Trip to Nebraska a chance for UCLA baseball to re-establish its 2010 dominance of road games

Junior pitcher Trevor Bauer knows that he and the rest of the UCLA baseball team will be making their longest road trip of the season this weekend when they take on the Nebraska Huskers in Lincoln, Neb.

After pondering that thought for a moment, Bauer laughed.

“Hopefully it’s not. Hopefully we can go again,” he said.

Bauer is alluding to those precious 12 days in late June when college baseball’s elite take over Omaha, Neb., to duke it out for the national championship. The Bruins are familiar with Omaha after a magical postseason run took them to the national championship series a season ago.

This weekend, No. 5 UCLA (6-2) will play a three-game series with Nebraska (6-3) at Haymarket Stadium. The Bruins will be so close ““ about 53 miles on Interstate 80, in fact ““ yet so far from Omaha.

UCLA coach John Savage knows that this trip is different from the short bus trip the Bruins took Tuesday on their way to a 5-2 win over San Diego State.

“We’re looking forward to it, but it’s going to be a major challenge,” Savage said. “There’s going to be a ton of people in the seats and it’s a Big 12 opponent.”

With UCLA’s two losses on the year coming within the friendly confines of Jackie Robinson Stadium, Savage might have a reason for excitement. Last season, the Bruins went 15-4 on the road.

In that win over the Aztecs on Tuesday, patience was key for UCLA as the teams combined for 14 walks. One walk recipient was sophomore left fielder Cody Keefer.

“It was a little slower at first and as the game went on, you just had to keep checking in,” Keefer said after the game.

The Bruin pitching staff will be looking to re-establish itself against Nebraska after going 1-2 in last week’s San Jose State series. Junior aces Bauer and Gerrit Cole gave up 13 hits between the two of them.

“I think I made good pitches and had good stuff,” Bauer said. “It happens that way sometimes. I’m looking to get back out there and get a better feel going forward.”

Nebraska, nestled in America’s breadbasket, made the trek west last season and was swept by UCLA. In that series, Bauer and Cole combined to strike out 19 batters.

“We know they’re going to be out to get us this year at their place, so it will be a good test with weather and travel to get our feet wet with a road trip of that distance,” Bauer said.

The Cornhuskers recently made quick work of another Pac-10 opponent, beating Washington 10-3 in the Texas State Tournament on opening weekend.

Moving on up

Cole and Bauer aren’t just competing against Nebraska this weekend; they’re competing against each other.

The two are jockeying for position on UCLA’s career strikeout list. Cole is currently tied for fourth place on the list with 274, but Bauer isn’t far behind in fifth with 273. Both pitchers started the year with 257 strikeouts. Bauer was quick to downplay the importance of record books in the midst of a busy season.

“We’re conscious of it,” Bauer said. “We think about it and we kind of joke about it but it’s all about the team winning, so if I don’t strike anyone out and we get the win, that’s fine with me.”