Where did it all go wrong?
What once was a program of immense potential has in reality become one of mediocrity. The Bruin baseball team, while never one of UCLA’s top athletic programs, seemed destined for College World Series appearances and on the way to establishing itself as a top baseball school.
Now, heading into the regular season’s final weekend, the Bruins need to sweep No. 3 Arizona State in Tempe to even be considered for an NCAA Regional berth.
Where did it all go wrong?
In the span of two seasons, the Bruins have risen and fallen dramatically. They’ve taken a giant step forward from where they were, only to be knocked over, put into a barrel and rolled back down a hill.
Regression rather than progression. Simply put, the Bruins have failed to live up to expectations, have failed to realize the immense potential of their players.
When I started covering the Bruin baseball team two years ago, the Bruins were on the upswing after a miserable 15-41 in John Savage’s first year as coach.
Then the Bruins recruited players ““ Brandon Crawford, Jermaine Curtis, Ryan Babineau, Tim Murphy ““ who gave a face to the program and created the most excitement surrounding Bruin baseball since it made its last College World Series appearance in 1997.
In Savage’s second year, the Bruins earned an NCAA Regional berth and finished the season with a 33-25 overall record, sparking a sense of enthusiasm around the program.
Then came 2007, the year in which the high expectations for what the Bruins could achieve under Savage were built. The Bruins earned a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Regionals and advanced, unlike the previous year.
That the Bruins defeated a prominent program in Long Beach State at the Dirtbags’ home field to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals was a major accomplishment. Here was a Bruin team that two years ago had won just 15 games, and now they defeated Long Beach State to face Cal State Fullerton ““ a baseball powerhouse ““ in the Super Regionals.
The defining moment of the season and the potential the Bruins had was actually illustrated in a loss. In an elimination game, Savage went to then-freshman pitcher Gavin Brooks to prolong the Bruins’ season. The performance that he gave was nothing short of tremendous. With the season on the line on the road in front of a hostile crowd, Brooks was unfazed by the moment, pitching a complete game and allowing just two runs off seven hits while striking out 12. The problem for the Bruins was on offense, stranding 10 runners on base and scoring just one run in a 2-1 loss.
Despite the outcome, there was a palpable sense of optimism from the Bruins at the media table. Brooks showed he could be a dominant starting pitcher in college, the Bruins were returning the core of their team, and they had given Fullerton a run for its money.
It was hard not to picture this team playing in Omaha in early June at the College World Series. It seemed destined to happen.
And Baseball America agreed, tabbing the Bruins as the No. 1 team in the nation entering the 2008 season. Yet throughout the entire year, the Bruins struggled, never resembling a team worthy of a No. 1 ranking. Going into the final weekend of the regular season, it was unknown whether the Bruins were going to receive a bid. They did, and their season ended in the same place as the year before ““ Fullerton ““ only a round earlier.
The question that stays with me until this day is how that 2008 team failed to make it to the College World Series, much less the Super Regionals?
That team ““ with Crawford, Babineau and Curtis as juniors, a senior in Alden Carrithers, power-hitting Casey Haerther, and a fantastic starting pitcher in Murphy ““ was the best team Savage has ever had. They were one game away from the Super Regionals and had two chances to do so and came up short both times. In the final game, the tying run was 90 feet away when the last out was recorded.
I’ve already written extensively about how much of a disappointment this season has been. Yet another high preseason ranking has been revealed to be more perception than reality.
The chances of the Bruins making it into the NCAA Regionals is close to nonexistant. It would take a miracle for the Bruins to get in, much less sweep the Sun Devils on the road.
Savage said last week that he believes the Bruins have the resume to warrant being one of the 64 teams in the tournament. It’s true that the Bruins have the toughest schedule in the nation, but just because you have the toughest schedule doesn’t mean you can have a mediocre season and expect to be handed a berth just for trying.
True, there have been some close games, games that the Bruins could have won. Last Tuesday’s one-run loss in 10 innings to No. 1 UC Irvine on the road is an example.
But the fact that the Bruins could not pull out a win is something that has characterized this team all season. They have not shown the ability to win close games on a consistent basis, something that great teams do.
The Bruins have talent. Look no further than Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, two pitchers who will anchor a great weekend pitching staff for the next two years.
But the overwhelming fact is that the Bruin baseball team peaked, could not achieve anything substantial and now has declined. Just look at the finishes: no playoffs, Regionals, Super Regionals, Regionals, no playoffs (most likely).
Playing hard is wonderful, but if it doesn’t get you anywhere or help you improve, then what’s the use?
So again I ask, where did it all go wrong?
If you know where it all went wrong, e-mail Howard at ahoward@media.ucla.edu.