Baseball clings to any playoff hopes

Wednesday, May 15, 1996

‘SC must sweep Huskies to keep Bruin chances aliveBy Yoni
Tamler

Daily Bruin Staff

Beginning this Thursday, the UCLA baseball team will be ­
or should be ­ rooting for USC.

That’s because on Thursday, the Trojans take on Washington in
the Pacific 10 playoffs, the annual series between the top two
teams from the Northern and Southern divisions of the conference.
The Bruins (32-24 overall, 16-14 Six-Pac) are hanging by a thread
to make the NCAA Regionals, having lost their last six games in
league.

If Washington ­ a team one game above .500 ­ somehow
topples the third-ranked Trojans, the Huskies have a good chance of
supplanting UCLA in the third berth customarily allotted to the
Pac-10.

Being swept twice to end the conference season is not the kind
of stretch run UCLA had in mind several weeks ago. The Bruins’
almost California Angels-like (or Gregg Norman-like, take your
pick) collapse could very well make them the first member of an
ignominious category: the only third-place team in the Six-Pac ever
not to make the regional playoffs.

The Bruins may be down, but they’re not out. Last week the
Ratings Percentage Index named the Six-Pac college baseball’s
second-toughest conference, and despite its six-game skid, UCLA is
still two games over .500 in the Six-Pac, eight games above
overall. Moreover, the Bruins have the aforementioned regional
precedent, all of which point in their favor.

However, if by next Monday’s regional announcement UCLA has not
taken at least two of three in next weekend’s series at
Nevada-Reno, the Bruins can all but kiss their season goodbye.

***

With the conclusion of UCLA’s conference season, Nick Theodorou
finished as the Bruins’ best hitter in the Six-Pac. The sophomore
outfielder/designated hitter batted .373 to lead the team against
conference foes.

For the overall season, Eric Byrnes has come on strong to
challenge Troy Glaus for the team batting title. Byrnes, who led
the club with his .324 average as a true freshman last season, has
lifted his average to .354 with 23 hits in his last 13 games. His
classmate Glaus dipped to .353 with an 0-for-3 game in Monday
night’s loss at USC.

With three games left on the schedule, Byrnes has a chance to
become only the third player in the past 23 years to win
back-to-back team hitting titles. Byrnes coincidentally has a
team-high 19 doubles on the season, needing four to tie the school
record for two-baggers in a single season.

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Dan Keller and UCLA baseball still have a slim shot at making
the regional playoffs.