Tuesday, February 9, 1999
Bruins wind up for win over UCSB
BASEBALL: Squad ready for Gauchos after upsets over No. 7
Georgia Tech
By Dylan Hernandez
Daily Bruin Contributor
Barring a rainout or major upset, the Bruin baseball team will
walk off UC Santa Barbara’s home Caesar Uyesaka Stadium later today
having padded their record with an easy win.
UCLA (4-5) faces a Gaucho squad that finished 11-18 in the Big
West and 18-31-2 overall last year. When the two teams met in 1998,
the Bruins were 16-4 landslide winners.
But while UCLA snatched the final two games of their three-day
series this weekend over No. 7 Georgia Tech, UCSB found itself at
2-4 after losing two of three over the weekend to UNLV.
The Bruins will ride the arm of left-handed sophomore Ryan
Carter, who threw six innings and allowed five runs in the opener
against Georgia Tech. Carter enters the Santa Barbara contest with
a 4.15 ERA and an 0-1 record. He has struck out 16 batters in just
13 innings.
Opposing Carter and taking the mound for the Gauchos will be
junior southpaw Matt Dailey (0-0, 3.86, 4.2 innings). In a relief
appearance against UNLV, Dailey gave up two runs on four hits in
2.1 innings.
Dailey will have the daunting task of freezing the Bruins’ red
hot aluminum bats, which pounded the Yellow Jackets for 26 runs in
the series.
All-American first baseman Garrett Atkins caught fire against
Georgia Tech, knocking his average up to .323. In the meantime,
Chase Utley, Bill Scott and Adam Berry provided UCLA with power,
combining for six home runs.
At .333, senior co-captain and catcher Jason Green is currently
the Bruins’ top hitter. He also paces the team with eight RBIs.
UCSB will counter on the offensive end with outfielder Brad
Wright and shortstop Jeff Bannon, both batting .500. The Gauchos
have four other players with at least 11 at-bats hitting over
.300.
In its first six games, Santa Barbara has scored 53 runs,
despite two of its leading batters from last season, catcher and
designated hitter Gene Lenzi and infielder Paul Molidor, having
trouble reaching base.
Though most would agree that the Gauchos pose little threat to
UCLA, head coach Gary Adams warned his team not to be overly
confident.
"We can’t let down against those guys," he said. "Santa Barbara
can’t be too bad. I heard they can hit pretty well."CHARLES
KUO/Daily Bruin
Pitcher Bobby Roe winds up for a pitch in a game against
Pepperdine.
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