The UCLA baseball team has a renewed sense of competitiveness this season behind revamped depth and a talented freshman class.
“We all like being around each other and I think there’s a really good competitive atmosphere,” senior first baseman Daylen Reyes said. “That’s definitely something that’s new and something that’s positive for us.”
The Bruins did not appear in the NCAA Regionals last season for the first time since the 2016 season. Multiple injuries depleted the roster, leading to losses in five of their last seven regular-season games for a 28-24-1 overall record and a 12-16-1 mark in Pac-12 play.
“Being at home during playoffs sucked,” Reyes said. “We have higher expectations than that, so we’re shooting for higher.”
Head coach John Savage said he feels confident in the Bruins’ depth if injuries arise again, especially with the position players. He said there are up to 19 position players that he feels confident in heading into the season.
There are also options in the bullpen. Preseason Pac-12 selection Luke Jewett is slated to be the Friday night starter, sophomore Finn McIlroy will start on Saturdays and sophomore Michael Barnett will get the nod on Sundays. Freshman Landon Stump will take the lead on Tuesdays.
“We like how it stacks up,” Savage said. “They can pick each other up if they have to go in in the middle of an inning. They’re durable. We have always built our team from the back to the front and this team is no different in regards to pitching.”
Junior infielders Duce Goursen and Cody Schrier are also preseason all-conference picks and will likely have big roles as hitters this season. Schrier held a .466 slugging percentage in 32 games last season after missing time due to injury.
Goursen led UCLA with a .319/.438/.515 slash line, 10 home runs and 48 RBIs. He had an additional eight stolen bases and had an on-base percentage of .438.
“He’s a very instinctual player,” Savage said. “He sees the ball really on a pro level in the batter’s box. His pitch decision is tremendous. His zone discipline, his chase rates are all pretty good. It carries over I think to running the bases and making decisions.”
Reyes, Jewett and Schrier are each team captains this year. Reyes, in particular, brings a sense of assuredness to the team after spending four years in the program. The Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High product missed playing time due to injury, but he slashed .280/.392/.347 in 118 at-bats with 17 RBIs.
“He’s a true Bruin in every way,” Savage said. “A very good leader both vocally and by his work. They look up to him. They respond to him. There’s not many true seniors that have been with programs for four years anymore.”
Reyes and his co-captains oversee a highly-touted freshman group that was rated the No. 3 recruiting class by both Baseball America and Perfect Game.
Eighteen freshmen populate the Bruins’ roster, including pitchers Luke Rodriguez (Frontier), Justin Lee (Notre Dame/SO), Cole Miller (Newbury Park) and Stump (Live Oak).
Infielders Roch Cholowsky (Hamilton, Ariz.), Roman Martin (Servite) and Brandon Winokur (Edison) were ranked within the Top 20 recruits nationally coming out of high school.
Catcher Blake Balsz (Santa Margarita) was the No. 6 catcher in his class in the state of California.
“They’re very mature for their age,” Reyes said. “They stick together, so that’s something that I admire. There’s going to be a lot of depth on this team and it really seems that they’re all pulling for each other. They’re team-focused people and they’re fitting in our system very well.”
UCLA starts its season on Friday night with a three-game home series against Gonzaga before hosting Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night.
The Bruins will see their first ranked opponent of the season when they travel to No. 6 TCU on Feb. 23.