UCLA Bruins are best team in college baseball

They’re averaging more than nine runs per game. They haven’t committed an error. They are coming off a three-game weekend sweep in which they pulverized seventh-ranked TCU.

The top-ranked UCLA Bruins could be making an early case to be considered the best baseball team in school history.

“We made a statement clearly against a very good TCU team,” UCLA coach John Savage told the California Post on Monday after his team outscored the Horned Frogs, 30-8, “and we’ve just got to keep on continuing to build our character and our identity.”

Through seven games, the Bruins (6-1) have shown they’re a team built around stellar offense and defense.

UCLA’s lineup is so deep that its Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Will Gasparino and Dominic Cadiz, belted a combined three homers Sunday during the team’s 15-5, eight-inning run-rule victory over TCU. Gasparino and shortstop Roch Cholowsky — widely projected as the top pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft — have each hit six homers to tie for the national lead.

“I would think that these guys are off to about as good a start as you can have at this level against this sort of pitching,” Savage said. “Whenever you have a shortstop and a center fielder hitting for that sort of power, it’s pretty special.”

The Bruins’ lineup is stocked with power, speed and a mixture of left- and right-handed hitters, making it difficult for any pitcher to get through unscathed.

“The lineup is very well-balanced,” said Savage, whose team is hitting .316 and averaging 9.2 runs. “We have some threats — really, literally, one through nine.”

The defense has been flawless, going as deep into a season without an error as Savage can remember one of his teams doing.

“Through seven games, I don’t know how many teams in the country don’t have an error,” Savage said, “but I don’t think there’s probably a whole lot.”

UCLA’s pitching has been another strength. 

Michael Barnett and Logan Reddemann have each won their first two starts, with Barnett compiling a 1.80 ERA and Reddemann logging 16 strikeouts in 10 innings. Reliever Wylan Moss has pitched 6⅔ scoreless innings in two games while piggybacking behind Barnett.

“His last outing was just lightning – you’re talking about four innings and 10 K’s and no walks,” Savage said of Moss. “I mean, I think he had nine straight strikeouts. It was really, really impressive, as good as you can throw the ball and with that sort of command and velocity.”

Closer Easton Hawk struggled in one of his two outings, inflating his ERA to 10.12, but has retained his coach’s confidence. Savage intended to get Hawk into the game Sunday before it ended prematurely when his team erupted for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. That’s just the sort of thing the Bruins have shown they can do.

So might this have a chance to be the best team in school history?

“Oh, it’s hard to say; I don’t really look at it that way,” said Savage, who guided the Bruins to the 2013 College World Series title and is in his 22nd season at the school. “I look at it more just in terms of what we’re trying to build and what sort of identity we’re trying to build.

“What I’m really looking for is just a tough-minded team that can take on all challenges and keep on getting better.”

UCLA’s next chance to prove itself comes at 5 p.m. Tuesday when it faces San Diego State at Jackie Robinson Stadium.