LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The Highlanders travel to Jackie Robinson Stadium to face the No. 8 UCLA Bruins for a three-game series February 14-16 that will kick off the 2020 season.
UC Riverside finished its 2019 campaign with a 20-36 record. Notable returners to Head Coach Troy Percival's Highlanders are starting pitchers Cole Percival (2018: 5-4, 3.19 ERA), healthy after a medical redshirt, and Abbott Haffar (4-3, 4.35 ERA). Third baseman Nate Webb (.259, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 38 R) and Catcher Jacob Shanks (.268, 2 HR, 17 RBI) return alongside outfielders Dylan Orick (.274, 1 HR, 24 RBI) and Travis Bohall (.331, 16 SB) to make up a good portion of the Highlanders starting lineup. Newcomers include pitcher Jake Lachemann, a 6-7 transfer from local Big West rival UC Irvine. Notable incoming freshman are Zach Jacobs, a pitcher out of San Dimas High School, and outfielder Nick Pena, a local freshman coming out of Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.
Opening day of the series was the 27th game between the Highlanders and the Bruins and the first official game of the decade for both teams. The Highlanders are 12-14 against the Bruins historically, dating back to a 1974 home game. They've gone 4-6 in the last 10 matchups, which go back to a 2008 away game. The last time the two teams faced, February 21, 2017, the Highlanders won a 3-2 decision at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Cole Percival would take the mound on opening day for the Highlanders, ultimately going blow for blow against UCLA's right-handed Zach Pettway. Pettway, on his second opening day start for the Bruins, finished the 2019 season with a 4.55 ERA and a 2-2 record. It was a quick inning with the Highlanders going three up three down in the top of the first and Percival fielding two back to back putouts in the bottom half.
In the top of the second, Ethan Payne would get the first hit of the decade for UCR with a single to right field that would put him on base with two outs. The Highlanders wouldn't get their first run of 2020 until the next inning.
Travis Bohall singled to center field to get on base, with Cole Pofek up to bat behind him. Pofek crushed a two-run home run over the fence at Jackie Robinson Stadium to bring in Bohall and put the Highlanders up 2-0 early in the game. In the bottom half of the third, demonstrating some of the Highlanders defensive versatility, Damien Sanchez deftly caught a ball deflected off the pitcher's mound with arm outstretched to prevent a Bruin base hit. Percival fought through the inning and retired UCLA's batters three up three down.
Shortly after Troy Percival's first mound visit to his son Cole, the Bruins would match the Highlanders with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, tying the game 2-2. Percival would get out of the inning with a fly out to center field, taking the Highlander's into the top of the sixth. Both teams would get out of the inning without breaking the tie.
UC Riverside offense struggled to find a spark going into the seventh inning stretch against a new pitcher from the Bruins, junior right-hander Michael Townsend. Townsend retired three Highlander batters in a row with two ground outs and a strikeout. UC Riverside answered with their own pitching change, bringing in senior Riley Ohl to relieve Percival after fighting through six punch for punch innings on the mound. Percival, in an outing showcasing that he is as good as he is advertised, let up just six hits, two runs, one walk and punched six strikeouts in his first mound appearance for the Highlanders this year.
Ohl would walk the first batter he faced, putting a runner on base with no outs for UCLA. A base hit would put two runners on, with one in scoring position. A well-placed bunt and a fielder's choice out at third base followed by an attempt at a double play led to the lone error of the evening. The Bruins were able to capitalize off of UCR throwing away the ball, advancing runners to first and third. After striking out the next batter, Shamus Lyons would take the mound relieving Ohl. A two-RBI single to left field from the Bruins would put the Highlanders down 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Kevin West would come out of the bullpen for the Highlanders in the eighth and get three clean outs in a row, one fly out and two strikeouts. Highlander offense fought hard for an edge in the eighth and ninth innings with a single from Pofek and a double from 3B Nate Webb. They would be unable to convert another run and the final score in game one of the three-game series is 4-2 in favor of UCLA. Highlanders played a complete game offensively and defensively, fighting pitch for pitch against the ranked Bruins. Looking at today's game, Coach Percival commented, "It was a great game against a great team."
The set continues tomorrow with the first pitch at 2 PM at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
