Baseball briefs

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Shortstop Ryan McCarthy
prepares to throw out a runner against ASU Sunday.

The road back to .500 runs through the Inland
Empire

OK, so it’s just the first speed bump on the way to
evening out their slumping record, but the Bruins (15-22) have a
legitimate chance to get out of this week with three victories.

It all starts tonight at UC Riverside (22-16) for the first of
two season meetings between the clubs.

And just as UCLA’s players and coaches say that numerous
one-run losses and strong conference competition indicate a better
team than one that wins just over 40 percent of its games, the
Highlanders have compiled their mark against competition weaker
than that in the Pac-10.

They still have to go through the formality of earning a
victory, but with three winnable games at Oregon State on the
horizon, the Bruins can get off the proverbial schneid with a win
over UCR and work their way back into consideration for the NCAA
Playoffs.

UCLA lost 10-6 in last year’s season opener as the
Highlanders returned to Division I.

First pitch at UCR’s Riverside Sports Complex is at 6
p.m.

Big bad bat

Senior outfielder Adam Berry is making the most of his final
season on the Bruins. The 6-foot, 3-inch Berry is pacing the team
with 14 home runs, 38 runs batted in with a .719 slugging
percentage. He is also maintaining a .336 batting average.

Notes compiled by Jeff Agase and Scott Schultz, Daily Bruin
Senior Staff.