[Updated] Rivals & Baseball America's New Number 1: UCLA Bruins

Ryan mentioned how big the series win was for our Bruins up in Corvallis. The weekend series win was even more dramatic considering how during at various points of Saturday's classic 16 innings game, it looked like Oregon State was going to pull out a clutch win. Yet somehow our guys hung in there and pulled out an epic win. They then followed it up with a tough series clinching win which although looked like a blowout on box score was tight till the very end.

Well the Bruins have been rewarded with their efforts by BaseBall America as they have now been moved up 2 spots to number 1. That is right. John Savage's UCLA is America's new number 1 program taking over the spot from Arizona State, which dropped a series against a tough Washington State team up in Pullman. Here is the updated ranking from BaseballAmerica.com which features 5 Pac-10 team in the top-25 (Stanford just dropped out).

I am sure Ryan will have lot more on this. This is not the time for Bruins to get comfortable though. They will have their hands full with a scrappy UC Riverside squad on Tuesday (who I am sure will be extra fired up to knock off the number 1 program). First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm. The Bruins will then take on a solid Oregon team with one of the better pitching staff in the conference and the nation starting on Friday evening. Ducks are just coming off their first Pac-10 series win since their program was reinstated just two years ago.

The moral of this story is if you are a UCLA fan you need to get behind this program. In today's cynical world of college sports which is often marred by greedy and self-absorbed individuals always consumed with celebrating flash over substance, this team looks like an old school ball club, playing its heart out every game. If you are around Southern California head out to Riverside for Tuesday's game and then flood JRS with Bruin blue for another huge Pac-10 series against the Ducks.

GO BRUINS.

UPDATE (N:) Bruins are also number 1 in Rival's latest rankings for the firs time in program's history. GO BRUINS.