University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Baseball Announces Three Incoming Players for 2012
June 9, 2011
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LOS ANGELES - UCLA baseball head coach John Savage has announced that a trio of California high school seniors - Jacob Ehret, Justin Hazard and Grant Watson - will enroll at UCLA for the fall 2011 quarter and join the baseball program for the 2012 season.
Ehret, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander from San Dimas High School (San Dimas, Calif.), was selected in the 37th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins on Wednesday. Hazard was a three-time All-Pacific Coast League catcher at Beckman High School (Tustin, Calif.). Watson, a 6-foot, 170-pound left-hander, excelled the last three seasons at Centennial High School (Bakersfield, Calif.).
A two-year varsity letterwinner at San Dimas High School, Ehret went 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA and one save as a senior in 2011. He logged 53 strikeouts and 12 walks in 56.2 innings.
"Jacob is a projection guy who has really good stuff and will be able to pitch right away in our program," Savage said. "He has tremendous upside in regards to his abilities."
Hazard, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound catcher from Beckman High School (Tustin, Calif.), was a three-time first-team All-Pacific Coast League selection. As a senior in 2011, he helped lead Beckman High School to the CIF Southern Section Division III title with a 4-1 victory over Pacific Coast League rival Woodbridge.
Serving primarily as a catcher at Beckman High School, Hazard was invited to play in the 2011 Orange County All-Star High School Seniors game, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim, earlier this week. He finished his senior season batting .402 with one home run, 15 doubles, 23 RBI and 33 hits. As a junior in 2010, Hazard batted .404 with seven homers, 13 doubles, 39 RBI and 21 runs.
"Justin has had a remarkable career at Beckman High School," Savage said. "He is an offensive player who can catch. He capped off an outstanding senior year by winning the CIF championship at Dodger Stadium."
Watson went 9-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 13 appearances as a senior at Centennial High School in 2011. He struck out 74 batters and walked 18 in 62.1 innings and notched two saves, helping lead Centennial to Valley Section championship game with a 23-5 record. He earned team most valuable player honors and was named a first-team all-area selection.
"Grant is a pitcher who has been very competitive over his career at Centennial High School," Savage said. "He is as left-handed strike thrower who will be an immediate help to our pitching staff."
As a junior in 2010, Watson went 7-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 15 appearances. That season, he registered 77 strikeouts and 32 walks in 63.2 innings. As a sophomore in 2009, Watson went 4-2 with two saves in 13 games, logging a 2.88 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 21 walks in 48.2 innings. He secured all-league Rookie of the Year acclaim on the varsity squad as a sophomore.
UCLA's Updated 2011 Recruiting Class
| Name | Pos. | B/T | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jacob Ehret | RHP | R/R | 6-3 | 190 | San Dimas, Calif. | San Dimas HS |
| Justin Hazard | INF/C | L/R | 6-2 | 175 | Tustin, Calif. | Beckman HS |
| Tyler Goeddel | INF/OF | R/R | 6-4 | 175 | Hillsborough, Calif. | St. Francis HS |
| Austin Hedges | C | R/R | 6-1 | 185 | San Juan Capistrano, Calif. | JSerra HS |
| Chris Keck | INF | L/R | 6-2 | 175 | Pleasanton, Calif. | Amador Valley HS |
| Michael Kerman | RHP | R/R | 6-4 | 210 | Beverly Hills, Calif. | Long Beach City College |
| Kevin Kramer | INF | L/R | 6-0 | 195 | Turlock, Calif. | Turlock HS |
| Zack Ortiz | RHP | R/R | 6-0 | 215 | Garden Grove, Calif. | Cypress HS |
| Joe Ross | RHP | R/R | 6-2 | 180 | Oakland, Calif. | Bishop O'Dowd HS |
| Eric Snyder | OF | L/R | 6-0 | 170 | Huntington Beach, Calif. | Edison HS |
| Grant Watson | LHP | L/L | 6-0 | 170 | Bakersfield, Calif. | Centennial HS |
| Shane Zeile | INF | R/R | 6-1 | 170 | Valencia, Calif. | Valencia HS |