UCLA baseball prepares for season opener after 348 days without a game

After nearly a year off, the Bruins are back to playing ball.

No. 2 UCLA baseball opens its season at Jackie Robinson Stadium this weekend with a three-game series against San Francisco after not having played a game for 348 days. The Bruins and the Dons have only played five games against each other, all of which took place in 2011. UCLA won four of the five games, scoring a total of 12 runs while San Fransisco scored only five.

“(Playing USF is) going to be a little bit foreign but we’re used to that.” said redshirt senior right-hander Kyle Mora. “I know our coaching staff does a really good job of scouting and getting video on guys so we’re excited, we’re just excited it’s someone else.”

Mora said the team spent the summer prepping for the season through live at bats and playing with friends at home, and they’ve been playing intrasquad games back in LA.

Redshirt sophomore infielder JT Schwartz said he is ready to play someone other than his teammates.

“A lot of (the offseason) has been playing against each other, intrasquad games, scrimmages, stuff like that,” Schwartz said. “We’ve gotten a lot of reps against a lot of the guys on the team. I think we’re all kind of ready to play against someone in another uniform – everyone’s kind of ready for San Francisco.”

UCLA’s starting pitcher Friday will be sophomore right-hander Jared Karros, who will join senior right-hander Zach Pettway, as well as current professionals Adam Plutko, James Kaprielian and Gerrit Cole on the list of sophomore Bruins who have earned Opening Day starts. He went 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his three starts last season.

While Pettway pitched Opening Day in both 2019 and 2020, Karros will be filling in for him as he recovers from a setback.

“Zach Pettway is probably a week away from being ready,” said coach John Savage. “We’ve been pretty patient with him, he just had a little minor setback in the fall and now he’s completely healthy … clearly we’re looking for him to get back into rotation.”

The starter for the Dons will be graduate student right-hander Landen Bourassa, who posted a 1-1 record and a 1.38 ERA in 2020.

UCLA experienced less roster turnover than usual as only two players from the 2020 roster – Garrett Mitchell and Holden Powell – were drafted to the MLB. Seniors such as Mora, and outfielders Kyle Cuellar and Jarron Silva, are all returning for their fifth season as a Bruin following the NCAA’s decision to grant an extra year of collegiate eligibility to spring sport athletes if their season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We very rarely keep fifth-year guys,” Savage said. “Usually it’s a three year and they sign professionally or four year and they graduate, so this is a very unique time, and it’s great to have those guys back and be part of their UCLA baseball career.”

Mora said the reality of not being able to go onto professional baseball after his senior year was tough initially, but he recognizes the opportunity he has spending a fifth year in Westwood.

“This opportunity doesn’t come for many people, to be here and to play here is something that I know I won’t take for granted,” Mora said.

First pitch for Opening Night is set for 5 p.m. on Friday.