Road games can be a realistic measurement of a team’s ability and ceiling, with all sports presenting different hurdles for visiting squads.

In baseball, varying weather conditions, field dimensions and other park factors can only heighten the disparities between opponents.

Last season, the Bruins struggled on the road, going 4-22 away from Jackie Robinson Stadium compared to 15-11 at home – leading to the program’s worst campaign in nearly two decades.

“It really starts on the road,” said coach John Savage. “You’re going to see a lot of teams who can win at home, but really the separator is the teams that can play well on the road.”

UCLA baseball (6-1) suffered a 4-3 loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2-5), but recovered with a 7-6 walk-off win over Washington State (0-7) and a 15-9 slugfest victory against Michigan State (6-1) at this weekend’s Kleberg Bank Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, at Whataburger Field. The Bruins were hampered by multi-run deficits in each contest, including a five-run deficit to the Cougars and a six-run deficit to the Spartans, but ultimately won two of three.

“We’re not backing down,” said sophomore right-hander Luke Rodriguez. “We’re still going to be in the game even if we’re down five or six runs in the ninth inning.”

In the opening contest against TAMUCC, UCLA’s offense struggled to get going on the windy 44-degree Friday evening, recording just five hits – all singles.

The game-winner – a two-RBI double off the bat of TAMUCC first baseman Austin Russell – came on starting pitcher Cody Delvecchio’s 104th pitch. In his first-ever start for the Bruins on Feb. 14, the junior right-hander threw just 70.

Despite its struggles, a ninth-inning rally gave UCLA a chance in a game it never led. But with the bases loaded and two outs, sophomore third baseman Roman Martin flew out to left field, giving the Islanders their first win and the Bruins their first loss of the year.

UCLA’s first defeat last season also came on the road, as it entered a weekend series against then-No. 5 TCU undefeated. The Bruins were then swept – the first of six away series sweeps they would endure in 2024.

Down 6-1 to a winless Cougar squad in the bottom of the eighth, the Bruin offense finally sprang back to life. A double from sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky and a single from sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu gave UCLA runners at the corners with one away.

Following a Martin sacrifice fly, a junior right fielder Jarrod Hocking single and a redshirt senior center fielder AJ Salgado two-RBI double, the visitors were within two.

In the bottom of the ninth, five batters either walked or got plunked, culminating in a walk-off walk by Hocking in an inning where UCLA scored three on just one hit.

“We’re a gritty team,” said sophomore second baseman Phoenix Call. “We don’t get sad and we do anything we can to win each inning and stay present.”

The Bruins had another slow start against the Spartans on Sunday, scoring no runs through the first three innings while their adversaries tagged sophomore right-hander Landon Stump for six.

UCLA capitalized off Michigan State right-hander Tommy Szczepanski in the top of the fourth with its first five batters reaching base before he was replaced. The next pitcher, right-hander Logan Pikur, walked his first batter before giving up a go-ahead Cholowsky grand slam, capping off a seven-run rally before a single batter was retired.

A Salgado RBI triple and Hocking sacrifice fly grew UCLA’s lead to three, but Michigan State tied the game up in the bottom of the inning, quickly knocking Stump out of the box before he recorded an out and continuing the damage against junior right-hander Michael Barnett, who entered in relief.

Barnett, Rodriguez and junior right-hander Jack O’Connor combined for five shutout innings from the fifth on.

While Bruin starters allowed 16 runs – 11 earned – in 11.2 innings of work, the bullpen posted a 1.26 ERA across 14.1 frames. Rodriguez and Barnett left Corpus Christi having tossed 8.1 innings while being charged for just a single run across three combined appearances.

“They really needed to get a couple of zeros up on the board,” Rodriguez said. “I was just trying to do that and just be there for my guys.”

The Bruin offense refused to slow, as sophomore catcher Cashel Dugger and Cholowsky hit solo home runs in the fifth – Dugger’s being the first of his collegiate career – giving UCLA a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

“Whenever you lose on Friday and you win the weekend, it’s impressive,” Savage said. “It’s an impressive start for this team. I know it meant a lot to them to bounce back.”