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Baseball hosts ASU with playoffs on line

Bruins must sweep

Sun Devils to

keep hopes alive

By Ross Bersot

A faint light of playoff hope glimmers for the UCLA baseball team. And the Bruins almost assuredly have to sweep their final two Six-Pac series to keep it from flickering out.

Unless UCLA (23-21 overall, 10-14 Six-Pac) finishes the year at the fourth spot in the Six-Pac, it is unlikely to receive an NCAA Regional Playoff berth. Doing that entails overcoming a two-game deficit to Arizona State, which will be in Westwood this weekend for a three-game showdown.

"Our backs are against the wall and we're really going to have to scratch and claw to get away from that wall," UCLA head coach Gary Adams said. "I think we can do it. I still believe in this team and I believe that they can do it."

Baseball America's No. 20, the Sun Devils (33-16,12-12) took two of three games from the Bruins in Tempe earlier this month, but in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act, ASU is 2-9 in Six-Pac competition on the road.

If the real Sun Devils show up at Jackie Robinson Stadium, they boast a dangerous lineup, including six players batting over .300 and a team average of .307.

In the power department, second baseman Robbie Kent tops the team with six home runs and is second on the team with a .340 average. Designated hitter and usual ASU clean-up man Darren Troilo is batting .309 and has driven in 51 runs.

Adams is more concerned with Sun Devil pitching. Probable ASU starters for this weekend's games are Billy Neal (5-6, 4.65 ERA), Jason Bond (3-1, 5.25) and Josh Deakman (4-1, 4.04).

"Arizona State has some excellent pitchers," Adams said. "(Neal) is a tough customer to contend with. He's a senior and he's well-experienced."

Questions complicate the situation on the mound for the home team. In some order, Jim Parque (3-6, 3.95), Rick Heineman (5-4, 5.44) and Ryan Lynch (2-2, 3.93) will make appearances in the series. Southpaw standout Parque has been troubled by tendonitis in his right hip and is uncertain when he will return to 100 percent.

"We've got a little bit of a problem," Adams said. "We're going to check (Parque) out to see how he is doing before we make a decision. We don't know the order right now because of what is going on."

One thing is certain for the Bruins. The ASU series is a must-win situation concerning playoff possibilities.

"We've got to win these games," Adams said. "This is the biggest weekend of the whole season."

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