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The UCLA baseball team canceled tonight's game against Oklahoma State due to the heavy rainfall at Jackie Robinson Stadium, a team spokesman announced earlier today.

Initially, the game -- the second of this weekend's Dodgertown Classic -- had a 2 p.m. start time but was pushed back four hours due to weather conditions.

UCLA improved to 5-0 on Friday night with a rather impressive 9-2 victory over Vanderbilt and star pitcher Sonny Gray. The Bruins tagged the sophomore right-hander for seven hits and six runs, chasing him with one out in the fifth. Gray did strike out six and at one point registered a 96-mph fastball.

UCLA's Gerrit Cole -- a fellow member of last summer's Team USA -- was better. He too only lasted five innings (after throwing 95 pitches), but Cole struck out eight -- one on a blistering 99-mph fastball -- for his second victory of the season. Cole surrendered two runs and four hits -- numbers that seemed impossible after he hit three batters to load the bases in the first inning.

Coach John Savage's other ace -- sophomore righty Trevor Bauer -- was the scheduled starter for today's game. The starter for Sunday's game against USC at Dodger Stadium has not been announced, though it could be Bauer or the regularly scheduled Rob Rasmussen. The 2 p.m. game will be televised on FSN Prime Ticket.

UCLA will have to come back if it hopes to send its seniors out on a good note.

The Bruins trail the Ducks, 41-31, at the half in the final game at Pauley Pavilion this season. Oregon has been lights out from the perimeter, knocking down seven 3-pointers.

Oregon guard Tajuan Porter has made four from beyond the arc and has tallied a game-high 16 points. He scored 11 the Ducks' first 13.

UCLA clearly misses Reeves Nelson inside. Oregon has nine offensive rebounds and holds a 21-11 rebounding edge. The Ducks have scored nine second-chance points.

Senior guard Michael Roll leads the Bruins with 14 on five for eight shooting. He needs just one more 3-pointer jump to fourth place on UCLA's all-time list. On the defensive end, fellow senior Nikola Dragovic has been overmatched in the paint, often giving way to Oregon's Jeremy Jacob, who has three offensive boards.

Notes: Freshman forward Brendan Lane (left ankle sprain) has played 10 minutes... Coach Ben Howland gave senior guard Mustafa Abdul-Hamid a nice going-away gift by putting him in the starting lineup. Abdul-Hamid answered the call by sinking his first shot attempt -- a 3-pointer. He also has two assists.

Let's explore a few scenarios for today's game between UCLA and Oregon at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA like wins if...

• ...seniors Michael Roll and Nikola Dragovic rise to the occasion in their final game inside Pauley. The two -- along with forward James Keefe, guard Mustafa Abdul-Hamid and walk-on Spencer Soo-- will be introduced shortly before today's 2 p.m. tip-off. Roll has a chance to go out on a good note, needing only four 3-pointers to move into fourth place on UCLA's all-time list for 3-pointers made. Dragovic, meanwhile, will be playing in front of his family for the first time since he arrived at UCLA. The 6-foot-9 forward has faced adversity this season, both on and off the court. He hurt his left shoulder diving for a loose ball early in Thursday's 65-56 win against Oregon State, but quickly returned and scored 14 points in the second half. Dragovic's status for today's game will be a game-time decision.

• ...freshman Tyler Honeycutt can do what he did Thursday. The 6-foot-7 forward did it all -- 18 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, four assists and three steals -- while playing the four spot. Reeves Nelson (left eye surgery) will sit out today's game as well, meaning Honeycutt has to attacked the boards with the same energy.

• ...the Bruins want to balance their books. Both UCLA and Oregon tout overall records of 13-14 and the two seemed evenly matched in their previous meeting a month ago in Eugene, Ore. It's unlikely that coach Ben Howland would accept an NIT bid if UCLA fails to win the Pacific 10 Conference tournament -- but the Bruins first need a .500 record to be eligible.

UCLA likely loses if...

• ...it is unable to stop Oregon at the end of the game. The Ducks scored 12 unanswered points in the final six minutes Thursday to defeat USC at the Galen Center. Before that, Oregon had lost five straight -- its last two wins coming in late January against the Los Angeles schools. Roll forced overtime at McArthur Court by sinking a 3-pointer, but the Ducks went on a 10-4 run to put the Bruins in a tough spot.

• ...the turnover bug returns. There was improvement in Thursday's 12-turnover performance. Still, 12 is a number Howland would like to see cut down, but he was pleased when primary ball-handlers Malcolm Lee and Jerime Anderson combined for just four.

Notes: Like Dragovic, freshman forward Brendan Lane will be a game-time decision. He sat out Thursday's 65-56 win after spraining his left ankle in practice earlier in the week... A 40th anniversary presentation of the 1970 NCAA Championship team will take place at halftime... The game will be televised on Prime Ticket.

It's far too soon to start talking about the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., but tonight's highly anticipated baseball game at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium could answer a few things.

First, can UCLA flamethrower Gerrit Cole be the Friday night starter coach John Savage needs him to be this season? Will Cole be able to go pitch-for-pitch with one of the nation's best, Vanderbilt's Sonny Gray? Cole and Gray, both sophomore right-handers, posted impressive numbers for Team USA last summer. Each breezed through his respective 2010 debut last Friday and leads teams that are 4-0 heading into tonight's 6 p.m. ballgame.

"I have to make sure he's not too amped up and stays within himself," UCLA catcher Steve Rodriguez said. "He has the stuff to get anyone out in the country, so as long as he doesn't try to overdo it, he'll be fine."

Second, can the Bruins -- an underachieving bunch over the last two years -- manage to eek out a win against a perennial power? Tonight's nonconference game has serious RPI implications, meaning a win would be huge for a UCLA team that is looking to get back to postseason after whiffing on a Regional bid last spring.

"It's really a national stage," Brett Krill said. "We're off to a great start and people are starting to talk."

Which brings us to our third question -- are UCLA's bats for real? Through four games, the Bruins are hitting a mind-numbing .393 with 10 home runs and have outscored their opponents 50-11. Assistant coach Rick Vanderhook has transformed the lineup into a patient and opportunistic hitting machine in just his second season in Westwood. Gray poses the season's first major test for the young Bruins.

"Our No. 1 goal is about wearing him down," Krill said. "He's a great pitcher -- we know who he is. But as long as we compete, stay within ourselves and stick our plan, I think we'll be fine."

Much has been made about senior Nikola Dragovic's shot selection. Early in the season, Dragovic admitted that he tracked the ball as soon as it left his right hand instead of maintaining his focus on the basket.

Coach Ben Howland said Dragovic corrected this flaw, but his shot selection has still been puzzling at times. The 6-foot-9 forward has the tendency to fade away when he doesn't have to.

We break down his nine shots from UCLA's 65-56 win against Oregon State last night.

• Shot No. 1 (10:29) -- Dragovic missed a jumper shortly after coming back onto the floor. He had left the game momentarily with an injured left shoulder he sustained while diving for a loose ball.

• Shot No. 2 (8:41) -- Less than two minutes later, Dragovic tried his luck again. Guard Malcolm Lee drove to the lane from the top of the key and kicked it out to Dragovic, who was open in the left corner. He missed right but looked settled. Dragovic made up for the miss by taking a charge on Oregon State's next offensive possession.

• Shot No. 3 (19:04) -- After a scoreless first half (0-for-2 shooting), Dragovic nailed a three-pointer from the left wing off a nice feed from guard Michael Roll. He squared up nicely to the basket and kept his right arm extended (with his wrist curled up, too) long after the ball went through the net.

• Shot No. 4 (14:19) -- Almost five minutes later, Dragovic went back to that left corner and sank his second three-pointer. Nothing wrong with his form on this attempt. He jogged back to the defensive end holding up three fingers on each hand.

• Shot No. 5 (10:01) -- With more than 30 seconds left on the shot clock and UCLA leading by nine, Dragovic missed a three-point shot from about 25 feet away. Howland was not too happy. "I pulled him right away," Howland said. "I probably should be doing that more to him because that really got us off."

• Shot No. 6 (7:02) -- Perhaps learning his lesson, Dragovic settled near the paint and nailed a turnaround hook shot.

• Shot No. 7 (5:27) -- Dragovic missed from his favorite spot on the left wing. He thought it looked good and kept his right arm extended long after the ball clanked off the back of the rim.

• Shot No. 8 (3:10) -- Another missed three-pointer, this one from the right wing and with UCLA leading by three.

• Shot No. 9 (0:59) -- With UCLA up by five, Dragovic took an uncontested layup to put the game out of reach.

Dragovic made four of nine shots and all four of his free throws for 14 points.

The UCLA baseball team has unveiled a new weapon this season, but it's not a freshman or junior college transfer (though Beau Amaral and Dean Espy, respectively, fall into those categories). It's not a change in bats or gloves, either.

The new weapon? Stirrups. Yes, stirrups.



"We went old-school," coach John Savage said. "The whole team did it right when we got together in the fall. I like it -- it's a good look, it's good, old-fashioned baseball. Fans are going to like this team because they play hard."

There has to be more than that, right? Well, yes.

"We realized that the team's we play that have the socks up get lower pitches called balls," said catcher Steve Rodriguez, who should know a thing or two about an umpire's tendencies. "We always get those low pitches called strikes."

Ah hah! It might be an optical illusion, but it's not crazy to think that wearing high socks raises the bottom part of the strike zone just a tad bit. UCLA, a team that prides itself on wearing out opposing pitchers by taking multiple pitches, has drawn 21 walks through four games.

"It seems to be working so far," senior first baseman Justin Uribe said. "Everyone is pretty much buying in. Our pants were normally on the bigger side, so I don't know if we're going to get them tailored this year."

Reeves Nelson and Brendan Lane were in street clothes on Thursday night, meaning coach Ben Howland would be without two of his big men against Oregon State.

Due to the injuries, senior Nikola Dragovic shifted to the center spot -- though the term is used loosely since the 6-foot-9 forward hovered around the three-point line anyway. Without an inside presence, UCLA allowed 21 offensive rebounds, yet still found a way to win 65-56 at Pauley Pavilion.

Freshman Tyler Honeycutt, the best rebounder on the team, was a big part of that. The lanky 6-foot-7 forward stepped up in Nelson's absence, posting his third double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The 18 points were a career-high (previous was 14) for Honeycutt, who also had a career-high five blocked shots.

"I knew I was going to have to rebound a lot more, especially because we were smaller," Honeycutt said afterward.

No other UCLA player had more than three rebounds. Dragovic grabbed two in 35 minutes and sophomore J'mison Morgan, who stands at 6-foot-10, did not have any in 12 minutes.

"They have a freshman [Honeycutt] who stood up and played like a senior tonight," Oregon State coach Craig Robinson said.

Morgan got an opportunity just three minutes in when Howland called on him after Dragovic injured his shoulder while diving for a loose ball. He received a nice response after blocking a shot, but then missed a dunk shortly after to balance his book. With Honeycutt playing the way he was, Morgan took a seat next to Nelson for much of the second half.

When Howland interrupted the course of his press conference to ask Honeycutt how many double-doubles he had this season, Honeycutt answered correctly.

"That’s great, see, he knows," Howland said with a wide grin. "It’s a good thing to know. We want him to know. There’s no such thing as a selfish rebounder."

Having lost three of four heading into Thursday, UCLA sure needed one.

With both Reeves Nelson and Brendan Lane out for tonight's game, coach Ben Howland has gone with a smaller lineup featuring guard Jerime Anderson.

It has worked so far, as UCLA leads Oregon State 36-26 at the half.

Freshman Tyler Honeycutt, who has moved over to the power forward spot, leads all scorers with 13 points.

With Nelson sidelined, there has not been much of a presence inside. UCLA has tried to feed the ball into sophomore J'mison Morgan, but he missed his two easiest shots -- a dunk being one of them. Senior Nikola Dragovic has shied away from the paint.

Oregon State holds a 17-11 edge in rebounding.

Freshman forward Brendan Lane is out for tonight's game against Oregon State.

He was listed as a game-time decision but is still wearing a protective boot on his left foot after spraining his ankle in practice Tuesday. Freshman Reeves Nelson (left eye) and James Keefe (left shoulder) are standing next to him as UCLA warms up.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.

Two possibilities for coach Ben Howland: start sophomore J'mison Morgan at center or have Jerime Anderson start at point guard. If Anderson starts, Malcolm Lee would slide to his natural position at shooting guard. Michael Roll would play small forward.

Let's run down a few scenarios for tonight's game between UCLA and Oregon State at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA likely wins if...

• ...point guard Malcolm Lee slows down. Earlier this season, coach Ben Howland said Lee was "going 100 miles per hour." Guess what? The sophomore is still speeding. He has committed 18 turnovers in the last four games and has not looked comfortable since making the switch from shooting guard. To his credit, he wants the ball in his hands and can't be blamed for being aggressive, but he's got to realize that the basket is not going anywhere.

• ...forward Nikola Dragovic doesn't take a bad shot. This one may be hard to fulfill, but Dragovic has to show that he's a senior. His shot selection has been atrocious at times this season. We don't have to go back far for an example. On the opening play last Saturday at Washington, Dragovic had an open look, faked a shot and eventually settled for an off-balance, off-the-wrong-foot shot that barely drew iron. A bad look is like a turnover and the Bruins can't afford to waste possessions.

• ...someone steps up in the absence of Reeves Nelson. Will it be J'mison Morgan? Freshman Tyler Honeycutt can clean up the glass if he puts in the effort, but is anyone capable of replacing Nelson's toughness?

• ...guard Michael Roll catches fire. Roll couldn't miss at Washington State a week ago and his quick start sparked UCLA's offense. When he's on, Roll can match up with the nation's top shooters.

UCLA likely loses if...

• ...backup point guard Jerime Anderson is too passive. The sophomore has shown the ability to score when he drives to the bucket (on floaters and shots off the glass), but he needs to do it more often if he hopes to get shooters like Roll open looks. His reluctance has often led to turnovers.

• ...Oregon State guard Calvin Hayes actually makes his shots. When the two teams met at Gill Coliseum a month ago, Hayes missed 15 of his 20 shots -- nine coming from beyond the arc. He leads the Beavers with just over 13 points per game and is among the conference leaders in three-point percentage.

• ...Howland starts burning timeouts like they're going out of style. Using timeouts usually means you're in trouble, but Howland took that to another level last Saturday in Seattle. Not that it mattered much, but Howland had just one timeout left by halftime. UCLA isn't necessarily expected to blow out Oregon State, so a timeout here or a timeout there might be crucial.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT. Prime Ticket will broadcast the game locally.

With the status of UCLA freshman forwards Reeves Nelson (left eye surgery) and Brendan Lane (left ankle sprain) in doubt for Thursday night's game against Oregon State, little-used sophomore center J'mison Morgan instantaneously becomes more important.

Morgan (also known as "Bobo") is a former five-star recruitwho has yet to make an impact in Westwood. In other words, when questioning whether or not coach Ben Howland has whiffed on the evaluation and projection of some current players, look no further than Bobo.

Morgan made his only shot attempt in Saturday's ugly loss at Washington and grabbed three rebounds in 13 minutes. He is a solid shot-blocker, but the fact that both Nelson and Lane have passed him in Howland's rotation can't be overlooked.

Sure, Morgan has trimmed down since he first arrived from Dallas, Texas, but should it really take nearly two years to learn a defensive scheme?

If Nelson and Lane are unable to take the floor Thursday, we'll get a good look at Morgan. What he'll do with the increase in minutes is anyone's guess.

The light might not be as bright on Tuesday nights, but don't tell that to pitcher Garett Claypool.

Despite knowing he wasn't a lock to make UCLA's stacked weekend rotation, the senior right-hander returned to school after being selected in the 32nd round in last June's Major League Baseball draft.

"He came back for his senior year because he wants to go to Omaha," coach John Savage said. "He's willing to take that role and run with it. He wants to be the best Tuesday guy in the country."

If tonight's performance at Long Beach State is any indication, Claypool might be just that. He gave up a run and scattered five hits in seven strong innings, leading the Bruins to a 10-1 victory over the 49ers at Blair Field.

Junior right fielder Brett Krill led the charge offensively, going four for five with two runs and two RBIs. Sophomore catcher Steve Rodriguez, the team's No. 9 batter, hit his fourth home run of the season. UCLA has scored in double-digits in every game.

It just keeps getting worse for the UCLA men's basketball team.

The groans from a disastrous season are quickly turning into grimaces from physical pain. The latest casualty? Freshman forward Brendan Lane, who sprained his ankle on the final play of today's practice. He had been playing well in place of senior James Keefe, who announced last week he would have season-ending surgery on his left shoulder.

Team spokesman Ryan Finney says Lane is wearing a protective boot and will not practice Wednesday. He is listed as a game-time decision for Thursday night's home game against Oregon State.

The news comes just a day after fellow freshman Reeves Nelson underwent surgery on his left eye to repair a torn retina. Nelson's status for Thursday's contest is also in doubt.

Carnell Lake, who served as UCLA's defensive backs coach last season, has stepped down due to family reasons, according to a press release from the program.

"Carnell did a great job coaching our cornerbacks last season and will always be remembered as a great Bruin," coach Rick Neuheiselsaid. "Carnell is also a great father and he felt this was in the best interest of his family. We wish him all the best in the future and know he will still be involved in our program as a proud alum."

UCLA ranked 28th in the country in pass defense last season.

Cornerback Alterraun Verner earned All-American accolades from various publications and is now training in Arizona for next week's NFL Combine. At safety, Rahim Moore led the nation with 10 interceptions and fellow sophomore Tony Dyebecame one of the Bruins' most consistent tacklers.

Lake's departure may most be felt in the progression of youngsters Sheldon Price and Aaron Hester, among others. Price made 11 starts, but was the weak-link in UCLA's defense after replacing the injured Hester. As you may recall, Price was the one who was beat on the final USC touchdown.

Hester broke his leg in the season-opener and didn't play the rest of the season, but he has the potential to be the Bruins' best corner.

"I want to thank coach Neuheisel for the opportunity he presented to me and I want to thank the members of the staff for allowing me to work with them the past year," Lake said. "I truly enjoyed my time working with the fine young men on our team."

In case you didn't hear, the UCLA baseball team made some noise over the weekend.

Ping!

The sweet aluminum sound resonated through Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon as No. 23 UCLA capped off a perfect weekend with a 14-5 victory over Cal State Northridge. The Bruins laced 18 hits and came back from an early 4-1 deficit to improve to 3-0.

"We're going to have to win games like that," coach John Savage said. "I'm proud of our guys and we're off to a good start."

Beau Amaral, Tyler Rahmatulla and Dean Espy each had three RBIs to lead the way. Amaral and Espy homered.

The offense backed up junior Rob Rasmussen, who allowed four runs and five hits in 3.2 innings. "He just could never establish fastball command," Savage said. "He could never get in a tempo."

Redshirt sophomore Erik Goeddel, a former top prospect who underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior season in high school, relieved Rasmussen and earned the victory. He struck out four in 2.2 innings.

"There is nobody that has worked harder than Erik Goeddel," Savage said. "We're talking about a 24-month period where he wasn't healthy -- hours of rehab that can mentally wear you down."

The story, though, was UCLA's ability to score 40 runs in the three wins. It may be too soon to tell (and playing teams like Southern and Bethune Cookman may serve as disclaimers), but this young Bruins lineup has the potential to slap a few hits here and there.

"We're usually just sitting on one pitch and we take anything else until we get that pitch," Rahmatulla said.