Hot Huskies head home after road sweep

Apr 26, 2013, 12:00 AM

Despite all of the ups and downs, the Washington bas eball team seems to have finally taken a step forward, and now it’s about keeping the momentum going. After a supremely successful week that saw them win four of five games against top competition, the Huskies return home this weekend for a three-game Pac-12 set with conference rival California. The past week has been the best one of the season for the Huskies (13-26, 5-10 Pac-12). They swept then-No. 5 Oregon State in a doubleheader on Saturday before losing the series finale Sunday. Then they went on the road and swept a two-game series with No. 21 Gonzaga. In their most recent game on Wednesday, the Huskies led a furious comeback to beat the Bulldogs 11-8. Trailing 8-7 in the ninth, junior Ryan Wiggins smacked a go-ahead two-run home run to put the UW up. The Huskies added two more in the inning on a Jayce Ray double. In a welcome twist, the UW’s offense has finally caught up to its pitching. Over their recent hot streak, which has spanned five games, the Huskies have scored 32 runs, an average of 6.4 per game. Take away their one loss over the stretch, in which they were shut out, and their runs go up to eight per game. It’s been the pitching, however, that has kept the UW afloat this season. This weekend, the task of shutting down the Cal offense falls first to Jared Fisher. The right-hander has made five starts this season and is 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA. The Golden Bears (18-22, 7-11 Pac-12) are on an extended skid, having dropped 10 of their past 12 games. However, they got a hugely important series win last weekend, winning two of three at home against Washington State. Cal has had major problems on the mound this season. It has a team ERA of 4.72, second-worst in the conference and ahead of only USC. That should bode well for a UW team that has finally started showing some pop at the plate. Its recent swoon has been the result of a few players getting hot – notably Ray, outfielder Michael Camporeale, and first baseman Trevor Mitsui. The series begins Friday with a 5 p.m. first pitch. That will be followed by matinees Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. Reach reporter Daniel Rubens at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @drubens12

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