UCLA Hosts Nevada in Final Midweek of 2021

No. 18 UCLA (30-16) vs. Nevada (21-17)
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Jackie Robinson Stadium)
Live Stream
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Audio/Stream Play-by-Play Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats

UCLA Hosts Nevada in Final Midweek of 2021    
No. 18 UCLA (30-16) plays its final midweek game of the 2021 season on Tuesday, welcoming Nevada (21-17) to Jackie Robinson Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. contest. The game will be streamed live through Pac-12.com/live and the Pac-12 Now app, with Tim Wilhelm on the call. Fans can also follow along with a live audio broadcast on UCLABruins.com as well as live stats at UCLAlivestats.com and updates from the team Twitter account, @UCLABaseball. 

UCLA Outdoor Home Sporting Events Open to Team Guests    
In compliance with state and county public health guidance, UCLA outdoor home sporting events will be open to a limited number of team guests. 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. UCLA's campus remains closed to the general public.

Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, May 18 - 6:00 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Jake Brooks, RHP, Fr. (1-0, 5.65 ERA)
NEV - Kade Morris, RHP, Fr. (3-1, 7.71 ERA)

The Week In Review    
UCLA is coming off a 3-1 week, topping LMU in a Tuesday tune up before taking two of three from UC Santa Barbara in a split-venue weekend series.  

• UCLA defeated LMU 9-8 last Tuesday night to improve to 7-0 this season in midweeks. Mikey Perez hit a grand slam as part of a five-run first and Pat Caulfield drove in three runs during the middle innings, which allowed the Bruins to build up a big enough lead to withstand a late charge from LMU, which scored in six consecutive innings starting in the fourth. The Lions got the tying run to third base with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Max Rajcic came up with a clutch backwards-K before rolling up a grounder to first to strand the runner and end the game.
• The Bruins fell behind 7-0 by the fourth inning en route to a 10-4 loss in Friday's series opener against UCSB at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA had 15 hits in the contest, including six different players who had multiple hits led by Kyle Cuellar's 3-4 day. Mikey Perez had a solo homer in the fifth to get the Bruins on the board. 
• UCLA recovered to take a 5-2 decision on the road at UCSB on Saturday. The Bruins threw a combined four-hitter, with Sean Mullen tossing six innings of one-run ball and Max Rajcic retiring every batter he faced in a seven-out save opportunity. The two teams traded solo homers early, making the score 1-1 for most of the game. The Bruins broke through with two runs in the seventh to go ahead for good, with Michael Curialle and JonJon Vaughns contributing RBI singles. UCSB responded with a solo homer in the bottom half of the seventh, but Rajcic entered the game and shut them down the rest of the way. UCLA added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth to make it a three-run game.
• The Bruins captured the series with an 11-3 Sunday win. UCLA led 4-1 after the second inning and the game remained close until UCLA pulled away with a seven-run seventh highlighted by a Kyle Cuellar grand slam and three-run JonJon Vaughns home run. The Bruin bullpen threw a combined 4 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just a pair of singles. Adrian Chaidez picked up the win for the Bruins to improve to 2-0 on the year. Kevin Kendall and Michael Curialle had run-scoring hits as part of a go-ahead three-run rally in the bottom of the second.
• UCLA batted .321 as a team last week, and had double-digit hits in all four games. 

Quick Hits     

• The Bruins have won eight of their last 11 games, including three straight series wins
• UCLA enters the week at No. 30 in the RPI
• UCLA is 7-0 this season in midweeks
• JT Schwartz enters the week with the top batting average in the Pac-12 (.402) and the No. 6 OBP in the country (.528)
• Michael Townsend is one off the NCAA lead in pitching appearances (31)
• Sean Mullen leads the Pac-12 with nine wins

In This Week's Polls    
UCLA appeared in four of five major national polls on Monday, ranking as high as No. 16 (Collegiate Baseball) and remaining top-25 in the polls for the NCBWA (No. 17), D1Baseball (No. 18), and USA TODAY Coaches Poll (No. 21). 

The All-Time Series Against Nevada    
UCLA owns a 6-7 record all-time against Nevada. The Bruins and Wolf Pack have not met since 2005, a neutral site contest in Fullerton that was won by Nevada. Prior to that matchup, UCLA and Nevada faced off in weekend series in four consecutive seasons from 1994-97, with each team taking two sets apiece (the Bruins won two of three in Reno in 1994 and at Jackie Robinson Stadium in 1997). UCLA head coach John Savage was an assistant coach on the Nevada staff for the first three of those series. 

Last Time Out Against Nevada    
The Bruins dropped a 7-3 decision to Nevada in the last meeting between the two schools (Mar. 5, 2005).  The game was played at Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field as part of the Kia Baseball Bash tournament. UCLA led that game 1-0 through four innings, but Nevada outscored the Bruins 7-2 in the second half of the game, including a four-run eighth. Key performers for the Bruins included Jarrad Page (3-4, two RBIs), Will Penniall (2-4), and Bryan Beck (6.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 K). 

Midweek Notes    
UCLA is 20-1 in midweeks since the start of the 2019 season, including an unbeaten 11-0 mark in 2019 and seven wins in as many games this season. UCLA has defeated LMU, Cal State Fullerton, and Pepperdine in midweek action this year, outscoring the opposition 64-25 in those games. The Bruins are outhitting their opponents .327 to .195 in midweeks this season, and have a 2.86 ERA (opponents: 7.32). Six UCLA regulars are hitting over .300 in midweeks including Pat Caulfield (.462), Kevin Kendall (.440), Michael Curialle (.400), JT Schwartz (.364), and Matt McLain (.333) while five of the 11 pitchers the Bruins have used in midweek games have yet to yield an earned run.