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Pitcher Brian Schroeder, who pitched six shutout innings in his last start, gets the nod tonight

The old cliché used by baseball coaches and players when talking to the media is “We’ve got to take one game at a time.” For the Bruins, that adage is proving to be the exact truth. If they were to think ahead beyond their next game, depression might sink in. With the toughest schedule in the country and games against ranked teams nearly every week, the Bruins are looking strictly at their next opponent because every game is a big game against a good team. Tonight, the Bruins (5-9) will continue to run the gauntlet as they travel down the 405 Freeway to face Long Beach State, which is ranked No. 16 in the country by Collegiate Baseball and sits with a 9-4 record. “We think we can bounce back against Long Beach,” said John Savage, UCLA head coach. “We like our pitching a lot. The schedule is not going to get any easier, so we will need to play better.” The Bruins have lost their last three games, all to local powerhouse and 2004 National Champion Cal State Fullerton. During the Bruins’ last win on Feb. 21, junior starter Brian Schroeder pitched six shutout innings en route to his first victory of the season. If the Bruins are to beat the Dirtbags, they will need to get a strong performance out of Schroeder. “Our pitching always gives us a good chance to win,” senior left fielder Anthony Norman said. “Schroeder is a good pitcher, and we should be in good position with him.” The pitching, however, has not been the problem lately. The Bruin offense is averaging only four runs per game this season. To have any kind of shot at reaching .500 by the end of their brutal schedule, they will need to swing the bats better. “I just think we’ve been struggling in doing the things we need to do,” Norman said. “We need to do well with runners in scoring position. We tend to tense up. We’re a good ballclub, but we just need to stay relaxed.” Norman, who started all three games over the weekend, batted .400 with an RBI and a run scored. If the Bruins are to succeed, they will have to see stat lines like that from more of their hitters.

RUSTICH INJURED: Junior Brant Rustich, who has been designated the closer this season, suffered a blister on his finger during the game on Sunday. “He came up with a blister on his finger,” Savage said. “We’re not sure how serious it is, but he was unable to pitch.” Rustich has 1.50 ERA and two saves in six appearances this season. He also has 10 strikeouts in his six innings of work.

HOME COOKIN’: The Bruins have severely trailed in attendance when compared to their local baseball rivals. The Bruins are averaging fewer than 500 fans per game this season; there were only 565 fans at Friday’s game at home against the Titans. In comparison, the Titans had crowds of 2,825 and 2,488 people against the Bruins on Saturday and Sunday at home. Today’s opponent, Long Beach State, averages 1,679 fans at home.

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