UCLA Bruins Baseball: A Legacy of Excellence and Regional Dominance

The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Big Ten Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I (formerly Division I-A). Among UCLA's many sports programs, the baseball team stands out with a rich history, marked by regional successes, College World Series appearances, and a national championship. This article delves into the history of the UCLA Bruins baseball team, highlighting their achievements in NCAA regional tournaments and their overall impact on college baseball.

Early Years and the Road to Omaha

The UCLA Bruins baseball program started in 1920 and has become a force in college baseball. The team plays its home games at Jackie Robinson Stadium. In 1969, Chris Chambliss led the Bruins to their first College World Series (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, who went on to play for Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves between 1971 and 1986, had a team-high .340 batting average and 15 home runs.

The 1990s: Pac-10 Champions and CWS Return

Under head coach Gary Adams, the 1997 team won the Pac-10 title with a 43-18 record (21-9 Pac-10) and reached the CWS. The team included future Major League Baseball players Troy Glaus, Jim Parque, and Eric Byrnes. Jon Heinrichs, Tom Jacquez, Eric Valent, and Peter Zamora also played on the team.

The 2010s: A Decade of Dominance

The 2010s marked a period of significant success for the UCLA Bruins baseball program, highlighted by multiple NCAA tournament appearances, regional championships, and ultimately, a College World Series title.

2010: Los Angeles Regional and CWS Runners-Up

The Bruins finished the 2010 season with a 43-13 record and were selected to host the Los Angeles Regional of the 2010 NCAA tournament at Jackie Robinson Stadium. 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). The Bruins lost both games to South Carolina in the CWS Championship Series to finish as national runners-up. The team was ranked No. 1 in an April Baseball America poll. Cody Regis, Beau Amaral, and Trevor Bauer were named to the All-College World Series Team. The 2010 team, under head coach John Savage, was the first team to win 48 games in a season, also winning the Los Angeles Regional and Super-Regional.

2012: Hosting Regionals and Super Regional Appearance

With a 42-14 record, the Bruins hosted the Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA tournament at Jackie Robinson 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.

2013: National Champions

Following a 39-17 regular season record and third-place finish in the Pac-12, UCLA was selected to host a regional in the 2013 NCAA tournament. In it, UCLA defeated Cal Poly, San Diego, and San Diego State to advance to the Super Regional. UCLA advanced to the 2013 College World Series and faced Mississippi State in a best-of-three final, having defeating 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. They won 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.

2018 Los Angeles Regional

And with its bullpen tossing a shutout seventh, eighth and ninth, No. 15 seed UCLA baseball (45-16, 22-8 Big Ten) outlasted UC Irvine (43-17, 24-6 Big West) 8-5 to win the Los Angeles regional of the NCAA tournament. The Bruins scored first for a third-straight contest Sunday, and Roman Martin was at the heart of the early action yet again.

“Everyone has a great approach to play,” Levu said.

Wylan Moss pumps his fists and screams as he walks off the mound. The freshman right-hander, making his first NCAA tournament appearance, struck out the side in the bottom of the first.

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“We jumped out on them,” said coach John Savage.

Bruin starter Wylan Moss got off to a fiery start in his first national tournament appearance. Graduate student right-hander August Souza pitches against UC Irvine in the NCAA regional final. Souza tossed 1.1 shutout innings Sunday, preserving the Bruins three-run lead.

“He’s (Souza) had a remarkable second half of the season,” Savage said.

With UTSA upsetting No.

“We still got a long road,” Savage said.

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Notable Players and MLB Impact

Many UCLA baseball players have gone on to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). In the 2009 World Series, Chase Utley hit two home runs to help the Philadelphia Phillies win Game 1. There were a total of four former UCLA baseball players in the 2009 playoffs: Philadelphia's Ben Francisco and Chase Utley, Colorado's Garrett Atkins, and St. Louis' Troy Glaus, who was the 2002 World Series MVP for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Chris Chambliss and Gerrit Cole were No. 1 overall picks in the MLB drafts. Trevor Bauer was drafted as the No. 3 pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 6, 2011. Former UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford hit a grand-slam home run in his major-league debut with the San Francisco Giants on May 27, 2011, and helped the Giants to win the 2012 Major League World Series.

A Tradition of Excellence

The UCLA Bruins baseball program stands as a testament to the university's commitment to athletic excellence. From their early beginnings to their recent successes, the Bruins have consistently demonstrated a high level of play, sportsmanship, and dedication. The program's emphasis on player development, combined with strong coaching and a supportive fan base, has created a winning formula that has led to numerous regional championships, College World Series appearances, and ultimately, a national championship. As the Bruins continue to compete in the Big Ten Conference, they carry with them a legacy of excellence and a determination to achieve even greater heights in the world of college baseball.

UCLA Athletics: A Comprehensive Overview

The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. Upon its founding as the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1919, the football team was known as the "Cubs" because of its younger relationship to the California Bears in Berkeley. In 1923, the team adopted the nickname "Grizzlies". The Bruins began to use live bears as mascots in the 1930s, renting animals to appear at all UCLA home football games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In the early days of the school, UCLA had the same colors as the University of California, Berkeley: Yale Blue and gold. When football coach Red Sanders came to UCLA for the 1949 season he redesigned the football uniforms. The Yale blue was changed to a lighter shade of blue. Sanders figured that the baby blue would look better on the field and in a film.

Conference Affiliations

Upon its founding, UCLA joined the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Following "pay-for-play" scandals at California, USC, UCLA, and Washington, the PCC disbanded in June 1959. On July 1, 1959, the new Athletic Association of Western Universities was launched, with California, UCLA, USC, and Washington as the four charter members. The conference renamed itself the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968, then the Pacific-10 Conference in 1978, and the Pac-12 in 2011.

Basketball

Several of the most revered championships were won by the Men's Basketball team under coaches John Wooden and Jim Harrick. The rich legacy of UCLA basketball has produced 11 NCAA championships - 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1995. From 1971 to 1974, UCLA won 88 consecutive men's basketball games, an NCAA record for men. In March 2013, UCLA relieved head men's basketball coach Ben Howland of his duties after UCLA dropped an 83-63 decision to Minnesota in a second-round game of the NCAA tournament. In the 1977-78 season, the women's basketball team, with a 27-2 record, were the AIAW Champions under head coach Billie Moore. The 2014-15 team won the 2015 WNIT championship by defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers 62-60 on April 4, 2015.

Football

In 1954, the UCLA football team earned a share of the national title with a 9-0 record and a #1 ranking in the Coaches UPI football poll, while Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll. Owing to rules in place at the time, UCLA was unable to face off against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, which would have resulted in one or the other being declared national champion. The Bruins have played in the Rose Bowl Game 12 times, winning 5 of them. The Bruins have won or shared the conference title 17 times. Among the many former UCLA football stars are Jackie Robinson, Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban, Bob Waterfield, Troy Aikman, Carnell Lake, and Tommy Maddox. One of the great moments in recent history for the Bruins came on December 2, 2006, when they beat USC 13-9 in one of the greatest upsets in the rivalry. The current head coach is Bob Chesney.

Golf

The UCLA Bruins men's golf team has won two NCAA Championships, in 1988 and 2008. In the 2008 national championship, the team was led by senior Kevin Chappell, who won the respective individual title. In that championship, UCLA won by one shot over USC, and by two shots over Stanford. In 2009, UCLA came first in the NCAA Central Regional, pulling off their third regional championship in the last seven years. With that victory, the defending national champions, advanced to their seventh consecutive NCAA Championship, a school record. For 2011, the Bruins were first in stroke play before losing in the match play of the national championship tournament; and freshman golfer Patrick Cantlay was named GCAA Division I Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the fourth player from UCLA. The women's team won the national championship in 1971 (DGWS), 1991, 2004 and 2011.

Gymnastics

The women's gymnastics team has won seven NCAA Women's Gymnastics championships under head coach Valorie Kondos Field, including championships in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2018. The team took home its 15th Pac-10 Gymnastics Championship on March 27, 2009.

Rugby

James Schaeffer introduced the original team in 1934, which was eventually revived post-WWII through Norm Padgett and his tireless hustling and fraternity walks. In 1958, Padgett's former Captain, Ged Gardner, assumed the Coaching role from until 1965. Dennis Storer remained Head Coach from 1966 - 1982, when the program operated as a Varsity Sport, winning a national title in 1972 and then another in 1975.

Soccer

Since the beginning of the men's soccer tournament in 1959, UCLA has won national championship in 1985, 1990, 1997, and 2002; and finished second in 1970, 1972, 1973, and 2006. The men's soccer team won the 2008 Pacific-10 Conference championship and received the conference's automatic bid in the NCAA national championship Tournament, their 26 consecutive appearances. Cobi Jones, USA's most capped national player, played for UCLA. The women's soccer team has won the Pac-10 championships eight times since beginning play in 1993. For the 2008 Women's Soccer Championships, the undefeated UCLA women's soccer team was named one of the four No. 1 seeds, the third time in program history.

Softball

The Bruins have been 13-time NCAA champions, including the first one in 1982. They won the World Series in 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2019.

Tennis

The only school to have competed in every NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament, the team has won 16 national championships and 37 Pac-12 conference titles. The 1950 men's tennis team won UCLA's first-ever NCAA Championship. The women's team, which won national championships in 1981 (AIAW), 2008 and 2014, is coached by Stella Sampras.

Track and Field

When Meb Keflezighi was running for UCLA, he won four NCAA championships in one year, including the cross-country title, the 10,000 meters outdoors and the 5,000 meters indoors and outdoors titles in track.

Volleyball

The UCLA men's team won 21 NCAA titles, 19 under Al Scates, who coached the Bruins for 48 years. The women's team has captured 8 of the championships since it became an NCAA sponsored event.

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