UCLA Bruins Final '07 Rank: 21 33-28

A young Bruin team played one of the toughest schedules in the country last year, locking horns with the likes of Miami, UC Riverside, LBSU, Ole Miss, Cal State Fullerton, UIC, UC Irvine, Arizona and Oregon State – just to name a few. Despite battling a who’s who of college baseball, UCLA was still able to finish the year at 33-28. The Bruins advanced all the way to the Super Regionals where their season was ultimately ended at the hands of Cal State Fullerton. Eight of UCLA's 10 starters will return to the team in 2008 which have them on the short list of title contenders going into the new season.

The biggest loss to the club is staff ace Tyson Brummett (4.04, 10-6) who had a phenomenal farewell season. Brummett was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week three times and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies after being selected in the seventh round of the MLB draft. Returning to the UCLA campus are Gavin Brooks, Garett Claypool and Tim Murphy, the next three leaders in games started and innings pitched. Brooks, a left handed sophomore, had a 4.47 ERA and established new Bruin records for innings (110.2) and strikeouts (98) by a freshman. In his final four starts he threw three complete games, went 3-1 and had a 1.37 ERA. Claypool, also a sophomore righty, had a 3.54 ERA, a 3-1 record and four saves which earned him a host of postseason accolades. Murphy took the hill when he wasn’t playing outfield (.244 in 23 centerfield starts). The junior lefthander compiled a 5-4 record and fanned an incredible 96 batters in just 76 innings pitched. In the bullpen, Jason Novak appeared in 24 games for the Bruins as a sophomore. He earned a 3-0 record, 4.83 ERA and recorded 38 Ks in 41 innings pitched. Both Claypool and Novak will most likely be used out of the bullpen; either one could serve as closer. Heralded freshman Charles Brewer (the 2006 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year) was forced to sit out the first five weeks of the ’07 season with mono, followed by another month with elbow tendonitis. Limited to just over a half-dozen innings pitched last year, he’s now at full strength and is competing for a spot in the starting rotation.

The Bruin offense has the potential to be one of the most explosive lineups in the West if not the county. Outfielder Gabe Cohen had an extraordinary freshman year, batting .345 with ten homeruns. He also had a team-best .400 Pac-10 batting average. Junior Brandon Crawford earned All-Pac-10 shortstop honors after hitting .335 with 26 extra base hits and 11 stolen bases. He was named the team’s MVP for the second year, in large part due to his 24 multi-hit games and pair of ten game hitting streaks. Senior Alden Carrithers led the club in batting, hitting the horsehide at a .352 clip and 53 runs. Additionally his .445 on base percentage was tops on the team thanks to his ability to get on base; he had 32 walks and was hit by a pitch 11 times. Junior Jermaine Curtis will be back at third base. He had a .329 batting average, but was limited to 37 games as he had to miss the first 24 games due to NCAA ineligibility. The leading longball hitter for UCLA is first baseman Cody Decker. The junior launched 14 balls over the wall and consequently led the team with a .583 slugging percentage. He also hit safely in 17 of the last 20 games to finish his year with a .307 batting average. Catcher Ryan Babineau will also be back behind the plate for his junior year. The backstop had a .272 average to accompany his .996 fielding average to solidify the Bruin starting lineup.