Friday, February 6, 1998
Bruins need win over Georgia Tech
PREVIEW: Victory over Yellow Jackets would end three-game losing
streak
By Kristina Wilcox
Daily Bruin Staff
Because of the torrential downpour that hit Los Angeles earlier
this week, the No. 18 UCLA baseball team has to wait until this
weekend to try to snap their three-game losing streak as they
travel to No. 14 Georgia Tech for the first-ever meeting between
the two baseball programs.
The Bruins (1-3) were originally scheduled to host Cal State Los
Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, but that game has been postponed
indefinitely.
Thus, their chance at redemption had to wait until they played
the Yellow Jackets, who are opening the season on Friday.
UCLA is trying to overcome the burden of a three-game losing
streak after they were swept by Hawaii last weekend at Hilo. It was
the first time since 1994 that the Bruins were swept by the
Rainbows in their annual series.
The three UCLA starting pitchers from those games will return to
action in Atlanta.
Sophomore left-hander Rob Henkel (0-1) opens the series at noon
on Friday versus senior right-hander L. J. Yankosky, who went 8-3
in 1997. The shining statistic for Henkel thus far is his strikeout
ratio. In nine innings, 13 batters have struck out against him.
True freshman Chad Cislak (1-1) will make his third appearance
of the season in Saturday’s 10:30 a.m. game when he faces junior
southpaw Chuck Crowder (1-0 in 1997). The Bruin right-hander has
struck out eight in 7.1 innings.
Sophomore Ryan Reightley (0-0) is coming off of his collegiate
debut and will wrap up the Atlanta series on Sunday morning, when
he duels with a yet-to-be-determined Yellow Jacket pitcher.
Reightley, a right-hander, was impressive in his Hawaii start. He
left the game after six innings with the chance for a win. But the
Rainbows spoiled the possibility when they scored six runs in the
eighth inning.