USA – The UCLA baseball team has released its 2009 schedule, which features 30 games against teams that advanced to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, as announced by fifth-year head coach John Savage. The Bruins will open the 2009 season with a three-game home series against UC Davis beginning Friday, Feb. 20.

UCLA’s 56-game regular-season schedule includes 26 home contests and 30 games played away from Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium (three neutral-site contests). The Bruins will face five teams which advanced to an NCAA Super Regional in 2008 – Arizona, Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, Stanford and UC Irvine.

The 2009 schedule features three consecutive non-conference weekend road series – to the Houston College Classic (Feb. 27-March 1), at Oklahoma (March 6-8) and at East Carolina (March 13-15). Perennial powers Baylor, Houston, Rice and Texas A&M are slated to join UCLA at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, for the Houston College Classic.

“We pride ourselves on playing one of the most difficult schedules in the country, year in and year out,” Savage said. “That’s how you improve as a program, and 2009 will be no different. Scheduling is a huge part of our program. We’re looking forward to a tough non-conference schedule and a very competitive Pac-10 race.”

Upon returning from East Carolina, the Bruins will open Pac-10 play with a three-game series at USC (March 21-23). UCLA hosts Arizona at Jackie Robinson Stadium (March 27-29) before playing back-to-back weekends at Pac-10 opponents – Washington State (April 3-5) and Stanford (April 9-11).

The Bruins will play 14 of their final 23 games at home, including consecutive Pac-10 home series against Washington (April 17-19) and Oregon State (April 24-26). UCLA will play Oregon (May 1-3) for the first time since 1979, making its first road trip to play the Ducks since May 9, 1969. Oregon reinstated its baseball program in July 2007 after having dropped the program following the 1981 season.

After hosting a three-game set against California (May 8-10), UCLA will play three games against Cal State Fullerton (May 15-17) – one Friday night contest at Fullerton’s Goodwin Field and two games at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. After a midweek contest at UC Irvine, UCLA closes its regular season at defending Pac-10 champion Arizona State (May 22-24).

The Bruins’ last three schedules have been ranked among the top three most difficult in the nation – including the No. 1 most challenging slate in 2006 – by Boyd’s World (strength of schedule ranking service). UCLA played the No. 2 and No. 3 most difficult schedules, respectively, in 2007 and 2008, according to Boyd’s World.

UCLA will face teams from six conferences. In addition to playing nine Pac-10 programs, the Bruins will play six Big West teams (Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara) and two West Coast Conference schools (Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine). Including the Houston College Classic, UCLA will play at least one Big-12 Conference opponent (Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas A&M), at least one Conference USA team (East Carolina, Houston, Rice) and one Mountain West Conference competitor (San Diego State).

Tags: NCAA, UCLA