UCLA Baseball Inks Nine to NLIs, Class Ranked No. 4 Nationally
November 20, 2018 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA baseball program officially announced its 2019 recruiting class on Tuesday morning, a star-laden group featuring nineย players including three top-50 national prospects and six top-150 prospects.
Respected outlet Baseball America has the class ranked No. 4 in the country, trailing only SEC powers Florida, Vanderbilt, and LSU.
The newest group of Bruins, which would debut for the 2020 season, features three right-handed pitchers, one left-handed pitcher, one two-way player, two outfielders, one infielder, and a catcher. By class, there are eight high school seniors and one junior college transfer.
"Coach [Bryant] Ward and our entire staff has worked very hard to get this class assembled and into UCLA," said UCLA head coach John Savage. "We are excited about the future and what this class brings."
The 2019 UCLA baseball recruiting class is composed of outfielder Corbin Carroll (Lakeside HS), RHP Adrian Chaidez (Cypress College), infielder Michael Curialle (JSerra Catholic HS), outfielder Emanuel Dean (Servite HS), RHP Evan Fitterer (Aliso Niguel HS), LHP/1B Joshua Hahn (Huntington Beach HS), RHP Jared Karros (Mira Costa HS), catcher Darius Perry (La Mirada HS), and LHP Jake Saum (St. Bonaventure HS).
Below are capsules on each player in the new class including a report from Coach Savage.
Corbin Carroll
Outfielder โ Seattle, Wash. (Lakeside HS) โ 5-10/175
Awards/Stats: Ranked the No. 5 prospect nationally โฆ Ranked the No. 2 outfield prospect in the country and the top prospect from his home state of Washington โฆ 2018 Perfect Game First Team All-American โฆ Earned MVP honors at the 2018 All-American Game at Petco Park โฆ Competed with the Team USA U18 National Team โฆ Named to the Northwest team for the 2018 Area Code Games โฆ As a junior, named First Team All-Metro League โฆ In 27 games this past season, had seven home runs, 27 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, and a 1.051 OPS โฆ 2017 Underclass All-American.
Savage Says: Corbin is one of the biggest impact position players in the country. He can beat you in multiples ways on both sides of the ball. He is a truly gifted offensive player who can hit the ball all over the ballpark. He has elite barrel awareness and a quick burst to get to the top of his high-end speed. He has all the tools to be a special player in the Pac-12, and will have a major impact as a freshman."
Adrian Chaidez
Right-Handed Pitcher โ Downey, Calif. (Cypress College) โ 6-1/160
Awards/Stats: Pitched last season at Cypress College in Orange County โฆ Appeared in 16 games as a reliever for Cypress, compiling a 4.01 ERA over 24 2/3 innings โฆ Struck out just over a batter per inning (9.12 K/9) โฆ Didn't allow an earned run in 13 of 16 outings โฆ Played four years at Warren High School under head coach Scott Pearson โฆ Was an all-league selection at Warren.
Savage Says: "Adrian is a converted catcher who is really coming on as a right-handed pitcher. He has shown three plus-pitches with a power fastball. He's a very good athlete with a great work ethic. Adrian is still very new to pitching but you can tell he has a big future on the mound."
Michael Curialle
Infielder โ Mission Viejo, Calif. (JSerra Catholic HS) โ 6-3/200
Awards/Stats: Nationally, ranked the No. 118 overall prospect in his class and the No. 27 shortstop โฆ No. 22 overall prospect in the state of California and the No. 5 shortstop โฆ Perfect Game Underclass All-American in 2017 and 2018 โฆ Competed in the 2018 Area Code Games โฆ Named Offensive MVP of the Boras Classic after leading JSerra to the tournament championship with a go-ahead home run in the title game โฆ First Team All-Trinity League choice as a junior and sophomore.
Savage Says: "Michael has all the tools you look for in a UCLA infielder. He has a big arm and sure hands. He's going to be a physical infielder for the Bruins."
Emanuel Dean
Outfielder โ Anaheim Hills, Calif. (Servite HS) โ 6-3/210
Awards/Stats: Ranked as the No. 42 national prospect and the No. 8 national outfield prospect โฆ Listed as the No. 4 overall prospect in California and the top outfielder โฆ Three-time Perfect Game Underclass All-American โฆ Played in the 2018 Perfect Game All-America Game in San Diego, Calif. โฆ Named to the Top Prospect Team at the 2018 Perfect Game National Showcase.
Savage Says: "Emanuel has tremendous power to all fields. It's rare to see a young player with his combination of speed and power. He's a really projectable player and can be a great corner outfielder in our program."
Evan Fitterer
Right-Handed Pitcher โ Aliso Viejo, Calif. (Aliso Niguel HS) โ 6-3/195
Awards/Stats: Ranked the No. 125 prospect nationally and the No. 41 RHP prospect in the nation โฆ No. 24 overall prospect in the California and the No. 6 RHP โฆ 2018 Underclass All-America Third Team and 2017 Underclass All-American Honorable Mention โฆ Competed for BPA in the 2018 Area Code Games โฆ Named MVP of the South team for the 2018 North-South Baseball Showcase โฆ First Team All-South Coast League and Third Team All-Orange County pick.
Savage Says: "Evan had a really good summer, he threw the ball very well and has shown the ability to have three plus-pitches. His fastball made a big jump, and he has a sharp curveball. We look forward to watching Evan this spring. He has all the tools to be very good at UCLA."
Joshua Hahn
First Baseman / Left-Handed Pitcher โ Huntington Beach, Calif. (Huntington Beach HS) โ 6-2/195
Awards/Stats: Ranked as the No. 120 national prospect and the No. 12 LHP โฆ In California, ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect and the No. 4 LHP โฆ 2018 Perfect Game Underclass All-America First Team and 2017 Perfect Game Underclass All-America Honorable Mention โฆ Named to the Top Prospect Team at the 2018 Perfect Game National Showcase โฆ Played for the Brewers in the 2018 Area Code Games โฆ Second Team All-State.
Savage Says: "Josh is the best two-way player in the state of California. He's been a very good player for Huntington Beach High School for several years. He can really swing the bat and is a promising left-handed pitcher."
Jared Karros
Right-Handed Pitcher โ Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Mira Costa HS) โ 6-6/185
Awards/Stats: Son of former UCLA and Los Angeles Dodgers standout Eric Karros โฆ Ranked as the No. 57 right-handed pitcher in California and the No. 184 overall prospect โฆ Last season, was 3-1 with a 0.45 ERA โฆ Named All-Bay League. ย
Savage Says: "Jared has one of the biggest upsides of any pitcher in Southern California. He has the ability to pitch to both sides of the plate and has a very good change-up. Jared is only getting stronger and we look for him to be a Bruin-type pitcher."
Darius Perry
Catcher โ La Mirada, Calif. (La Mirada HS) โ 6-2/215
Awards/Stats: Ranked as the No. 2 catching prospect in the country and the No. 38 prospect nationally โฆ No. 3 overall prospect in California and the No. 1 catcher โฆ Batted .378 with 11 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 21 extra-base hits in 31 games โฆ Perfect Game Underclass All-America Honorable Mention โฆ Named to the Top Prospect Team at the 2018 Perfect Game National Showcase โฆ Named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2018 WWBA World Championship โฆ Played in the 2018 All-America Game in San Diego, Calif โฆ Team won the Suburban League every year since he arrived on campus.
Savage Says: "Darius is the best catch-and-throw catcher in California. He can really shut down the running game. He also has the ability to hit for power. Darius possesses all the tools you look for in a young catcher."
Jake Saum
Left-Handed Pitcher โ Ventura, Calif. (St. Bonaventure HS) โ 6-0/170
Awards/Stats: Ranked as the No. 9 left-handed pitcher in California, the No. 62 lefty in the nation, and the No. 78 overall prospect in the state of California โฆ Underclass All-America Third Team โฆ Played for the Brewers in the 2018 Area Code Games โฆ Last season, was 11-2 with a 1.08 ERA โฆ Struck out 134 batters in just 74 1/3 innings โฆ Named the Co-Tri Valley Player of the Year โฆ First Team All-Ventura County โฆ First Team All-Academic.
Savage Says: "Jake had one of the best junior years in California. He has the ability to strike you out with three different pitches. He's a very good athlete who's only going to get better."
