Baseball
Berg, David
David Berg
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
David Berg, who put together arguably the best collegiate career by a relief pitcher in NCAA history while attending UCLA from 2012-15, is in his sixth season on the UCLA staff after being promoted to assistant coach in August 2023. He returned to Westwood before the 2019 season as an undergrad assistant coach, was the team's Director of Baseball Operations for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and served as a volunteer assistant coach from 2022-23.
UCLA has regularly turned in nationally-ranked recruiting classes during Berg's tenure.ย Most recently, the Bruins produced the No. 1 recruiting class in the country twice in a three-year span (the freshman groups for the 2022 and 2024 seasons).
The Bruins put together another winning season in 2023, going 28-24-1. UCLA finished the season with strong national ranks in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.9, ninth), walks allowed per nine innings (3.3, 12th), and ERA (4.50, 33rd). Senior right-hander Kelly Austin (3.39 ERA) led UCLA's pitching staff en route to All-America honors, while right-handed relievers Cody Delvecchio and Charles Harrison both earned All-Pac-12 honorable mentions.ย
The 2022 season, Berg's first as a volunteer assistant coach, saw the Bruins go 40-24 and earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.ย Despite myriad injuries to the staff, the Bruins were again among the top-pitching squads in the country, finishing the year ranked inside the top-15 nationally in ERA (3.99, 15th), WHIP (1.25, sixth), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.00, 10th). Berg helped produce a pair of Freshman All-American pitchers in Alonzo Tredwell (2.11 ERA, 62-6 K-BB ratio) and Ethan Flanagan (3-0, 3.28 ERA) while sophomore righty Max Rajcic (8-5, 3.28 ERA, 92 strikeouts) emerged as one of the top pitchers in the Pac-12.
In 2019, his first season on staff with the Bruins, UCLA led the country in ERA at 2.60. No other team in the NCAA finished under 3.00 and only one squad was within a half-run of the Bruins. UCLA would go on to set a program record in wins at 52-11, spend 12 consecutive weeks atop the national rankings, claim the Pac-12 title, and earn the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Under his tutelage, sophomore closer Holden Powell recorded 17 saves and a 1.84 ERA en route to NCBWA Stopper of the Year and consensus All-America honors. As a unit, the UCLA bullpen logged a miniscule 2.12 ERA, going without allowing an earned run in 33 of the team's 63 games.ย ย
Berg finished his four-year college career as the NCAA record-holder in career appearances (175) and single-season saves (24, 2013). He holds UCLA school records in career appearances, saves (49), and ERA (1.11). He has four of the top-10 single-season ERAs in school history, including the No. 1 mark of 0.68 set in 2015. The right-hander was twice named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and NCBWA Stopper of the Year (2013, 2015), and he is the only Bruin ever to be named All-Pac-12 four times. He was the first reliever ever to earn Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors and remains the only pitcher to win Stopper of the Year more than once.
The Covina, Calif. native was the closer on the 2013 National Championship team, appearing in all 10 of UCLA's postseason games, recording six saves and crafting a 1.93 ERA. He was on the mound for the final out of the NCAA Championship Game, finishing off a 3-1 putout to clinch the title against Mississippi State on Jun. 25, 2013. In addition, he combined with James Kaprielian to throw the first no-hitter in UCLA history on May, 15, 2015.
A sixth round selection by the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 MLB Draft, Berg recorded a 4.63 career ERA in three minor league seasons. He posted a 1.40 ERA over 18 appearances in his first professional season. He reached Triple-A during the 2017 season, recording a 0.90 ERA over seven games for the Iowa Cubs.
UCLA has regularly turned in nationally-ranked recruiting classes during Berg's tenure.ย Most recently, the Bruins produced the No. 1 recruiting class in the country twice in a three-year span (the freshman groups for the 2022 and 2024 seasons).
The Bruins put together another winning season in 2023, going 28-24-1. UCLA finished the season with strong national ranks in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.9, ninth), walks allowed per nine innings (3.3, 12th), and ERA (4.50, 33rd). Senior right-hander Kelly Austin (3.39 ERA) led UCLA's pitching staff en route to All-America honors, while right-handed relievers Cody Delvecchio and Charles Harrison both earned All-Pac-12 honorable mentions.ย
The 2022 season, Berg's first as a volunteer assistant coach, saw the Bruins go 40-24 and earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.ย Despite myriad injuries to the staff, the Bruins were again among the top-pitching squads in the country, finishing the year ranked inside the top-15 nationally in ERA (3.99, 15th), WHIP (1.25, sixth), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.00, 10th). Berg helped produce a pair of Freshman All-American pitchers in Alonzo Tredwell (2.11 ERA, 62-6 K-BB ratio) and Ethan Flanagan (3-0, 3.28 ERA) while sophomore righty Max Rajcic (8-5, 3.28 ERA, 92 strikeouts) emerged as one of the top pitchers in the Pac-12.
In 2019, his first season on staff with the Bruins, UCLA led the country in ERA at 2.60. No other team in the NCAA finished under 3.00 and only one squad was within a half-run of the Bruins. UCLA would go on to set a program record in wins at 52-11, spend 12 consecutive weeks atop the national rankings, claim the Pac-12 title, and earn the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Under his tutelage, sophomore closer Holden Powell recorded 17 saves and a 1.84 ERA en route to NCBWA Stopper of the Year and consensus All-America honors. As a unit, the UCLA bullpen logged a miniscule 2.12 ERA, going without allowing an earned run in 33 of the team's 63 games.ย ย
Berg finished his four-year college career as the NCAA record-holder in career appearances (175) and single-season saves (24, 2013). He holds UCLA school records in career appearances, saves (49), and ERA (1.11). He has four of the top-10 single-season ERAs in school history, including the No. 1 mark of 0.68 set in 2015. The right-hander was twice named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and NCBWA Stopper of the Year (2013, 2015), and he is the only Bruin ever to be named All-Pac-12 four times. He was the first reliever ever to earn Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors and remains the only pitcher to win Stopper of the Year more than once.
The Covina, Calif. native was the closer on the 2013 National Championship team, appearing in all 10 of UCLA's postseason games, recording six saves and crafting a 1.93 ERA. He was on the mound for the final out of the NCAA Championship Game, finishing off a 3-1 putout to clinch the title against Mississippi State on Jun. 25, 2013. In addition, he combined with James Kaprielian to throw the first no-hitter in UCLA history on May, 15, 2015.
A sixth round selection by the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 MLB Draft, Berg recorded a 4.63 career ERA in three minor league seasons. He posted a 1.40 ERA over 18 appearances in his first professional season. He reached Triple-A during the 2017 season, recording a 0.90 ERA over seven games for the Iowa Cubs.
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