College Baseball 360 » UCLA baseball

Special Moment Was “Bruin” For UCLA

Pete LaFleur — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:31:36 +0000

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This seemingly simple word was central to a common mantra from UCLA baseball head coach John Savage and his players during the various media sessions at the 2013 College World Series. Their sound bites may not have always been overly exciting, but they were grounded in fundamental concepts (for baseball & life): pitching, defense, situational hitting, role players, practice, hard work, focused improvement, and rising to the occasion.

photo of UCLA’s Nick Vander Tuig by Pete LaFleur/CB360

It was a 2013 College World Series where a lot happened (12 games, extended over an 11-day span). But, for many, it was a CWS where a lot did not happen … namely runs, home runs (you know, like in the “old days”).

At the end of the (11) day(s), UCLA clearly was a deserving NCAA champion. The Bruins won all 10 of their NCAA Tournament games: first in their home regional (5-3 vs. San Diego State, 6-4 vs. Cal Poly, and 6-0 vs. San Diego); then, in an impressive two games at national 5-seed Cal State Fullerton (5-3, 3-0); and finally during a 5-0 run at Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Stadium. The Bruins opened bracket play at the CWS with a pair of tense 2-1 wins (vs. national 4-seed LSU and surging NC State), followed by a 4-1 victory over North Carolina, the top-seeded team in all the land. The Championship Series vs. Mississippi State included yet another close score, with the Bruins winning 3-1, but UCLA closed out the title by leaving no doubt in the decisive second game, winning 8-0.

As the only 2012 CWS team that returned to Omaha in 2013, UCLA likely benefitted from the previous year’s experience as one of those final eight teams. Three of the 2012 CWS teams (Stony Brook, Kent State and ’12 champion Arizona) failed to even make the 2013 NCAA Tournament field, while Florida and Arkansas bowed out in the regional round, followed by Florida State and South Carolina in the super regionals.

We are in the process of compiling an assortment of CWS general wrapup notes (along with other reflections on the 2013 season), but here’s a look at some of the factors behind UCLA’s 2013 NCAA title-winning fortnight (roughly, rounding up!) in Omaha. We also have a nice collection of video interviews from the final few days in Omaha, to be posted soon (driving back to Colorado, but will check back later in the week–PL).

. . .

NCAA TITLE #109 (or #1?) – Baseball became the 19th different varsity program as UCLA to win an NCAA team title, extending UCLA’s total to 109 NCAA titles over the years (most by any Division I athletic department) … UCLA’s 109 NCAA team titles now include 72 in men’s sports (10 different programs) & 37 in women’s sports (8 programs) … UCLA’s 72 NCAA men’s titles include: 19–volleyball, 16–tennis, 11–basketball, 8–water polo, 8–outdoor track & field, 4–soccer, 2–golf, 2–gymnastics, .1–swimming & diving 1–baseball … UCLA’s 37 NCAA women’s titles: 11–softball, 7–water polo, 6–gymnastics, 4–volleyball, 3–golf, 3–outdoor track & field, 2–indoor track & field, 1–tennis … UCLA women’s soccer, led by new coach Amanda Cromwell (formerly at UCF), clearly now the most prominent Bruins program without an NCAA title.

PITCHERS (NEAR) PERFECT – UCLA’s pitching staff allowed one run in each of its first four games at the 2013 College World Series, followed by the shutout in the Championship Series game-2 win over Mississippi State t0 do deliver the NCAA title … the Bruins pitchers – led by 34 of 45 innings pitched by starters Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig and Grant Watson – posted a 0.80 staff ERA at the CWS, while limiting the opposition to .175 batting (28 hits) and compiling a 3-1 K-to-walk ratio (27/9).

WORKING OUT OF TROUBLE – Despite allowing an average of nine baserunners per game at the 2013 CWS, the UCLA pitchers left baserunners stranded (or erased them) at an impressive rate throughout the five games … the opposition offenses (LSU, NC State, North Carolina, and Mississippi State) put 46 runners on base via hits (28), walks (9), hit batters (6) or errors (3), but only four came around to score – a lowly conversion ratio of one run every 11.5 baserunners (37 were left on base, four erased on double plays and one thrown out trying to score from second base on a single) … the UCLA opponents combined to hit 1-for-30 with runners in scoring position during the 2013 CWS, with the lone hit coming from NC State’s Trea Turner (RBI single in the 3rd, vs. Nick Vander Tuig) … opponents hit .129 overall with runners on-base vs. the Bruins (8-for-62), meaning that slightly more than half of those chances involved a runner on first but none in scoring position.

SITUATIONALLY SPEAKING: More situational/analysis stats for the UCLA pitchers during the 2013 College World Series
• 10-of-45 opposing leadoff batters (22.2%) reached vs. UCLA, but only two scored – NC State’s Bryan Adametz (hit-by-pitch in the 3rd) and UNC’s Cody Stubbs (single in the 9th)
• When UCLA pitchers retired the leadoff batter, they went on to not allow a run in that inning 33 of 35 times (94.3%)
• The Bruins closed out innings at a high rate, allowing only .104 opp. batting with 2-outs (5-for-48)
• As expected, the predominantly righthanded-pitching UCLA staff held the opposing RH hitters to a .141 batting avg. (10-for-71) at the CWS

STRONG AT THE START – UCLA did not allow any runs in the 1st or 2nd innings throughout the 2013 CWS (LSU scored in bottom of the 4th, NC State b-3rd, UNC t-9th, Mississippi State b-4th) … over the course of its five CWS games, the UCLA pitchers held the opposing hitters to a .118 batting avg. in the 1st-2nd innings (4-for-34; one double), with only one walk and eight strikeouts spanning those 10 total innings.

LIMITED ADVANCEMENT – The UCLA pitchers allowed only two extra-base hits throughout the entire 2013 CWS, spanning 45 innings … both of those hits came from LSU vs. Adam Plutko, on the opening weekend (an early double by Mark Laird and Mason Katz’s solo home run).

DYNAMIC DUO – UCLA’s pair of junior RHPs both went 2-0 at the 2013 CWS, with Adam Plutko beating LSU (2-1, opposite Tigers ace Aaron Nolan) and then defeating Mississippi State in the first title series game, while Nick Vander Tuig posted the winners-bracket win over NC State and the title-clinching victory over Mississippi State … Plutko posted a 1.38 ERA at the CWS, in 13 innings (2 runs, 8 hits/.167 opp. avg., 3 walks, hit batter, balk, 4 strikeouts and a fielding error) … Vander Tuig’s lowly 0.60 ERA at the CWS spanned 15 innings (2R–9H/.170–BB–HB–wild pitch–12K), capped by eight shutout innings in the final game vs. Miississippi State (5H–BB–6K).

CUPBOARD NOT BARE – While UCLA is likely to lose Adam Plutko and NickVander Tuig to the professional ranks, the team‘s third starter at the 2013 CWS, sophomore LHP Grant Watson, is set to return for 2014 … Watson (6IP–4H–BB–3K) picked up the win over North Carolina that sent the Bruins on to the CWS Championship Series … Weiss finished with a 3.01 ERA for the 2013 season (Vander Tuig led the starters at 2.16, while Plutko ended at 2.25) … talented freshman RHP Cody Poteet, UCLA’s #4 starter in 2013, also is due to return in 2014 (he did not pitch at the CWS) … two key relievers from UCLA’s 2013 CWS staff also are due to return: hard-throwing fr. RH setup man James Kaprielian (3 GP in Omaha, 3IP–BB–3K) and sophomore RH closer David Berg (5 GP at the 2013 CWS, 6.2IP–R–6H–3BB–5K), whose three saves in Omaha gave him an NCAA record 24 for the season … UCLA used six total pitchers at the 2013 CWS, with the other being yet another junior RHP (Zack Weiss) who could join Plutko and Vander Tuig in moving on to professional baseball (Vander Tuig was a a 6th-round pick of the S.F. Giants, Weiss also was tabbed in the 6th, b7 the Cincinnati Reds, and Plutko was an 11th-round selection of the Cleveland Indians).

WHATEVER IT TAKES – The UCLA offense hit only .227 at the 2013 College World Series (34 hits) but still managed to manufacture 19 runs, thanks to 22 free passes (16 walks plus six hit batters) while dropping down 12 sacrifice bunts, launching three sac. flies and executing 5-of-6 stolen-base attempts … when runners were on base, the Bruins batters hit .286, nearly 60 points higher than their overall CWS average … and in prime RBI chances, with a runner on third & fewer than two outs, UCLA produced the RBI 8 of 12 times (67%).

YOU NEVER KNOW – During a World Series in which he did a little bit of everything (including a running catch against the fence in gm-1 vs. Mississippi State), UCLA so. rightfielder/3-hole hitter Eric Filia even executed a suicide squeeze bunt for the first time all season, giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead on Mississippi State in the third inning of the title-clinching game (Pat Valaika followed moments later with an RBI single) … Filia led UCLA at the 2013 CWS with a .333 batting avg. (5-for-15; 2B) and eight RBI, also reaching twice on free passes (BB–HB), stealing a base and executing a pair of sacrifice bunts to go along with two sac. flies … Filia played a huge role in UCLA’s 8-run output that helped clinched the NCAA title, driving in five of those runs while batting 2-for-3 along with the safety squeeze and one of his sac. flies (one night earlier in the 3-1 win over the ‘Dogs, he went 2-for-3 with two other RBI and a double).

A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE – The final stats for the 2013 College World Series showed that the teams hit a combined .237 with a 2.54 combined ERA and a .975 fielding pct., but errors proved costly for several teams as the 27 total errors in the 14 games led to 16 of the 86 runs (19%) being unearned … UCLA certainly was the exception when it came to costly defense, as the Bruins did not allow an unearned run at the 2013 CWS while the UCLA position players had a lofty .989 fielding pct. in Omaha (the lone errors were by SS Pat Valaika in gm-1 vs. LSU & 1B Pat Gallagher in finale vs. Mississippi State; RHP Adam Plutko had the team’s third E the previous night) … by contrast, the runner-up Bulldogs totaled seven errors at the CWS, leading to five of 20 runs by the opposition being unearned.

DANCING TO HIS OWN BEAT – A couple of us in the pressbox at TD Ameritrade Park nicknamed UCLA senior second baseman Cody Regis the “Dancing Bear” on the second day of the 2013 CWS, after the veteran infielder turned a huge 9th-inning double play to help close out the 2-1 win over national 4-seed LSU … Regis (listed at 6-2/235, not a prototypical second baseman’s frame) took the feed from third baseman Kevin Kennedy and combined quick footwork with deft execution to complete the 5–4–3 DP … eight days later, Regis – a prep shortstop who has played mostly third base during his UCLA career – was part of another big late-inning double play, this time starting a 4-6-3 sequence to help close out the 3-1 win over Mississippi State (the “big-league” play saw Regis slide to his right for a sweeping, glove-to-glove scoop over to shortstop Pat Valaika) … Regis endured the disappointment of not being drafted as a junior in 2012 or this year, but he closed his career by playing error-free on 26 fielding chances at the CWS … at the plate, Regis went 2-for-4, scored twice and drove in another run in his final collegiate game (his hit-and-run single three days earlier gave UCLA an early lead in the win over UNC that sent the Bruins to the title series).

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CB360 College World Series Tournament Central

Pete LaFleur — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:21:42 +0000

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Here’s CB360’s preliminary 2013 College World Series Central Page, providing fans with quick access to plenty of information covering the upcoming fortnight (to steal a term from Wimbledon). Two weeks from now, the 2013 college baseball champion will have been determined (either on the night of Tuesday, June 25 or Wed. the 26th). This page will be expanded throughout the next two weeks, serving as our central gathering place for 2013 CWS information.

We have plenty of content forthcoming at CB360 in advance of the CWS and throughout the two weeks in Omaha – with on-site coverage, including video interviews with an assortment of CWS players and coaches, plus college baseball alums, fellow media & other experts, special guests and maybe even some classic college baseball fans along the way. …

The information below is broken down into four parts:
• Brief overview of the upcoming first weekend of the 2013 CWS, with full schedule for Friday’s practices, autograph sessions and Opening Ceremonies (all Friday events are open to the public), plus the four games spanning Saturday & Sunday (w/ links to live coverage, TV/audio/stats, plus team Twitter feeds)
• Quick-link breakdowns and team info. for all eight CWS teams (media guide, school CWS central pages, game notes, roster, stats, coaches bio, etc.)
• An assortment of helpful links for CWS fans (venue, transportation, parking, tickets, city of Omaha, visitor’s guide, etc.)
• Complete 13-day schedule for all events and potential games at the 2013 CWS (with dates, times, bracket links & TV coverage listed)

CLICK HERE for easy signup to receive free CWS text message updates directly to your mobile device, courtesy of CB360.

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)
CLICK HERE for CB360 Super-Regional Central Wrapup page
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Team Capsule Previews (CB360): UCLA | Mississippi State | Oregon State
Bracket 2 Coaches Pre-CWS Press Conference (video editing by CB360)
Click Here for CB360 summary of the 2013 MLB draft picks on the 2013 CWS teams

2013 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES – Schedule & Results for June 15-18
* Scroll to bottom of page for entire CWS schedule (June 15-26) *

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(Day-1 & Day-2 Results)

Saturday, June 15 (day-1; home teams listed first)
• Game 1 – 2 p.m. CT, on ESPN 2 … online video | NCAA Live Blog
MISSISSIPPI STATE 5-8-2 … def. (3) OREGON STATE 4-10-1
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF | Miss.-St. Recap | OR-St. Recap | NCAA Recap & Summary
… Notes (NCAA) | Notes (Miss-St) | Quotes: Miss-St. & Ore.-St.
… Photos (Miss.-St.) | Video Recap (NCAA) | Video Highlights (Miss.-St.) | Postgame Video (Miss.-St.)
Live Stats: GameTracker, NeuLion or ESPN GameCast | OR-St Audio | Miss-St Audio
Twitter: @Beaver_Baseball … @MStateBB

* Scroll to bottom of page for entire CWS schedule (June 15-26) *

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• OREGON STATE (3-seed … 50-11, 24-6 Pac-12; 5-1 in 2013 NCAAs)
OR-St CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes: HTML & PDF | Roster | Stats | Coach Casey
OR-St Super-Reg. Central (scroll back) | OR-St Reg. Central (scroll back)
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• LSU (4-seed … 57-9, 23-7 SEC; 5-0 in 2013 NCAAs)
LSU CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes (PDF) | Roster | Stats | Coach Paul Mainieri
LSU Super-Reg. Central | LSU Reg. Central
__________________________________________________________
• LOUISVILLE (advanced at 2-seed Vanderbilt … 51-12, 20-14 Big East; 5-0 in 2013 NCAAs)
Cards CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes (PDF) | Roster | Stats | Coach Dan McDonnell
Vandy Super-Reg. Central | LOU Reg. Central (scroll back)
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• UCLA (advanced at 5-seed Cal State Fullerton … 44-17, 21-9 Pac-12; 5-0 in 2013 NCAAs)
Bruins CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes: HTML & PDF | Roster | Stats | Coach John Savage
CSF Super-Reg. Central | UCLA Reg. Central (scroll back)
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• MISSISSIPPI STATE (advanced at 6-seed Virginia … 48-18, 16-14 SEC; 5-1 in NCAAs)
‘Dogs CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes (PDF) | Roster | Stats | Coach John Cohen
UVa Super-Reg. Central | Miss-St Reg. Central
__________________________________________________________
• INDIANA (advanced at 7-seed Florida State … 48-14, 17-7 Big Ten; 5-0 in NCAAs)
Hoosiers CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes | Roster | Stats | Coach Tracy Smith
FSU Super-Reg. Central | IU Reg. Central (scroll back)
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• NORTH CAROLINA STATE (advanced past Rice, which earlier advanced at 8-seed Oregon … 49-14, 19-10 ACC; 5-0 in NCAAs
‘Pack CWS Central | Media Guide | CWS Notes | Roster | Stats | Coach Elliott Avent
NC-St Super-Reg. Central (scroll back) | NC-St Reg. Central (scroll back)

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIES QUICK LINKS

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)
2013 NCAA Tournament Brackets (field of 64, updated): Online (interactive) | Printable (PDF)
2013 NCAA Regional Brackets (from all 16 sites): PDF format (one file, 16 pages; scroll down)

• CWS Home Page
• CWS Fan Guide
• Fan Events
• CWS Mobile App

• TDA Ameritrade Park (guidlines & info.)
• Tickets & Hospitality info.
• Omaha Info . (parking & transportation)

_________________________________

COMPLETE 2013 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)

Friday, June 14 – Team Practices, Autograph Sessions & Opening Ceremonies
• Hour-long practice sessions starting at 9 a.m. CT
(9-10 Oregon State … 10-11 Mississippi State … 11-12 Louisville … 12-1 Indiana … 1-2 North Carolina … 2-3 NC State … 3-4 LSU … 4-5 UCLA
• 30-minute autograph sessions
(10:30-11 Oregon State … 11:30-12 Mississippi State … 12:30-1 Louisville … 1:30-2 Indiana … 2:30-3 North Carolina … 3:30-4 NC State … 4:30-5 LSU … 5:30-6 UCLA)
• 8:30 – 10 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

Saturday, June 15 (day-1; home teams listed first)
• Game 1 – 2 p.m. CT, on ESPN 2 … (3) OREGON STATE vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE

• Game 2 – 7 p.m. CT, on ESPN … LOUISVILLE vs. INDIANA

Sunday, June 16 (day-2; home teams listed first)
• Game 3 – 2 p.m. CT, on ESPN 2 … (1) NORTH CAROLINA vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE

• Game 4 – 7 p.m. CT, on ESPN2 … (1) LSU vs. UCLA

Monday, June 17
Game 5 – 2 p.m. – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser (ESPN2)
Game 6 – 7 p.m. – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner (ESPN2)

Tuesday, June 18
Game 7 (2 p.m.) – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser (ESPN)
Game 8 (7 p.m.) – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner (ESPN2)

Wednesday, June 19
Game 9 (7 p.m.) – Game 6 Loser vs. Game 5 Winner (ESPN)

Thursday, June 20
Game 10 (7 p.m.) – Game 8 Loser vs. Game 7 Winner (ESPN)

Friday, June 21
Game 11 (2 p.m.) – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner (ESPN)
Game 12 (7 p.m.) – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner (ESPN)

Saturday, June 22
Game 13 (if necessary; 2 p.m.) – Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser (ESPN2)
Game 14 (if necessary; 7:30 p.m.) – Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser (ESPN)

Monday, June 24
CWS Championship Series Game 1 (7 p.m.) – Winner Game 11 or 13 vs. Winner Game 12 or 14 (ESPN)

Tuesday, June 25
CWS Championship Series Game 2 – 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday, June 26
CWS Championship Series Game 3 (if necessary) – 7 p.m. (ESPN)

all times central and subject to change; national seeds indicated in ( ): (1) UNC, (3) Oregon State & (4) LSU
all events and games listed above to be held at TD Ameritrade Park

2013 CWS Brackets: Online (interactive; click center to expand) | Printable (PDF)

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FSU – UCLA CWS Postgame Video

Pete LaFleur — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:33:34 +0000

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Florida State pitcher Scott Sitz stole the show Tuesday – on the mound, in the formal postgame press conference, and even in the ensuing 1-on-1 interview session. Click on the link below for Sitz’s comments immediately following the postgame press conference (links also included below for brief comments from FSU’s Sherman Johnson and UCLA’s Beau Amaral).

Sherman Johnson led Florida State's strong top-of-the-lineup effort vs. UCLA.

Note – videos may require initial download time (based on your internet speed; also may find better results based on specific browser).

CLICK HERE for Scott Sitz video interview (after win over UCLA)

CLICK HERE for Sherman Johnson (FSU) video comments

CLICK HERE for Beau Amaral (UCLA) video comments

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Tuesday in Omaha: FSU Eliminates UCLA

Pete LaFleur — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:02:30 +0000

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Seminoles Next Face Arizona…

CLICK HERE to see the complete CB360 CWS Scoreboard with links to daily postgame video interviews & more!

CLICK HERE for postgame video interviews with Scott Sitz, Sherman Johnson & Beau Amaral

Starting pitcher Scott Sitz helped the Seminoles survive Tuesday's elimination game (Photo-CB360's Pete LaFleur).

The Florida State baseball team has proven in recent weeks that it can put up hits and runs in big numbers – but in Tuesday’s elimination game (a 4-1 win vs. UCLA) at the College World Series, the themes were different. The Seminoles did manage nine hits, but their two scoring innings (the 1st & 4th) featured as many free passes (walks) as hits (5). And on a pitching staff fronted by a pair of freshmen, it was junior righthander Scott Sitz who might have delivered the most clutch performance of this CWS, by any pitcher from the eight teams.

(note – see below, with more later from this game, including postgame video with Scott Sitz, Sherman Johnson and Beau Amaral.) … Video links at bottom of page, or CLICK HERE.

With the win, Florida State (50-16) has advanced to its bracket final and once again is among the NCAA semifinalists, but still four wins away from capturing that elusive NCAA title (an achievement reached just once by a team competing as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, way back in 1955 by Wake Forest). FSU now must beat Arizona (a team it lost to four days ago) on Thursday at 4 CT, then turn around and beat the Wildcats again on Friday to earn a spot in the CWS best-of-3 final series.

Sitz – sporting his trademark mustache that began early in the season as a bet with FSU closer Robert Benincasa – is one of several veteran Seminoles pitchers who had chances earlier in their careers to fill one of the top starter roles. The junior readily admitted during Tuesday’s postgame interviews that he and other veterans “had their shot” in the past but didn’t get it done.

That all changed Tuesday on the big stage at TD Ameritrade Park, with 23,000-plus looking on. Sitz worked a season-long 6.2 innings (one shy of matching his career-long outing) while allowing only one run, on five hits and a lone walk that easily was countered by eight strikeouts.

Three of those Ks all came in the pivotal top of the 6th, with the bases loaded and a run already home for UCLA (48-16). Bruins cleanup batter Jeff Gelalich was digging in at the plate, with no outs and the tying runs aboard. But Gelalich went down swinging on a 1-2 pitch from Sitz and the same fate befell Trevor Brown before a full-count battle vs. Pat Valaika produced a third straight strikeout swinging.

By virtue of its patient approach at the plate (patience is a virtue, get it?), Florida State had four baserunners in each of the first two innings but little to show for it (two runs), other than five runners left on base (a sixth was erased on a double-play).

Florida State’s first two trips to the plate produced six walks and only a pair of hits. The Seminoles tacked on two more runs in the 4th and then limited UCLA’s damage during the 6th, en route to the win.

Each of the top three batters in the FSU lineup – Sherman Johnson (2R-2B-2BB), Devon Travis (R-BB) and James Ramsey (R-BB) – hit 2-for-3 while combining to score all four of their team’s runs and drawing four of the eight FSU walks.

Sophomore righthander Zack Weiss departed early for UCLA, after recording only one out (he ultimately was charged for two runs on a hit and three walks).

NCAA Brackets (updated): Interactive | Printable (PDF)

* * *

POSTGAME VIDEO … Florida State pitcher Scott Sitz stole the show Tuesday – on the mound, in the formal postgame press conference, and even in the ensuing 1-on-1 interview session. Click on the link below for Sitz’s comments immediately following the postgame press conference (links also included below for brief comments from FSU’s Sherman Johnson and UCLA’s Beau Amaral.

Note – videos may require initial download time (based on your internet speed; also may find better results based on specific browser).

CLICK HERE for Scott Sitz video interview (after win over UCLA)

CLICK HERE for Sherman Johnson (FSU) video comments

CLICK HERE for Beau Amaral (UCLA) video comments

The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugouthas a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

If you’re going to Omaha for the College World Series make sure to make your first stop The Dugout for all officially licensed CWS apparel, including a new shipment of Adidas Climalite shirts. If you can’t make it to Omaha just follow our red links to The Dugout!

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Day One CWS Video Interviews

Sean Stires — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:24:41 +0000

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UCLA pitcher Adam Plutko discusses his 2012 College World Series win over Stony Brook.

Stony Brook center fielder Travis Jankowski discusses his team’s loss to UCLA at the CWS and how the team will respond moving forward.

Stony Brook head coach Matt Senk discusses his team’s CWS opening loss to UCLA.

2012 CWS shirts & more are now at The Dugout!

They’re HERE!! The Dugout in Omaha has official College World Series gear for each of the eight teams, including those Stony Brook Seawolves. If you want to be the first kid (no matter what age) on your block to have this year’s official CWS shirts, hats and more (both for individual teams or generic) click the red link and get to The Dugout’sweb site!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Arizona freshman pitcher Matt Troupe discusses his first College World Series appearance in Friday’s 4-3 win over Florida State.

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UCLA CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:31:53 +0000

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Revamped Bruins Return To Omaha…

UCLA Bruins
(Won the Los Angeles Regional and Super Regional)

Record: 47-14

Conference: Pac-12 (20-10) – Regular Season co-Champions with CWS Participant Arizona

Head Coach: John Savage (8^th season at UCLA, 2^nd CWS Appearance)

First Game In Omaha: Fri., June 15 vs. Stony Brook (4 CT; ESPN2)
Series: First Meeting

Jeff Gelalich has helped UCLA reach its second College World Series in the last three seasons.

ROAD TO OMAHA

After beginning the season 2-3, including a series loss at home to Maryland to open the schedule, the Bruins would win 18 of their next 20 games. During that time UCLA won a non-conference series vs. Baylor, a road sweep at Georgia and took two out of three vs. Arizona St. UCLA did not lose back-to-back games until early April. After those two straight defeats the Bruins won six of seven including a series victory at CWS participant Arizona. After dropping back-to-back Pac-12 series to Oregon St and Stanford the Bruins would go 14-2 and 8-1 in the Pac-12 during May. During the month the Bruins took two of three vs. Purdue. UCLA finished the regular season with a series sweep of rival USC and that coupled with Oregon being swept by Oregon St gave the Bruins a share of the conference title with Arizona. UCLA won the Pac-12 for the second straight season, something the program had never previously accomplished.

UCLA entered the tournament as the #2 National Seed, the second time the Bruins were given a top-eight seed. They cruised through the LA Regional by allowing just one run in their first two games. They opened the NCAAs with a 3-0 win over Creighton and a 7-1 victory over New Mexico. The Bruins wrapped up the regional with a 13-5 win over Creighton. In the Super Regional UCLA faced a TCU team that they matched-up with three times during the 2010 CWS. In that CWS UCLA took two of three in bracket play from the Horned Frogs in route to an appearance in the National Championship Series. Last weekend UCLA only needed two games to dispatch TCU sweeping the Frogs by the scores of 6-2 and 4-1.

UCLA enters their 4^th CWS having won nine in a row and 19 of their last 21.

Hotter Bats Equal Different Results?

For the past two seasons UCLA’s bread and butter was their pitching staff, led by Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, one of the top pitching duos in college baseball history last season. Cole went 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA and 119 strikeouts and Bauer was 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA, 10 complete games and 203 punch-outs. The team had an ERA of 2.44. The offense couldn’t come close to matching the Bruins’ arms. The team hit just .263 for the season and had only two hitters above .300. UCLA was eliminated in regional going 2-2 and scoring just 10 runs.

In 2012 UCLA still boasts quality pitching with a team ERA of 3.13 but team enters the CWS with a .309 average, a 46-point increase from last year. The team has six hitters averaging over .300. Jeff Gelalich has raised his average 97 points to .365 this year. Trevor Brown increased his average 111 points from .217 to .328.

The missing piece

The UCLA athletic program has won 129 team National Championships, with 108 NCAA Titles. The Bruins have always been known for John Wooden and the Men’s Basketball program. The team has won 11 titles but that is only tied for fourth, with Softball, on the list of teams with the most National Championships in school history, behind Men’s Volleyball (19) and Tennis (16). Even football has a National Title (1954, UPI).

Of the twenty-four teams UCLA currently fields only five have never won a National Title. Baseball is one of the five. It is probably the most notable omission from the athletic departments trophy case. The other four sports are Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Women’s Swimming and Soccer.

They’re HERE!! The Dugout in Omaha has official College World Series gear for each of the eight teams, including Kent State. If you want to be the first kid (no matter what age) on your block to have this year’s official CWS shirts, hats and more (both for individual teams or generic) click the red link and get to The Dugout’sweb site!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Roster Breakdown

0 Seniors, 9 Juniors, 12 Sophomores, 13 Freshmen

Home states: 31 from California and one each from Arizona, Nevada and Washington.

Probable Lineup

Beau Amaral CF-Jr.-5-11/185-Huntington Beach, CA (All Pac-12)
…313 avg., 45 RBI, 62 Runs, 4 HR, 5 triples*, 9 doubles .434 Slg.%, 22 BB, 14 HBP, 37 K, 13-19 SB
(Father Rich played at UCLA in the early 80s before going on to have a 10-year MLB career.)
Tyler Heineman C-Jr-5-11/205-Pacific Palisades, CA (All Pac-12)
…343 avg., 27 RBI, 41 Runs, 1 HR, 1 triple, 7 doubles, .403 Slg.%, 21 BB, 17 HBP*, 14 K, 3-5 SB
Cody Keefer LF-Jr-6-1/195-Davis, CA
…339 avg., 36 RBI, 42 runs, 1 HR, 0 triples, 12 doubles, .400 Slg. %, 28 BB, 6 HBP, 7-15 SB
Jeff Gelalich RF-Jr-6-1/205-La Verne, CA (All Pac-12)
…365 avg.*, 46 RBI, 55 runs*, 11 HR*, 1 triple, 10 doubles, 85 hits*, .558 Slg. %*, 33 BB*, 8 HBP, 15-19 SB*
Trevor Brown 1B-Jr-6-2/195-Valencia, CA
…328 avg., 51 RBI*, 40 Runs, 3 HR, 2 triples, 13 doubles*, .434 Slg.%, 14 BB, 9 HBP, 4-8 SB
Pat Valaika SS-Soph-5-11/195-Valencia, CA
…271 avg., 37 RBI, 37 Runs, 1 HR, 1 triple, 4 doubles, .372 Slg. %, 17 BB, 2 HBP, 5-6 SB
Cody Regis DH-Jr-6-2/220-Glendora, CA…247 avg., 25 RBI, 30 Runs, 1 HR, 1 triple, 4 doubles, .298 Slg. %, 30 BB, 7 HBP, 3-5 SB
Kevin Kramer 3B-Fr-6-0/195-Turlock, CA
…274 avg., 12 RBI, 16 Runs, 0 HR, 0 triples, 4 doubles, .310 Slg. %, 5 BB, 6 HBP, 1-2 SB
Kevin Williams 2B-Soph-6-0/190-Van Nuys, CA
…305 avg., 19 RBI, 27 Runs, 2 HR, 0 triples, 5 doubles, .377 Slg. %, 18 BB, 11 HBP, 4-7 SB

Starting Rotation

Adam Plutko RHP-Soph-6-3/195-Glendora, CA (All Pac-12)
…(11-3), 17 Starts, 2 CG*, 2.56 ERA, 112.2 IP*, 92 K*, 45 BB*, .216 Opp. Avg., 86 H

Nick Vander Tuig RHP-Soph-6-3/195-Oakdale, CA
…(10-3), 17 Starts, 4.35 ERA, 103.1 IP, 68 K, 24 BB, .279 Opp Avg., (115 H*)

Zack Weiss RHP-Soph-6-3/210-Irvine, CA
…(3-2)-12 Starts, 4.04 ERA, 69 IP, 44 K, 29 BB, .273 Opp. Avg., (72 H)

Bullpen

Ryan Deeter RHP-RS Soph-6-0/185-Newark, CA-Pac-12 Honorable Mention…(1-0), 35 appearances, 0.94 ERA*, 28.2 IP, 25 K, 16 BB, .188 Opp. Avg., (18 H)

David Berg RHP-Fr-6-0/190-Covina, CA-All Pac-12…(5-3), 47 Appearances*, 1.58 ERA, 68.1 IP, 61 K, 16 BB, .172 Opp Avg.,*, (14 H)

Scott Griggs RHP-Jr-6-4/205-Alamo, CA-All Pac-12…(3-1), 35 Appearances, 2.70 ERA, 15 Saves*, 36.2 IP, 64 K, 31 BB, .172 Opp Avg.,*, (23 H)

2012 CWS Bracket Two

TEAM	CONF.	RECORD	BA	R/GM	HR/ Sac Bunts	SLG%	OBP	SB-Att.	FLD%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	OPP.BA
Florida	SEC	47-18	.284	5.9	75/42	.452	.360	66-92	.979	2.90	3	18	489	132	.241
South Carolina	SEC	45-17	.271	5.3	41/62	.398	.358	38-62	.979	3.06	0	25	513	191	.222
Arkansas	SEC	44-20	.273	5.2	38/41	.389	.356	63-96	.969	2.90	0	15	517	207	.231
Kent State	MAC	46-18	.302	6.8	43/27	.442	.379	52-71	.974	3.49	1	19	525	232	.246

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College Baseball 360 Fall Notebook – Oct. 25

Sean Stires — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:45:30 +0000

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Weekend Series Tops Recent Comings & Goings…

What was probably the biggest happening of the fall took place over the weekend in Nashville, when Vanderbilt hosted Cal State Fullerton for a pair of games in the DeMarini Fall Classic. The Titans and new head coach, Rick Vanderhook, took both games in the exhibition series.

Fullerton took game one by a final of 10-8. The teams combined to allow 7 unearned runs thanks to single errors charged to each team. Titan starter, Dylan Floro, earned the win by allowing just a run on a hit in 4.0 innings of work. Grahamm Wiest got the win in relief in game two for Fullerton. He tossed 5.0 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts.

After going to the College World Series for the first time earlier this year, Vanderbilt has a lot of turnover in both the starting rotation and the everyday line-up.

Aces Grayson Garvin (13-2, 2.48 ERA) and Sonny Gray (12-4, 2.43 ERA) are both gone to the professional ranks, so Kevin Ziomek and Sam Selmon made the Saturday and Sunday starts, respectively.

Selmon tossed 5.0 shutout innings in his Sunday start, but the bullpen allowed 9 runs over the next 4.0 innings. He made just seven relief appearances as a sophomore in 2011. Ziomek gave-up 5 runs, but just one was earned in 2.0 innings. The lefty from Amherst, Mass. was 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA as a freshman last year with five starts and 22 relief outings.

Vanderbilt returns players like Tony Kemp, Mike Yastrzemski, Anthony Gomez, Riley Reynolds, and Connor Harrell from the CWS squad, but they lost their top RBI men in Aaron Westlake (18 HR, 56 RBIs), Jason Esposito (9 HR, 59 RBIs) and Curt Casali (7 HR, 53 RBIs).

Freshman phenom Chris Harvey caught one game and spent time as the DH in both games. He was a combined 1 for 7 in the series His lone hit was a solo home run in game one. It was Vanderbilt’s only long ball of the weekend. Harvey graduated high school early and is spending what would have been his senior year of high school as a freshman with the Commodores.

First baseman Carlos Lopez was 5 for 8 at the plate with 2 RBIs for the Titans. Outfielder Austin Kingsolver was 5 for 9 with 3 RBIs and a triple.

Both teams now prepare for their tough 2012 season openers in February. Tim Corbin and Vanderbilt open with a three game series at Stanford, while Vanderhook and Fullerton open with a three game set at Florida.

Raising More Than A Little Money…

Missouri and Iowa recently played a pair of exhibition games in Columbia as well. Mizzou won the first game 9-1, with the two teams tying 3-3 in the second game, but the outcomes were really the sub-plots to the weekend.

The real story was the fact that the exhibition games raised for than $12 thousand dollars to benefit the Joplin, Mo. Little League. Diamonds there were leveled after a tornado ravaged the entire Joplin area last May.

Ticket sales generated a total of $3,710, the sale of former Mizzou baseball jerseys raised $2,250 and $4,081 was collected in private donations.

All of the money raised will go directly to helping rebuild the fields for Joplin Little League. Following the tornado, the Little League received plenty of supplies and equipment but was left with the daunting task of rebuilding its fields.

Speaking of Missouri baseball, Texas Ranger second baseman, Ian Kinsler, is a Mizzou alum.

The Rhody Raffle…

For the Fourth straight year Rhode Island baseball is raising money for its program in a unique way. The winner of a raffle will have their choice of $10,000 in cash or a pair of Boston Red Sox season tickets.

The raffle runs through March 20, 2012, and is a significant fundraiser for the Rhode Island baseball team. All proceeds go directly back to the program to help offset the costs of travel, equipment and facility improvements.

An entry in the raffle is $100. Click Here to enter.

Robinson Renovation…

UCLA recently announced that it will add nearly 600 more chairback seats at Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The project is expected to be complete by this December. Once it’s done, the stadium will seat 1,820 fans. 290 seats will be installed above each dugout to accommodate the expansion. 2012 will mark the 32nd season for Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Releasing Schedules…

2012 schedules continue to be released by individual schools on a regular basis. Our Schedule page has links to those (that we know of) that have been released to date. Expect schedules to continue to be released from now through early February.

We will once again publish a list of some of the top non-conference schedules from across the country once they are all releases. Some of the current front-runners include Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, TCU, and Wichita State. Check out the schedule page to check all of the schedules that have been released so far.

Moneyball Mike…

If you have seen the movie Moneyball, you may have been thinking (as I did) “I’ve seen that guy before”, during one of the scenes. UC Irvine head coach, Mike Gillespie, had a cameo in the Brad Pitt film. Gillespie had a non-speaking role playing former Oakland A’s coach, Ken Macha, while the A’s staff was meeting in an office. By the way, Gillespie looks much more like Macha than actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman resembles then A’s manager Art Howe.

The Dugout in Omaha is your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel.

The Dugout is located right across the street from the Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium, but if you left Omaha without that College World Series hat, shirt or memorabilia you were thinking about you can still get it at Dugouthats.com! The Dugout also has fitted college and minor league caps – just like the ones the players where on the field.

The best part is, when you click on one of the red links to Dugouthats.com you will save 20% on your order when you enter the coupon code CB360!

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UCLA Names Former UC Davis Head Coach As Assistant

Sean Stires — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:16:06 +0000

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Rex Peters Has 18 Years As Head Coach…

Peters

LOS ANGELES – Rex Peters has been named assistant baseball coach at UCLA, as announced Monday by head coach John Savage. Peters, who spent the last nine seasons as head coach at UC Davis, will serve as the Bruins’ hitting and outfield coach.

Peters guided UC Davis from NCAA Division II to Division I status during his nine-year tenure (2003-11), helping the Aggies advance to the 2008 NCAA Tournament in their first year as a Division I member and Big West Conference program. He arrived at UC Davis after having spent nine seasons (1994-2002) as head coach at Chapman University (Orange, Calif.).

“Rex is a great addition to our program,” Savage said. “He brings a wealth of experience to UCLA and is very familiar with players and programs on the West Coast. We are very fortunate to be able to get somebody as talented as Rex to join our program as an assistant coach. He is a very accomplished offensive coach who I know our players are looking forward to working with.”

In nine seasons at UC Davis, Peters helped produce 21 MLB Draft selections, including a program-best seven draftees in 2008. Third baseman Daniel Descalso was selected in the third round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and made his major league debut with the organization in 2010. Additionally, seven UC Davis players earned ABCA or NCBWA All-Region honors during Peters’ tenure as head coach.

Peters’ most successful season at UC Davis came in 2008, when the Aggies went 35-24 with a trip to the NCAA Stanford Regional. Playing as the No. 4 seed, UC Davis defeated No. 1-seed Stanford, 4-2, on the first day of the NCAA Regional before losing the next two games.

In his second season as head coach at UC Davis (2004), Peters helped the Aggies post a 37-15-1 record, including a 32-7 mark in the program’s final year with the California Collegiate Athletic Association. While no longer eligible for postseason play as part of its transition to Division I status, UC Davis finished atop the conference standings by more than seven games.

In 2003, Peters guided UC Davis to a 36-24 record and first NCAA Division II postseason berth since 1995.

Peters helped lead Chapman to three appearances in the NCAA Division III College World Series, including a third-place finish in 2000. He established program records as a head coach for most wins and highest winning percentage, taking the Panthers to the NCAA West Regional five times.

Through 18 seasons as a head coach, Peters collected a 482-396-3 (.549) career record.

Peters graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1989 with his bachelor’s degree in physical education. He was an honorable mention All-America selection for the Titans, helping lead the ballclub to a third-place finish at the 1988 College World Series. He was selected in the 24th round of the 1989 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and played four years in the minor leagues, advancing as high as double-A San Antonio.

Peters earned his master’s degree in education, with an emphasis in physical education, from Azusa Pacific in 1994.

(Release)

Find authentic UCLA baseball caps, just like the ones worn on the field by UCLA players, at Dugouthats.com. Enter the coupon code CB360 and save 20% on your order at Dugouthats.com!

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Trevor Bauer Wins Golden Spikes Award

Sean Stires — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:57:33 +0000

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NEW YORK – UCLA junior right-hander Trevor Bauer earned the 2011 Golden Spikes Award, as presented by USA Baseball on Friday evening during a live television program in MLB Network’s studios.

Trevor Bauer

Bauer becomes the first player in UCLA history to earn the Golden Spikes Award, which has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country since 1978. The GSA is sponsored by Major League Baseball and presented each year to the player who best exhibits exception on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship.

Bauer was joined on stage with the award’s other two finalists, pitchers Danny Hultzen (Virginia) and Taylor Jungmann (Texas), and their families.

Already honored as the national player of the year by Baseball America and Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, Bauer had a sensational year for UCLA in 2011. He went 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA in 136.2 innings and led the nation in strikeouts (203) and complete games (10). He allowed just 22 runs (19 earned) and 73 hits, limiting the opposition to a conference-leading .154 batting average.

The day after UCLA’s season ended, Bauer was selected as the No. 3 overall selection in the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bauer set UCLA career records in strikeouts (460), wins (34) and innings (373.1) and owns the school’s top two marks in single-season strikeouts with 203 in 2011 and 165 in 2010. In two postseasons, Bauer collected a 4-0 record with a 3.00 ERA, logging school records with 55 strikeouts in 39.0 innings. No UCLA pitcher has ever collected three postseason victories, and only five pitchers have earned two wins.

In his final start, Bauer established himself as the Pac-12 Conference’s single-season strikeout leader. He finished the 2011 season with 203 strikeouts, one ahead of Mark Prior’s 202 strikeouts in 2001 at USC. Bauer ranks second on the conference’s career strikeouts list, 31 shy of Tim Lincecum’s 491 strikeouts at Washington (2004-06).

Bauer was honored as National Pitcher of the Year at the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s Night of Champions in Lubbock, Texas, on July 3. At the conclusion of the regular season, he captured 2011 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year honors. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 Team selection, just the second player in school history to accomplish that feat (along with infielder Garrett Atkins, 1998-2000).

USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Winners

(in chronological order)

Year Player Name College Attended

1978 Bob Horner Arizona State

1979 Tim Wallach Cal State Fullerton

1980 Terry Francona Arizona

1981 Mike Fuentes Florida State

1982 Augie Schmidt New Orleans

1983 Dave Magadan Alabama

1984 Oddibe McDowell Arizona State

1985 Will Clark Mississippi State

1986 Mike Loynd Florida State

1987 Jim Abbott Michigan

1988 Robin Ventura Oklahoma State

1989 Ben McDonald LSU

1990 Alex Fernandez Miami-Dade Community College

1991 Mike Kelly Arizona State

1992 Phil Nevin Cal State Fullerton

1993 Darren Dreifort Wichita State

1994 Jason Varitek Georgia Tech

1995 Mark Kotsay Cal State Fullerton

1996 Travis Lee San Diego State

1997 J.D. Drew Florida State

1998 Pat Burrell Miami

1999 Jason Jennings Baylor

2000 Kip Bouknight South Carolina

2001 Mark Prior University of Southern California

2002 Khalil Greene Clemson

2003 Rickie Weeks Southern

2004 Jered Weaver Long Beach State

2005 Alex Gordon Nebraska

2006 Tim Lincecum Washington

2007 David Price Vanderbilt

2008 Buster Posey Florida State

2009 Stephen Strasburg San Diego State

2010 Bryce Harper College of Southern Nevada

2011 Trevor Bauer UCLA

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UCLA Makes Statement At Oregon’s Expense

Sean Stires — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:08:21 +0000

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Bruins Gain Momentum – Ducks Seek Identity…

By CB360 Contributor Kris Anderson

As the regular season winds down, we are starting to gain a better idea of what the postseason might look like. In Eugene, Ore. over the weekend, the UCLA Bruins and the Oregon Ducks showed they are two teams heading in opposite directions.

The Bruins, behind their dominate starting pitching, swept the Ducks, and continued to silence the criticism of their offense. On the other side of the diamond, the Ducks all but played their way out of any hopes of the postseason, due in large part to an offense that only got worse as the series went on.

Beginning with the first game of the series, the Bruins offense seemed unhindered by Oregon’s elite starting pitching.

Seattle Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik was among those in attendance for last Friday's UCLA-Oregon game.

Friday’s series-opener marked one of the most anticipated pitching match ups in PK Park’s short history. Gerrit Cole, a potential number one overall pick in this year’s draft, faced off against Oregon’s Tyler Anderson, a probable first round draft pick. An estimated 25 scouts were on-hand, including Seattle Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik.

The Bruins took advantage of Anderson’s lack of control, tagging him for four runs (three earned) on six hits and drew four walks. Anderson only lasted 5 1/3 innings. Cole’s stuff wasn’t as sharp as usual, but he only allowed one earned run through 7 1/3 innings. A steady drizzle throughout the game could have been a factor for both pitchers, although Anderson said it wasn’t.

Saturday night against Ducks’ sophomore Madison Boer, the Bruins bats did get to Boer early, but not often. UCLA right fielder Chris Giovinazzo led the game off with a double and would later score. They rattled Boer once more in the fifth innings, scoring two runs on three hits and a walk.

The nation’s strikeout leader, Trevor Bauer, was on the hill for the Bruins, and he dazzled as usual. The probable top-10 pick struck out 12 on the way to earning his fifth consecutive complete game (sixth on the year). The only sign of life in the Oregon lineup came from freshman Ryon Healy who drove a 4-seam fastball over the wall for his second home run of the year.

Healy’s performance in recent series’ has earned him a starting spot in the lineup, and has many excited about his future as a Duck.

Adam Plutko was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for his efforts on Sunday.

UCLA looked to earn the sweep behind the arm of freshman Adam Plutko on Sunday. Plutko was a sixth round draft pick in 2010 by the Houston Astros out of high school, and showed he why on Sunday. He and Oregon starter Alex Keudell matched zeroes until Keudell came out of the game after 6 2/3 innings. In the eighth inning, UCLA got on the board first. Things fell apart for the Ducks in the ninth as relief pitcher Scott McGough was tagged for three earned runs.

Plutko earned his first complete game of the season in a shutout effort. He pitched to his scouting report, as he worked his fastball and changeup effectively and recorded seven strikeouts. He did show an extreme lack of confidence in his curveball. Following a base hit up the middle by Oregon center fielder Brett Thomas on a hanging curveball in the fourth inning, Plutko did not appear to throw another curve throughout the rest of the game.

By series end, the Bruins had outscored the Ducks 14-2, and continued to prove that their weekend rotation is among the best—if not the best—in the nation. They also out-hit the Ducks 30-to-13. UCLA was able to get to the Oregon pitching staff in a way that not many teams have. Bruins head coach John Savage said that any concerns about his team’s offense were “a non-issue,” and that is hard to argue after their showing at the plate over the weekend.

John Savage's UCLA offense is starting to get hot at the right time of year.

Bruins third baseman Cody Regis raised his batting average over the weekend from .287 to .302—he went 4-for-4 in the final game of the series. Including Regis, the Bruins two, three, four and five hitters in Sunday’s lineup are all hitting above .300.

UCLA’s offense was reeling during the first half of the year, but that was likely due to a lack of comfort with the new bats. While they did leave 26 runners on base over the weekend, they found ways to get on base and continuously executed sacrifices, helping to bring runners home. With their pitching staff, that might be all it takes to win games now, and possibly into June.

Following the game on Sunday, there was plenty of insult to add to the injury. Second baseman Danny Pulfer’s streak of reaching base consecutively ended at 31 games. It was the first time the Ducks have been swept at home since May 24, 2009. They were also held to a season low two hits.

Last year the Ducks were selected for regionals with a 13-14 record in the Pac-10. They now sit at 5-13 and would have to go 8-1 through their remaining conference schedule to match their record from last season. That includes a three game series against No. 3 Oregon State at home to finish the regular season.

Oregon appeared to be a team finding their stride as of late. After taking two out of three against Arizona , the Ducks went on the road and played No. 21 Cal. Oregon did drop the series but both losses came on walk-off hits by the Bears.

In the week before UCLA, the Ducks beat Oregon State during a mid week, non-conference game, 7-2.

But by many accounts following the sweep, this is a team that consists of some players who have given up on the season.

“Pretty sure we established that we’re soft two weeks ago…” Pulfer said. “Some guys are focused, some guys aren’t.”

George Horton's Oregon Ducks have struggled to find consistency in 2011.

Ducks head coach George Horton echoed Pulfers thoughts. “I feel like throwing up. I thought it was one of the weakest offensive efforts that I’ve seen in a long time,” he said of Sunday’s game. “I’m out of speeches.”

While by last year’s standards the Ducks are not yet eliminated from the postseason, mentally they appear to be. In the week leading up to this series, Horton described his team as being “immature”, and those feelings are probably even stronger after the weekend. 21 of the 35 Oregon players are underclassmen, and the immaturity could be a result of that.

This is a team that hasn’t found an identity, nor do they have the emotional stability that would make them poised enough to finish the year by going 8-1. To be a year older and a year wiser could create for an impressive turnaround next season. They’re a team with raw offensive talent and freshman set to become the face of the program in the next couple of years. But with every step forward comes two steps backwards.

Barring a dramatic epiphany, Oregonis a team better suited for the future than the present.