2013 was an outstanding year for the UCLA Baseball team. The “With James, everybody saw his abilities last year coming out of “Both Scott and Grant had a really strong finish in the fall,” said Bruins earned their first NCAA Championship in the program’s the bullpen and again in the Cape Cod League over the summer,” Savage. ”Both guys are very young, but we like having young 94-year history, setting numerous records along the way. 2014 Savage said. “Now he needs to establish himself in our program pitchers on Tuesday that we feel are going to be potential looks to be an equally exciting year for UCLA, as the Bruins aim as a starter and pitch to our style. He’s been a starter his whole weekend guys down the road. Right now we look for both guys to to continue the success they enjoyed last season. career in high school, so starting is nothing new for him, and compete to be the guy on Tuesdays.” overall I think he’s more comfortable this year. We look for him John Savage enters his 10th year as head coach of the Bruins, One of the strengths of this year’s team will again be the bullpen. to be leading the charge on Friday night. He’s got a power arm leading the program to never before seen heights in his tenure Returning for his junior season is All-American closer David and power stuff and that’s what you’re looking for out of your as head coach. Aside from guiding the Bruins to their first Berg, who has enjoyed one of the finest two-year careers of any Friday night guy.” championship in school history in 2013, Savage has coached reliever in NCAA history. In 101 career relief appearances, Berg the Bruins to College World Series appearances in three of the Junior Grant Watson is the one holdover from last year’s has logged a 12-3 record with a 0.98 ERA and 141 strikeouts. last four years, the College World Series Finals in two of the weekend rotation, as he served as the Bruins’ Sunday starter In 2013, he became the first relief pitcher in conference history last four (2010 and 2013) and the postseason in seven of the in 2013. This year, Watson projects to be the Saturday starter, to win Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors and was awarded last eight. filling the void left by Vander Tuig. Watson went 9-3 with a 3.01 the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, given out to the nation’s ERA in 2013, striking out 55 batters and walking just 16, the top collegiate relief pitcher. Berg also set the NCAA Division I Last season, the Bruins went a perfect 10-0 in the postseason, sixth-fewest in the Pac-12. He pitched particularly well in the single-season record for saves last season with 24. Finally, he is posting a 4-0 record against national seeds in the tournament postseason, winning both of his starts while not allowing a run UCLA’s all-time record holder for most postseason appearances while eliminating two of them (No. 5 Cal State Fullerton, No. in 13 combined innings. In addition, Watson was named to the (17) and saves (6), career saves (25) and has the second-lowest 1 North Carolina). During the Bruins’ postseason run, Savage 2013 NCAA Los Angeles Regional All-Tournament Team. ERA in UCLA postseason history with a 0.98 mark. became UCLA’s all-time leader in postseason wins, posting his 27th postseason win in UCLA’s 3-0 win over Cal State Fullerton “What can you say about Grant Watson,” said Savage. “He’s “David Berg has probably had as good a two years as any reliever in the NCAA Super Regionals to pass Gary Adams. At the an 18-game winner, a preseason All-American and has had as that’s ever pitched in college with the appearances, saves, ERA College World Series, the Bruins’ pitching staff only allowed four good a two-year career as maybe any starter in the history of and everything else,” said Savage. “It’s just been an incredible runs over five CWS games. In the 67-year-history of the College the school. He established himself on Tuesdays as a freshman two years for David and we would never be in the position we are World Series, only one national champion gave up fewer runs and then again on Sundays as a sophomore, and even though now without him. We hope to have that sort of strength in the than UCLA, as California allowed three in 1957. The Bruins were he went almost a month and a half without a win last year, I back of the bullpen again.” also the first team in CWS history to allow one run or less in think he learned from that. He’s an underrated athlete, a great Other guys who will be counted upon to play large roles in the each of the five games they played. competitor and pitched in some huge games last year. He bullpen are left-hander Max Schuh and right-handers Jake Ehret handled San Diego and North Carolina in the Tournament and is 2014 will undoubtedly provide a new challenge for the Bruins, and Nick Kern. Schuh and Ehret saw limited action in 2013, but a very reliable guy for us.” as they are now the team on everybody’s radar. The success are expected to contribute more in 2014, while Kern will look to the program has enjoyed over the past four years has brought The last weekend rotation spot is slated to go to sophomore see his first collegiate action this season. the team into the conversation among the nation’s elite and the right-hander Cody Poteet. Poteet served as UCLA’s Tuesday “Our bullpen has really been as good as our starting pitching 2014 squad will look to continue to build upon that foundation starter last season, going 4-4 with a 4.69 ERA in his 11 starts. over the last four seasons,” said Savage. “We love to establish of success. He also made 18 appearances out of the bullpen for the Bruins, roles in the bullpen. Right now, Schuh looks to be that seventh recording a 4-6 record with a 4.84 ERA and 56 strikeouts in “This year we have a big target on our back and we’re the inning guy. He’s made great strides this fall and had a good total. Poteet spent the summer with the Walla Walla Sweets of hunted,” Savage said. “Now that we’ve won the championship, it summer in the Northwoods League. Kern probably had one of the West Coast League, being selected as one of the league’s puts you in a different light and raises expectations. But we look the best falls of any of our pitchers. He’s another guy who has All-Stars. forward to getting better every day and taking on the challenge four pitches and has really improved since the summer. Finally, of being the team that everybody is trying to beat.” “Cody got a little taste of starting last year and showed some Jake Ehret really has thrown as hard as anybdoy we’ve had. He’s flashes of what he could do,” Savage said. “He also had some taken some strides as well and is another guy that could fit into PITCHING moments this summer with Walla Walla while also being named that setup role.” The Bruins will have to replace two of the best starting pitchers the best prospect from that league. Cody is a lot like Kaprielian in school history in right-handers Adam Plutko and Nick Vander in that he needs to adapt to our style of pitching and get to CATCHERS Tuig, both of whom were selected in June’s MLB Draft. Vander that dependability mode. He needs to become a six-inning, three The Bruins appear to be very deep at the catcher position Tuig and Plutko earned All-Pac-12 honors last season and earned run guy and just gain that consistency. Him being a four- coming into 2014, with junior Shane Zeile returning behind finished their careers as the winningest pitching tandem in pitch guy allows us to have more variety on Sundays than most the dish after starting 57 of UCLA’s 66 games last season. school history, combining for 56 wins. other teams. There aren’t a lot of teams out there that can Zeile handled a pitching staff that posted a 2.55 ERA and held opponents to a .222 batting average, both the second-lowest Sophomore James Kaprielian is projected to take the place of match up with his pure stuff. But again, he has to go out and marks in the Pac-12. At the plate, he recorded nine doubles and Plutko on Friday nights after spending his freshman year in the pitch and establish himself on Sundays.” 20 RBI while hitting at a .286 clip in Pac-12 play. bullpen. Kaprielian made 34 relief appearances last season, Freshmen right-handers Scott Burke and Grant Dyer are posting a 1.55 ERA, two saves and 53 strikeouts in 40.2 innings currently battling for that final starting spot on Tuesdays. Burke “We have tremendous depth at the catching position,” Savage pitched en route to earning freshman All-America honors from enjoyed an outstanding three-year varsity career at Glendora said. “Shane will be back for his second year as a full-time Perfect Game USA and Collegiate Baseball.