Gerrit Cole was the Bruins’ ace the last time they faced the Cornhuskers. The right-hander – just months away from being selected first overall in the 2011 MLB Draft – took a perfect game into the seventh and finished the series opener with nine shutout innings and eight strikeouts in UCLA’s 1-0 extra-innings victory. Read more...

Photo: Former Bruin right-hander Gerrit Cole throws a changeup at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Cole started the series opener the last time UCLA faced Nebraska. (Daily Bruin file photo)

Then-UC Irvine athletic director Dan Guerrero hired then-USC pitching coach John Savage in 2000 in an attempt to revitalize an Anteater baseball program that was dormant since 1992. Read more...

Photo: John Savage walks in the Bruins’ bullpen at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Before he was UCLA baseball’s head coach, Savage served as UC Irvine’s head coach. (Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)

This post was updated March 7 at 2:22 a.m. UCLA baseball (10-3) heads to the East Coast to face Maryland (7-5) for its conference opener – a three-game weekend series beginning Friday. Read more...

Photo: Ryan Rissas attempts a pickoff of first. The graduate student left-hander has appeared five times for UCLA baseball this season after spending four years with UC San Diego. (Brianna Carlson/Daily Bruin staff)

The distance between Jackie Robinson Stadium and Husky Ballpark in Seattle, Washington – the Bruins’ longest trip in Pac-12 competition – is about 950 miles. But for its Big Ten debut, UCLA baseball (10-3) will travel around 2,300 miles to face Maryland (7-5) at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium in a three-game series beginning Friday and ending Sunday. Read more...

Photo: Payton Brennan races back to the bag on a pickoff attempt at first. The redshirt sophomore center fielder is slashing .440/.533/.760 through 25 at-bats this season. (Darlene Sanzon/Assistant Photo editor)