UCLA

At some point you run out of adjectives to describe the Bruins' 13-0 start to the season. I think I've read hot, fast, quick, blazing, flying, awesome, fantastic, tremendous and incredible. Truthfully, you can't praise the team and coaching staff enough for what they've accomplished to this point. Everything you could have wanted from the team, they have done and their recent jump up all five rankings indicates that people are taking notice.

Going beyond their perfect record (Arizona St. is the only other team in the country still undefeated), the Bruins have won games at home and done it away from Jackie Robinson Stadium. They have handed #18 Vanderbilt team their only loss of the season and Sunday's defeat of #16 Oklahoma was just the Sooners' second loss of the year. UCLA's 2.00 team ERA is second in the country and their .188 batting average against is best in the nation, as is their 173 strikeouts. The Bruins lead the Pac-10 in every major pitching category, including walks despite their high strikeout total. The Bruins also rank in the top three in the conference in every major hitting category except for doubles and triples and they lead the Pac-10 in home runs with
18.

The team has done just about everything and yet, there are skeptics. The last few years of UCLA baseball has been an exhibition in underachievement. Time and time again the Bruins have fallen short of expectations, never more so than in 2008 when the Bruins struggled to make the postseason after entering the season #1 in some polls. As a result, observers are being ultra-cautious with this year's team and will make UCLA prove they are an elite team two, three and 20 times over before they acknowledge that this year's team is not a UCLA team of the past. Well, the Bruins chance to prove themselves is quickly approaching and if they can prove themselves in early April, all skeptics will disappear. Go Bruins!