The UCLA baseball team’s bid for its first appearance in the College World Series since 2013 begins Friday with its first game in the regional round against Florida State.

UCLA (38-22, 19-11 Pac-12), the No. 2 seed in the Auburn Region, draws No. 3 seed Florida State (33-23) to open the four-team, double-elimination regional hosted by No. 14 national seed Auburn. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. PT.

No. 1 seed Auburn (37-19) and No. 4 seed Southeastern Louisiana (30-29) are the other two teams in the regional and will play later Friday.

The Bruins, who did not have media availability prior to the tournament, have limited history against the rest of the field in the Auburn Regional. UCLA has played Florida State just once in program history, losing 4-1 in the College World Series in 2012. The Bruins have not played Auburn or Southeastern Louisiana.

UCLA is making its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament – and it has made the postseason in 13 of 17 seasons under head coach John Savage – but it hasn’t had the best luck as a No. 2 seed. The Bruins have been a No. 2 seed in the regional round six times under Savage (2006-2008, 2018 and 2021) and have advanced to the Super Regionals only once in 2007.

The Bruins enter the tournament after finishing third in the Pac-12. They reached the divisional final in the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament in Scottsdale that included a wild 25-22 win over Oregon State to force a rematch for a spot in the championship. The Beavers beat the Bruins 8-7 in the second game on a walk-off in the ninth.

Outfielder Michael Curialle, who along with infielder Ethan Gourson made the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team, leads UCLA in batting average at .326, which was also good for 20th in the conference.

True freshman shortstop Cody Schrier leads the team in home runs with nine, the most by a UCLA freshman since Cody Regis in 2010.

First baseman Jake Palmer is UCLA’s hottest hitter, batting .357 since March 5, including reaching base in 41 consecutive starts at one point during that stretch. He’s doubled his batting average from .162 to .314 since early March, trailing only Curialle for the team lead.

On the mound, the Bruins will feature a pitching staff that had a sub-.400 ERA during the season – ranking seventh in the Pac-12 – and a starting rotation that allowed two earned runs or fewer in 43 of 60 games and more than four hits just 20 times in 60 games.

Starter Max Rajcic ranked fourth in the Pac-12 with a 3.08 ERA in 14 starts to go along with an 8-4 record. UCLA also has five freshmen – Luke Jewett, Thatcher Hurd, Ethan Flanagan, Gage Jump and Alonzo Tredwell – who combined for a 12-3 record, 11 saves and a 2.73 ERA.

For the Bruins to be successful in the tournament, look for them to get off to a quick start. UCLA outscored its opponents 155-91 in the first three innings of games this season. The Bruins are 27-7 this year when scoring first and 21-6 when scoring in the first inning.

UCLA will also look to continue excelling at limiting walks, as the Bruins rank eighth in the country in walks allowed per nine innings (2.98).

The other teams

Florida State, which tied an NCAA record by making the tournament for the 44th consecutive season, finished fourth in the ACC’s Atlantic Division during the regular season.

Southeastern Louisiana is making its first appearance in the tournament since 2017 after beating top-seeded McNeese State in the deciding game of the best-of-three Southland Conference Baseball Championship Series.

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The Lions have thrived under pressure all season, entering the tournament with a 6-0 record this season in elimination games. They also began the season 0-4 in league play and 8-18 overall, but ended the year on a roll with a 22-11 closing record.

Auburn, which is hosting a regional for the first time since 2010, finished fourth in the SEC West. Despite losing in the first game of the SEC Tournament to Kentucky, Auburn was just one of seven teams to earn a win over top overall seed Tennessee.

UCLA vs. Florida State

What: NCAA Baseball Regionals

When: 9 a.m. Friday

Where: Plainsman Park, Auburn, Ala.

How to watch: ESPN2