More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Bruin alum Chase Utley watching the trajectory of his two-run home run jack during Phillies' 7-5 victory in a baseball game in Denver (AP Photo/David Zalubowski from April, 2009)

Browse more photos »

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

The UCLA baseball team has run into some hard times recently, not making the 2009 postseason, but they're still turning out Major League talent. Just this week, seven UCLA juniors and seniors were drafted, one year after five Bruins were drafted. Along these same lines, The Wall Street Journal took at look at the 1996-2008 MLB Drafts and ranked each school that had produced at least four MLB players in that time frame by runs above replacement.

California schools make up four of the top five -- USC, No. 2 Cal State Fullerton, No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Pepperdine, with Miami in between. But more than anything, the analysis shows how difficult it is for even top colleges to produce top-flight major-league players. Mr. Pujols has single-handedly been more valuable statistically than the offensive alumni of every college during the past dozen years, save Miami and UCLA.

Currently, there are seven Bruins playing in the majors: Chase Utley, Troy Glaus, Casey Janssen, Garrett Atkins, Eric Byrnes, Ben Francisco and David Huff. Utley is leading NL second basemen in All-Star voting by a wide margin and looks poised to become the NL's starter at the position for the fourth consecutive season. Francisco, Byrnes, Atkins and Janssen are all healthy now and starting for their respectie clubs, while Huff, who was a Bruin as recently as 2006, earned his first two major league wins in his last two starts.

There's not shortage of talent in the Southern California region and the Bruins are getting their share of that talent. Hopefully in the coming years that talent can turn into yearly postseason appearances and wins in those postseasons. In the mean time, as we wait for the 2010 season to come around, we can keep tabs on our Bruins in the amateur summer leagues, the minor leagues and as the WSJ makes clear, the major leagues.

LHP Matt Grace will play for Cotuit in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, the nation's premier summer league, via the official site

View full size photo »

The Cape Cod Baseball League is the premier amateur summer baseball league in the country. Year after year the league churns out pro player after pro player. CCBL alumni include Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark Texiera, Barry Zito, Jason Varitek, Evan Longoria and UCLA's own, Chase Utley. In the 2007 MLB season, over 200 CCBL alumni were on major league rosters, while over 1,000 were playing professionally.

Part of the reason the CCBL is the best league is because they use wood bats. Because the players use wood bats, it provides scouts a more accurate look at how the players; skills will translate to pro ball and scouts flood the CCBL. As a college player, you want nothing more than to play in front of as may scouts as possible so the CCBl is filled with some of the top college baseball talent in the country.

While there are other summer leagues like the Northwoods League and some have issues with the CCBL, there is no beating the number of scouts, quality of play and setting of the CCBL. If you're a baseball fan, college, professional or whatever, I highly recommened you make the trek to Cape Cod and take in some games one summer. The Cape is great, you're sure to see some future major leaguers and nothing beats the quaint ballparks and small, down to earth feel that gives you that old-time baseball feel and captures what our national pastime is all about.

This summer, up seven UCLA players will compete in the CCBL on up to five teams (it's a 10 team league).

Niko Gallego and Erik Goeddel will head to Brewster, where they'll play for the Whitecaps, the same team that Garett Claypool pitched for last year. Gallego has shown flashes in his two years at UCLA, but will look to develop some consistency in the Cape after a disappointing 2009 season. Goeddel entered UCLA with some hype, but he was forced to redshirt in his first year due to injury and was used sparingly in 2009. It will be important for Goeddel to get some innings in this summer and refine his mechanics after two years of limited use.

Tyler Rahmatulla will play for the Chatham Anglers this summer, the league's most prestigous club. Rahmatulla hit .222 in his freshman season, but did show pretty good pitch recognition and walked a fair amount. Rahmatulla will have the chance to play a pivotal role on the 2010 Bruin team so this summer will be key for his development.

Rob Rasmussen will return to pitch for Orleans after having pitched for the Firebirds last summer. Rasmussen went 4-3 with a 4.12 ERA for Orleans last year and struck out over a batter per inning. He parlayed that into a strong start to the 2009 season, but he really struggled with his command after the first few weeks and will have to find that this summer.

The 2009 Collegiate Baseaball Freshman Pitcher of the Year, Trevor Bauer, is slated to pitch for Yarmouth-Dennis this summer, but that may not come to fruition. Bauer has been invited by USA Baseball to particpate in the USA National Team trials for the team that will compete this summer. The final roster will be announced on June 24 and should Bauer make the squad, he will don the red, white and blue, but if he is not selected, he will report to the Cape and play with Yarmouth-Dennis.

Matt Grace will pitch for Cotuit this summer and look to build upon a strong 2009 campaign. Shuttling between starting during the week and coming out of the bullpen on the weekends, Grace emerged as one of the Bruins' most valuable pitchers. He will be heavily leaned upon in 2010 and could really help himself out with a strong summer in the Cape It's possible that he will be joined in Cotuit by Gerrit Cole. Like Bauer, Cole will play in the Team USA trials and only play in the CCBL if he's not chosen for the USA team.

The 2009 CCBL season begins tonight and the regular season will run all the way through August 5th. The CCBL playoffs will begin on August 7th and will end on August 13th, if the final games are necessary. I'll be around all summer to provide updates on the play of the Bruins in the CCBL and in other summer leagues around the country once the official site updates us as to where everyone will be playing. If you want more UCLA baseball information and continuous updates on the program, as well as the play of the Bruins in summer leagues, check out my UCLA baseball twitter.

Signee Max Stassi was drafted much lower than expected and as a result, may actually make it to campus, via www.maxpreps.com

View full size photo »

We previewed the MLB Draft and what we expected out of it, but 30 rounds down now, we'll take a look at where UCLA players and signees went in the draft and what the odds are that they sign. There are still 20 rounds left in the draft, but it is highly, highly unlikely that any UCLA signees or players drafted today will sign unless they are a senior so we can breakdown the draft now.

The signing deadline is August 17 so all players must sign by that date or wait until the 2010 MLB Draft, if they are juniors, or until the 2012 MLB Draft, if they are incoming freshmen. For the first five rounds, MLB recommends how much money the club pay in signing bonus money for each slot. While teams can go over that number, in most cases teams try to stay close to that number. There are cases of teams paying well above slot though.

Current Players

Casey Haerther, 1B/3B- Haerther was the first Bruin drafted, going #171 overall to the Angels with the last pick of the fifth round. Haerther, whose brother is in the Cardinals' organization, is ready for pro ball and should get a solid sized bonus. There is a very, very small chance that he returns in 2010.

Gavin Brooks, LHP- Brooks was drafted in the ninth round by the Yankees with the 285th pick. While Brooks could really boost his stock and become a top five round guy if he were to return and have a strong year, there's a good chance that he signs with the Yanks.

Charles Brewer, RHP- Brewer was born and raised in Arizona so I'm sure he was pleased to be selected by the Diamondbacks. Brewer went in the 12th round, #366, and in this type of situation, the player asks for a decent bonus, but nothing outrageous. If they get that bonus, which is a reasonable number, they will sign, but if the club tries to lowball them, they end up back in school.

Brendan Lafferty, LHP- The 18th round pick and #542 overall to the Royals, Lafferty will get a chance to make it in the pros despite a disappointing final season at UCLA. He is a senior with no eligibility left, but he's a lanky lefty who has shown some good stuff at times so he may be able to get it done in the pros.

Cody Decker, 1B- Like Lafferty he's a senior and has no eligibility left so he's going to sign no matter what, but the 22nd round draft pick of the Padres, #654, is one of my favorite players to come through the program so I'm going to keep mentioning him.

Gabe Cohen, OF- The final Bruin to go on Wednesday was Cohen, who was drafted in the 29th round by the Rays, #889. I don't have any specific information on Cohen's thoughts about signing or not, but common sense would dictate that he has a lot to gain by returning to UCLA so that may be his best move.

Signees

Trayce Thompson, OF- The White Sox jumped on Thompson rather early, taking him with their second round pick, #61. This is a pure potential pick, but boy does Thompson have a lot of potential. It's highly doubtful that Thompson doesn't sign and come to UCLA because he's a second round pick who can demand a bonus over $500,000 and could get over slot for hundreds of thousands more. He's stated in an interview that he is leaning towards pro ball.

Max Stassi, C- The surprise of the draft to many by dropping so far, Stassi might actually make it to campus. Various reports have him asking for a $1.5 million signing bonus, which is very reasonable for a first round pick, which he was expected to be. Stassi dropped all the way to the A's in the fourt round at #123 though. The slot for that pick is $237,000 so if Stassi sticks to his demand or anything close to it, Oakland will have to go well over slot to keep the catcher from UCLA.

David Nick, SS- Three picks after the A's took Stassi, the Diamondbacks took Nick. As the 126th pick, Nick would slot in for $228,000. I haven't heard word on what Nick is looking for, but I heard from a couple people that they expect him to sign.

Scott Griggs, RHP- Here's a guy with talent that would fit in the 5-10 round range, but has yet to be drafted because he's made it clear that it would take huge money to keep him from school. Welcome to UCLA, Scott!

This draft didn't go too badly for the Bruins and could be considered a great draft for the program. Losing Thompson will hurt because the Bruins offered him and got him to commit while he was still splitting time with basketball so he wasn't as widely sought after, but he was expected to sign for a couple months now. Stassi dropping could keep him from signing and would be a major coup for UCLA that nobody expected, while Nick will be a loss if he signs, but at least he plays a position the Bruins are semi-strong at. Seeing Haerther go fifth round is good for a guy that was likely to sign wherever he was picked and seeing Decker go as high as he did was fantastic. Lafferty is a senior so no loss there and 18th round is good for him. Losing Cohen would hurt, but can be overcome and he may not sign anyways. Brooks and Brewer will be the ones to really keep an eye on as they are probably leaning sign, but could make it back to campus next year.

UCLA signee and likely first round draft pick Max Stassi via www.maxpreps.com

View full size photo »

Today is Day 1 of the 2009 MLB Draft. The first, second and third rounds (along with the corresponding compensation rounds) take place today, beginning at 3 pm PDT on MLB Network. Rounds 4-30 are tomorrow with the final 20 rounds on Thursday. While the draft will not give the Bruins any finality with regards to their 2010 roster, it is a start and will give UCLA an idea as to who they may and may wear the blue and gold in 2010. The final day for players to sign with the clubs that drafted him is August 15 August 17 (because August 15 falls on a Saturday this year, the deadline for drafted players to sign with pro clubs has been moved back) so we'll know the Bruin roster then, but tomorrow starts the process of who will stay, who will go and who might never make it to Westwood.

Current Bruins

Cody Decker, 1B- Decker is a senior and out of eligibility so he won't return in 2010 regardless of his professional status, but as someone who was fully commited to the program for four years, worked his tail off, was always approachable off the field and whose family was fantastic to the program and those around it, Decker is someone everyone is pulling for. Decker batted .322 in his senior year with a Pac-10 best 21 homers and team-best 55 runs with 53 RBI. Decker's hard work paid off in full, especially defensively, where he turned himself from a guy without a position when he got to UCLA into a solid defensive first baseman. Decker's high strikeout rate has raised a lot of questions as to whether or not he'll be able to hit professional pitching and he's still not a great defender so many pro scouts aren't very high on him. Don't expect him to be drafted high, but someone will take him and he'll have his chance.

Casey Haerther, 1B/3B- Haerther was the Bruins' top hitter a sophomore in 2008 and again in 2009 until he got hurt and Decker caught fire. Despite missing a couple weeks with a broken toe and playing through the injury for the rest of the year, Haerther batted .305 with nine homers. Haerther, who played first base exclusively as a freshman and sophomore, spent some time at third during his junior year. If he can get a scout to buy into his ability to play the hot corner, it will go a long ways to getting a team to take a shot on him much higher than expected. His brother Casey is in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and was a 34th round pick by the Padres out of high school. Odds are that Haerther leaves and will likely sign early, taking some of the suspense out of the process.

Blair Dunlap, CF- Dunlap is an outstanding athlete who is still refining his baseball skills. As a redshirt junior in 2009, Dunlap batted .301 with 45 runs, a team-leading 17 doubles, seven homers and 39 RBI. He was also the Bruins' only major stolen base threat, swiping 15 bags. Adding to his offensive numbers, Dunlap played sensational defense and routinely covered huge chunks of ground in the gaps to run down fly balls. Dunlap has shown an ability to perform when the pressure is on as well, earning All-Regional honors in the two postseasons he played in. He also performed in the classroom, earning All-Academic honors twice

Gavin Brooks, LHP- Brooks will undoubtedly be the most intriguing Bruin in the draft. Brooks was one of the region's top high school pitchers are a junior and sure-fire high draft pick as a junior, but he missed his entire senior season due to injury and ended up at UCLA. As a freshman, Brooks set a number of UCLA freshman records and was unhittable down the stretch, registering three consecutive complete games, the final two in the postseason. Because of his finish, Brooks entered his sophomore year with high expectations, but little injuries bothered him all year and he was never consistent or better than mediocre. In his junior year, Brooks imploded early on, was banished from the rotation and was written off by many. Brooks rebounded though to establish himself as a solid closer with nine saves glimpses of the outstanding stuff that wowed scouts as a freshman. Brooks will likely go fairly high in the draft and get a solid sum of money as a signing bonus, but he could come back and really improve his stock if he can show some consistency. I don't think he'll return, but he's one of the few juniors who could really boost his stock with a good senior year.

Charles Brewer, RHP- Brewer has been the picture of inconsistency since joining the Bruins. An 18th round pick by the Angels out of high school, Brewer was highly touted and extremely talented. He's shown why some had such high expectations of him as a Bruin, like his stretch as a junior when he gave up three runs or less in six of seven starts. The same was true in the summer of 2007 when he went to the Cape Cod League and registered a 1.94 ERA while throwing the second-most innings on the team. Even with that type of talent, Brewer compiled a 4.88 ERA in three years at UCLA and allowed opposing batters to hit .291. Brewer could return for his senior year and try to find the consistency to match his talent or he could get to the pros and try to prove himself there. This one could go either way.

Gabe Cohen, OF- Cohen was a Freshman All-American, then took a major, major tumble. After hitting .345 with 10 home runs as a freshman, Cohen dropped all the way to .204 as a sophomore and while he jumped to .274 as a junior, he was not a regular starter in his last two years at UCLA. Cohen has a plus arm in the outfield and covers enough ground to play either corner outfield position. Cohen still has flashes of the outstandin bat speed and power that made scouts giggle like little girls as a freshman, but he's not going to go overly high in the draft. If he wants to get the biggest signing bonus possible then he should return to school and look to put up numbers like he did as a freshman, but the safer play may be to take what he can get as a lower pick and go work on his swing in the minors.

LHP Brendan Lafferty, 2B Eddie Murray, C Gino Aielli and RHP Jason Novak are seniors who will give pro ball a shot, while juniors RHP Garett Claypool and OF Justin Uribe could also take their chances, but both are expected to return.

Signees

Max Stassi, C- The Yuba City HS backstop has the bloodlines, the stats and the tools. Really, there isn't much that Stassi doesn't have. He's an extremely advanced hitter who can flat out stroke the ball. Unfortunately for UCLA, he won't ever be a Bruin. Stassi will likely be a first round pick and considering that last year Gerrit Cole became the first top round pick since 2002 to attend college, you shouldn't count on UCLA getting two in as many years.

Trayce Thompson, OF- Considering his father, Mychal, had a long NBA career and his two oldr brothers are playing D-1 colege basketball, it's safe to say he has the bloodlines. Thompson has incredible physical tools at 6'4'', 200 lbs. and is extremely projectable. His power potential, bad speed, arm strength and speed are all impressive and are all reasons why he could go on Day 1 of the draft. Thompson has only committed himself to baseball for one year though after splitting time with basketball so his instincts and feel are underdeveloped, meaning a team would draft him for his projectability. Thompson has the skills to dominate college baseball in the future and play his way into the first round, but does he take that chance or get what he can now and start developing in the pros?

David Nick, SS- A shortstop who will likely be a second baseman in the pros, Nick is a very good athlete with great hands at the plate. He can do a bit of everything, if not anything exceptionally. He can run a bit, throw a bit and has pretty good power for a middle infielder. If he has a clear strength, it's his amazingly quick hands at the plate that allow him to square the ball up consistently. Indications are that Nick will sign and go pro, but the thought of him at UCLA is awfully exciting.

Scott Griggs, RHP- Here's a guy with a live arm who actually looks like he'll make it to campus. Griggs has a fastball that sits in the low-90's, but touches 95 and an excellent curveball to boot. Scouts worry about Griggs' command though and because of that, he looks likely to drop some in the draft. He seems committed to attending college and will likely have to go in the top three rounds to skip college. With it looking like he'll fall out of those top three rounds, Griggs has a decent chance of being a Bruin next year.

RHP Allen Aguilar, OF Beau Amaral, UTL Trevor Brown, OF Jeff Gelalich, C Tyler Heineman, OF/LHP Dennis Holt, OF Cody Keefer and INF Cody Regis comprise the rest of the UCLA signees. All are expected to make it campus, but you never know what could happen.

It's time for the Bruins to start finding some consistency and meeting expectations in between the lines. It'd also help if they got some support from those at the Morgan Center, via the official site.

View full size photo »

Where does the UCLA baseball program go from here? That's the question many fans and observers of the program are asking and it's a fair one. Taking a look at John Savage's tenure as head coach at UCLA, you see a program that has certainly taken a step forward in results, stature and potential, but also one that has fallen short of expectations. The Bruins sit in a region chock full of talent and they've done a good job reeling in that talent, but why hasn't that translated into success?

Savage came to UCLA from UC Irvine, where Dan Guerrero hired him to revive a dormant Anteaters program. At Irvine, Savage had his team in the top 5 of the ultra-competitive Big West in all three years and qualified for a regional in that third year.

After that, Savage moved to Westwood, where he had some major issues in his first year. Savage, dealing with an empty cupboard and trying to rebuild the program his way went 15-41, but the team showed signs of improvement at the tail end of the year.

In his second year, Savage brought in a freshman class full of top-level recruits. Those freshmen played from the get-go and struggled early on, but made massive improvement as the year went on and qualified for the Malibu Regional, where they won a game before being eliminated.

That season was seen as a stepping stone for Savage's program and many expected the Bruins to challenge for the conference crown the following season. It wasn't to be though as UCLA finished third in the Pac-10 for the second consecutive year, but they caught fire in the Long Beach Regional, which they won, before being eliminated by Cal St. Fullerton in the Super Regionals.

The following season, UCLA's stellar freshman class had grown into juniors and they were considered by most one of the nation's top teams and were even ranked #1 in the Baseball American preseason poll. The Bruins got off to an awful start though as they struggled to deal with the pressure. Eventually, they battled their way into the postseason and won their first two games there, but needing only one win, they lost their last two to Cal St. Fullerton to end their season.

This most recent season was the most frustrating for UCLA fans. As I described in full detail in my season review, the Bruins struggled to execute when it mattered most. While their fielding percentage was in the middle of the Pac-10, they made those errors in late, close games and it was often the difference in winning and losing. By the end of the season, the Bruins were third in the Pac-10 for a fourth consecutive year, but 0-5 in extra inning games and 2-14 in one-run ballgames, which kept them out of the postseason for the first time since 2005.

Now John Savage's UCLA program sits at a crossroads. For how much longer is early season struggles, a third place Pac-10 finish, a postseason win or two and an utter lack of consistency acceptable? Really, that question is asking what are the expectations for the Bruins' baseball program. Is it a program that is content doing what it's done for decades now, having decent seasons, producing a lot of pro talent and having the occasional strong postseason run? Is the UCLA program one that is aiming to finish towards the top of the Pac-10 year after year, win that conference sometimes and challenge for a spot in the College World Series? That would make them one of the better programs in the country so is that a reasonable expectation or should we find other expectations?

While we can sit here and talk about the program's expectations, the Morgan Center needs to decide on expectations for the program themselves. Right now, they treat the program like it's a mediocre program, which is what it's been. If the Morgan Center wants to raise expectations for the program, fine, but they need to raise their expectations of themselves at the same time. For a program to be one of the better ones in the country, it needs to be able to host regionals and Super Regionals. As of now, the Morgan Center claims it can host in the postseason, but it would be a very poorly hosted regional if they were granted one and many question whether or not it  can actually host a regional. A program among the best in the country needs a fan base too, something UCLA lacks and something the Morgan Center has made little to no effort to improve. A program among the best needs facilities that can attract recruits and allow the team to train and practice in the best of facilities to better improve themselves. Right now, the UCLA baseball program lacks all of that so if the Morgan Center wants to raise expectations for the program, they need to raise expectations of  themselves because a program can only be one of the best if it's one of the best in all aspects, administration included.

So let's jump ahead and assume that the Morgan Center has raised expectations of the program and have made good on their end. They've worked to improve the program's fan base and have either improved the facilities or have put plans in motion to improve the facilities. If that were to happen, the onus would be on John Savage, his coaching staff and the players to take the program to the next level. What are the program's biggest issues right now and how can they best be solved.

One of the program's major issues right now is their slow starts. Under Savage, the Bruins have made a habit of getting off to poor starts. Now, is it a training issue and an issue with their preseason practicing? There could be something to that, but a lot of other people like to blame the Bruins' schedule. Savage has preached time and time again the benefits a difficult schedule, but it also makes it tough on UCLA to win games. This past year, the Bruins had the nation's second-toughest schedule and had a stretch where they played four consecutive weekends on the road. Those four weekends were a trip to Houston to play in the nation's premier tournament, a trip to play an Oklahoma who went on to be a regional host, a trip to play an East Carolina team who went on to be a regional host and a trip crosstown to open up Pac-10 play versus USC. With such a schedule, even the nation's top teams would have trouble getting off to a good start. In 2010, the Bruins will have a much easier schedule (one I'll get into next week) so we'll get some of an idea as to how much of a part UCLA's schedule plays on their slow starts.

Another issue the program has had is their inability to execute at the plate. Under Savage, the Bruins haven't played traditional West Coast baseball with a lot of bunting, moving runners along and good situation hitting. They do get into such things sometimes, but for the most part, they like to sit back and wait for the big hit and big inning. Now, that is fine if you have the hitters to get it done. Teams like LSU have built national powerhouses with big-time hitters who waited around for the big hit, but the Bruins have had just one 20 home run season from a player during Savage's tenure (Cody Decker this year) and haven't had a heart of the order, three or four people deep, that strikes fear in opponents' hearts. So, beause they don't hit for amazing power, it's necesary for the Bruins to move guys along, hit behind runners and hit the ground ball or deep fly ball when called for. It's something UCLA hasn't done though, instead striking out at a high rate and not getting their athletes flying around on the basepaths in a smart manner. Rick Vanderhook, brought in before this season and one of the better assistant coaches in the country, has been handed the keys to the UCLA offense and if he follows the template he put together at Fullerton, will start playing more small ball. Doing so requires the right types of players though, the types of players that UCLA will have to start bringing in now. Can Vanderhook get the right guys in the program and turn the offense around? The success of the program may hinge on it.

The biggest problem for the Bruins to figure out is how to handle pressure. Some have said that the Bruins' inability to handle pressure is really an inability for Savage's teams to handle pressure, dating back all the way to his time at Irvine. Whether or not that is true, what is true is that the Bruins have had major problems with pressure. Taking a look at this season, you see a team that had major issues in extra innings (0-5) and in one-run games (2-14). When the games got close and the pressure was on, the Bruins didn't execute. It was in those moments that the Bruins left even more runners on base than normal, made crucial errors and mental mistakes. Taking a look to last season, you saw a team that couldn't handle the pressure of the high expectations heaped upon them in the preseason. Only once the preseason #1 Bruins had disappeared from every poll did they start playing well and make a run into the postseason. Once they got to the regionals, they were underdogs who won their first two games, but at that point became the regional favorites before promptly losing their next two games. Those two losses came to Cal St. Fullerton, a team that has cause UCLA fits. In fairness, the Titans are a powerhouse who beats up on a lot of teams, but under Savage, the Bruins are only 3-16 verus Fullerton. When you play Fullerton, it's playing the West Coast's premier program in a big-time game. Why have the Bruins had so many issues against the Titans? Could it be the pressure that goes along with games against Fullerton?

So those are the program's three major issues. Can they be corrected? They surely can, but whether or not they will is up for debate. Some blame Savage and others blame the administration, while others blame luck. I blame all three, but see the possibility of all three turning around. That's not to say I expect all three to turn around though. I've spoken to some in the administration and have not gotten even an inkling of an indication that the Morgan Center will make a commitment to the program. Instead, they plan on going ahead with their master plan, which will take too long and accomplish too little. I think that Savage can get the program going on the right track and the hires of Vanderhook and another assistant coach, Steve Pearse, prior to the 2009 season are an indication that he understands the program's issues. It also shows me that he's working towards fixing those issues, although it certainly didn't pan out this year.

That is why I consider the 2010 season to be one of the biggest in the history of the program. The upcoming season will tell us a lot about the future of the program from what changes have been made to the program and whether or not the direction the program is going in is the correct one. That's not to say that I expect a trip to Omaha, but the team can't go into the final three or four weeks of the season without a realistic shot at the Pac-10 title and it needs to show progress in the trouble issues I outlined above. Are last season's changes to the coaching staff enough to change the attitude of the program and cure the program's ills? 2010 should bring us awfully close to an answer.

So what do you think the program's expectations should be? Is the direction the program's going good enough for you or do they need to start working towards the upper echelon of college baseball? Maybe you think the expectations should be somewhere in the middle. Do you think the Morgan Center is doing enough for the program and should the baseball program and Jackie Robinson Stadium be a priority (although obviously below the Pauley renovation)? Do you think Savage is the guy to get the job done in Westwood or are you unsure right now? Do you make your way out to the stadium to check out games or if not, why not and what can they be doing a better job of to draw you and other Bruins in? Whatever your thoughts are on the UCLA baseball program going forward, let's hear it.

The 2009 UCLA baseball team finished the season 27-29, 15-12 in Pac-10 play (3rd place) and didn't qualify for a regional for the first time since 2005.

View full size photo »

Any way you slice it, 2009 was a disappointing season for UCLA baseball. The Bruins entered the season ranked anywhere from #12 (Baseball America) to #25 (NCBWA) and yet their season ended with a loss. The problem is, the loss wasn't a Regional or Super Regional loss to Fullerton like the past two years or a Regional loss to Missouri, like in 2006, but it was a loss to Arizona St. in the final regular season game of the season. UCLA finished 27-29 overall, 15-12 in Pac-10 play (good for third place for the fourth consecutive season) and they didn't qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2005. Not only did their season end in the regular season, they were fighting an uphill battle all season long just to get into a Regional and were eliminated from Regional consideration with a pair of games left in the regular season.

Granted, expectations for UCLA were unrealistic. Let's rewind back to the preseason and consider all the obstacles the Bruins were facing. The Bruins lost the ace of their pitching staff who also played center field, their starting catcher, starting second baseman, starting third baseman, starting shortstop, starting left fielder and backup catcher. Those players accounted for six of the Bruins' top seven hitters. The Bruins also had replaced two coaches and their replacements, while excellent coaches, brought new styles and methods for the players to adjust to. Add in a ridiculously difficult schedule that included four consecutive weekends on the road, 10 opponents who went onto qualify for a regional, six of which were #1 seeds and four of which were awarded national seeds by the selection committee. With all of that facing the Bruins in the face, a top 25 ranking and projected Pac-10 title may have been unrealistic, but it was not unrealistic at all to expect another regional appearance.

The Bruins has a myriad of problems this season. There was the implosion of supposed ace Gavin Brooks prior to the season (although he admirably worked himself back and became a solid closer), the disappointing seasons of Brendan Lafferty and Jason Novak at the back end of the bullpen, the dozens of baserunning mistakes, the inability to produce productive outs with the bats early in the season, the failure to field competently when necessary and most amazing, their 2-14 record in one-run ballgames. Looking back on the season, there are five games that stand out as winnable key games given away by the Bruins (in chronological order):

• 2/27 vs. Rice (Houston College Classic)- The Bruins had won their first two games of the season, then dropped their next three before playing Rice in their first game of the Houston College Classic. The Houston College Classic is the nation's premier tournament and provided the Bruins a chance to play in a major league ballpark, in front of thousands of fans and against high-quality competition. This was UCLA's opportunity to prove that their program was ready to take the next step against a traditional power. After falling behind 3-1 in the first inning, the Bruins got stout pitching the rest of the way. After two runs evened the game, UCLA got the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, but gave that lead right back in the bottom half. The game went to extra innings where the Bruins made a two-out error that allowed the winning run to score. UCLA had their opportunity to make a statement, but when they got locked in a tight game, they made too many mistakes, culminating in a game ending error.
• 4/25 vs. Oregon St.- The Bruins early season losing streak eventually reached 10 games and as a result, they were playing catchup the rest of the year. UCLA had done a fantastic job of getting close to the .500 mark and after a series opening win over the Beavers on Friday, they had a chance to get within a game of .500 on Saturday. Chris Giovinazzo hit his first career home run when he came into pinch hit and smacked a ball over the right field fence for a 3-2 UCLA lead. Trevor Bauer gave the Bruins an outstanding start, going eight innings and allowing only two runs to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth inning. It shouldn't have been that close of a game though because the Bruins had not scored in the third inning in the third inning with the bases loaded and in the eighth when they had two on with only one out. As a result, Gavin Brooks was charged with protecting a one-run lead in the ninth and he gave up three runs on three hits, a wild pitch and a passed ball. A game that UCLA had in their hands ended up a Beaver victory because the Bruins failed to capitalize in their opportunities, then blew it in the ninth.
• 5/8 vs. California- Just three days earlier, the Bruins had made a major breakthrough by finally getting back over the .500 mark, but they gave that away on a Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Knowing that they had a rough finish to the season with three top five teams, UCLA had to take care of business against the lesser teams like Cal to give themselves so leeway in those final two weeks. Versus the second-worst pitching staff in the Pac-10, UCLA left nine men on-base and wasted a spectacular start from Gerrit Cole. Cole threw 8.1 innings, struck out 11 and allowed just one earned run, but three runs total thanks to some shoddy ninth inning fielding. Tied 1-1 because of all of their men left on-base, UCLA made a ninth inning error that allowed Cal to plate two and go ahead, 3-1. The Bruins loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with nobody out and scored one on a sacrifice fly, but hit into a game-ending double play with runners on the corners to lose, 3-2.
• 5/16 vs. Cal St. Fullerton- UCLA lost the opening game of their series versus Cal St. Fullerton and knowing they needed a series win to avoid needing a perfect final week to make a regional, faced plenty of pressure in the second game of the series. That pressure only intensified when the Titans jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but the Bruins fought back in the seventh. After cutting the Titans' lead to 5-1 earlier in the inning, the Bruins loaded the bases with two-out in the seventh. That brought Cody Decker to the plate, who belted one out to center field and tie the game at five apiece. Back in an even ballgame, the Bruins got a leadoff double in the eighth and moved him to third with one out. The next two batters couldn't convert though and the Bruins exited the inning still tied. In the ninth inning, a poor throw by catcher Gino Aielli allowed a Titan to steal third, then on the play at the plate on a sacrifice fly, Aielli dropped the ball on a throw that appeared to have the runner dead to rights. That run proved to be the winning run as the Bruins well 6-5.
• 5/18 at UC Irvine- Because of their series loss to Cal St. Fullerton, UCLA needed to go a perfect 4-0 in their final week to qualify for a regional, with a 3-1 week giving them a very outside shot. That week started with a game at the nation's top-ranked team, UC Irvine. After getting out to an early 3-1 lead, the Bruins had a runner on third with one-out in the sixth, but couldn't plate him to extend the lead. A half inning later, Irvine hit a two-run home run to tie the ballgame at threes. The game stretched to extra innings, where Cody Decker hit a tenth inning home run to put UCLA ahead, 4-3. With a runner on third and two-out, Gerrit Cole, making his first ever relief appearance, induced a ground ball to shortstop that should have ended the game, but Niko Gallego booted the ball. That extended the game and allowed the tying run to score. Later in the inning, the Anteaters got a RBI single to win the game and end the Bruins' regional hopes. 

So UCLA had their chances. There is no doubt that this season, the Bruins' failures fall solely on their own shoulders. While such a season is undoubtedly frustrating, there is a bright side. Because UCLA's issues were self-inflicted, they can be fixed and the Bruins can have a very good 2010 because there were a number of bright spots in 2009.

• Cody Decker, who was named to the All-Pac-10 team, batted .322 with 21 homers (which led the Pac-10), 53 RBI and 55 runs scored. Those 55 runs scored are the most by a Bruin since 2000 and he finished his UCLA career with 47 homers, tied for seventh on the UCLA all-time list.
• Gino Aielli emerged as the Bruins' leading hitter. The senior, who little was expected from prior to the year, batted .353 as his outstanding hitting earned him increased playing time as the season progressed.
• Trevor Bauer finished the season 9-3 on the season (9-0 as a starter) with a 2.99 ERA, which was eighth best in the conference and in the top five amongst freshman starters. The freshman pitched 36 innings in his last four starts with three complete games and a nine inning start that UCLA lost in 10 innings. Bauer's outstanding season, which began with him as the closer before being moved to the rotation, earned him 2009 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors.
• Gerrit Cole registered a 3.49 ERA, a .191 opponent's batting average and was second in the conference in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.01. For his efforts, Cole was named to the 2009 All-Pac-10 team. Combined with Bauer, the two freshman provide UCLA a pair of starting pitchers to get excited about. Both will take part in the USA National Team Trials this summer and play with the national team if selected.
• The pitching staff as a whole showed outstanding stuff despite some struggles fro Gavin Brooks early and Rob Rasmussen after the first few weeks. The UCLA pitchers struck out 509 batters in 2009, the second most in program history.

The support for the UCLA program certainly wasn't overwhelming in 2009. The Bruins averaged 727 fans per home game this season, according to the reported attendances this season. Keep in mind though that they include free giveaway tickets (family members and promotions to children) in those totals and often pad the total by 100 or 200. That means the paid attendance average this season was closer to somewhere between 400 and 500, which would leave them 500-600 short of the NCAA's top 50 based on the 2008 figures.

While the program lacked support in the stands, it still struggled for support from the athletic department. UCLA did build a brand new hitting facility prior to the season that ranks among the nation's best, but it was completed only due to the generosity of the late Jack Gifford and his wife, Rhodine Gifford. The Giffords donated nearly all, if not all of the money for the project and they hired their own people who built the hitting facility at Stanford to build the facility in a timely fashion. Meanwhile, the rest of Jackie Robinson Stadium remains terribly sub-par. There still isn't enough seating, restrooms, concession points or cover for the fans. There still isn't a press box for the press, a video board, auxillary rooms or an adequate playing surface (the surface installed prior to 2008 was done horribly and the surface is worse than it used to be). The clubhouse and player facilities are still not up to par and while the athletic department claims they can host both a regional and Super Regional, the NCAA would be reluctant to award them one so it would take an extraordinary season from the Bruins to host what would be a terribly hosted regional. Making matters worse, the athletic department is still sticking to their plans of upgrading the facility one piece at a time, which will be a lengthy process that won't address all of the program's needs.

The 2009 season showed how bright the Bruins' future can be. UCLA has a pair of starting pitchers that can match any one-two punch in the nation. They have the majority of the position players returning in 2010 and now have a year with the same coaching staff, which is superb. That said, the past season was frustrating and not good enough. The program's players and coaches will have to take a step forward next season on the field, while the athletic department will have to take a step forward in their support for the program. Next week we'll take a look at the future of the program from what can be accomplished, how it can be accomplished and what/who to keep an eye on in the next few years. As always, you can keep up to date with all things UCLA baseball throughout the offseason and into next season on my UCLA baseball twitter.

Head coach John Savage's UCLA Bruins missed the postseason for the first time in four years, via media.dailybruin.com

View full size photo »

The Bruins closed out their 2009 season with a loss to #3 Arizona St., 6-5, in Tempe. Charles Brewer picked up the loss with 4.2 innings of four-run ball, while Mitchell Lambson's five innings of two-run relief earned him the win. Cody Decker was the star for the Bruins, hitting his 21st home run of the season in his final collegiate game.

Carlos Ramirez, who leads the Sun Devils in home runs, hit his 18th of the year with two-out in the first to put ASU ahead 1-0 early on.

The Bruins responded though with a little help from the Sun Devils. After Casey Haerther walked to lead off the second and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, the Sun Devil second baseman made an error on a Tyler Rahmatulla ground ball to score Haerther.

Just one inning later, Gino Aielli drew a two-out walk to extend the inning and bring up Decker. Decker, a senior playing in his final game as a Bruin, turned on a pitch and deposited it over the left field fence to put the Bruins up 3-1.

The lead held until the fifth when Arizona St. started smacking the ball around. Following a pair of singles to begin the inning and a pop up, ASU had runners at first and third with one out. Ramirez then stroked a single to right field, scoring one run, but the throw from right was a bit wild and the runner from first ran wild. The runner was eventually thrown out at the plate on a play scored 9-5-6-3-2-3. A double followed by a single though scored two more and Arizona St. took a 4-3 lead after five innings of play.

Decker singled to lead off the UCLA sixth and took second on a one-out double by Brett Krill. Rahmatulla then yanked one through the left side of the infield to score Decker and even the game at four apiece.

ASU got the lead back in the bottom half of the sixth when a batter who led off the inning with a walk was driven home by a one-out single.

Ramirez tormented the Bruins one more time with a two-out single that brought home was proved to be the winning run.

Blair Dunlap homered to lead off the UCLA ninth and Dustin Quist reached on a bunt single to get the tying run on base. After being sacrificed to second though, Quist was left on base by his teammates to end UCLA's season with a 6-5 loss.

Dunlap was 1-4 on the game with a home run, while Decker was 2-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Krill also chipped in with a 2-3 effort, including a double.

The Bruins finished the season 27-29 overall and 15-12 in Pac-10 play, which proved good enough for a third-place tie. Seniors Gino Aielli, Eddie Murray, Cody Decker, Brendan Lafferty, Jason Novak and Dustin Quist all saw their UCLA careers come to an end with a diappointing sub-.500 season, but all five did see action today. I will continue with my UCLA baseball twitter all offseason long, providing updates on Bruin in the pros, updates on Bruins in summer leagues, schedule notifications and any other news or thoughts. I will also have a season review posted on BN before the end of the month.

Blair Dunlap led the Bruins with 3 hits in their 10-4 win over #3 Arizona St., via the official site.

View full size photo »

UCLA got behind early, but their bats came alive in the middle innings as they pounded out 10 runs in their 10-4 victory over #3 Arizona St. to even the series. Blair Dunlap led the Bruins with three hits, while Niko Gallego's three RBI were a team-best. Trevor Bauer went nine innings for the third consecutive game and he surrendered four runs on six hits to pick up his ninth victory of the year. The win also improved UCLA's record to 27-28 on the year and 15-11 in the Pac-10, which is good for third place.

Bauer got off to a very shaky start, allowing a walk then a double that put Arizona St. up 1-0. That double was followed by a balk, then a sacrifice fly and just like that, the Sun Devils led 2-0.

The Bruins got one of those runs back in the third when Gabe Cohen and Niko Gallego each notched one-out singled, then Eddie Murray was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gino Aielli came to the plate and hit into a fielder's choice at third, which was good enough to plate one and cuz thte Sun Devils' lead to 2-1.

Casey Haerther led off the UCLA fourth with a double and was moved to third on a ground ball. After a strikeout put fear into UCLA fans' heads that maybe the Bruins wouldn't even the game, Dunlap singled on a bunt that scored Haerther to even the score at two.

Bauer temporarily lost his command in the bottom half of the fourth and it was enough to give ASU their lead back. The first two batters walked and were moved to second and third with a ground out. Bauer then gifted the Sun Devils a run with a wild pitch to give them a 3-2 lead.

Just a half inning later, Murray and Aielli each singled to begin the frame. Murray then stole third to put runners on the corners with nobody out so a fielder's choice by Cody Decker was enough to tie the game at threes.

UCLA broke the game open in the sixth inning with a four spot. After an out to begin the inning, two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Bruins. Gallego then smacked a double to left field to score two runs and give UCLA a 5-3 lead. A wild pitch then scored another run and moved Gallego to third so Murray's ground ball to second base was enough to score him.

The Bruins weren't content to be up 7-3 though. Decker was hit by a pitch to begin the seventh inning and was brought home the very next batter when Haerther doubled to deep center field. After a double by Justin Uribe put runners at second and third, Dunlap singled to score a run and extend the UCLA lead to 9-3. Gallego then chipped in one more time with a sacrifice fly to score Haerther for a 10-3 advantage.

Arizona St. was able to tally once more in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to defeat the hot UCLA bats as they are one win away from securing their fourth consecutive third place Pac-10 finish. That final game of the regular season will be played tomorrow at 1 pm PDT. As always, you can follow along with the Bruins on GameTracker via the official site. You can also get game updates, Bruins in the pros updates, updates on UCLA commits, thoughts on the