University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Baseball to Send 23 Players to Various Summer Leagues
The UCLA baseball program will send 23 players this summer to play in some of the most competitive summer leagues around the country.
James Kaprielian headlines the group of players as he will compete for the U.S. Collegiate National Team this summer. Kaprielian is the eighth UCLA selection to the Collegiate National Team in the last six years and the ninth selection under head coach John Savage. This past season, Kaprielian served as UCLA's Friday starter, posting a 2.29 ERA and a Pac-12 leading 108 strikeouts for the Bruins.
UCLA will send four ballplayers to the prestigious Cape Cod League this summer as well. Outfielders Brett Stephens and Ty Moore will compete for the Orleans Firebirds and Chatham Anglers respectively. Stephens played in 39 games for the Bruins in his first season in Westwood while Moore started all 56 games, batting .294 with 24 RBI. Junior catcher/infielder Justin Hazard will play for the Brewster Whitecaps while junior right-hander Cody Poteet will pitch for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.
10 Bruins will play in the West Coast Collegiate League (WCCL). Sophomore pitcher Nick Kern and incoming freshman Matt Trask will pitch for the Yakima Valley Pippins while incoming freshmen Griffin Canning, Nathan Hadley and Nick Valaika will compete for the Wenatchee AppleSox. Three other incoming freshmen, infielder Sean Bouchard, left-hander Garrett Barker and right-hander Matt Walker, will head to Walla Walla, Wash. to play for the Walla Walla Sweets. Finally, sophomore outfielder Kort Peterson will compete for the Cowlitz Black Bears while sophomore right-hander Moises Ceja will play for the Bellingham Bells.
Like last season, five UCLA ballplayers will take part in the Northwoods League. Junior infielders Brett Urabe and Trent Chatterton will compete for the Duluth Huskies while outfielder Luke Persico and right-hander Scott Burke will play for the La Crosse Loggers. Sophomore right-hander Chase Radan will pitch for the Lakeshore Chinooks.
Finally, the Bruins will send three players to the California League. Sophomore right-hander Tucker Forbes and freshman Andrew Schmidt will play for the San Luis Obispo Blues and incoming freshman Zander Clarke will compete for the Conejo Oaks.
UCLA in 2014 Summer Baseball Leagues