Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer Named To USA National Team

Right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole, who each just finished their freshman seasons with the Bruins, were two of 22 players named to the USA National Team following 10 days of trials at the US National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The two of them give UCLA their first USA National Team player since SS Brandon Crawford in 2006 and makes the Bruins one of just five teams to have multiple players on this year's team, joining Cal St. Fullerton, Tulane, LSU and Florida St.

To say these two freshmen are dynamite is an understatement and they showed their talent during the season and at the trials.

Bauer allowed one hit in 6.0 scoreless innings, collecting seven strikeouts and one walk. Cole registered eight strikeouts in a 4.2-inning start, allowing two runs and three hits.

Bauer and Cole were among three freshmen to earn All-Pac-10 team honors in 2009. Additionally, Bauer secured Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors and Collegiate Baseball's National Freshman Pitcher of the Year accolades. The right-hander from Valencia, Calif., went 9-3 with a team-low 2.99 ERA, logging 92 strikeouts, 27 walks and a .225 opponent batting average in a team-leading 105.1 innings. He ranked in the top-10 among Pac-10 pitchers in innings (third), wins (tied, fourth), ERA (seventh), strikeouts (eighth), and opponent batting average (ninth).

Cole pitched in UCLA's starting rotation each weekend of his freshman campaign. The right-hander from Santa Ana, Calif., went 4-8 with a 3.49 ERA. Cole totaled a team-leading 104 strikeouts and issued 38 walks in 85.0 innings. He registered a Pac-10-best .191 opponent batting average, finishing the season ranked in the top-10 among Pac-10 pitchers in strikeouts (fourth) and innings (ninth).

Best of luck to the two this summer as they don the red, white and blue.