SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco baseball team returns to the field Friday for the first time in 346 days, traveling to Los Angeles for a three-game series against preseason No. 2/2 UCLA at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
 
GAME #1-3 INFORMATION
Opponent: #2/2 UCLA (0-0)
Site: Los Angeles (Jackie Robinson Stadium)
 
Feb. 19, 2021 – 5 p.m.
Live Video: bit.ly/3bn4M5i
Live Stats: bit.ly/3s7S2GE
 
Feb. 20, 2021 – 2 p.m.
Live Video: bit.ly/3bn4M5i
Live Stats: bit.ly/37Jsb03
 
Feb. 21, 2021 – 1 p.m.
Live Video: bit.ly/3bn4M5i
Live Stats: bit.ly/2Zw8Ef0
 
ABOUT THE DONS
 

• San Francisco (0-0) has not played an official baseball game since March 10, 2020, when it defeated Sacramento State, 12-4. The season was shut down last time USF traveled to Southern California to face a nationally ranked opponent – when it was set to face then-No. 16/24 Pepperdine in Malibu, Caif., to open 2020 West Coast Conference play.
   
• The Dons begin the 2021 campaign with a roster of 42 players, which includes 22 returners (21 letterwinners) and 20 newcomers (with five transfers). The roster features 18 pitchers (one left-hander), seven infielders, seven outfielders, seven players who can play multiple positions (infield/outfield, utility, two-way players), and three catchers.
   
• The Dons ended 2020 on a hot streak, having won back-to-back games, six of seven and seven of their last nine before the season was shut down prematurely.

 
ABOUT UCLA
The Bruins (0-0) are the preseason No. 2 team in both the Baseball America and USA Today Coaches' polls. It's the same spot they were in when the season was shut down last spring. UCLA was chosen as the preseason favorite to win this year's Pac-12 Conference title by the conference's coaches. UCLA went 9-1 at home and 13-2 overall in the shortened 2020 season.
 
The Bruins had two players named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List – Matt McLain and Zach Pettway. Both of them were also named Preseason All-Americans by multiple college baseball media outlets.
 
WE MEET AGAIN
This weekend's series is the first time the Dons and Bruins have met since clashing in the 2011 Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA Tournament. USF beat UCLA on its home field in the opening game on June 3, 2011. San Francisco's Kyle Zimmer, who would become the fifth overall draft pick in the 2012 MLB First-Year Players Draft, outdueled UCLA's Gerrit Cole, who was that year's No. 1 overall draft pick, in a 3-0 Dons win. UCLA got the last laugh, eliminating the Dons from the tournament two days later with a 4-1 victory. The two teams also played a three-game series in Los Angeles earlier in the season, with UCLA sweeping all three games.
 
TWO AWAY FROM 600
San Francisco head coach Nino Giarratano needs two more wins to reach 600 in his NCAA coaching career. He's currently at 598 total wins, all achieved on The Hilltop during his 22 years at the helm of the Dons. Giarratano reached 900 total career victories a year ago on Feb. 18, 2020, with USF's first win this season, combining his then-590 NCAA Division I wins and his 310 junior college victories he achieved from 1989-96.
 
COMING UP
San Francisco plays a four-game home-and-home series against crossbay Pac-12 foe California starting Thursday in Berkeley. Thursday's opener and Friday's game two are at Cal, with the final two games of the series shifting to Benedetti Diamond on Saturday and Sunday. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.