Plutko seizes postseason wins record, guides Bruins past Aztecs

LOS ANGELES — This wasn’t Adam Plutko at his sharpest.

A three-time all-conference selection, his best doesn’t include mishandling a bunt or hitting a batter on a 0-2 count. But the right-handed hurler never broke as he secured his fifth postseason win in a gutsy effort.

His solid, if unspectacular, outing Friday sufficed as he guided UCLA to a regional-opening 5-3 victory over San Diego State. The Bruins have now moved into the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament, with a 6 p.m. matchup against Cal Poly looming Saturday.

Along the way, Plutko became the school’s all-time postseason wins leader — passing former Golden Spikes winner and No. 3 draft pick Trevor Bauer. Continue reading “Plutko seizes postseason wins record, guides Bruins past Aztecs” »

UCLA draws in-state lineup to Los Angeles Regional

For the fourth straight year, the UCLA baseball team will host an NCAA regional.

The Bruins found out Monday morning they would begin play Friday against San Diego State. The early matchup bodes well for UCLA considering that the Aztecs (31-29, 15-15) made the 64-team postseason field only by winning the Mountain West Tournament. Cal Poly (39-17) and San Diego, which features Kris Bryant and his nation-leading 31 home runs, fill out the rest of the regional lineup.

Should UCLA advance, it could play Cal State Fullerton in the Super Regional. The Titans beat the Bruins 6-3 on May 15, and also won the College World Series in 2004.

All-session tickets ($40-80) can be purchased at UCLABruins.com, but single-game tickets ($8-15) won’t be available until Friday.