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UCLA Closes Regular Season at Arizona State

by uclabruins.com
May 26, 2021
Mikey Perez (photo: Scott Chandler)

UCLA (32-18, 15-12 Pac-12) at No. 21 Arizona State (32-17, 16-11)
Thursday, May 27, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Friday, May 28, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - 1:00 p.m. PT
Location: Phoenix, Ariz. (Phoenix Municipal Stadium)
TV: ESPN2 (Thu.) / Pac-12 Networks (Fri./Sat.)
Stream: WatchESPN / Pac-12 Now App / Pac-12.com
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Audio Play-by-Play Talent: Tim Wilhelm
Live Stats

UCLA Closes Out 2021 Regular Season on the Road at Arizona State    
The UCLA (32-18, 15-12) baseball team finishes up the 2021 regular season this week with a three-game Pac-12 series at No. 21 Arizona State (32-17, 16-11) starting on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2. The series continues with Pac-12 Networks-televised contests on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Tim Wilhelm will be on hand for an audio broadcast of each game, accessible on UCLABruins.com, and fans can also follow along with live stats at UCLAlivestats.com and updates from the team Twitter account, @UCLABaseball. 

Bruins on the Worldwide Leader    
Thursday night will be an unofficial UCLA takeover of ESPN, as the Bruins' 6:00 p.m. contest against the Sun Devils will run concurrently with the UCLA softball team's scheduled 6:30 Super Regional contest (vs. Virginia Tech) on ESPN. 

Projected Pitching Matchups
Thursday, May 27 - 6:00 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Zach Pettway, RHP, Sr. (1-5, 5.12 ERA)
ASU - Tyler Thornton, RHP, RSo. (2-3, 5.27 ERA)
Friday, May 28 - 6:00 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Sean Mullen, RHP, Jr. (9-1, 2.86 ERA)
ASU - Justin Fall, LHP, RJr. (7-2, 3.78 ERA)
Saturday, May 29 - 1:00 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Jesse Bergin, RHP, Jr. (4-3, 4.76 ERA)
ASU - TBA

The Week In Review    
UCLA went 2-2 last week, topping a red-hot Nevada squad on Tuesday before losing two of three over the weekend to Cal.

  • UCLA started last week off with an 11-3 Tuesday win over Nevada, a team which entered the contest having won 11 of its last 12. A pair of two-out rallies from the 8-9-1 spots in the order helped the Bruins build a 6-1 lead by the end of the fourth, and then UCLA pulled away with a five-run seventh highlighted by a bases-loaded double from Noah Cardenas. Kevin Kendall led UCLA offensively, going 3-3 with four RBIs and reaching in all five of his plate appearances. The Bruins employed seven different pitchers in the win, with Jake Brooks drawing the start and getting the W after allowing one earned in two innings. The win clinched an undefeated midweek schedule in 2021 for UCLA.
  • The Bruins suffered a 14-2 loss to Cal in Friday's series opener. Kyle Cuellar and Mikey Perez had solo home runs to account for UCLA's scoring, and Jake Brooks allowed two hits and no runs over a career-high three innings in relief. 
  • Cal clinched the series with a 4-2 Saturday win. Both teams scored in only one inning, with JonJon Vaughns hitting a two-run homer in the fourth to open the scoring for UCLA, but Cal answered with a four-spot in the fifth (Keshawn Ogans had a bases-clearing, three-run double) to take the win. Max Rajcic was a standout for the Bruins out of the bullpen, striking out all five batters he faced. 
  • The Bruins salvaged the series with a 7-4 Senior Day win. Jake Moberg drove in runs in back-to-back ABs to put UCLA ahead for good (two-run homer in B2, RBI double in B4), then UCLA pulled away with a three-spot in the sixth highlighted by a two-run Michael Curialle triple. Jesse Bergin earned the win with five innings of two-run ball. 
  • UCLA got a home run from its nine-hole hitter in all three games of the Cal series (Perez, Vaughns, Moberg) 

Quick Hits     

  • The Bruins have won seven of their last 10 games, and three of their last four series
  • UCLA enters the weekend at No. 36 in the RPI
  • UCLA went an undefeated 8-0 in midweeks this season
  • JT Schwartz has a higher batting average (.397) and OBP (.525) than any qualified Pac-12 batter
  • Michael Townsend is tied for the NCAA lead in pitching appearances (33)
  • Sean Mullen leads the Pac-12 with nine wins, is just two off the national lead
  • Kevin Kendall leads the Pac and is seventh nationally with 78 hits
  • UCLA: only team that ranks top-three in the Pac in both offense (7.1 runs per game, 3rd) and pitching (3.86 ERA, 3rd)

In This Week's Polls    
UCLA appeared in two of five national polls on Monday, ranking No. 19 in the NCBWA poll and No. 20 in the Collegiate Baseball rankings. UCLA also received votes in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, garnering the second-most votes among teams outside the top-25. 

The All-Time Series Against Arizona State    
UCLA trails the all-time series against ASU by a margin of 78-120, including a 19-26 mark under head coach John Savage. Since 2015, the Bruins have won four of five series over the Sun Devils (going 9-6 overall), including the last three in a row in Phoenix. The head-to-head series has been a close one, with neither team registering a sweep since 2010.  

Last Time Out Against ASU    
The Bruins took two of three from ASU on the road in the last meeting between the two schools (May 3-5, 2019). UCLA edged out a 3-2 win in the opener, exploded for 18 runs in the Saturday clincher, then narrowly missed the sweep as ASU got an 8-7 win in the Sunday finale. In that Saturday game, the Bruins hit seven home runs and scored in every inning but the ninth. Key contributors from that series still on the UCLA roster include Noah Cardenas (9-13, HR, 3 RBIs), Kevin Kendall (4-9), and Jake Moberg (recorded a double on 5/4/19, his first collegiate hit). 

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