Bruins Hop Into Top 10 With Gauchos On Tap

Up to 16-0 on the year, one of two undefeated teams left in the nation, the Bruins have crept into the top ten of three of the five rankings. UCLA topped out in the Collegiate Baseball poll where they checked in at #3, a four spot jump from last week. The USA Today coaches poll has UCLA at 6th in the country and Baseball America put the Bruins at 9th. Two rankings have yet to move the Bruins into the top ten. Rivals.com did not move UCLA up, leaving them at 11th and the NCBWA moved the Bruins up two spots to 11th.

While rankings are all fine and dandy, they're not overly important. They're more fun than anything else and they have no bearing whatsoever on what happens to the Bruins in front of the selection committee. It's all about wins and losses and right now, it's all wins for the Bruins at 16-0. Why has UCLA gotten off to such a good start? Check out these numbers and where they rank nationally.

•  2.13 team ERA (1st)
• .193 batting average against (1st)
  
• .370 batting average (4th)
• .449 on-base percentage (8th)
• 1.007 OPS (7th)

UCLA also has 193 strikeouts, which are fifth in the country and only trail teams that have played anywhere from three to five more games than the Bruins. Not bad.

Tomorrow, the Bruins will put that perfect record and high national totals on the line when they head north to play UC Santa Barbara at 2 pm PST. The Gauchos are 9-6 on the year and 6-3 at home. UCLA won their only true road game of the season when they went to Long Beach St. midweek and beat the Dirtbags with Garett Claypool on the mound. Claypool (1-0, 2.30 ERA) will be on the mound again tomorrow for the Bruins and will definitely be opposed by Jesse Meaux, who is 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA, but has a 1.71 ERA in his three starts this season.