loss to Saint Mary's on Sunday. The game will be streamed live on UCLABruins.com, and fans can also follow along with an audio broadcast and live stats on UCLABruins.com as well as live updates from the team Twitter account, @UCLABaseball. 

Jackie Robinson Stadium Remains Spectator-Free    
Due to local and state health guidelines, all UCLA Athletics competitions will be hosted in a spectator-free environment. For updates regarding in-person attendance at UCLA Athletics events, please check UCLABruins.com.

Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Mar. 30 - 6:00 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Jake Brooks, RHP, Fr. (0-0, 7.88 ERA)
PEPP - Shane Telfer, LHP, So. (0-0, 12.27 ERA)

The Week In Review    
UCLA is coming off a series victory on the road at crosstown rival USC last weekend, rallying from a Friday defeat to take the three-game conference set. UCLA opened the week with a 13-6 triumph over LMU in midweek action. 

• UCLA wrapped a four-game homestand with a 13-6 win over Loyola Marymount last Tuesday night. Offense was flowing  early on a blustery day at Jackie Robinson Stadium, with the entirety of the game's scoring taking place by the end of the third. The Bruins scored eight runs in the bottom of the first - big hits included a two-run Emanuel Dean triple and a three-run Matt McLain double - to take the lead for good. Dean (4-5, four RBIs) and Kevin Kendall (3-5, 3 R) led the charge as six different Bruins recorded multiple hits. UCLA's bullpen pitched seven consecutive scoreless innings after a leadoff homer from LMU's Alec Cargin in the top of the third. 
• The Bruins suffered a 5-4 loss in the series opener at USC, with the Trojans rallying for four runs in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win. The loss spoiled a standout start for Zach Pettway, who limited USC to one run on three hits  over seven innings and retired 10 consecutive batters at one point. 
• UCLA evened the series with a 6-3 victory on Saturday night. The Bruins never trailed in the contest, taking the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth and sealing the contest with three runs in the late innings. DH Josh Hahn (2-4, three RBIs) and CF Kevin Kendall (2-5, two RBIs) led the Bruin bats, while Kyle Cuellar had a single and double in his first game since Feb. 21. UCLA's bullpen tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball to preserve the win, with Jake Saum (2.2 IP, 0 H) leading the way and earning the win to improve to 2-2.
• The Bruins closed out the series with a decisive 13-1 victory on Sunday. The 4-6 spots in the lineup combined to go 7-9 with eight RBIs and six runs: JT Schwartz (3-3, 4 R), Mikey Perez (3-4, 3 RBIs), Pat Caulfield (1-2, 3 RBIs). Caulfield opened the scoring and drove in the game-winning run with a two-run homer in the second inning, UCLA would go on to post crooked numbers in three consecutive innings starting in the fourth. That was more than enough run support for the Bruins, as Jared Karros (6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 7 K) turned in arguably the finest start of his career before the UCLA bullpen closed it out with three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball. 
• UCLA outscored the Trojans 23-9 for the weekend, outhit them .300-.151, and had a 2.70 ERA (USC: 7.33). 

In This Week's Polls    
UCLA appeared in all five major national polls on Monday, ranking as high as No. 9 (USA TODAY Coaches Poll, NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball) and remaining top-15 in D1Baseball (No. 10), and Baseball America (No. 15). This week's opponents, Pepperdine and Washington, are both unranked in all polls. 

Midweek Notes
UCLA is 17-1 in midweeks over the last two-plus seasons, including an unbeaten 11-0 mark in 2019 and four wins in four games this season. UCLA has defeated LMU and Cal St. Fullerton twice apiece in midweek action this year, outscoring their opponents 38-11 in those games. The Bruins went 2-1 in midweeks last year, topping Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine at home before falling on the road at UC Santa Barbara for the team's first loss of the year. The Bruins are slated to face just four teams in midweeks in 2021: Loyola Marymount, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, and Nevada.

The All-Time Series Against Pepperdine    
UCLA leads the all-time series against the Waves, 65-39-4. The Bruins have won five straight against Pepperdine dating back to 2016, and are 19-6 against them under head coach John Savage. 

Friendly Confines    
UCLA is 11-3 at home this year and has gone 90-29 (.756) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 19 of their last 20 regular season home series. 

Last Time Out Against the Waves    
The Bruins and Waves previously met on Mar. 5 of this year, with the Bruins taking a 16-8 win in an extremely offensive game at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The game was closer than the scoreline indicates, as the teams were seperated by one run before the Bruins pulled away with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Michael Curialle went 3-4 with three doubles and a career-high four RBIs to lead the Bruins offensively, while Noah Cardenas was 2-3 with a triple, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Jared Karros helped the Bruins turn it around defensively after a Pepperdine three-spot in the top of the first, tossing five innings of one-run relief. Sean Mullen earned the save with 1 2/3 spotless innings - he stranded the tying run on base in the eighth before finishing it off with a 1-2-3 ninth. The game was the first of the 2021 College Baseball Classic, a weekend in which UCLA went 3-0 and scored 32 runs. 

Waves and Bruins Produce Most Offense at JRS Since 2018
The 24 combined runs in the Mar. 5 matchup against Pepperdine were the most runs in a game at Jackie Robinson Stadium since Apr. 7, 2018 (Stanford 13, UCLA 11). Only one other game at JRS in that span has even had 20 combined runs (UCLA 12, Arizona 10 - Mar. 23, 2019).