By Adam Karon
Daily Bruin Staff
After three straight rainouts, the UCLA baseball team will leave
the Golden State in search of dryer conditions.
The No. 24 Bruins (10-4) head to North Carolina this weekend to
take on the No. 29 Tar Heels in a non-conference matchup of
nationally ranked teams.
North Carolina, currently 9-2, is riding a six-game winning
streak after sweeping Seton Hall in three games and beating
Davidson 3-2. The team’s only losses came to Southern Alabama
and Auburn. Of the Tar Heels’ last six wins, four have been
by one run or less.
The Tar Heels are led by senior Jason Howell. The lefty has been
performing double duty, earning two wins as a pitcher and leading
the team in batting with a .382 average.
Sophomore center fielder Adam Greenberg is hitting .350 and was
named last year’s ACC Rookie of the Year.
On the hill, the Tar Heels feature freshmen Daniel Moore and
Scott Manshack.
“They have a couple of freshman hurlers who are pretty
good,” UCLA senior Brian Baron said of the duo.
“They have a good pitching staff,” junior Adam Berry
added.
The Bruins are looking to avenge a pair of embarrassing wins
from a year ago. Last year, the Tar Heels came back from a nine-run
deficit to score 13 times in the ninth and defeat UCLA. In that
game, the Bruins set a new school record with seven home runs, but
the pitching staff was unable to hold the lead. In the third game
of that series, UCLA was wiped out when the game was called in the
sixth inning on account of rain with the Bruins down one.
“We kind of owe them from last year,” Berry said.
“They embarrassed us at our place. I think we owe them for
that. Everyone on this team who was here last year feels that
way.”
The Bruin pitching staff should be well-rested despite the long
trip to Chapel Hill. No Bruin has pitched in a game situation for a
week, and there is some worry that this could mean trouble.
“Some of the pitchers might feel rusty,” Baron said.
“As a player, (the time between games) could be a blessing in
disguise. It probably was a good rest.”
Baron has been the Bruins’ most consistent performer this
year. Named last week’s Pac-10 Player of the Week, the senior
sat out the first game of the season, but has hit safely in each of
the next 14. He currently holds a .510 batting average and helps
stabilize the middle of a lineup that has found a way to win all
year.
The UCLA bullpen has been key to the Bruins’ recent
success. The unit has four saves and four wins this year. In
addition, they have kept the team ERA to a stingy 3.57, allowing
almost two and a half fewer runs per game than last year’s
team.