The fall has served as a transition period for the UCLA baseball team.
The Bruins have various holes to fill after losing five starters from a team that managed to reach a third consecutive postseason last June.
But of the five departing players, only third-round draft pick Tim Murphy pitched. This means coach John Savage has a full staff of experienced hurlers to choose from next season.
“We really like our pitching,” Savage said. “It’s as deep as it’s been since I’ve been at UCLA.”
Aside from having to replace a handful of proven players, two experienced coaches ““ Steve Pearse and Rick Vanderhook ““ were hired following the season in hopes of helping the program take the next step toward a trip to Omaha, Neb.
Even after just three months, it’s clear what Pearse and Vanderhook bring to the Bruins.
“Attention to detail,” Savage said. “We feel fortunate to have these players responding (to them) ““ they know the game of baseball.”
“Pearse and Vanderhook bring a hard-nosed style,” junior pitcher Gavin Brooks said. “The new coaches have implemented new ideas, and we are working hard on adjusting.”
A deep pitching staff got even better once freshman right-hander Gerrit Cole, the 28th overall pick in the draft last June, decided to attend UCLA instead of signing with the New York Yankees. Cole becomes the first high-school player to ever attend UCLA after being drafted in the opening round and is also the highest 2008 selection to enroll in college this season.
“He’s got a huge arm with good command,” Savage said. “I really like his competitiveness. He has been a good teammate and has really been more than we thought he was.”
Besides Cole, there are seven other newcomers that will look to make an impact in the spring. With the season just more than two months away, competition is beginning to pick up for spots that have yet to be determined.
“There are various battles and a lot of competition from position to position,” Brooks said.
Though there are new coaches and a new batch of players, Brooks believes things will still boil down to the basics.
“Fall is fall,” he said. “We’re working on getting better. We know what we need to do. We’ve been there, seen it all.”
The Bruins will host former players in the annual Alumni Game on Feb. 7 at Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The season officially begins two weeks later when UCLA hosts a three-game set against UC Davis.
BRUINS SIGN NINE: Last month, Savage announced that nine high-school seniors had signed national letters of intent to play and enroll at UCLA in the fall of 2009. Savage compared his latest recruiting class to the first he signed when he arrived in Westwood five years ago.
Those are rave reviews, seeing as that class featured former standout players Murphy, Brandon Crawford, Jermaine Curtis and Ryan Babineau ““ who were all drafted last June.
“This fifth recruiting class is real talented,” Savage said. “We got a premier catcher in Max Stassi, who has been one of the top players in the state for quite some time. David Nick is one of the best infielders in the country. We also got a few left-handed batters, which we need.”
Despite recently assembling some of the top classes in the country, several players have been high draft picks and signed professional contracts before ever setting foot in Westwood. The trend continued this past summer, when Savage lost three incoming freshmen to the professional ranks. In 2007, Savage lost signee Jason Heyward, who was the 14th overall pick in that year’s draft. Just last week, MLB.com tabbed Heyward, a left-handed hitting outfielder now in the Atlanta Braves’ organization, as the third-best prospect in all of Major League Baseball.
Ultimately, Savage believes that Cole’s decision to wait on professional baseball benefits recruiting efforts. While the coaching staff pursues top talent, there are other qualities that they have to keep in mind.
“We’ve got to get the right guys that value a UCLA education,” Savage said.
WALLACE WATCH LIST: Juniors Charles Brewer and Casey Haerther have been named to the 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List. Each year, the Wallace Award is given to the top collegiate baseball player.
Haerther, who has been experimenting at third base this fall after starting 56 games at first base last year, led the team with 12 home runs and 52 runs batted in.
Brewer, a right-hander who will vie to be the staff ace this season, posted a 9-4 overall record last year and finished in a four-way tie for the conference lead in wins with five.