But the Bruins also drew the praise of people outside of the sporting community.
On Aug. 12, several members of the UCLA baseball team traveled to Sacramento to be honored by the California Senate and Assembly.
Closer David Berg and catcher Shane Zeile, both rising juniors, rising senior infielder Pat Gallagher and pitcher Adam Plutko, drafted by the Cleveland Indians, were joined by coach John Savage and director of operations Seth Moir as the group was honored with separate ceremonies by both governmental houses.
Following the presentations, the Bruins signed autographs for fans at the reception and were given a tour of the state capitol and the governor’s office.
UCLA earned the honor after defeating Mississippi State in the championship series of the College World Series on June 25. The Bruins swept their way through the playoffs, going undefeated in their 10 games and allowing just 14 runs over that stretch. UCLA’s 0.80 earned run average in the CWS was the lowest in the aluminum bat era.
The Bruins’ record-setting pitching was led by strong performances from Berg, who won the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and the National College Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year awards, and Plutko, who set the UCLA record for playoff wins with seven and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS.
The national title also helped earn Savage a contract extension through 2025.
UCLA was the first California school to win an NCAA championship in baseball since Fresno State won in 2008. The Bulldogs, who were the lowest seeded team to win, were honored slightly differently, as the national Senate and the House of Representatives both passed resolutions commemorating their victory.
In addition to the state senate and the ESPYs, the Bruins have also been honored with an appearance on SportsCenter, a ceremony held by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium and an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.