Bruins Hold Steady at No. 10 National Ranking

This week's national rankings were released. and the No. 10 UCLA Bruins hold their same spot from a week ago. They are the top team in the Big Ten and are preparing for a pivotal series against a familiar foe.

UCLA Bruins infielder Kyle Karros (44) throws to first base as Auburn Tigers take on UCLA Bruins during the NCAA regional baseball tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 10 UCLA Bruins (28-7, 12-3) start the week with the same national ranking that they earned one week prior, coming in as the No. 10 team in the country once again. The Bruins went 3-1 on the week, earning a pivotal home series win over the Washington Huskies this past weekend.

After a dominant, 12-1, win over Long Beach State last Tuesday, the Bruins sealed their fifth-straight three-game series victory in Big Ten play this season. They currently lead the conference standings with the Iowa Hawkeyes (23-11, 14-4), nipping at UCLA's heels for the top spot.

There have been so many impact players for this Bruin team, specifically many of the younger sophomore ballplayers. UCLA possesses a fairly young team that may not have a ton of experience at the college level, but their talent is shining through above a large majority of the country.

Head coach John Savage's club lost the first of a three-game set with the Huskies, bouncing back with a pair of huge wins, outscoring their former Pac-12 foe, 20-12 in the final 18 innings of action. The one loss this past week was not enough to punish UCLA and drop their ranking.

Much like college basketball, the rankings are a valuable metric for the sake of seeding and placement in the upcoming 64-team NCAA Tournament. If the Bruins are able to maintain a top 10 ranking for the remainder of the season, they could certainly host a Regional in Westwood.

The Bruins will take their 10th overall ranking to Eugene this weekend for the first and only ranked matchup between fellow Big Ten teams. The No. 16 Oregon Ducks (25-10, 12-6) are competing with UCLA atop the conference standings, and this upcoming series means a ton.

Oregon currently sits in third place of the Big Ten standings with the same number of conference wins and three more losses. They have maintained top 25 status all season, expecting to give the Bruins their toughest battles of the year in a three-game set.

With just 19 games remaining, 15 of which are conference contests, the Bruins have a very strong chance to take home a Big Ten title in their first season in the new conference. They will likely be one of the top four seeds in the 12-team format for the conference tournament, starting in late May.

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