Having lost any chance at a title this season, UCLA baseball has nothing to lose and intends to play that way, battling eighth-ranked Washington in its final series of the season, according to senior infielder Pat Gallagher.

For UCLA baseball, the season started well enough, as the defending national champions began the season ranked No. 12 and were picked to finish third in the Pac-12.

It was a bittersweet ending for UCLA baseball, as Oregon handed the team its third-straight sweep in its last home series of the season.
“With all the time we spent out there for practice and games, it’s just sort of bittersweet,” said senior infielder Pat Gallagher.

With only seven games left, and after having been eliminated from playoffs contention, UCLA is heading into the home stretch with thoughts of rebuilding its team for next year.

This weekend, UCLA baseball fought for its playoff life in a series against the Oregon State Beavers, but it was the big innings and inability to finish games that did the Bruins in.

The UCLA baseball team’s chances of defending its 2013 College World Series title are dwindling, but as senior catcher Shane Zeile said, never say never.
In its penultimate midweek game, UCLA is set to face Cal State Fullerton as it attempts to compensate for last month’s 4-3 loss against the Titans in hopes of increasing their chances at a postseason.

After a 7-2 win in the first game its series against Stanford, UCLA baseball lost the series, with a 5-0 shutout loss on Saturday and a 5-2 loss on Sunday.

With both teams fighting for their playoff lives, this weekend’s series against the Stanford Cardinal could prove to be one of the most challenging series yet for UCLA baseball, said junior closer David Berg.

UCLA baseball players want to keep the rivalry out of their heads in what could prove to be close games against USC. They want to treat this weekend like any other Pac-12 series.

In the Bruins’ third faceoff against the Loyola Marymount Lions this season, the key to their successful 3-0 shutout win was consistently sticking to their approach and not letting up throughout the night.