UCLA wasn’t supposed to contend for a national title in 2013.
The Bruins finished third in the Pac-12 behind Oregon State and Oregon, and were plagued by dry spells on offense all season long.
But everything seemed to come together in the NCAA Tournament, however, as the Bruins won 10 consecutive postseason games to end the season with the school’s 112th national title.
Pitching, defense and timely offense led UCLA to the promised land in, and those traits are back again in Westwood for 2015.
Led by ace starter James Kaprielian (9-4, 1.94 ERA) and veteran lefty Grant Watson (8-4, 2.02), the Bruins (40-12, 21-6) are playing some of their best baseball at the right time.
Kaprielian’s last start was the best of his career as the junior threw nine no-hit innings against the Pac-12’s premier offensive squad: Arizona.
With the score tied at zero through nine innings, UCLA’s dominant closer David Berg (6-1, 0.79) pitched a perfect 10th inning before the Bruins walked off in the bottom half to complete the program’s first combined no-hitter since at least 1946.
Watson threw seven shutout innings against the Wildcats last weekend, and has really flown under the radar as Kaprielian soared into draft projections.
He’s already UCLA’s all-time winningest left hander, and is second overall on the school’s leaderboard with 30 career decisions, trailing only Trevor Bauer who had 34 wins in Westwood.
In the back-end of the bullpen, Berg has already amassed plenty of accolades.
The sidearmer has made more appearances than any other pitcher in Pac-12 history, owns the NCAA single-season record for saves with 24, tied the NCAA record for most appearances in a season with 51 and became the first reliever in conference history to win Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in 2013.
It’s safe to say the Bruins won’t be giving up easy runs against the Ducks this weekend, so it will be up to the Oregon pitching staff to limit UCLA’s offense.
But, unlike previous UCLA teams, the Bruins have a bit more pop in their lineup this season.
The Bruins are No. 4 in the conference in team batting average at .289, but are No. 2 in slugging percentage at .418. UCLA is also in the conference’s top three spots for on base percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI and doubles.
UCLA has four starters hitting over .300 this season. Junior outfielder Ty Moore leads the team with a .347 batting average, good for the fifth best clip in the Pac-12, Kevin Kramer boasts a .324 average, Brett Stephens bats .318, while Chris Keck leads the team with a .520 slugging percentage and a .313 average.
It’s unfortunate that Oregon’s postseason chances rest on winning a series against one of the nation’s best teams, because simply staying competitive against the Bruins would be a moral victory in its own right.
But if the Ducks truly want to prove they belong in the tournament, they’ll have to beat the best their schedule can throw at them.
Follow Josh Schlichter on Twitter @joshschlichter