MIKE CHIEN UCLA pitcher Mike Kunes
pitches against Gonzaga earlier this season.
By Jeff Agase
Daily Bruin Staff
On the eve of Pac-10 play, the UCLA baseball team could use a
break.
The Bruins (13-16) travel down to Long Beach State for a Tuesday
game that likely won’t ““ by itself ““ turn their
season around, but perhaps it’d at least be a start.
Miami swept UCLA last weekend after winning a Friday game in
which the Bruins led at one point 7-1. The Hurricanes capitalized
when the Bruin bullpen blew another lead, and the rest of the
weekend pretty much went southward from then on.
And that’s just the thing ““ whenever something
positive seems to finally materialize, an error, a blown lead,
something gets in the way of that win they could really use.
“It’s not like we’re losing games
miserably,” hitting coach Vince Beringhele said.
“We’re a hit or two away, or a relief outing away from
turning everything around.
“We’re not looking at a mountain to overcome as much
as a little hill.”
The 49ers (18-9) are ranked 18th in the nation and have compiled
their record by beating up on mostly inferior organizations like
Arkansas, Arizona and UC Riverside, but to their credit did take an
early-season series from national power USC.
The good thing for UCLA is that Tuesday games usually
don’t reside at the top of coaches’ priority lists, so
a win isn’t entirely unimaginable.
And should the Bruins catch a break and pull out a victory
““ even in a Tuesday game ““ it would not only snap a
four-game losing streak, but possibly give them some
desperately-coveted momentum going into a this weekend’s
series with California, the first conference series of the
season.
“We’re excited to be playing after a bye
weekend,” Beringhele said. “Our schedule has been
outstanding so far and Long Beach St. is one of the best teams in
Southern California this year.”
UCLA head coach Gary Adams puts Mike Kunes (5-2, 4.68 ERA) on
the hill against Nate Beucler (0-1, 3.60). First pitch at Long
Beach St.’s Blair Field is at 6:05 p.m.
. . .
Senior outfielder Adam Berry has already shattered his home run
total from a year ago. The team’s main power source has 13
homers in 25 games this season, compared to five in 40 games a year
ago.