# #

Baseball Closes Midweek Slate at UC Irvine on Tuesday

by uclabruins.com
May 6, 2024
JonJon Vaughns

UCLA (16-29) at No. 16 UC Irvine (34-10)
Tuesday, May 6, 2024 - 6 p.m. PT
Location: Irvine, Calif. (Anteater Ballpark)
Stream: ESPN+
Audio: UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats

UCLA Wraps Midweek Slate at UC Irvine    
This Tuesday, UCLA (16-29) heads south for its final midweek game of the season, facing No. 16-ranked UC Irvine (34-10) at Anteater Ballpark starting at 6 p.m. PT. The contest will be streamed via ESPN+, and Nick Koop will be on hand for an audio-only broadcast. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball). 

UCLA Quick Hits    

  • UCLA is 16-29 overall on the season, and has won three of its last four games
  • The Bruins are 5-5 in midweek contests, with wins against Nevada, LBSU, UCSB, LMU, and Pepperdine
  • UCLA is 12-11 so far this season at home
  • The Bruins are 6-18 in Pac-12 play, taking weekend series against Washington State and USC
  • UCLA enters the contest with a plus-20 walk differential (209 drawn, 189 issued)
  • The Bruins have an 81% success rate on stolen bases so far this year (39-48)
  • Duce Gourson had a 22-game reached-base streak snapped Apr. 9 ... he's reached in 41 of 44 games so far this year
  • The Bruins hit a season-high five home runs on April 30 at Pepperdine, including a pair from Mulivai Levu
  • Mulivai Levu and Roch Cholowsky are the first Bruin freshmen in the John Savage era with multiple 2-HR games
  • The Bruins have 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
  • Nick Nastrini was called up by the White Sox on April 15, making him the 92nd Bruin all-time to make his MLB debut

Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, May 7 - 6 p.m. PT 
UCLA - Fr. RHP Landon Stump (0-4, 6.70 ERA)
UCI - Jr. RHP Danny Suarez (season debut)

The All-Time Series Against UC Irvine    
UCLA owns a 57-40-1 record all-time against the Anteaters, including a 25-19 mark under head coach John Savage. The Bruins have dropped the season series to UCI in three straight years (2022-24) after doing so just once from 2010-21. Exempting the COVID-shortened 2020 season, UCLA and UCI have met every year since 2004, a streak of 19 consecutive campaigns. The Bruins are looking to break a six-game skid against the Anteaters overall. 
This Year Against the Anteaters    

  • Game 1 (March 3 at Dodger Stadium) – A seventh-inning grand slam proved to be the difference as UCLA dropped a 5-2 decision to then-No. 20 UC Irvine at Chavez Ravine on Mar. 3 in the finale of the 2024 Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. UCLA tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth on an RBI groundout from Duce Gourson, but the Anteaters broke it open on a four-run homer from Caden Kendle to improve to 9-0 on the year (at the time). Michael Barnett pitched five solid innings for the Bruins, allowing just five hits and one run. It was UCLA's first appearance at Dodger Stadium since 2019.
  • Game 2 (April 23 at UCLA) – UCLA hit a then-season-high four home runs, but absorbed a 9-7 loss to then-No. 12-ranked UC Irvine. The Bruins looked to be in the driver's seat late, as Duce Gourson hit a game-tying solo homer in the eighth before Roch Cholowsky put the Bruins ahead with a two-run shot of his own to make it 7-5 in UCLA's favor, but UCI responded with a decisive four-spot in the ninth punctuated by a Chase Call three-run homer.

Active Bruins Against UCI    
Current members of the UCLA baseball team with strong career numbers against UC Irvine include: Phoenix Call (.333 BA, .500 OBP in 2 GP), Roch Cholowsky (4-9, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI in 2 GP), Cashel Dugger (3-6 in 2 GP), Duce Gourson (.292/.357/.458, 6 RBIs in 6 GP), and Jarrod Hocking (4-12, .429 OBP in 3 GP).

On the Road    
UCLA is in the middle of a stretch of playing 10 of 11 games away from Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins are scheduled to play road series against Pac-12 opponents Utah and Oregon State, and midweeks at Pepperdine and UC Irvine. In the middle of that, the Bruins will play a tri-venue series against Cal State Fullerton during the team's conference bye week (one apiece at Angel Stadium, CSF's Goodwin Field, and UCLA's Jackie Robinson stadium; the latter representing the Bruins' lone home game during this span). Prior to this stretch, UCLA had played just 15 true road games all season. 

Change of Scenery    
UCLA is also in the middle of a span of playing seven consecutive games at seven different venues (Utah's Smith's Ballpark, Pepperdine's Eddy D. Field Stadium, Angel Stadium, Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field, Jackie Robinson Stadium, UC Irvine's Anteater Ballpark, and Oregon State's Goss Stadium). It is believed to be the first time in program history that the team is playing at a different venue in seven straight games. Earlier this year, the team played four straight contests in different venues (Mar. 1 at Jackie Robinson Stadium, Mar. 3 at Dodger Stadium, Mar. 5 at LBSU's Blair Field, Mar. 8 at Cal's Stu Gordon Stadium). Even that stretch was just the second time over the last eight years (2021) that UCLA had played four consecutive games at a different venue. 

Freshman Bats Leading the Home Run Department    
Freshmen infielders Roch Cholowsky (team-high 7 HRs) and Mulivai Levu (6 HRs, tied with Duce Gourson for second-most on the team) are leading the Bruins in the long ball department. Entering the year, no Bruin freshman had ever recorded multiple two-homer games under John Savage (since 2005), but Cholowsky and Levu have both accomplished that feat this season. They are the only batters on the 2024 squad with a multi-homer game. 

He Will Roch You    
Frosh third baseman Roch Cholowsky has been on a tear with the bat as of late, hitting six homers over his last eight games and slashing .343/.429/.943 over the last nine games. Roch has compiled nearly half of his extra-base hits for the season (nine of 20) over that same stretch. He is the lone Bruin to appear in every game so far this season.

Levu Leaves the Yard    
UCLA freshman first baseman Mulivai Levu has made a habit of hitting the long ball this year. He hit three home runs during the Cal series, including a two-HR performance in the series finale that made him the first Bruin in 2024 with multiple home runs in one game, and the first Bruin frosh with a two-homer game since current Cincinnati Red Matt McLain had two bombs at Washington State on May 12, 2019. He added two homers in as many innings at Pepperdine on April 30. His seven RBIs in that Pepperdine game are the most by a Bruin since Tommy Beres in the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament. 
Midweek Notes    

  • UCLA is 38-16 in midweek contests since the start of 2019
  • The Bruins are 5-5 so far this year in midweeks, defeating Nevada, LBSU, and UCSB at home, and LMU on the road
  • In 2023, UCLA went 6-4 with wins coming against Pepperdine, Michigan, Long Beach State (2), LMU, and CS Fullerton
  • The Bruins had two midweek games rained out last year, and have had one rained out so far this year
  • Payton Brennan (.357/.438/.536), Duce Gourson (.581 SLG), Roch Cholowsky (.651 SLG,4 HR), AJ Salgado (.324 BA), Duce Gourson (.314/.468/.543), JonJon Vaughns (7.2 IP, 3.52 ERA), and Cody Delvecchio (6.2 IP, 2.70 ERA) have been standouts in midweeks so far this year for the Bruins
  • Last season, the Bruins outscored their midweek opponents 77-68 and outperformed them in several stats including OBP (.414-.350), ERA (4.83-6.52), and home runs (12-6)
  • Standouts in midweek games last year included Malakhi Knight (.410 BA, 10 RBIs), Jarrod Hocking (.435/.606/.565), Darius Perry (.487 OBP), Luke Jewett (0.00 ERA, 10 K in 8.2 IP), and Charles Harrison (0.00 ERA, 10 K, 7 IP)
  • The Bruins went undefeated in midweeks in 2019 (11-0) and 2021 (8-0)
  • UCLA won seven straight midweeks from Mar. 1 to Apr. 19, 2022

No Slouches in the Nine Hole    
UCLA has seen plenty of production from the very bottom of its lineup, as nine-hole hitters have combined to slash an unreal .380/.446/.532 so far this season. Collectively, UCLA's nine-hitters have the best average and slugging of any lineup spot, and the second-best OBP (3-hole; .509). Players such as Payton Brennan (8-12, 1.000 SLG), AJ Salgado (4-7, 1.000 SLG), and Cashel Dugger (6-14, .579 OBP) have all been especially productive at the nine-spot.

The Week In Review    
UCLA is coming off a 3-1 week, taking a road midweek at Pepperdine before winning two of three against Cal St. Fullerton:

  • TUE — UCLA produced season highs in runs (16) and homers (5) while taking a shutout into the ninth inning in a 16-2 win at Pepperdine. It was also the Bruins' largest margin of victory this year. Mulivai Levu homered twice and notched seven RBIs - all by the third inning - to lead UCLA offensively. AJ Salgado had a game-high four hits, and Roch Cholowsky (2-4, 3 R, 2 RBI) and Blake Balsz (3-5, 2 RBI) also had big days with the bats. Cholowsky, Balsz, and Cody Schrier joined Levu in the home run club, with Balsz's roundtripper the first of his collegiate career. UCLA posted crooked numbers in each of their first three ups to build a commanding 12-0 lead. Luke Rodriguez picked up the win for UCLA after allowing just one hit - a first-inning single - over five shutout innings. The Bruins took a two-hit shutout into the ninth before the Waves broke through for a pair. 
  • FRI — Luke Jewett (8 IP, 0 R, 9 K) turned in the best start of his career, but UCLA ultimately absorbed a 2-1 loss in extra innings to Cal State Fullerton at Angel Stadium. Both teams were held off the board until the 12th frame, with Colby Wallace's two-run homer in the top half serving as the decisive play. Prior to the homer, UCLA pitchers had successfully put up a zero in four consecutive innings despite CSF getting the leadoff man aboard each time. Jewett took a no-hitter into the sixth, and retired 14 in a row after a game-opening HBP to face the minimum through five. 
  • SAT — Michael Barnett fired 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball and AJ Salgado provided a tie-breaking two-run double in the seventh as UCLA recorded a 4-1 win at Goodwin Field. UCLA and CSF battled to a 1-1 tie through six innings before Salgado's decisive double down the left field line. CSF rarely threatened against Barnett, and the relief duo of Landon Stump/Rashad Ruff didn't allow a hit over the final 2 1/3 innings of the game. Ruff earned his seventh save.
  • SUN — Roch Cholowsky homered twice and UCLA scored the first 10 runs of the game en route to a series-clinching 11-4 victory at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Payton Brennan was 3-4 with two doubles and Jack Holman reached four times and scored three runs. Luke Rodriguez drew the start and put up four consecutive zeroes but ultimately finished one out short of qualifying for the win. Justin Lee and JonJon Vaughns combined to limit CSF to one run over the final 4 2/3 innings. UCLA jumped all over the CSF starter, batting around and scoring six runs in the first. Cholowsky then added two-run homers in his next two ABs to give UCLA a 10-0 lead through four.

Bruins On the National Leaderboards    
UCLA enters the contest ranked in the upper-third nationally in the following team stats:
WHIP - 1.48 (5th in the Pac-12 / 66th in the NCAA)
ERA - 5.08 (6th / 70th) 
BB/9 - 4.20 (6th / 83rd)
Sac Bunts - 22 (4th / 87th)
Triples - 11 (6th / 89th

Related News & Videos