UCLA baseball to host USC, start Pac-12 play as newcomers make their mark

The Bruins will face their first Pac-12 opponent of the season this weekend.

UCLA baseball (9-4) will host crosstown rival USC (9-2) at Jackie Robinson Stadium in a three-game set Friday through Sunday. The Bruins are entering the games against the Trojans on the heels of their second-straight midweek win, taking down Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday.

USC is entering the series on a seven-game winning streak that started with a sweep of Omaha, the same squad that handed UCLA its second midweek loss of the season.

Coach John Savage said conference play is going to be a challenge, and the matchup against the Trojans will be no different.

“The Pac-12 is up this year,” Savage said. “It’s a lot of good teams, and it’s going to be very competitive. USC is off to a really good start, playing well. … We know it’s going to be a battle, and we know it’s going to be competitive.”

The Bruins will enter their first conference battle down some members of their team, with freshman left-hander Gage Jump, junior right-hander Jared Karros and sophomore infielder Kyle Karros dealing with injuries. Savage said despite Jump’s injury, freshmen have still contributed on the pitching side.

“We’ve had some really good freshmen performances, and coming into the year, Jump might have been the head of the class in terms of pitching prospects,” Savage said. “To get that talent back in the middle of March would really help our staff.”

Multiple freshmen pitchers chart the Pac-12 leaderboards, headlined by freshman right-hander Thatcher Hurd, who leads the conference with 35 strikeouts. Freshman left-hander Ethan Flanagan – who recorded his second win of the season against the Titans on Tuesday – carries the third-best ERA in the conference at 0.67.

It isn’t only on the pitching side where UCLA freshmen top the leaderboards, as infielder Cody Schrier’s five steals ties him for third in the conference.

The Bruins’ offense sits ninth in both batting average and slugging percentage in the Pac-12. However, graduate student outfielder Kenny Oyama said the team is still working on finding themselves at the plate as the season progresses.

“The guys are finally settling in,” Oyama said. “Baseball’s a weird game, so it takes a while for us to settle in. We’re having Bruin at bats, passing it to the next guy.”

With underclassmen making up over 70% of the team, Savage said the veteran presence of Oyama, as well as graduate student outfielder Jake Palmer, has been beneficial across the board.

“They’ve been exceptional,” Savage said. “They know how to act, and they’re very professional in a lot of ways. What they bring to the table has been a super addition to our program.”

Outfielder Michael Curialle, one of six juniors on the 2022 squad, said he leads by example. Curialle added that at this point in the season, the team identity is still growing.

“It’s still developing,” Curialle said. “We’re still building the identity day to day. We’re doing a good job of that.”

The rivalry series starts Friday at 5 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium.