For the UCLA baseball team, the last two seasons have concluded the same way: with a bus drive back from nearby Fullerton after postseason elimination.
Now with an additional year of postseason experience, the No. 12 Bruins take the field Friday in the 2009 season opener looking to take the next step.
After three consecutive postseason berths ““ a first in the program’s 88-year history ““ that next step is a trip to Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., the home of the College World Series.
But unlike last season, when Baseball America tabbed UCLA as the No. 1 team during the preseason, various questions surround UCLA this spring.
First, the Bruins must find a way to replace a trio of starting infielders ““ former shortstop Brandon Crawford, third baseman Jermaine Curtis, and second baseman Alden Carrithers ““ who were selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft last June.
Next, the Bruins need a replacement for steady catcher Ryan Babineau, a three-year starter behind the plate who also left the program after being drafted.
If that wasn’t enough, fifth-year coach John Savage must settle on a new staff ace after losing left-hander Tim Murphy, UCLA’s highest selection in last year’s draft.
“There are some pieces to be filled,” Savage said. “That entire class was special and they made a major footprint on this program. That group of players should be proud of what they left.”
Though Savage faces several uncertainties, the team returns a wealth of pitching and internal solutions for each problem.
Savage has battle-tested juniors Gavin Brooks and Charles Brewer, a pair of pitchers that rounded out the weekend rotation last season, at his disposal to replace the passionate Murphy. Brooks, a left-hander who had a breakout freshman campaign, posted a 6-3 record in 14 starts as a sophomore last season. Brewer, a right-hander who missed most of his freshman season due to illness, led the team with nine wins in his second season last year.
“The pitching is going to get us where we want to go,” Brewer said. “Every great team has a good pitching staff and that’s what gets you to Omaha.”
In addition to Brooks and Brewer, UCLA returns 11 pitchers from last season’s staff, including senior relievers Brendan Lafferty and Jason Novak.
The pitching staff also welcomes right-hander Gerrit Cole, a first-round draft choice in last year’s draft who spurned the New York Yankees to attend UCLA. Fellow right-hander Trevor Bauer, who enrolled at UCLA last month after having graduated early from high school, joins Cole. Both pitchers have the ability to contribute right away.
“Those two freshmen are special,” Savage said. “Their contributions are going to be huge. Both those guys are as talented freshmen as I’ve been around.”
Savage plans to utilize Cole as the Saturday starter and Bauer as the closer to start the season.
“Cole and Bauer bring talent,” Brewer said. “They’re both young guys that are eager to learn. Gerrit has great enthusiasm for pitching and great enthusiasm for winning.”
Both freshmen pitchers arrive in Westwood with extensive resumes. Cole, who becomes the first high school player drafted in the first round to ever attend UCLA, posted a minuscule 0.46 ERA at Orange Lutheran High School last season. Bauer was equally impressive, registering a 0.79 ERA and a 12-0 record as a junior at Hart High School last year.
“They have good heads on their shoulders and have good work ethic,” Savage said. “We have to be patient with them. We can’t ask the world out of them right away. The college baseball world will see how talented those guys are.”
But as deep as the pitching staff is, UCLA must find a compatible battery-mate. Savage feels that freshman catcher Steve Rodriguez, a four-year letterwinner at St. John Bosco High School, is ready to take over the catching duties.
While relying on a freshman backstop to handle an experienced pitching staff might pose more issues, it is nothing new to the Bruins. After all, Babineau was the starting catcher when he set foot on campus in 2006.
At the plate, UCLA must replace the production of mainstays Crawford, Curtis, and Carrithers ““ who were all solid contributors atop the lineup over the last few seasons. Though the infield trio is gone, fellow infielder Casey Haerther, perhaps UCLA’s most explosive offensive player last season, returns.
“We expect Haerther to have an even better year,” Savage said. “He’s stronger and seems to be 100 percent healthy. The guy can flat out hit.”
So far this season Haerther has experimented with a transition to third base in order to make up for the losses to the Bruins’ left side of the infield.
“The switch has been a lot easier than I thought it’d be,” Haerther said. “It’s a different feel and a different look, but if it’s going to benefit the team I’m willing to do it.”
Haerther, who led the Bruins with 12 home runs and 52 runs batted in last season, is expected to split time at first base with Alex Weber-Shapiro, a left-handed hitting junior transfer who hit .464 at Claremont McKenna last year. Although Haerther’s position on the infield may vary from game to game, his spot in the middle of the lineup is expected to remain the same.
Sophomore Niko Gallego, who played both shortstop and second base at times last season, should be able step into an everyday role at either position. According to Savage, Gallego has “made tremendous strides.”
Newcomers Tyler Rahmatulla, a shortstop out of Mater Dei, and Chris Amezquita, a third baseman from Servite, will also be relied upon to provide infield depth.
“All the guys are helping me with the transition,” Rahmatulla said of adjusting to the college game.
Unlike the infield, the outfield returns a number of players from last season. Junior Gabe Cohen, who hit .345 and 10 home runs as a freshman before struggling all of last season, is tabbed as the starting right fielder. Redshirt junior Blair Dunlap started 29 games in center field last season and is expected to play there again this season. Junior Justin Uribe suffered an elbow injury last year but should compete for playing time in the outfield.
“We’re optimistic about this season,” Haerther said. “The offense is going to have growing pains, but by the middle of the year, I think we’ll be in tune with each other. We’ll be a more dynamic offense, with more bunting and skills.”
The implementation of a new offensive philosophy is a result of the addition of two new coaches ““ Rick Vanderhook and Steve Pearse. Vanderhook, who coached at Cal State Fullerton for 21 seasons, will serve as the hitting and outfield coach. Pearse has 20 years of collegiate baseball experience and will assist the Bruins’ infield and base running.
“The new coaching staff has brought in a different mentality, which has really embedded on the younger guys and the older guys too,” Haerther said.
Despite losing a talented group of offensive players, Brewer doesn’t believe the pitching staff has any additional pressure to carry the load.
“In our scrimmages during practice our offense was better than what I’ve seen in the three years I’ve been here,” Brewer said. “We’ve got some experienced guys and we added coach Vanderhook, who is one of the most unbelievable hitting coaches I’ve ever seen. The offense is definitely putting together a big arsenal at the plate.”
Haerther credits the two coaches for bettering the team’s unity.
“We’re closer as a team this year,” Haerther said. “I think that’s going to benefit us because we’re on the road a lot the first two months and a half.”
According to Boyd’s World, UCLA is slated to face the toughest schedule in the nation. With road trips to Oklahoma, East Carolina, and the Houston College Classic tournament on the preseason schedule, the Bruins will have to play well in the early going.
“That’s how this program got to where it was three years ago,” Savage said. “We have a blueprint of playing a legitimate schedule and having it pay off. It’s baseball, where you can go play a top-10 program and win two games. It’s a major deal when it comes to seeding and hosting.
“We want to play the best schedule, but ultimately, you’ve got to win that schedule ““ you can’t just play it.”
Though some questions persist and a tough schedule looms, Savage is excited for the season to kick off.
“We like what we see,” Savage said. “No one knows what you have until you go out and play other people, but in the long haul, this is going to be a good team.”