Bruins Set for Showdown at No. 16 Oregon

First place is on the line as No. 10 UCLA heads to Eugene for a top-20 showdown with Big Ten rival No. 16 Oregon.

Jun 24, 2013; Omaha, NE, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage (far right) stands on the foul line with his team before game 1 of the College World Series finals against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

The No. 10-ranked UCLA baseball team will hit the road for one of its most important tests of the season, taking on No. 16 Oregon in a three-game Big Ten series at PK Park. 

UCLA enters the weekend in first place in the Big Ten standings with a 12–3 conference record and a 28–8 overall mark. Oregon is close behind at 12–6 in league play and has been dominant at home, going 18–6 at PK Park this year.

The Ducks have dropped only one conference series all season, a Saturday doubleheader sweep at Ohio State and have already swept USC in Southern California.

This weekend's series has major implications for the Big Ten title race. UCLA has won all five of its conference series so far and is aiming to extend a stretch of 10 consecutive weekend series victories.

The Bruins are coming off a home series win over Washington, taking two of three to maintain their spot in the national top 10. 

Oregon, picked to win the Big Ten in the preseason coaches poll, has lived up to expectations and remains within striking distance of first place.

Friday’s opener will feature freshman right-hander Wylan Moss on the mound for UCLA against Oregon’s Grayson Grinsell, a junior lefty with a 5–1 record.

UCLA junior right-hander Michael Barnett, who leads the team in wins, is set to start Saturday’s contest opposite Collin Clarke. 

Sunday’s finale will match sophomore right-hander Landon Stump with Oregon junior Jason Reitz. The Ducks’ rotation has been solid throughout the season, especially at home, making run production and timely pitching even more critical for the Bruins.

While UCLA has been exceptional in close games and late-inning scenarios, Oregon has the advantage of familiarity at home and will be looking to make a statement against the highest-ranked opponent it has faced in Big Ten play so far.

The Ducks have built their roster with California talent and have shown an ability to win in multiple ways, whether through power at the plate or efficient pitching.

UCLA dropped its midweek contest to No. 6 Oregon State on Tuesday, managing just one run and four hits in a 7–1 loss. Still, the Bruins have won 21 of their last 26 games and continue to show resilience in high-pressure moments. 

With only a few series remaining in the regular season, every win will carry added weight in the conference standings and the national rankings.

The series will be closely watched across the Big Ten, as it pits two of the conference’s top contenders against each other in a potential postseason preview. 

For UCLA, a series win in Eugene would mark another major step forward in its pursuit of a conference championship in its inaugural Big Ten campaign.

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