CSUN Completes Homestand Against UCLA in Midweek Game

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NORTHRIDGE, CA---

CSUN Baseball (3-4) returns to Matador Field on Tuesday afternoon for a midweek game against UCLA at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the CSUN Sports Network via Big West.TV with Ross Porter on the call.

Probable Starters:
LHP Justin Hooper (0-0, 4.76 ERA) vs. RHP Drake Atlee (0-0, 5.40 ERA)

After its game with Pepperdine was suspended after seven innings last Tuesday, CSUN returned home and dropped three of four games to Towson last weekend. The Matadors fell in the series opener, 4-1, and split a Saturday doubleheader with a 11-5 win in game one before losing game two, 7-2. Towson took the finale of the series in comeback fashion, 6-5. Hampered by errors in the series, the Matadors surrendered leads in the late innings twice, giving the Tigers an opportunity to win the four-game set.

The Matadors received quality starting pitching throughout the series beginning with Andrew Weston who tossed 5.2 innings and allowed just one earned run. Samuel Myers earned his first career victory as a starter by tossing five shutout innings in game two of the series followed by Tei Vanderford who logged 7.2 innings and surrendered one earned run. Spot starter last Sunday, Matt Campbell pitched 3.2 shutout innings, scattering three hits.

Junior Kevin Riley hit an even .500 in the Towson series (8-for-16) for the Matadors and drove in three runs. Fellow junior, Albee Weiss provided plenty of offensive punch in the middle part of the lineup as he went 7-for-17 with seven RBI and a grand slam in the four games. Starting twice in the series, senior William Colantono reached base six times in eight plate appearances.

Through seven games, Riley is off to a red hot start to the 2017 season. Hitting .379 at the plate, Riley has a home run, five RBI, five runs and four doubles on the year. Weiss is batting .333 for CSUN to go along with one home run, nine RBI and three runs scored. Also enjoying a solid start to the season, Justin Toerner is batting .294 with two RBI and three walks while Fred Smith is posting a .269 average at the plate with six runs, four walks and two RBI.

Taking the hill Tuesday against UCLA, senior right hander Drake Atlee has appeared in three games this season and posted a 5.40 ERA along with one strikeout in 3.1 innings. Using a redshirt in 2016, Atlee is in his first season with the Matadors on the active roster.

UCLA owns a 41-39-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Matadors. Last season, CSUN earned its first season sweep of the Bruins since the 1998 season. The Matadors won a slugfest last March at Matador Field by the final of 20-12 as Albee Weiss belted two home runs. Dating back to 2008, the teams have combined to score 101 runs (20.2 runs per game) over the last five meetings at Matador Field.

A Closer Look at UCLA
The Bruins are 4-2 this season after taking two of three games from Gonzaga at Jackie Robinson Stadium last weekend. Already four of UCLA's six games have been decided by one run. UCLA is a season removed from finishing 25-31 in 2016 including 12-18 in Pac-12 play. Prior to the season, UCLA was selected to finish fifth in the Pac-12 by the league's coaches.

Junior infielder Sean Bouchard leads the team with a .400 average at the plate to go along with two home runs, six RBI and an .800 slugging percentage. Sophomore catcher Daniel Rosica is also off to a strong start as he is batting .357 with four RBI. On the pitching side, the Bruins are posting a combined 1.62 ERA thus far this season along with 62 strikeouts in 55.0 innings. Earning the start against CSUN, sophomore left hander Justin Hooper (4.76 ERA) has pitched 5.2 innings and struck out 12 batters in two appearances.

CSUN Completes Homestand Against UCLA in Midweek Game

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Players Mentioned

Drake Atlee

Matt Campbell

William Colantono

Samuel Myers

Kevin Riley

Fred Smith

Justin Toerner

Tei Vanderford

Albee Weiss

Andrew Weston