UCLA kicks off their 2013 season tonight when they host Minnesota at Jackie Robinson Stadium in the first game of a three-game series. That is the two-time defending Pac-12 champions UCLA, to be specific.
Adam Plutko will be on the mound tonight, as he was in last year's season opener when he pitched seven innings of shutout ball. Plutko went 12-3 with a 2.48 ERA for the year in 2012, and has added 15 pounds of muscle for this season, which has bumped up his velocity. He's also healthy, something he wasn't at the end of last season when he pitched with bone chips in his knee.
Minnesota's starter tonight, Tom Windle, also dealt with injuries last year, but he still managed to go 3-5 with a 3.27 ERA. Healthy by the summer, the athletic 6'4'' Windle dominated the Cape Cod League so the Bruins will have their work cut out for them.
There's nothing better than being there for the start of the season, but if you aren't at the ballpark then listen in with John Ramey and Tim Wilhelm, who will have the call online. You can also get all the game updates, notes, observations and all the other goodies from my UCLA baseball twitter. This is your open thread as the Bruins start what will hopefully be their third run to Omaha in four years so have at it.