It’s been proven they’re not invincible.

But the Bruins have also shown they’re resilient.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (48-6, 28-2 Big Ten) began its final regular season series on the road with an 8-0 loss to Washington (23-31, 12-18) on Thursday. But with a close 6-5 win Friday and a decisive 6-1 win Saturday, the team pulled off yet another series victory against a Big Ten adversary heading into the Big Ten tournament next week. This weekend marked the second straight series where the Bruins dropped a conference match.

“We talk a lot about outlasting people,” said junior third baseman Roman Martin. “Where a lot of teams later on in the game would start to take pitches off, … we like to (think) our seventh, eighth, and ninth (are) the most important. … I feel like when we go pitch by pitch throughout such a long series, we usually end up with a better outcome.”

The Bruins’ 8-0 loss Thursday was the greatest run deficit of the season and just the second time they were rendered scoreless, with the first being a 4-0 loss to UC Santa Barbara on April 14. The loss greatly differed from the usual performances of UCLA as it was not only a loss but one where the high-powered offense was completely shut down.

Only two Bruin batters were able to put up a hit in comparison to five Husky batters, three of whom amassed more than one. Moreover, sophomore right-hander Wylan Moss – who has amassed a career-low ERA of 2.38 – conceded four earned runs across just over four innings.

Despite this abnormal performance and tough loss, the team rallied on Friday and evened the series with a 6-5 victory. The Friday win was a prime example of the Bruins’ ability to win out in tight game scenarios and keep their foot on the gas for all nine innings. After going down 3-0 early, the Bruin offense was able to shave the deficit in the later innings. But UCLA was not able to take the lead until the top of the ninth when junior catcher Cashel Dugger hit a double, and sophomore closer Easton Hawk closed out the match.

And by Saturday, the Bruins returned to the usual standard with a decisive 6-1 victory characterized by both offense and pitching success. However, it was Martin who had a big day at the plate – going 4-for-4 with three RBIs – fueling the team’s offensive success

“I was just trying to give the team momentum, (and) just trying to take my hits and see the ball,” Martin said. “I stuck to my approach well, and I feel … that was huge for my success.”

The series win wraps up the regular season for UCLA and comes just before the Big Ten tournament. With the victory over Washington, UCLA finished with a 28-2 conference record, good for a .933 win percentage, which is the second-highest win rate in the Big Ten for a team since 1988.

Given this success, the Bruins have reason to believe they will find success at the tournament. Moreover, coach John Savage gave his bench some reps during the series against the Huskies.

“It was good to get some guys at-bats and certainly some guys some innings,” Savage said. “We just want to make sure we got some guys, … some looks and some opportunities before we get into the postseason.”

Over the weekend, 13 of the 16 Bruin pitchers took the mound.

Furthermore, freshman right-hander Angel Cervantes made his first collegiate weekend start on Saturday. Cervantes has thrown for relief in weekend series before and has been the team’s usual starter for midweek match-ups, but Saturday marked his first start during a weekend series. And Cervantes rose to the occasion with three strikeouts and only one earned run across three innings.

“It felt pretty good, you know, finally getting that weekend start that I’ve been wanting,” Cervantes said. “It was a goal from me coming in as a freshman.”

At the plate, Savage utilized many bats from a variety of hitters.

Freshman infielder Aiden Aguayo got the start at second base Saturday instead of the usual junior second baseman, Phoenix Call. While redshirt sophomore outfielder Aidan Espinoza, freshman outfielder Trey Gudoy, sophomore catcher Kasen Khansarinia and senior outfielder Jarrod Hocking – all of which have combined for 147 at-bats this season – got the opportunity in the lineup for the Bruins against the Huskies.

Heading into the Big Ten tournament and with NCAA play on the horizon, the Bruins have proven their ability to come back from losses, win out in close games and rely on the depth of their roster.

“We’re all grateful for it, and obviously we still have more things to prove in Big Ten and (NCAA) regionals,” Cervantes said. “We’re trying to go all the way.”