Tuesday, March 12
Long Beach, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
at
UCLA at Long Beach State
Jack Stronach and the Bruins head to LB on Tuesday for a Tuesday matchup with the Dirtbags (photo: Scott Chandler)
Photo by: Scott Chandler
No. 2 UCLA Faces Long Beach State on Tuesday
March 11, 2019 | Baseball
No. 2 UCLA (9-2) vs. Long Beach State (2-12)
Tuesday, Mar. 12, 2019 โ 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (Blair Field)
Live Stream:ย Big West TV
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
No. 2 UCLA Heads To Long Beach State For Tuesday Matchupย ย ย
On Tuesday, UCLA (11-3) makes the trek south to Big West-member Long Beach State (2-12) for a midweek showdown at Blair Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of the game, and fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Mar. 12 - 6 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LBSU - Sagun Gainey, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 11-3 to start the 2019 campaign, winning weekend series against St. John's, Georgia Tech, and Sacramento State. The Bruins are coming off a 2-1 weekend in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, bouncing back from a Friday loss to No. 16 Michigan to defeat Oklahoma State and USC. The Bruins also have midweek wins at home against LMU and on the road at CSUN.ย
UCLA Pitching Gets Off To Hot Start
UCLA's pitching has been driving the boat in the early going, as the Bruin staff has produced some of the best numbers in the nation. The Bruins are top-10 in the nation in ERA (1.91, third), hits allowed per nine innings (5.67, second), shutouts (four, third), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.13, sixth), strikeouts per nine innings (11.1, eighth), and WHIP (0.93, fourth). UCLA has allowed no runs in six of its 14 games, including the first four of the year, a span of 37 1/3 innings.ย
Garcia Set To Make First Start of 2019
Junior right-hander Ryan Garcia is slated to make his first start of 2019 on Tuesday. A projected front-of-the-rotation arm, Garcia made his season debut on Saturday with an inning of shutout relief against Oklahoma State featuring a pair of strikeouts. The Sierra Madre, Calif. native was 8-1 with a 2.23 as a sophomore in 2018, leading to an All-Pac 12 honorable mention. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but one appearance last year.ย
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Something about the seventh inning gives the Bruins an extra pep in their step. They are outscoring their opponents 27-1 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-26 run differential. UCLA has a plus-20 run differential in all other innings combined. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 10 of their 14 games, more than any other single inning. Sac State is the only team to have scored a run on the Bruins in the seventh.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
While the starters have been strong as of late, the UCLA bullpen has been a rock since Opening Day. Over 47 2/3 ย combined innings of work, Bruin relievers allowed just 23 hits while striking out 66 (a 12.5 K/9 ratio). The UCLA pen has allowed just seven earned runs to this point of the season, a 0.50 ERA. Kyle Mora (1.06 ERA, 24 K in 17 IP), Nate Hadley (0 R in 8 IP), and Holden Powell (league-high four saves) have been especially effective out of the pen. UCLA's relievers heeded their biggest call of the season on Sunday, tossing 6.2 innings of one-run ball to help defeat USC.
Savage Eyes A Pair Of Milestones
Heading into the week, UCLA head coach John Savage is in striking distance of a pair of career milestones, as he needs two wins for 500 at UCLA and 14 wins for 600 overall in his career.ย
Rankings Roundup
After going 2-1 last week, UCLA remained as high as No. 2 in the national polls. Both Baseball America and D1Baseball had the Bruins at No. 2, while UCLA also appeared at No. 3 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll), No. 4 (NCBWA), and No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball). Long Beach State is unranked in all polls. ย ย ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA leads the Pac-12 and is third in the country with 15 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down six times, pacing the league and ranking second nationally.ย
Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, ranking sixth in the nation with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bruins have struck out at least eight batters in every game so far this year, and have reached double digits on nine occasions, including three of the last four contests.ย
Putting Down Roots
UCLA is not scheduled to leave Los Angeles County for the entirety of March, as the squad's only road games are at LBSU, LMU, and USC. The Bruins don't leave LA county until Apr. 5 (at Stanford) and don't leave California until May 3 (at ASU).ย
Last Week In Review
Last week, UCLA won two out of three games in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. First the Bruins split a pair of games at Jackie Robinson Stadium, falling to then-No. 16 Michigan
and defeating Oklahoma State. UCLA finished up the weekend by defeating crosstown rival USC 7-5 at Dodger Stadium.ย
ย ย -UCLA had a midweek home game against Pepperdine rained out. The two teams will make up the game on Monday, Apr. 15.ย
ย ย -The Bruins dropped a Friday night decision to Michigan, 7-5. The Wolverines scored four runs in the first inning, which proved decisive as UCLA outscored the visitors 5-3 the rest of the way. The Bruins had the tying run 90 feet from home in the bottom of the seventh, as Michael Toglia plated three runs by ripping a two-out, based-loaded triple to make it 6-5. However, Michigan reliever Willie Weiss got out of that inning with the lead intact.
ย ย -UCLA overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Oklahoma State on Saturday, outscoring the Cowboys 5-0 after the middle of the fourth. After the Bruins took the lead with a two-run sixth, the bullpen shut it down with four scoreless innings to preserve the win. A day after his big triple, Toglia tied the game 3-3 on Saturday with a two-run, opposite field single in the fifth. Jarron Silva put the Bruins up for good with an RBI pinch-hit double into the right field corner.ย
ย ย -The Bruins fell behind 4-0 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, but steadily chipped away at that deficit before going up for good in the seventh inning. UCLA outscored the Trojans 7-1 from the middle of the third inning on, taking advantage of four USC errors. The UCLA bullpen was pivotal in the win, tossing 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball after an early exit for starter Jesse Bergin (who had allowed just one earned over his previous three starts). Chase Strumpf and Ryan Krielder had key RBI singles early in the game, and Matt McLain drove in the eventual game-winning run with a two-run double in the eighth.ย
ย ย -The Bruins had to come back from behind in all three games last week, outscoring its opponents 17-5 from the third inning on.
ย ย -Opposition relievers allowed 11 runs over the weekend, while the UCLA pen surrendered just two.
Konsistent Kreidler
A team captain for UCLA, Ryan Kreidler has been leading by example this year. One of the Bruins' most consistent performers so far, the Davis, Calif. native has recorded hits in all 14 games to this point in the season while making starts at both shortstop and third base. He batted .400 in February, and has a .410 average so far in March. Kreidler is leading UCLA with three home runs, just one off his career high, and is in the top-10 in the Pac-12 in both average (.404, seventh) and slugging (.654, eighth).ย
Scouting The Dirtbags
Long Beach State is off to a rough start to 2019, sitting on a 2-12 record after losing 10 straight to open the campaign. The Dirtbags have played a brutally rough schedule, playing road series at then-No. 3 Florida, then-No. 10 Ole Miss, and hosting then-No. 23 TCU. LBSU was picked to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. Top offensive performers include Calvin Estrada (.289/.347/.333) and Jacob Hughey (.250/.317/.333). Projected starter Sagun Gainey will be making his Division I debut on Tuesday. He is a College of the Sequoias transfer, going 6-5 with a 3.07 last year.ย
Midweek Notes
UCLA is 2-0 so far this year in midweeks, defeating LMU at home and topping CSUN on the road. UCLA has outscored its opponents 9-3 in midweeks, shutting out LMU 5-0 and edging CSUN 4-3. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).
Wearing It
Bruin batters have been wearing it this season, accruing 19 HBPs to this point of the season, an average of 1.4 per game. ย UCLA has had a batter hit by a pitch in three straight and eight out of the last nine games.
Leading Off Right
UCLA leadoff hitters have done an exceptional job at getting on base, as the Bruins have a team .413 OBP in leadoff at-bats. Ryan Kreidler (.600 OBP in 15 plate appearances), Garrett Mitchell (.750 OBP in eight plate appearances), Will McInerny (.800 OBP in five plate appearances), and Chase Strumpf (.600 OBP in 10 plate appearance) have been especially solid when leading off an inning.ย
Bruins Picked to Win Pac-12 in Preseason Coaches Poll
In a vote of all 11 Pac-12 coaches, the Bruins were picked as the favorites to win the league in 2019. UCLA received eight of 11 first place votes and a league-high 97 points. 2015 was the last time that UCLA was picked to finish first in the Preseason Coaches Poll, which was also the last time that UCLA won the league. Stanford (two first place votes, 90 points) and Oregon St. (one first place vote, 85 points) also received first place votes. They were followed in succession by Arizona (67), Washington (60), Arizona State (59), Oregon (49), California (37), USC (32), Washington State (15), and Utah (14).ย
Strumpf Named a Unanimous First Team Preseason All-American
UCLA junior Chase Strumpf was the First Team second baseman on every Preseason All-America team released this offseason, as he was honored by Baseball America, D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game. He was one of just four players nationwide to gain consensus First Team status, joining catcher Adley Rutschman (Oregon State), first baseman Andrew Vaughn (Cal), and third baseman Josh Jung (Texas Tech). Strumpf slashed .363/.475/.633 last year with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs en route to All-America and Dick Howser Award semifinalist honors.ย
Toglia, Ydens Also Pick Up All-American Acclaim
Strumpf wasn't the only Bruin to get preseason publicity, as both Michael Toglia and Jeremy Ydens were named Preseason All-Americans. Toglia was a Second Teamer in D1Baseball and a Third Team choice in Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, while Ydens was a Second Team outfielder per Collegiate Baseball. Toglia (.336 average, 11 home runs) and Ydens (.350 average, 28 extra-base hits) were key middle-of-the-order bats for the Bruins last year.
Fabulous Freshmen
UCLA's newest class of newcomers was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country (D1Baseball). The Bruins' new class was the highest-ranked in the Pac-12 and in the western half of the country. UCLA has turned in a top-25 recruiting class for five consecutive seasons, while the Bruins' No. 4 ranking is the highest for the program since 2015. A trio of frosh players were selected to D1Baseball's Top-100 Impact Freshmen List, including list-topper Matt McLain, catcher Noah Cardenas (No. 81), and right-handed pitcher Sean Mullen (No. 89).ย
McLain Chooses UCLA
The Bruins' freshman class is highlighted by Tustin, Calif. native Matt McLain, who opted to attend UCLA after being drafted in the first round (25th overall) of the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. McLain is the second first-round draft pick out of high school to attend UCLA, following in the foosteps of Gerrit Cole (2008). Other high draft choices to turn down MLB overtures include Troy Glaus (37th overall, 1994) and Chase Utley (76th overall, 1997).ย
UCLA In The Positional Power Rankings
UCLA was well-represented in the D1Baseball.com positional power rankings, published just before the start of the season.ย
Chase Strumpf was the Bruins' top player, taking the No. 1 spot at second base. The Bruins' other starting infielders all made it as well: Michael Toglia was the No. 3 first baseman, Kevin Kendall was the No. 21 shortstop, and Ryan Kreidler was No. 29 at third base. All three of the Bruins' starting outfielders made the power rankings too: Jeremy Ydens (No. 15), Matt McLain (No. 37), and Garrett Mitchell (No. 62). A pair of Bruin starting pitchers were recognized (Ryan Garcia, No. 20 and Zach Pettway, No. 100) while Holden Powell (No. 35) made the relievers list.ย
Dynamic Duo Named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List
UCLA's Chase Strumpf and Michael Toglia were both named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List prior to the new season. In 2018, Strumpf and Toglia were the most prolific Bruin teammates of the last 20 years. The right-side of the UCLA infield became the first Bruin duo since 2007 to hit double-digit home runs in the same season when Cody Decker (14) and Gabe Cohen (10) accomplished the feat. Strumpf and Toglia are just the fourth and fifth Bruins since 2001 with 50-plus RBIs and 10-plus home runs in the same season. The pair also became the first UCLA teammates since 2008 to each drive in over 50 runs in the same season (Casey Haerther, 52 and Brandon Crawford, 51).
Powell Named to Stopper of the Year Watch List
UCLA sophomore righty Holden Powell was named to the 75-man Stopper of the Year Watch List by the NCBWA. First awarded in 2005, the Stopper of the Year is handed out to college baseball's top reliever annually. Former Bruin closer David Berg is the lone pitcher ever to win the award multiple times.ย
Big League Bruins
Baseball America recently dubbed UCLA as the No. 3 producer of Major League talent in an analysis of alumni production since 1999. Anchored by star pitching performances from the likes of Cole and Trevor Bauer alongside All-Star careers from position players Troy Glaus, Chase Utley, and Brandon Crawford, UCLA alums have produced 139 WAR (wins above replacement) since 1999, third-most of any college baseball program in the country.ย
Draft Stock
Bruin players were all over the prospect rankings for both Baseball America (all prospects) and D1Baseball (Division I prospects only). Ranked players include Michael Toglia (D1: 22, BA: 44), Chase Strumpf (D1: 23, BA: 79), Ryan Garcia (D1: 53), Jeremy Ydens (D1: 103), Ryan Kreidler (D1: 178, BA: 190), and Justin Hooper (D1: 255). UCLA commits Corbin Carroll (No. 7), Emanuel Dean (No. 71), and Darius Perry (No. 122) were all included in Baseball America's prospect rankings.
Berg Returns to UCLA
David Berg, arguably the top reliever in college baseball history, returned to UCLA this season as an undergrad assistant coach. He is the NCAA record-holder in career appearances (175) and single seasons saves (23), and holds UCLA career marks in saves (49) and ERA (1.11). He was a two-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and NCBWA Stopper of the Year. Berg logged a 4.63 career ERA over three minor league seasons.ย
Bruins Win the Cape Cod League
Last summer, a quartet of UCLA players โ staff ace Ryan Garcia, center fielder Jeremy Ydens, shortstop Ryan Kreidler, and reliever Jack Ralston โ made up the backbone of the Wareham Gatemen, who eventually went on to win the Cape Cod League Championship. Ydens (.304/.347/.432) and Garcia (2-0, 1.28 ERA) both put up gaudy stat lines en route to All-Cape Cod League honors.
High Expectations For UCLA in Preseason Rankings
UCLA appeared in every national preseason poll this winter, coming in as high as No. 3 (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball). Elsewhere, the Bruins were ranked No. 4 (NCBWA, Perfect Game), No. 5 (D1Baseball), and No. 7 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll). UCLA is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team in four of six polls, and has the highest aggregate ranking of any league team.ย
Tuesday, Mar. 12, 2019 โ 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (Blair Field)
Live Stream:ย Big West TV
Audio:ย UCLA Lean Player
Audio Talent: Tim Wilhelm
No. 2 UCLA Heads To Long Beach State For Tuesday Matchupย ย ย
On Tuesday, UCLA (11-3) makes the trek south to Big West-member Long Beach State (2-12) for a midweek showdown at Blair Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. UCLABruins.com will carry a live audio broadcast of the game, and fans can also follow along on Twitter at @UCLABaseball.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, Mar. 12 - 6 p.m. PT
UCLA - Ryan Garcia, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LBSU - Sagun Gainey, RHP, Jr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The Story So Far
UCLA is 11-3 to start the 2019 campaign, winning weekend series against St. John's, Georgia Tech, and Sacramento State. The Bruins are coming off a 2-1 weekend in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic, bouncing back from a Friday loss to No. 16 Michigan to defeat Oklahoma State and USC. The Bruins also have midweek wins at home against LMU and on the road at CSUN.ย
UCLA Pitching Gets Off To Hot Start
UCLA's pitching has been driving the boat in the early going, as the Bruin staff has produced some of the best numbers in the nation. The Bruins are top-10 in the nation in ERA (1.91, third), hits allowed per nine innings (5.67, second), shutouts (four, third), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.13, sixth), strikeouts per nine innings (11.1, eighth), and WHIP (0.93, fourth). UCLA has allowed no runs in six of its 14 games, including the first four of the year, a span of 37 1/3 innings.ย
Garcia Set To Make First Start of 2019
Junior right-hander Ryan Garcia is slated to make his first start of 2019 on Tuesday. A projected front-of-the-rotation arm, Garcia made his season debut on Saturday with an inning of shutout relief against Oklahoma State featuring a pair of strikeouts. The Sierra Madre, Calif. native was 8-1 with a 2.23 as a sophomore in 2018, leading to an All-Pac 12 honorable mention. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but one appearance last year.ย
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Something about the seventh inning gives the Bruins an extra pep in their step. They are outscoring their opponents 27-1 in the seventh inning for the season, a plus-26 run differential. UCLA has a plus-20 run differential in all other innings combined. The Bruins have scored in the seventh inning in 10 of their 14 games, more than any other single inning. Sac State is the only team to have scored a run on the Bruins in the seventh.ย
Don't Mess With The Bull(pen)
While the starters have been strong as of late, the UCLA bullpen has been a rock since Opening Day. Over 47 2/3 ย combined innings of work, Bruin relievers allowed just 23 hits while striking out 66 (a 12.5 K/9 ratio). The UCLA pen has allowed just seven earned runs to this point of the season, a 0.50 ERA. Kyle Mora (1.06 ERA, 24 K in 17 IP), Nate Hadley (0 R in 8 IP), and Holden Powell (league-high four saves) have been especially effective out of the pen. UCLA's relievers heeded their biggest call of the season on Sunday, tossing 6.2 innings of one-run ball to help defeat USC.
Savage Eyes A Pair Of Milestones
Heading into the week, UCLA head coach John Savage is in striking distance of a pair of career milestones, as he needs two wins for 500 at UCLA and 14 wins for 600 overall in his career.ย
Rankings Roundup
After going 2-1 last week, UCLA remained as high as No. 2 in the national polls. Both Baseball America and D1Baseball had the Bruins at No. 2, while UCLA also appeared at No. 3 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll), No. 4 (NCBWA), and No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball). Long Beach State is unranked in all polls. ย ย ย
Making The Necessary Sacrifices
Small ball has treated the Bruins well so far in 2019, as UCLA leads the Pac-12 and is third in the country with 15 sac bunts. Will McInerny has laid it down six times, pacing the league and ranking second nationally.ย
Grab Some Pine
The UCLA pitching staff has proven adept at punching out batters this year, ranking sixth in the nation with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bruins have struck out at least eight batters in every game so far this year, and have reached double digits on nine occasions, including three of the last four contests.ย
Putting Down Roots
UCLA is not scheduled to leave Los Angeles County for the entirety of March, as the squad's only road games are at LBSU, LMU, and USC. The Bruins don't leave LA county until Apr. 5 (at Stanford) and don't leave California until May 3 (at ASU).ย
Last Week In Review
Last week, UCLA won two out of three games in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. First the Bruins split a pair of games at Jackie Robinson Stadium, falling to then-No. 16 Michigan
and defeating Oklahoma State. UCLA finished up the weekend by defeating crosstown rival USC 7-5 at Dodger Stadium.ย
ย ย -UCLA had a midweek home game against Pepperdine rained out. The two teams will make up the game on Monday, Apr. 15.ย
ย ย -The Bruins dropped a Friday night decision to Michigan, 7-5. The Wolverines scored four runs in the first inning, which proved decisive as UCLA outscored the visitors 5-3 the rest of the way. The Bruins had the tying run 90 feet from home in the bottom of the seventh, as Michael Toglia plated three runs by ripping a two-out, based-loaded triple to make it 6-5. However, Michigan reliever Willie Weiss got out of that inning with the lead intact.
ย ย -UCLA overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Oklahoma State on Saturday, outscoring the Cowboys 5-0 after the middle of the fourth. After the Bruins took the lead with a two-run sixth, the bullpen shut it down with four scoreless innings to preserve the win. A day after his big triple, Toglia tied the game 3-3 on Saturday with a two-run, opposite field single in the fifth. Jarron Silva put the Bruins up for good with an RBI pinch-hit double into the right field corner.ย
ย ย -The Bruins fell behind 4-0 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, but steadily chipped away at that deficit before going up for good in the seventh inning. UCLA outscored the Trojans 7-1 from the middle of the third inning on, taking advantage of four USC errors. The UCLA bullpen was pivotal in the win, tossing 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball after an early exit for starter Jesse Bergin (who had allowed just one earned over his previous three starts). Chase Strumpf and Ryan Krielder had key RBI singles early in the game, and Matt McLain drove in the eventual game-winning run with a two-run double in the eighth.ย
ย ย -The Bruins had to come back from behind in all three games last week, outscoring its opponents 17-5 from the third inning on.
ย ย -Opposition relievers allowed 11 runs over the weekend, while the UCLA pen surrendered just two.
Konsistent Kreidler
A team captain for UCLA, Ryan Kreidler has been leading by example this year. One of the Bruins' most consistent performers so far, the Davis, Calif. native has recorded hits in all 14 games to this point in the season while making starts at both shortstop and third base. He batted .400 in February, and has a .410 average so far in March. Kreidler is leading UCLA with three home runs, just one off his career high, and is in the top-10 in the Pac-12 in both average (.404, seventh) and slugging (.654, eighth).ย
Scouting The Dirtbags
Long Beach State is off to a rough start to 2019, sitting on a 2-12 record after losing 10 straight to open the campaign. The Dirtbags have played a brutally rough schedule, playing road series at then-No. 3 Florida, then-No. 10 Ole Miss, and hosting then-No. 23 TCU. LBSU was picked to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. Top offensive performers include Calvin Estrada (.289/.347/.333) and Jacob Hughey (.250/.317/.333). Projected starter Sagun Gainey will be making his Division I debut on Tuesday. He is a College of the Sequoias transfer, going 6-5 with a 3.07 last year.ย
Midweek Notes
UCLA is 2-0 so far this year in midweeks, defeating LMU at home and topping CSUN on the road. UCLA has outscored its opponents 9-3 in midweeks, shutting out LMU 5-0 and edging CSUN 4-3. The Bruins are staying local for their entire midweek slate in 2019, as their furthest opponent is UC Irvine (52 miles).
Wearing It
Bruin batters have been wearing it this season, accruing 19 HBPs to this point of the season, an average of 1.4 per game. ย UCLA has had a batter hit by a pitch in three straight and eight out of the last nine games.
Leading Off Right
UCLA leadoff hitters have done an exceptional job at getting on base, as the Bruins have a team .413 OBP in leadoff at-bats. Ryan Kreidler (.600 OBP in 15 plate appearances), Garrett Mitchell (.750 OBP in eight plate appearances), Will McInerny (.800 OBP in five plate appearances), and Chase Strumpf (.600 OBP in 10 plate appearance) have been especially solid when leading off an inning.ย
Bruins Picked to Win Pac-12 in Preseason Coaches Poll
In a vote of all 11 Pac-12 coaches, the Bruins were picked as the favorites to win the league in 2019. UCLA received eight of 11 first place votes and a league-high 97 points. 2015 was the last time that UCLA was picked to finish first in the Preseason Coaches Poll, which was also the last time that UCLA won the league. Stanford (two first place votes, 90 points) and Oregon St. (one first place vote, 85 points) also received first place votes. They were followed in succession by Arizona (67), Washington (60), Arizona State (59), Oregon (49), California (37), USC (32), Washington State (15), and Utah (14).ย
Strumpf Named a Unanimous First Team Preseason All-American
UCLA junior Chase Strumpf was the First Team second baseman on every Preseason All-America team released this offseason, as he was honored by Baseball America, D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game. He was one of just four players nationwide to gain consensus First Team status, joining catcher Adley Rutschman (Oregon State), first baseman Andrew Vaughn (Cal), and third baseman Josh Jung (Texas Tech). Strumpf slashed .363/.475/.633 last year with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs en route to All-America and Dick Howser Award semifinalist honors.ย
Toglia, Ydens Also Pick Up All-American Acclaim
Strumpf wasn't the only Bruin to get preseason publicity, as both Michael Toglia and Jeremy Ydens were named Preseason All-Americans. Toglia was a Second Teamer in D1Baseball and a Third Team choice in Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, while Ydens was a Second Team outfielder per Collegiate Baseball. Toglia (.336 average, 11 home runs) and Ydens (.350 average, 28 extra-base hits) were key middle-of-the-order bats for the Bruins last year.
Fabulous Freshmen
UCLA's newest class of newcomers was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country (D1Baseball). The Bruins' new class was the highest-ranked in the Pac-12 and in the western half of the country. UCLA has turned in a top-25 recruiting class for five consecutive seasons, while the Bruins' No. 4 ranking is the highest for the program since 2015. A trio of frosh players were selected to D1Baseball's Top-100 Impact Freshmen List, including list-topper Matt McLain, catcher Noah Cardenas (No. 81), and right-handed pitcher Sean Mullen (No. 89).ย
McLain Chooses UCLA
The Bruins' freshman class is highlighted by Tustin, Calif. native Matt McLain, who opted to attend UCLA after being drafted in the first round (25th overall) of the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. McLain is the second first-round draft pick out of high school to attend UCLA, following in the foosteps of Gerrit Cole (2008). Other high draft choices to turn down MLB overtures include Troy Glaus (37th overall, 1994) and Chase Utley (76th overall, 1997).ย
UCLA In The Positional Power Rankings
UCLA was well-represented in the D1Baseball.com positional power rankings, published just before the start of the season.ย
Chase Strumpf was the Bruins' top player, taking the No. 1 spot at second base. The Bruins' other starting infielders all made it as well: Michael Toglia was the No. 3 first baseman, Kevin Kendall was the No. 21 shortstop, and Ryan Kreidler was No. 29 at third base. All three of the Bruins' starting outfielders made the power rankings too: Jeremy Ydens (No. 15), Matt McLain (No. 37), and Garrett Mitchell (No. 62). A pair of Bruin starting pitchers were recognized (Ryan Garcia, No. 20 and Zach Pettway, No. 100) while Holden Powell (No. 35) made the relievers list.ย
Dynamic Duo Named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List
UCLA's Chase Strumpf and Michael Toglia were both named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List prior to the new season. In 2018, Strumpf and Toglia were the most prolific Bruin teammates of the last 20 years. The right-side of the UCLA infield became the first Bruin duo since 2007 to hit double-digit home runs in the same season when Cody Decker (14) and Gabe Cohen (10) accomplished the feat. Strumpf and Toglia are just the fourth and fifth Bruins since 2001 with 50-plus RBIs and 10-plus home runs in the same season. The pair also became the first UCLA teammates since 2008 to each drive in over 50 runs in the same season (Casey Haerther, 52 and Brandon Crawford, 51).
Powell Named to Stopper of the Year Watch List
UCLA sophomore righty Holden Powell was named to the 75-man Stopper of the Year Watch List by the NCBWA. First awarded in 2005, the Stopper of the Year is handed out to college baseball's top reliever annually. Former Bruin closer David Berg is the lone pitcher ever to win the award multiple times.ย
Big League Bruins
Baseball America recently dubbed UCLA as the No. 3 producer of Major League talent in an analysis of alumni production since 1999. Anchored by star pitching performances from the likes of Cole and Trevor Bauer alongside All-Star careers from position players Troy Glaus, Chase Utley, and Brandon Crawford, UCLA alums have produced 139 WAR (wins above replacement) since 1999, third-most of any college baseball program in the country.ย
Draft Stock
Bruin players were all over the prospect rankings for both Baseball America (all prospects) and D1Baseball (Division I prospects only). Ranked players include Michael Toglia (D1: 22, BA: 44), Chase Strumpf (D1: 23, BA: 79), Ryan Garcia (D1: 53), Jeremy Ydens (D1: 103), Ryan Kreidler (D1: 178, BA: 190), and Justin Hooper (D1: 255). UCLA commits Corbin Carroll (No. 7), Emanuel Dean (No. 71), and Darius Perry (No. 122) were all included in Baseball America's prospect rankings.
Berg Returns to UCLA
David Berg, arguably the top reliever in college baseball history, returned to UCLA this season as an undergrad assistant coach. He is the NCAA record-holder in career appearances (175) and single seasons saves (23), and holds UCLA career marks in saves (49) and ERA (1.11). He was a two-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and NCBWA Stopper of the Year. Berg logged a 4.63 career ERA over three minor league seasons.ย
Bruins Win the Cape Cod League
Last summer, a quartet of UCLA players โ staff ace Ryan Garcia, center fielder Jeremy Ydens, shortstop Ryan Kreidler, and reliever Jack Ralston โ made up the backbone of the Wareham Gatemen, who eventually went on to win the Cape Cod League Championship. Ydens (.304/.347/.432) and Garcia (2-0, 1.28 ERA) both put up gaudy stat lines en route to All-Cape Cod League honors.
High Expectations For UCLA in Preseason Rankings
UCLA appeared in every national preseason poll this winter, coming in as high as No. 3 (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball). Elsewhere, the Bruins were ranked No. 4 (NCBWA, Perfect Game), No. 5 (D1Baseball), and No. 7 (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll). UCLA is the highest-ranked Pac-12 team in four of six polls, and has the highest aggregate ranking of any league team.ย
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