DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UCLA Baseball September 23, 2010 Contact: Alex Timiraos UCLA BASEBALL WELCOMES NINE NEWCOMERS TO WESTWOOD Bruins’ recruiting class includes six position players, three right-handed pitchers LOS ANGELES – UCLA baseball head coach John Savage welcomed nine incoming freshmen to campus Thursday as fall quarter classes began in Westwood. Savage’s sixth full recruiting class at UCLA features nine freshmen, including six position players and three right-handed pitchers. “Our program is very excited about the addition of these freshmen,” Savage said. “Coach Vanderhook did a great job putting this class together, and we are very fortunate that the five players who were drafted last June chose to stick to their commitment of attending UCLA. Our coaching staff feels that these players can contribute from the start.” The Bruins’ latest recruiting class was ranked No. 4 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball on Tuesday. That marks the highest ranking of any of Savage’s six recruiting classes at UCLA by any national publication. UCLA’s 2005-06 incoming group was ranked No. 5 by Baseball America, and the Bruins’ 2007-08 recruiting class was hailed as the No. 5 group by Collegiate Baseball. UCLA’s incoming freshman class features five players selected in the 2010 MLB Draft. Each of the incoming three right-handed pitchers were drafted last June – Adam Plutko (sixth round, Houston), Zack Weiss (10th round, Pittsburgh) and Nick Vander Tuig (39th round, Toronto). Outfielder Brenton Allen (ninth round, Philadelphia) and infielder Kevin Williams (41st round, L.A. Dodgers) both hit from the left side of the plate. The Bruins’ freshman group includes first baseman Pat Gallagher, the 2010 Nevada Player of the Year and a three-year varsity letterwinner. Standout infielder Pat Valaika joins the Bruins from Hart High School, while Jacob Shirley and Brian Carroll each shined as two-sport stars (baseball and football) at South Hills High School and Granite Hills High School, respectively. UCLA Baseball’s 2010 Recruiting Class Name Yr. Pos. B/T Ht. Wt. Hometown Previous School Brenton Allen Fr. OF L/L 6-1 205 Cerritos, Calif. Gahr HS Brian Carroll Fr. OF R/R 5-10 170 La Mesa, Calif. Granite Hills HS Pat Gallagher Fr. INF L/R 6-2 210 Reno, Nev. Reno HS Adam Plutko Fr. RHP R/R 6-3 190 Upland, Calif. Glendora HS Jacob Shirley Fr. INF R/R 6-1 185 Covina, Calif. South Hills HS Pat Valaika Fr. INF R/R 5-11 170 Valencia, Calif. Hart HS Nick Vander Tuig Fr. RHP R/R 6-3 190 Oakdale, Calif. Oakdale HS Zack Weiss Fr. RHP R/R 6-1 185 Irvine, Calif. Northwood HS Kevin Williams Fr. INF L/R 6-0 185 Van Nuys, Calif. Crespi HS – more – J.D. MORGAN CENTER P.O. BOX 24044 LOS ANGELES, CA 90024-0044 WEBSITE: WWW.UCLABRUINS.COM DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS 2010-11 Newcomers at a Glance ● Four infielders, three right-handed pitchers and two outfielders ● Five MLB Draft selections (Brenton Allen, Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig, Zack Weiss and Kevin Williams) ● Five All-CIF selections and one Nevada All-Section Player of the Year honoree Brenton Allen Outfielder, Freshman Cerritos, Calif. (Gahr HS) 6-1, 205 – L/L ● Four-year varsity baseball letterwinner at Gahr High School under head coach Gerardo Perez ● Three-year varsity football letterwinner under head coach Greg Marshall ● One-year varsity basketball letterwinner (freshman season) under head coach Bob Becker ● Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies ● Batted .421 as a senior (2010), recording six home runs, 33 RBI and 28 runs with a .803 slugging percentage ● Captured first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III honors as a senior ● Named Co-MVP of the San Gabriel Valley League as a senior ● Batted .392 as a junior (2009), totaling two homers, one triple, eight doubles, 16 RBI and 26 runs in 27 games ● Led Gahr with a .541 on-base percentage and 25 stolen bases in 31 attempts as a junior ● Competed in RBI’s Tournament of Stars in North Carolina, selected alternate to Team USA 18U (summer 2009) ● Selected to Angels Elite and Tampa Bay Rays scout teams in the fall of 2009 ● Participated in the Baseball Goodwill Series in Australia (winter 2008) with the Tampa Bay Rays’ scout team ● Batted .288 as a freshman (2007), registering three triples, four doubles, 12 RBI and 12 runs in 22 games ● On the football field, totaled 235 rushing yards on 35 carries, and 42 receptions for 611 yards as a senior (2009) ● Rushed for 640 yards on 79 carries, and hauled in 29 receptions for 451 yards as a junior (2008) ● Secured first-team All-San Gabriel Valley League honors in football as a sophomore and junior ● Served as team captain for Gahr High School’s varsity football squad in 2009 ● Older brother, Tony Fisher, played football at the University of Notre Dame before playing in the NFL (2002-06) Brian Carroll Outfielder, Freshman La Mesa, Calif. (Granite Hills HS) 5-10, 170 – R/R ● Two-year varsity baseball letterwinner at Granite Hills High School under head coach James Davis ● Did not play baseball as a senior (2010), recovering from a knee injury sustained playing football ● Earned first-team All-Grossmont South League honors and first-team All-East County acclaim as a junior ● Voted All-East County “Most Improved Player” at the conclusion of his junior season ● Led Granite Hills in 2009 in batting average (.429) ● Finished first in the Grossmont League in stolen bases (25) and runs scored (40) in 2009 ● Also was two-year varsity football letterwinner under head coach Randy Dewitt ● Secured first-team All-Grossmont South League accolades at defensive back as a junior (2008) and senior (2009) ● Recorded 103 tackles and had five interceptions as a junior ● Voted Granite Hills’ team MVP in football as a junior and senior ● Named first-team All-East County as a defensive back during his senior season ● Had 94 tackles in eight games as a senior, and caught 14 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns ● Played summer baseball for the San Diego Gamers in 2009 – more – J.D. MORGAN CENTER P.O. BOX 24044 LOS ANGELES, CA 90024-0044 WEBSITE: WWW.UCLABRUINS.COM DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Pat Gallagher Infielder, Freshman Reno, Nev. (Reno HS) 6-2, 210 – L/R ● Three-year varsity baseball letterwinner at Reno High School under head coach Pete Savage ● Named Nevada’s All-North 4A Player of the Year as a senior (2010), in addition to earning first-team honors ● Batted .505 with 18 home runs, 12 doubles, 56 RBI, and 46 runs in 97 at-bats as a senior ● Captured ABCA/Rawlings All-America acclaim and All-Region 8 honors as a senior ● Selected to the 2010 Baseball America High School All-America team ● Earned first-team All-Northern High Desert League honors as a first baseman his junior year (2009) ● Batted .371 with nine home runs, eight doubles, 40 RBI and 25 runs in 105 at-bats as a junior ● Helped lead Reno to a 33-4 overall record in 2009, including a perfect 18-0 mark in High Desert League play ● Secured first-team All-State and All-Sierra League accolades as a sophomore (2008) ● Batted .345 with six home runs, 14 doubles, 46 RBI and 28 runs his sophomore season ● Helped lead Reno High School to the Northern Region Championship in 2008 and 2010 ● Selected to Lasorda Elite Games and Colorado Rockies Scout Team in the fall of 2009 ● Batted over .350 in each of four summer seasons playing for the Reno Knights ● Posted a career-high .513 batting average in the summer of 2010 on the Reno Knights summer team Adam Plutko RHP, Freshman Upland, Calif. (Glendora HS) 6-3, 190 – R/R ● Four-year varsity baseball letterwinner at Glendora High School under head coach Dan Henley ● Selected in the sixth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros ● Went 10-1 with a 1.36 ERA, 97 strikeouts and 18 walks in 67.0 innings as a senior (2010) ● Went 7-3 with a 2.60 ERA, 62 strikeouts and a .216 opponent batting average in 64.0 innings as a junior (2009) ● Went 2-5 with a 4.24 ERA, 35 strikeouts and one save in 39.2 innings as a sophomore (2008) ● Went 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 27.1 innings as a freshman (2007) ● Earned CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year honors as a senior ● Helped lead Glendora High School to the 2010 CIF Southern Section Division II championship ● Selected as a 2010 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America selection ● Played in USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars in 2008 and 2009 ● Competed in the Area Code Games in 2008 and 2009 ● Played for the Brewers Elite Team in 2008 and 2009 and for the Red Sox Scout Team from 2006-09 ● Was a three-time Sierra League All-Academic Team selection (2007-09), posting a 3.7 GPA ● Listed among the top 75 draft prospects for 2010 by Perfect Game ● Selected to the ESPN Rise All-Area Code Team in 2009 ● Was named a top California underclassman by ESPN Rise in 2009 – more – J.D. MORGAN CENTER P.O. BOX 24044 LOS ANGELES, CA 90024-0044 WEBSITE: WWW.UCLABRUINS.COM DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS Jacob Shirley Infielder, Freshman Covina, Calif. (South Hills HS) 6-1, 195 – R/R ● Three-year varsity baseball letterwinner – senior year at South Hills under head coach Kevin Smith ● Twice lettered in varsity baseball at West Covina High School under head coach Drew Lorenger (2007, 2008) ● Earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III acclaim as a senior (2010) ● Also secured first-team All-San Antonio League honors during his senior year ● Named an all-tournament team selection at the Diamond Sports National Classic in April 2010 ● Batted .433 as a