If Stanford was supposed to slow down after the finals break that email got lost en route to the Cardinal. Stanford pummeled USC 11-1 Saturday to clinch the opening series of Pac-12 play and Kris Bubic took a perfect game into the seventh inning.

Bubic (4-0) lowered his pre-game 1.54 ERA to 1.19 and appeared to make one Trojan hitter after another question whether baseball is fun. Not even the 50 dogs in attendance for “Bark in the Park” day at Sunken Diamond could bring a smile to the USC dugout.

“He looked great,” said head coach David Esquer. “They stacked the lineup a little left-handed and tried to go a little opposite on him. He was up for the challenge. He did a great job. You think you find a way to attack someone and he goes six no-hit innings.

"He’s able to break the batter down, he broke their swing down. He was able to create a lot of bad contact. He’s so efficient and so polished.”

Bubic was cruising through six innings and Stanford led 5-0 after a long bottom half of that frame. In the seventh, Bubic walked the leadoff hitter Matthew Acosta on four pitches and with two outs Dillon Paulson singled to break up the no-hitter.

So it was the fault of the Cardinal hitters for breaking up Bubic’s rhythm, right?

The sophomore laughed, “I know, they gave me too many runs today. No, I’m thankful for the run support and I can’t ask for much more from our offense to back me up and in the field. They did a great job all game.”

There was plenty of bite throughout Stanford’s lineup: Eight different Cardinal drove in a run and it was an encouraging development to see Jesse Kuet (.193 BA, .277 OBP) step up with a 3-for-3 day and two walks. The senior infielder was one of Stanford’s best hitters in the final last two months of last season after Mikey Diekroger was hurt, but he had a very rough non-conference in the batter’s box.

“When he starts to produce at the bottom of that order it turns the lineup around for the guys who really can produce,” Esquer said. “(Tim) Tawa has been strong (at leadoff) and then Nico (Hoerner), obviously.”

Hoerner was the only Cardinal with more than one RBI. He brought home one in the fifth inning on a fielder’s choice and singled in Beau Branton in the sixth.

Stanford had the first hitter reach in the second and third inning (a leadoff double by Kuet), but didn’t get on the board until Maverick Handley (2-for-2, two walks) singled with one out in the fourth inning to score Andrew Daschbach (2-for-4, two singles).

And sophomore Kyle Stowers showed the progress of making in-game adjustments when he hit an opposite-field solo shot after striking out twice.

“It goes to show how much depth we have,” Bubic said. “We lost a couple guys at the beginning of the year (second baseman Duke Kinamon and reliever Will Matthiessen), but guys have stepped up and are well prepared for any situation. It goes to show -- Coach Esquer likes to say, ‘Work while you wait.’ If you’re not playing right away you’ll get there and your time will come. It goes to show how consistent we are in our preparation.”

Matthiessen did get to swing the bat Saturday and produced an RBI single and got a walk. But the Cardinal are eager to get him back on the mound, where last year the lanky righty pitched 38.2 innings during his freshman season (3-0, 2.33 ERA, three saves, 32 strikeouts and nine walks).

Matthiessen is scheduled to throw a 20-pitch inning Tuesday versus San Diego, according to Esquer. If he stays on track to return to full availability soon then an already imposing pitching staff may become cartoonishly difficult to beat. Stanford’s team ERA is now 2.18 after 18 games.

While the pitching staff is about to get even stronger, the lineup is rounding into shape as well.

Esquer wants to find opportunities for players such as Beau Branton (one walk and one run scored) and Christian Molfetta to get in the lineup. Alec Wilson and Branton are speed and defensive options off the bench and little-used players such as Nick Oar (first hit of the season) have a chance to find more at-bats, Esquer said.

It speaks to a team-wide mentality of constantly working to get better.

“I have a of room to improve, as always,” Bubic said. “I’m not satisfied. We have a long way to go. Sure, we’re playing well, but if you become satisfied as a team, or me personally, that’s when things go bad. Overall, I think I have been very consistent and throwing three pitches for strikes since I added that curveball this year. At least showing that has been a big goal for me this year.”