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Junior starting pitcher Dave Huff is anticipated to play a pivotal role for the Bruins in their p

As the UCLA baseball team prepares for the NCAA Regionals for only the 12th time in the program’s history, Dave Huff figures to play a pivotal role in his team’s postseason success. In his first year in Westwood after transferring from Cypress Community College, the junior left-hander has been the Bruins’ most consistent starting pitcher, posting a 7-3 record with a 2.82 ERA. On the final day of the regular season, Huff shut down the Oregon State lineup, giving up one earned run in 7.1 innings of work to earn UCLA a 3-1 win and a series split. Huff and fellow transfer Tyson Brummett have stabilized the Bruins’ starting rotation, as UCLA carries a 17-11 record in the pitchers’ starts this season. Although Hector Ambriz is not considered one of the elite aces in the country, UCLA coach John Savage has three quality pitchers he can spread across a series. The triumvirate has been more than competent during the regular season, but it makes the Bruins that much more dangerous in the postseason. The double-elimination format of regional play typically rewards teams with starting pitchers who can carry them to the College World Series. If UCLA is to make it all the way to Omaha, then Huff will likely set the tone when he takes the mound on Saturday. “He might be the best Saturday guy in the country,” Savage said. “He gives us really good matchups (out of the No. 2 spot), so we’re confident we can pick up wins on the other days. It’s tough to measure exactly what he has meant to us this year. He essentially came in and gave us two Friday night guys, and we’ll definitely be counting on him in regionals.”

HUFF’S FUTURE: Huff is widely considered to be closing out his first and last season at UCLA. He is projected to be a mid-to-late-first-round selection in the MLB Amateur Draft in June. Huff has attended three different schools in three years. He was originally recruited by Savage while Savage was still coaching at UC Irvine. There are a handful of organizations interested in drafting the lefty, including the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox, Huff said. While there have been more scouts closely monitoring his starts as he has pitched in higher-profile games, Huff says he isn’t fretting over the chance to improve his draft stock with a head-turning performance in the postseason. “From what I’ve heard, teams generally have made up their mind what they think of me,” he said. “How I do from here on will matter to the team, and not the draft.”