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Redshirt senior Chris Jensen and the UCLA baseball team begin a pivotal three-game series against

The No. 22 UCLA baseball team is in line at this point to make a serious run at the Pac-10 Championship and, barring a significant implosion, should make the regional playoffs.

And no, that is not a very late April Fool’s joke.

As the Bruins (23-17, 7-5) begin a three-game series with California (19-21, 6-9) in Berkeley today, they are tied for third place in the Pac-10 with Arizona State.

Not only are the Bruins in the process of a complete turnaround from last year’s 15-win season, but they are also in position to have one of UCLA baseball’s best seasons in recent memory.

Bear in mind that this Bruin team was picked to finish eighth out of nine teams in the Pac-10. With excellent starting pitching from juniors Hector Ambriz, Dave Huff and Tyson Brummett, the Bruins have been in a position to win every Pac-10 series so far this season. All three starters have won Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors this year.

“We have such good pitching,” redshirt senior right fielder Chris Jensen said. “That’s what’s been the constant for us this season. We will definitely need to make regionals (for the season to be a success), and pitching wins in the playoffs.”

Now, regionals is not only one of their goals, it has also become an expectation.

“Our goal is to battle for a Pac-10 championship,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “We want to make regionals and be in the top tier of our conference.”

The Bruins last made it to the post-season two years ago in former coach Gary Adams’ last season.

At No. 17 in an NCAA Division 1 RPI ranking by Boyd’s World, a baseball statistics Web site, the Bruins are standing in very good position to make it into the postseason field of 64 teams.

With the games against the Bears this weekend, the Bruins begin the latter half of the Pac-10 season. At 7-5 in the conference, the Bruins need to finish strong as they take on the Bay Area schools, as well as the top two teams in the conference, USC (9-6) and Oregon State (9-3).

BRUIN IN THE BIGS: UCLA alumnus Casey Janssen made his major league debut Thursday night, getting to start for the Toronto Blue Jays. Janssen pitched four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) in Toronto’s 7-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Janssen played at UCLA from 2001-2004 and was the Bruins’ ace on the 2004 squad that went to the NCAA Tournament. After a senior season where he went 10-4 with a 3.16 ERA, he was drafted in the fourth round by the Blue Jays.