UCLA Baseball Roster: The Definitive Guide

The UCLA baseball roster is a Comprehensive Guide to the team’s current roster. It includes player bios, stats, and contact information.

UCLA baseball roster The Definitive Guide

UCLA has a long and storied history in baseball, with the Bruins winning the National Championship in 2013. The team is currently comprised of 28 players, all of whom are committed to helping UCLA win another championship. Here is a complete guide to the current roster:

Pitchers

-Tyler Brewer
-Jonah Campbell
-Dylan García
-Ben Grandal
-Zack Hedges
-Jake Hirabayashi
-Ryan Kavanaugh
-Nick Nastrini
– Gavin Pauley
– JoshROReilly ???

The Infield

The infield is the part of the baseball diamond closest to home plate It typically consists of four positions: first baseman, second baseman, shortstop and third baseman. These positions are occupied by the four players who fields balls that come off the bat in fair territory.

The Outfield

The Outfield
CF – center fielder
LF – left fielder
RF – right fielder

The outfield is usually (but not always) composed of three players, all of whom start in either the left field center field or right field. Outfielders are generally supposed to be the best Defensive Players on the team.

UCLA’s outfielders for the 2019 season are:

CF – Matt McLain (#13)
LF – Jeremy Ydens (#24)
RF – Jake Pries (#6)

The Starting Pitching Rotation

UCLA’s starting pitching rotation is one of the deepest in the country. Head Coach John Savage has a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to who will toe the rubber on Friday nights.

The ace of the staff is senior right-hander Griffin Canning. Canning was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season and is widely considered one of the best pitching prospects in this year’s MLB Draft He’ll be flanked in the rotation by another potential first-rounder in junior lefty Ryan Garcia.

Garcia burst onto the scene as a freshman two years ago and has established himself as one of the most electric pitchers in college baseball He has a plus fastball that sits in the mid-90s and he backs it up with a plus slider. Garcia has struggled with his control at times, but when he’s on, he’s nearly unhittable.

Rounding out the rotation will be sophomore righty Jesse Bergin and junior lefty Zach Pettway. Bergin is a strike-thrower who doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but he knows how to pitch and gets results. Pettway, on the other hand, is a power arm who can touch 96 mph with his fastball. He’s had trouble Throwing strikes in his career, but when he’s on, he can be dominant.

The Bullpen

Pitching is often the key to success in baseball, and the bullpen is a crucial part of any team’s pitching staff. The UCLA baseball team is no exception, and our bullpen is one of the best in the country. In this guide, we’ll take a look at who makes up our bullpen and how they can help our team win.

Our bullpen consists of four main pitchers: closer, setup man, left-handed specialist, and long reliever. Each pitcher has their own strengths and weaknesses, but together they form a formidable group that can shut down opposing offenses.

Closer: Our closer is senior right-hander Jake Hansen. He’s been with the team for four years and has been our closer for the past two seasons. Hansen is a power pitcher who relies on his fastball and slider to get batters out. He’s been very successful in his role as closer, saving 20 games last season and helping our team to reach the College World Series

Setup man: Senior left-hander Max Fried is our setup man. He’s also been with the team for four years and has been a key member of our pitching staff during that time. Fried uses a mix of pitches, but his fastball is his best weapon. He does a good job of setting up Hansen for the save by getting batters out in key situations.

Left-handed specialist: Junior southpaw Griffin Canning is our left-handed specialist. He’s been with the team for two years and has been very effective against left-handed hitters. Canning uses a fastball-changeup combo to keep hitters off balance and he’s been very successful in his role. Last season, he held left-handed hitters to a batting average of just .219.

Long reliever: Sophomore right-hander Ryan Garcia is our long reliever. He doesn’t have the same level of experience as our other pitchers, but he’s shown great potential in his two years with the team. Garcia has a good arm and throws a variety of pitches for strikes. He did a great job filling in as our closer when Hansen was injured last season and we’re confident he can provide us with quality innings when called upon this year.

The Catchers

There are two primary types of catcher, the starter and the backup. The starter is the player who catches the most innings during the season. They are usually the better defensively of the two and will often bat cleanup or fifth in the lineup. The backup is just that, a player who provides relief for the starter and usually hits lower in the lineup.

The Bruins have had some great catchers over the years, including future MLB All-Stars Troy Tulowitzki and Gerrit Cole. Here is a list of UCLA’s catchers for 2019:

-Ryan Kreidler
-Sean Bouchard
-Zachary Favot
-Jacob Amaya

The Designated Hitter

In baseball, the designated hitter (DH) is a player who hits in place of the pitcher. The position is regulated by Law 6.10 of the Official Baseball Rules, which states: “The designated hitter is a batter who shall be chosen to bat for the pitcher.”

The Bench

The UCLA Baseball Team has a lot of young and unexperienced talent coming off the bench this season. With only two seniors on the roster, the Bruins will be looking to their underclassmen to step up in big situations. Here is a look at some of the Key Players that will be coming off the bench for UCLA this season.

Sophomore infielder Jeremy Ydens is one of the most versatile players on the team and can play all over the diamond. He will most likely see time at third base and in the outfield this season. Ydens is a left-handed hitter that can really drive the ball to all fields. He had a great fall and winter in the batting cages and should be one of the top pinch-hitters on the squad.

Freshman catcher Dillon Paulson was one of the top High School catchers in California last season. He has a really good feel for calling a game and handling a pitching staff. Paulson is also a very good hitter and should see some time as a designated hitter when he’s not behind the plate.

Redshirt junior right-hander Ryan Garcia missed all of last season with an elbow injury but he’s back healthy and ready to go this year. Garcia has a plus fastball and an above-average Breaking Ball He should see time as a middle reliever out of the bullpen this season.

true freshman right-hander Connor Meninga will also be coming out of the bullpen for UCLA this season. Meninga is a hard thrower that has been up to 96 mph with his fastball in fall workouts. He also has a really good slider that can be tough on hitters when he’s ahead in the count.

The Coaching Staff

Mike Gillespie – Head Coach

Entering his 23rd season as head coach of the Bruins, Mike Gillespie has transformed the UCLA baseball program into one of the nation’s elite. The 2012 campaign will mark his 40th season as a collegiate Head Coach a span in which he has posted a 1,750-954-5 (.646) record.

During his distinguished career, Gillespie has led teams to 23 postseason appearances, including 12 trips to the NCAA Regionals, six to the College World Series and one National Championship (UCLA in 2013). In addition, he has been named National Coach of the Year four times. A `member of eight Hall of Fames (College World Series USC, UC Irvine, Orange County [CA] Sports), Gillespie was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January 2007.

In 21 seasons at UCLA (1991-2011), he guided the Bruins to 15 NCAA regional appearances, five trips to the College World Series and the program’s first National Championship in 2013. In 2010 he was named National Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and was also tabbed Pac-10 Coach of the Decade by Rivals.com.

The Prospects

As the 2021 baseball season approaches, the UCLA Bruins have assembled a very talented roster. Headlined by a few potential first-round picks in the upcoming MLB draft the Bruins have high hopes for this season. Here is a look at the team’s top prospects

1. Jack Ralston – RHP
Ralston is a highly touted pitching prospect who has an electric arm. He is expected to be a key member of the rotation this season and has the potential to be a future ace at the MLB level.

2. Matthew Sauer – RHP
Sauer is another talented pitching prospect who should make an impact in the Bruins’ rotation this season. He has Good Stuff and profiles as a future middle-of-the-rotation starter at the MLB level.

3. Ryan Garcia – LHP
Garcia is a left-handed pitching prospect who has been one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball over the last two seasons. He is expected to be UCLA’s ace this season and has the potential to be a future ace at the MLB level.

4. Chase Strumpf – 2B/3B
Strumpf is a versatile infielder who profiles as an everyday player at either second base or third base at the MLB level. He is an excellent hitter with good power and should be one of UCLA’s top offensive threats this season.

5. Michael Curialle – OF
Curialle is an outfield prospect with good speed and excellent defensive skills. He projects as a fourth outfielder at the MLB level but could develop into an everyday player if his bat continues to progress.