UCLA Faces LMU in Midweek Clash

No. 25 UCLA (17-11) vs. Loyola Marymount (11-18)
Tuesday, Apr. 13, 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 Opens Homestand With LMU Midweek    
No. 25 UCLA (17-11) returns to Jackie Robinson Stadium for four games this week, starting with a 6:00 p.m. PT contest against Loyola Marymount (11-18) on Tuesday night. It marks the third of four scheduled midweek showdowns against LMU this year. Tuesday's game will be live streamed on UCLABruins.com, with Tim Wilhelm on the call. Fans can also follow along with live stats at UCLAlivestats.com as well as live updates from the team Twitter account, @UCLABaseball. 

UCLA Outdoor Home Sporting Events Open to Team Guests Starting Apr. 16    
In compliance with state and county public health guidance, UCLA outdoor home sporting events will be open to a limited number of team guests, beginning April 16. Seating at these events will be limited in order to comply with updated state public health guidance for higher education and college athletics that has been adopted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, as well as city, county and campus COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Tickets will not be available to the general public, and non-ticketed guests should not come to the competition venues. The UCLA campus remains closed to the general public.

Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Apr. 13 - 6:00 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Nick Nastrini, RHP, Jr. (2-2, 5.20 ERA)
LMU - Sean Paquet, LHP, RJr. (0-1, 8.59 ERA)

The Week In Review    
UCLA is coming off a series loss to Stanford on the road last weekend. The Bruins didn't have a midweek game scheduled last Tuesday, the second consecutive week without a Tuesday contest (Mar. 30 game against Pepperdine was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols in the Pepperdine program). 

• UCLA was dealt a 6-2 loss by Stanford in Friday's series opener. Zach Pettway had a season-high eight strikeouts in the contest and was solid other than a pair of two-run home runs. Matt McLain (2-4) had a solo homer in the the first to open the scoring, and Kyle Karros posted a career-high three hits. Stanford starter Brendan Beck settled down after McLain's homer, holding the Bruins to one run for the remainder of his start while striking out 10. 
• Stanford clinched the series with an 11-6 Saturday win. The Cardinal scored six runs in the bottom of the first - stringing together five singles before Drew Bowser capped the inning with a three-run home run - and never looked back. The Bruins fought back after the first, outscoring the hosts 6-5 the rest of the way. Matt McLain (3-4), JT Schwartz (2-4), and Kyle Cuellar (2-4) all had multiple hits while Mikey Perez hit a no-doubt home run that made it a two-run game in the fourth. The Bruins used eight pitchers in the contest. 
• The Bruins salvaged the series with a 6-1 triumph on Sunday. Perez hit a three-run homer in the top of the first to give UCLA the early lead, and Bruin pitchers held the Cardinal off the board until the ninth inning. Sean Mullen led the way with 6 1/3 innings of two-hit, shutout ball and Michael Townsend followed with a five-up, five-down relief effort. Perez, Noah Cardenas, and Kyle Karros all finished with three hits in the contest, and McLain homered in the ninth.

Midweek Notes    
UCLA is 17-1 in midweeks since the start of the 2019 season, including an unbeaten 11-0 mark in 2019 and four wins in as many games this season. UCLA has defeated LMU and Cal State Fullerton twice apiece in midweek action this year, outscoring the opposition 38-11 in those games. The Bruins were 2-1 in midweeks last year, topping LMU and Pepperdine at home before falling on road at UC Santa Barbara. UCLA is scheduled to face just four teams in midweeks in 2021: Loyola Marymount, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, and Nevada. 

Friendly Confines    
UCLA is 12-5 at home this year and has gone 91-31 (.746) at Jackie Robinson Stadium since the start of the 2017 season. The Bruins have won 19 of their last 21 regular season home series.

The All-Time Series Against Loyola Marymount    
UCLA owns a 59-48-1 record all-time against Loyola Marymount, including a 15-6 mark under head coach John Savage. This is the fourth consecutive season that the Bruins and Lions have matched up. UCLA and LMU played each other five times during the 2019 season (two midweeks, three postseason games) and are scheduled to play four times against each other in 2021. 

This Season Against The Lions    
UCLA is 2-0 in two previous matchups against LMU this year, winning those contests by an aggregate score of 18-8. The Bruins posted a 5-2 comeback win over the Lions at home on Feb. 23, then won 13-6 on Mar. 23, also at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Key contributors against LMU this season offensively include outfielder Emanuel Dean (4-6, four RBIs) and Kevin Kendall (5-9, three runs) while Sean Mullen (8.1 IP, 0 ER), Kyle Mora (2.1 IP, 0 R), and Jake Saum (2.0 IP, 0 H) have been standouts on the mound. 

In This Week's Polls    
UCLA appeared in two of the four major nationals polls that were updated Monday, ranking as high as No. 23 (Collegiate Baseball) and remaining top-25 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (No. 25). This week's opponents, LMU and Utah, are both unranked in all polls. 

Karros Collects Hits Up North    
Freshman third baseman Kyle Karros had a nice weekend in northern California, posting a career-high three hits on both Friday and Sunday. Karros has reached base in four straight, and has hits in three of his last four games. He's raised his season batting average 44 points in the last four games.