The 2010 UCLA Bruins Baseball Team: A Season of Triumph and Near Misses

The UCLA Bruins baseball team represents the University of California, Los Angeles, as its varsity college baseball team. The program, which began in 1920, is a member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference and plays its home games at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The 2010 season was a remarkable one for the Bruins, marked by significant achievements and a heartbreaking finish.

A Promising Season

The 2010 UCLA Bruins baseball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 2010 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Bruins played their home games in Jackie Robinson Stadium. They concluded the season with an impressive 43-13 record, earning them the opportunity to host the Los Angeles Regional of the 2010 NCAA tournament at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Before the 2010 College World Series, the Bruins had never won a single game in the CWS. The team broke that 0-4 all time CWS record by defeating the #3 ranked Florida Gators in the first round, 11 to 3. The 2010 baseball team improved on their first ever CWS win by beating TCU 6 to 3 in the second round.

NCAA Tournament Run

UCLA was selected to play in the 2010 NCAA Division I baseball tournament as the #1 seed in the Los Angeles, CA Regional and the #6 national seed. The team won the regional by defeating its other three teams, UC Irvine (39-17), Kent State (39-23), and defending national champions LSU (40-20). UCLA went 5-1 in the Regionals and beat UC Irvine in the finals to advance to the Super Regionals. With a 42-14 record, the Bruins hosted the Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA tournament at Jackie Robinsion Stadium and defeated Creighton and New Mexico to advance to the Super Regional. The Bruins then defeated TCU to advance to the College World Series.

College World Series Journey

Before the 2010 College World Series, the Bruins had never won a single game in the CWS. The team broke that 0-4 all time CWS record by defeating the #3 ranked Florida Gators in the first round, 11 to 3. The 2010 baseball team improved on their first ever CWS win by beating TCU 6 to 3 in the second round. Due to the double elimination format of the CWS, UCLA played TCU again in the semifinals.

Championship Series Heartbreak

The Bruins lost both games to South Carolina in the CWS Championship Series to finish as national runners-up. Cody Regis, Beau Amaral, and Trevor Bauer were named to the All-College World Series Team.

Team Roster and Key Players

While specific details of the complete 2010 UCLA Bruins baseball roster are not available in the provided text, the information does highlight some key players and their contributions:

Trevor Bauer: Recognized as an All-College World Series Team member, indicating his significant impact on the team's success.
Cody Regis: Also named to the All-College World Series Team, further solidifying the team's talent.
Beau Amaral: Another All-College World Series Team selection, demonstrating the team's overall strength.

Historical Context and Program Success

The UCLA Bruins baseball program has a rich history, with several notable achievements:

1969 College World Series: Chris Chambliss led the Bruins to their first CWS appearance. The team defeated Santa Clara at the NCAA Regional and finished in 7th place, after losing to Tulsa, 6-5 in 10 innings, and to Arizona State, 2-1 in 12 innings. Chambliss had a team-high .340 batting average and 15 home runs.
1997 Pac-10 Title and CWS Appearance: The team, led by head coach Gary Adams and featuring future Major League Baseball players Troy Glaus, Jim Parque, and Eric Byrnes, won the Pac-10 title with a 43-18 record (21-9 Pac-10). Jon Heinrichs, Tom Jacquez, Eric Valent, and Peter Zamora also played on the team.
2013 College World Series Championship: UCLA advanced to the 2013 College World Series and faced Mississippi State in a best-of-three final, having defeated the number one national seed North Carolina, 4-1, in the final game of the preliminary round. The Bruins won the first game, 3-1, and the second game, 8-0, to win the program's first national championship. The team's pitching staff, including starters Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig, and Grant Watson, and relievers James Kaprielian, Zack Weiss, and David Berg, gave up only four runs in five games at the World Series.

Rankings

The team was ranked No. 1 in an April Baseball America poll.

Coaching Staff

Rick Vanderhook
Steve Pearse

Games

Nov 12, UCLA (1-0) Win vs.
Nov 15, UCLA (2-0) Win vs.
Nov 16, UCLA (3-0) Win vs.
Nov 24 (Neutral), UCLA (3-1) Loss vs.
Nov 26 (Neutral), UCLA (3-2) Loss vs.
Dec 5, UCLA (3-4) Loss vs.
Dec 11, UCLA (4-4) Win vs.
Dec 13, UCLA (5-4) Win vs.
Dec 18 (Neutral), UCLA (6-4) Win vs.
Dec 21, UCLA (7-4) Win vs.
Dec 23, UCLA (8-4) Win vs.
Dec 29, UCLA (9-4) Win vs.
Dec 31, UCLA (9-5) Loss vs.
Jan 20, UCLA (12-6) Win vs.
Jan 22, UCLA (13-6) Win vs.
Feb 2, UCLA (15-7) Win vs.
Feb 5, UCLA (16-7) Win vs. St.
Feb 10, UCLA (17-7) Win vs.
Feb 12, UCLA (18-7) Win vs.
Feb 24, UCLA (20-8) Win vs.
Feb 26, UCLA (21-8) Win vs.
Mar 10 (Neutral), UCLA (22-10) Loss vs.
Mar 17 (Neutral), UCLA (23-10) Win vs.
Mar 19 (Neutral), UCLA (23-11) Loss vs.

Read also: 2010 FBS Final Rankings

tags: #2010 #UCLA #Bruins #baseball #roster