June 2010 Archives

Hey guys,

Just got back from 12 days in Omaha, and I'm taking off for the Fourth of July weekend up to see family in the Bay Area. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, and if any major news breaks, I'll try to be on it.

Thanks
Jon

OMAHA, Neb. -
Rosenblatt Stadium is a living, breathing testament to college baseball, a relic that has 50 years of memories coursing through its concourses. It pulses with every pitch, smells like 1952 and 1965 and 1983, oozes small-town charm.

The College World Series will leave the venerated grounds next season, heading down 10th Street and settling in at the new monolithic TD Ameritrade Ballpark, a modern marvel of beauty and comfort.

But the ol' ballpark had a little more magic in her, she wasn't ready to watch the young ballplayers go.

Rosenblatt held on for two extra innings, an 11th inning single by South Carolina's Whit Merrifield driving home Scott Wingo to lift the Gamecocks to the 2-1 win over UCLA in front of 24,390.

"I was sitting out by the third baseline for opening ceremonies with the other teams, thinking, 'What a venue, what an atmosphere, what a history, to be able to come in the last year, to be part of the College World Series and the closing of Rosenblatt," South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. "And it dawned on me, it would be wonderful to go deep into this thing and be around at the end. And to be able to survive and win the last game is really incredible.
"I know the new stadium will be very special and a great facility. But this is history."

Incoming freshmen linebacker Josh Shirley, wide receiver Paul Richardson and cornerback Shaquille Richardson were dismissed from the UCLA football team today after the three players were arrested last Wednesday on suspicion of felony theft.

"The three young men know they made a terrible mistake," Neuheisel said in a release. "We expect our players to behave a certain way and there are consequences when they don't. Paul, Shaquille and Josh are paying a steep price for their lapse in judgment. They will not be allowed to enroll in school this fall and will not have the opportunity to begin their UCLA academic and athletic careers.

"Whether they are allowed to enroll for Winter Quarter will be determined at a later date. That decision will be based on several factors, including their behavior."

Neuheisel has left the window open for a return to the program in January if the players meet requirements set by the team. However, the Office of the Dean of Students might impose additional discipline.

The three players were arrested near Hedrick Hall by University Police, reportedly on suspicion of stealing a purse. They were charged with suspicion of felony theft and released on Thursday, the Richardsons receiving $20,000 bail, while Shirley received none.

It is a sharp turn of events, particularly for Shirley, who was expected to compete for a spot on the depth chart after a fantastic senior season at Kaiser of Fontana. Shirley, rated the No. 12 outside linebacker in the class of 2010 by Scout.com, shocked the football community by signing with UCLA on Feb. 3. Most recruiting analysts believed he had ruled out the Bruins.

Shaq and Paul Richardson, meanwhile, were expected to redshirt this season, as they were to enter positions of strength. Shaq Richardson was rated the No. 27 cornerback out of Los Alamitos High School, while Paul Richardson was rated the No. 22 wide receiver out of Serra High of Gardena.

OMAHA, Neb. -
The South Carolina baseball team got its wakeup call pretty early on Monday morning.
A fire alarm blared in the middle of the night, rousing the Gamecocks and forcing them outside in the cold.

The UCLA baseball team got its wakeup call pretty early, too.

This time, it was South Carolina that blazed.

The Gamecocks scored five runs in the first three innings off a rusty Gerrit Cole and rode a terrific start from pitcher Blake Cooper to a 7-1 win in the first game of the College World Series championship series at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium in front of 23,181.

Cole went on to a season-high 11 hits on a season-high six runs (four earned) while striking out just two, which tied a season low.

"They had a great approach; I don't know what the approach was but whatever it was, it worked," Cole said. "They touched the ball with two strikes, constantly worked counts, fouled balls off. I jumped ahead of a lot of batters. Had a lot of guys 0-1, 1-2. And they touched the ball."

LOS ANGELES - UCLA's 2010-11 men's basketball schedule is highlighted by non-conference contests in the NIT Season Tip-Off in New York, during Thanksgiving weekend; a road game at Kansas in the Pac-10/Big 12 Series (Dec. 2) and the return of Steve Lavin, who will bring his St. John's Red Storm team into Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 5, 2011.

In all, the schedule features seven games against teams that were in the field of 65 in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and another possible two games against NCAA Tournament teams in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

While the field for the 16-team NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 15-26) has not been announced, the UCLA Bruins will host the West Regional (Nov. 15-17). The Bruins will play on only two of the three days of the West Regional and then will either advance to the Semifinals in New York or the Consolation Rounds, depending on the outcome of Regional play.

The Bruins will also play in the 17th annual Wooden Classic on Saturday, Dec. 18 at Honda Center in Anaheim (opponent to be announced at a later date). This will be UCLA's eighth-consecutive Wooden Classic appearance and 14th overall (9-4 in prior contests).

Another non-conference highlight includes opening the regular season at home with a local team (Cal State Northridge/Nov. 12) in Pauley Pavilion before hosting the NIT Season Tip-Off West Regional.

The Bruins also host five other non-conference teams (Montana/Dec. 5; Cal Poly/Dec. 11; UC Davis/Dec. 13; Montana State/Dec. 21 and UC Irvine/Dec. 23) before beginning Pac-10 play.

UCLA opens conference play on Dec. 29 with Washington State before a New Year's Eve contest at home with Washington (Dec. 31). The 2011 Pac-10 Tournament, featuring all 10 teams, will once again be held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles (March 9-12).

In 2009-10, UCLA finished with a 14-18 overall record and in a tie for a fifth-place finish in the Pac-10 Conference (8-10). The Bruins return three starters in junior guard Malcolm Lee, and sophomore forwards Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson.

The schedule is tentative and subject to change due to television.

Tentative 2010-11 UCLA Men's Basketball Schedule
Date, Opponent
Thu., Nov. 4, Westmont College (Exhibition)
Tue., Nov. 9, Cal State Los Angeles (Exhibition)
Fri., Nov. 12, Cal State Northridge
Mon., Nov. 15, NIT Season Tip-Off Regionals
Tue., Nov. 16, NIT Season Tip-Off Regionals
Wed., Nov. 17, NIT Season Tip-Off Regionals
Mon., Nov. 22, NIT Season Tip-Off Consolation Rounds
Tue., Nov. 23, NIT Season Tip-Off Consolation Rounds
Wed., Nov. 24, NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinals (New York)
Fri., Nov. 26, NIT Season Tip-Off Finals (New York)
Thu., Dec. 2, at Kansas (Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series)
Sun., Dec. 5, Montana
Sat., Dec. 11, Cal Poly
Mon., Dec. 13, UC Davis
Sat., Dec. 18, at Wooden Classic
Tue., Dec. 21, Montana State
Thu., Dec. 23, UC Irvine
Wed., Dec. 29, Washington State
Fri., Dec. 31, Washington
Sun., Jan. 9, at USC
Thu., Jan. 13, at Oregon State
Sat., Jan. 15, at Oregon
Thu., Jan. 20, California
Sat., Jan. 22, Stanford
Thu., Jan. 27, at Arizona State
Sat., Jan. 29, at Arizona
Wed., Feb. 2, USC
Sat., Feb. 5, St. John's
Thu., Feb. 10, Oregon
Sat., Feb. 12, Oregon State
Thu., Feb. 17, at Stanford
Sat., Feb. 19, at California
Thu., Feb. 24, Arizona
Sat., Feb. 26, Arizona State
Thu., Mar. 3, at Washington
Sat., Mar. 5, at Washington State
Mar. 9-12, at Pac-10 Tournament (Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA)
Mar. 17-20, NCAA First and Second Rounds
Mar. 24-27, NCAA Regionals
Apr. 2 & 4, NCAA Final Four

All games broadcast on the UCLA/ISP Sports Network (AM 570 KLAC in Los Angeles).

 

JG: OK, let's wrap this up with a tough subject...tell me about your first John Wooden experience, as someone who played at UCLA when he coached...DG: What resonates the most for me was not that I was going to Pauley Pavilion and watching the basketball team win. I can remember watching practice there, too, because they were open. All of those things are still very clear in my mind. But what stands out for me even more is when Coach Wooden came to our baseball practices. Baseball was his first love, and it remained a love for him throughout the years. When we were undergraduates, after they were done with practices, he would come out because he was a good friend of our head coach, and he would come out to Sawtelle Field - which is now Jackie Robinson Stadium and was then just basically bleachers - and he would sit up in those bleachers and watch us practice. Whenever he was there, we knew he was there, and I can remember just wanting to make certain I turned the double plays a little bit quicker. The bat speed was a little better, the arm got a little stronger. My first step was quicker. You just wanted to do things that would make him say, 'Well done.' It was always that way. I know he had that kind of influence on everyone he met through the years. But I can remember that very clearly.

JG: And the other big news, the Pac-10 went to 11 to 16 to 28 to 46 and finally to 12; the first question to ask is, you hear all these rumors, and you're the AD at UCLA, what's going through your mind when you hear Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor?
DG: I felt the same way when I heard the NCAA Tournament was going to 96. Look, I was intimately involved in all these discussions. All of the planning, the negotiations. I know what was fact and I know what was fiction. There was a lot more fiction than there was fact. I take a lot of the media reports and what "sources" say with a grain of salt. I know what we're doing and I know why we're doing it. The issue of expansion was not a fait accompli in any way, shape or form. We had talked about the possibility of this being something the conference needed to before we even hired a commissioner, because of our media rights deal was going to end in 2012. As you look towards the future, we had to evaluate what our conference might look like - is 10 the right number? Did it at least make sense to do our due diligence and look at expansion? When the commissioner was hired, that was one of the charges given to him.

JG: Do you want it to eventually to get to 16? Is 12 the right number for right now?
DG: If I had my druthers, 10 would always be the right number. The Pac-10 had and has a great conference with 10 teams. Natural rivals, geographically in the right place, and there was sort of a comfort zone. We had a unique niche on the West coast. That, and from a competitive standpoint, when you evaluate the success of the conference in a broad array of sports, there isn't a conference in the country that compares. That being said, when you look at where the future of intercollegiate athletics is headed, we can either sit back and take it on the chin, or be aggressive. Bringing in Colorado and Utah gives us the opportunity to go to 12, to possibly have two divisions, to possibly have a football championship, to maximize the media rights package.

JG: On the flip side, the football program seems to be soaring. Rick Neuheisel, time and time again, has talked about his maturation as a coach and as a person, understanding that at UCLA he had a little more time than he felt he had at Colorado and Washington. When he went to Colorado, he had to win NOW. Here, it's 4-8, 7-6 and you see some of those building steps; why do you have a little more patience here?
DG: It's frightening to hear people talk about the need to win now. In some respects, that's what our business has become, and that's a shame. As Coach Wooden so aptly said, 'Be the best that you can be.' At UCLA, being the best we can be in the end, results in great success. But there shouldn't be a disappointment when a team doesn't meet that mark, if they perform to THEIR optimum levels, if they perform in a manner that brings pride to a university or to each other. The whole notion of patience is one that more in my profession need to practice. I understand how difficult it is. Rick is building the program, and I knew he would build the program. It required us to recruit at a higher level, to get depth in areas where we've struggled, to have the kind of leadership at the helm that gives you a chance to win every game. We're getting there. We should be a better program this year, and we should be even better next year.

JG: Do you have a long-term goal for the program? A five-year plan?
Our goals and aspirations have not changed. We want to build a nationally competitive program. We want to be one of the top programs in the country on an annual basis. As someone defines that as being a top-5 program every year, then that might not be realistic. We want to be in the national conversation, however that's defined. We need to get there first. We need to set a bar, and continue to build off of that. There's no set time-table. Obviously, you want to be successful because you have pride in your staff. The players want to do it for each other, for their families, for the university. Rick wants to do it for the university that allowed him to have a great life. I want to see Rick do it here because we all love UCLA. That's why you do it. We need for our fans to be able to be patient and hang in there with us as we build this thing. Our fans need to stay with us, stick with us in good times and bad.

JG: The basketball program obviously had a tough season; how does a season like that affect you - as the administrator, as a fan, as someone whose paycheck is heavily involved in the success of the team?
DG: Obviously you want all your teams to do well, and certainly your marquee sports are critical to the success of the overall program; they're the economic drivers. We've had the chance to experience wonderful success in the men's basketball program. Three years in a row, we had that chance. But I view it from a more unique perspective because of the fact that I served on the committee the last five years and saw things from a different filter than most. I had the opportunity to really see a lot of programs during the last five years. What makes them tick, why they're successful, why they're not successful. It really confirmed that what we're doing at UCLA is exactly the way it should be done. We had a tough year last year, by Ben's admission. All the ingredients weren't there. It was probably time for that to happen. You never want to go through stretches where you're not clicking on the cylinders all the time, but it happened, and it happened for a number of reasons. We lost a number of good undergraduate players, we weren't able to retain a lot of the young men who are on their way to being stars in the NBA if they're not already. Not everyone we brought in was able to develop as quickly as we would've liked. It was almost the perfect storm. All of these factors converged on one season. We struggled.
But I believe Ben grew more as a coach this year than I've ever seen in him. This was really about finding about what this program is all about. Really sticking with your convictions, not compromising in any way. Those are the kinds of discussions we had all year long. I think Ben grew quite a bit from that.

From UCLA:

RICHMOND, Va. - UCLA head baseball coach John Savage has been named the national Coach of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com, as announced by Monday by the national baseball website. Savage has guided the Bruins to a 51-15 record and their first-ever appearance in the finals of the College World Series.

After leading UCLA to a program-record 22-0 start in early April, Savage helped the Bruins engineer an exciting postseason run, highlighted by an NCAA Super Regional series victory over Cal State Fullerton followed by a berth in the best-of-three championship series this week in Omaha, Neb.

Savage has earned his first trip to the College World Series in nine seasons as a head coach (three years at UC Irvine, followed by six at UCLA). He was selected from a group of five finalists, which included Jim Schlossnagle (runner-up) of TCU, John Pawlowski of Auburn, Tim Esmay of Arizona State and Ray Tanner of South Carolina.

Sporting a 51-15 record entering the finals of the College World Series, UCLA is 36 games above the .500 plateau for the first time in program history. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-10 before hosting an NCAA Regional for the first time since 1986. UCLA was ranked in just one preseason top-25 poll (Baseball America, No. 23).

"This is always a difficult decision, and this year was no exception," said Phil Stanton, co-founder of CollegeBaseballInsider.com. "UCLA has showed signs of breaking through the past few years, but did it in a way that not many expected. John Savage has led the Bruins to the brink of a national title one year removed from a losing season. We congratulate Coach Savage and his tremendous staff for a fantastic season."

Savage has twice been named a finalist for this award by CollegeBaseballInsider.com - in 2006 at UCLA and in 2004 at UC Irvine. He was named Assistant Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball at USC in 1998.

CollegeBaseballInsider.com has covered Division I college baseball on a national level since 2002. Past coaches of the year include Brian O'Connor of Virginia in 2009, Paul Mainieri of LSU and Mark Marquess of Stanford in 2008, Tim Corbin of Vanderbilt and Rob Childress of Texas A&M in 2007, John Cohen of Kentucky in 2006, Pat Casey of Oregon State in 2005, David Perno of Georgia in 2004 and Elliott Avent of North Carolina State in 2003.

UCLA (51-15) takes on South Carolina (52-16) in a best-of-three championship series beginning Monday at 4:30 p.m. (PT). Each game will be televised live on ESPN, as both the Bruins and the Gamecocks seek their first-ever NCAA baseball championship.

Jon Gold: Most athletic directors have a passion for a particular sport, and as a former baseball player, you're clearly a baseball guy. Does that make this year's run to the College World Series any more special for you?
Dan Guerrero: I go back to my senior year in high school, when I was being recruited by a number of schools. I chose UCLA during my senior year, which was also the first time UCLA went to Omaha, 1969. It was the Chris Chambliss year. I thought I would come to UCLA, play freshman ball my first year, and maybe have the opportunity to come to Omaha myself. That dream never got realized. As I followed UCLA baseball over the years, saw the legacy of the great players who've gone through this program, to know that only one other team since that year was able to achieve this goal was a pretty interesting scenario. To actually be a part of not only the team that came back, but the first team to win in it, is really special to me. If you wear the uniform, you always have pride in that, throughout your career. You yearn for the days when your team can not only do well but have the chance to play for something. Coming to Omaha gives us a chance to play for the big prize. So it's not only special for me, it's special for all the other guys who've played baseball at UCLA.

JG: Have you been here before for the College World Series??
DG: My first year at UCLA, I was on the committee. Mitch Barnhart was the athletic director at Oregon State and got the Kentucky job, so they needed a replacement for him. Since they knew I was a "baseball guy" - in fact, I'd been on the Division II baseball committee for four, five years - I was familiar with the ropes and knew what was expected, I served for a short time on that committee.

Born (Date and location): Jan. 17, 1991 in North Hollywood
Favorite TV show: Baseball Tonight and Law & Order
What's in my iPod: Heavy metal, pretty much all heavy metal
Dream car: Whatever gets me from A to B without breaking down
Favorite movie(s): For the Love of the Game
What I'm reading right now: Not textbooks, kind of taking a break from those
Worst habit: Probably sleeping through my alarm
On my bedroom walls/office desk you'll find: A case of origami I've made, a Family Guy poster, a combat pitching poster plus a wall of fame and a wall of shame on teams I've been through
I'd love to trade places for a day with: Tim Lincecum
A talent I'd most like to have: I'd love to be able to play the guitar
Favorite meal: That's a tough one...shrimp pasta
Favorite athlete to watch: Tim Lincecum
Favorite vacation: Don't take that many, but my family and I have gone down to Carlsbad for a long time
Favorite sports team: Duke basketball
Dream date: I don't have a dream date
My hero: Tim Lincecum
Goal for the season/year: From a team perspective, get to Omaha and win the national championship. On a personal level, I want to go out there and strike people out and be Pac-10 player of the year
Biggest rival: Personally, Devin Rodriguez from Cal; we went to high school together. For a team, either Cal State Fullerton or Stanford
Pregame ritual: Don't really have much...before I go on the field. During the game...
Best advice I've received from a coach: "Be comfortable being uncomfortable" and "Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work," by Thomas Edison.

Trevor Bauer now has 13 strikeouts, after I questioned John Savage's decision to leave him out for the eighth. Then he struck out the side against TCU's 1-2-3 hitters. I honestly don't have enough descriptive words for him.

Meanwhile, TCU is on its sixth pitcher, and it's 108 degrees.

Court records show that Josh Shirley, Shaq and Paul Richardson were all arrested on Wednesday afternoon for felony theft and released on Thursday.
The Richardsons both had $20,000 bail, while Shirley was released without bail.
It appears the three had a court date on Friday, but no comments have been made.
The LA Sheriff's Department records office is closed for the weekend, and the officers involved are likely at the Wooden Memorial.

More info as it comes.

*To clarify: Originally I wrote Shirley was held without bail, but I misunderstood the report. He was indeed released without bail.

TCU pitcher Kyle Winkler threw nine pitches, one for a strike, and was pulled with no outs in the first inning, moments after Blair Dunlap smoked a three-run home run to left field. UCLA is up 3-1 in the first with a Cody Regis on first base and one out.
This, after Trevor Bauer gave up a home run to Bryan Holaday in the first inning.

Needless to say, this is a crazy start.

Three incoming UCLA freshmen football players - linebacker Josh Shirley, wide receiver Paul Richardson and cornerback Shaquille Richardson - have reportedly been arrested on felony theft charges.
A UCLA spokesman said he could not comment on the issue at this time.
The story first broke late last night on the BruinReportOnline message boards, and more information is to come.

Just getting word now that it appears that there will be space available at the Wooden Memorial at Pauley Pavilion, in case anyone out there was worried about getting in.

OMAHA, Neb. -

Matt Purke had four million reasons to enter professional baseball last June.

He had one reason to attend college.

He's waited all season for this, through 17 starts and a nation-leading 16 wins and zero losses, his chance to send the TCU Horned Frogs to the College World Series championship series.

TCU's fabulous freshman shut down UCLA for 6 1/3 innings before giving way to the Horned Frogs' bullpen, who closed out a 6-2 win in front of 22,334 at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium on Friday afternoon.

The teams will meet again this afternoon at 11 a.m. to determine half of the championship series matchup, the winner advancing to meet either South Carolina or Clemson.

"This place is an adventure on its own; you never know what's going to happen here," said Purke, who spurned a $4 million signing bonus from the Texas Rangers as the No. 14 pick in the 2009 draft. "But it's just the same ballpark. Just another day of baseball and you've got to attack it the same way. I was able to go out today a little different than what I'm used to throwing, but hey, I'll take ground-ball outs all day."

My dad wanted to watch the UCLA-TCU game at his desk, and I figured others would be interested, as well: Here's the link, enjoy

Jon Gold: Alright, Huff, one more time: Brett Hundley. Is this going to happen?
Brandon Huffman: "In my opinion, they're very much in it. They're in his top two. I think it's an Oregon-UCLA battle for him. But I think part of it is the expectation that UCLA has to sign an elite quarterback, and he's ranked high. We're a little responsible for it by ranking guys at certain spots. Hundley is a guy who's really highly thought of, and he does have a good arm. The feeling by most of the guys is that he's the guy they need. But if you look back just a couple years ago, Kevin Prince became that late edition to the class, and he wasn't a four-star quarterback. He wasn't an All-American. Nick Crissman was that guy. Now Prince is the two-year starter as a sophomore."

JG: Norm Chow has the reputation of being a quarterback guru, but not all of his future stars were that highly ranked. Can he develop the next Matt Leinart?
BH: "Because he was the Mater Dei quarterback, he was thought highly of. A guy UCLA and Oklahoma recruited, and they had just won a National Championship. At the same time, he really developed through Chow. What fans at UCLA fail to realize is that he didn't have to be the guy until the third season. He had an incredible amount of talent around him and an incredible line. For Chow, his first year, the top two quarterbacks get hurt and then in his second year, there's a redshirt freshman. It's not like Chow's gotten a full collection of chess pieces to work with."

This is an absolute, hands-down, no-doubt-about-it must-read. ESPN's incredible Tom Friend wrote this on Tuesday about former UCLA goalkeeper David Vanole. In the wake of the USA's miraculous win yesterday, the timing couldn't be better.

Please read this: The Espophagus that Saved US Soccer

Has UCLA's recruiting stalled a little bit?
"Last year, they didn't get their first commit until first week in June. Second and third came the exact same time last year, span of 24 hours. By the end of June, they had commitments from Moore, Nottingham, McDonald and Flowers. What I think it is, because they have such few scholarships, they're being a lot more judicious. Quite a few went out at the camp, and the way they changed format, more went out now than normal. You'll see things pick up more. But because the class is small and they're going after big fish, it will be a more top-heavy class. Those are the guys who wait til December, January to decide."

Besides quarterback, what do they need RIGHT NOW?
"They definitely need linemen on both sides of the ball. Two tackle commits help. All three guys they signed last year are inside guys, and they got two really long players so far this year. Torian White is a legit 6-5, Marc Mustoe is 6-7. With X-man being gone, really after the next couple years you don't have many natural tackles. They're really addressing tackles now. The problem is it's not a great year for linemen out west. They've had to offer a bunch of project guys."

Guys,

This is a stern warning. Stop posting comments under other poster's handles. I am sick and tired of the "fake" UBs and the fake "spedjones." You're not fooling anyone. I can see every post you've ever posted under an IP address. Your post will be deleted and you will be banned, permanently.

I'm on the phone right now with Brandon Huffman, and he just told me that Marc Mustoe, the No. 73 OT in the country, committed to UCLA today.

Here's his profile: Mustoe

With the lack of quality big men out west this year, this is an important project commit, and if he can put on some more upper body strength, he'll be a contributor at some point. Much like Torian White, this isn't a starter for next year, but could be someone to look out for.

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

Also, I had Huffman on the phone but my phone died, and now he's hanging out with family for a while. I'll do my best to reach him tonight, but tomorrow at the latest for a weekend recruiting recap.

This is absolutely crazy, but I just found out that Razor Entertainment released a set of U.S. Army All-American Bowl cards, complete with autographs and rookie cards of several UCLA prospects.

Among those included: Owa Odighizuwa, Anthony Barr and Cassius Marsh.

Pretty early for rookie cards, if you ask me, but very cool nonetheless.

Here's a scan of the Anhony Barr Rookie Auto, which could be worth a few bucks in a few years...

Hey guys,

Checking in from Omaha with Scout.com's Brandon Huffman this afternoon to talk about the two camps at UCLA this weekend. There was not an over-abundance of talent, but certainly some guys to watch.

I'll try to get on the horn with an incoming freshman to talk about the transition to dorm life so far, too.

Also, and here's the kicker...

I had an incredible hour-long Q&A with Dan Guerrero a couple days ago on several subjects: Pac-10 expansion, UCLA football, USC sanctions, John Wooden, UCLA basketball, and his favorite topic, UCLA baseball.

Should I roll that out throughout the week, or would you rather get the full plate next Monday?

Thanks for checking in even when the updates are sparse, there's just not a ton to report on the football and basketball front.

JG

OMAHA, Neb. -

The loss of Tyler Rahmatulla to a broken wrist before the College World Series left two holes for UCLA, and both were gaping.

Rahmatulla batted third in 61 games for the Bruins and started at second base, a crucial defensive position behind a star-studded pitching staff.

On Monday at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium, both of his replacements filled in admirably, both in the field and at the plate, in UCLA's 6-3 win over TCU.

Dean Espy entered the starting lineup at third base, with Cody Regis sliding over to second, and the UCLA sophomore had a beautiful play in the third innings.

After Gerrit Cole walked Aaron Schultz with one down in the third inning, Espy caught a smoking drive down the third base line by Horned Frogs' No. 9-hitter Brance Rivera, and fired the ball to first nail Schultz for the double play.

It was a far cry from Saturday's 11-3 win over Florida, when Espy and Regis looked a bit nervous early against the Gators.

"We were a little shaky those first couple innings," UCLA head coach John Savage said. "It was like, 'Oh, God, what's going on at third? What's going on at second?!?' Hey, we're gonna have moments. But we've also prepared for those moments."

OMAHA, Neb. - The disparity was striking.
UCLA's lineup entering Monday's College World Series matchup with TCU had 268 RBIs.
The Horned Frogs had 418. The Bruins had 43 home runs; TCU had 84. Batting average? UCLA .312, Frogs .347.

Yes, the disparity was striking.

Only on Monday, the disparity was striking out.
UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole - or is it Kole? - toasted TCU over eight innings, striking out 13 while allowing five hits, as the Bruins won 6-3 in front of 23,345 at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.

The UCLA sophomore was weathered early - throwing 30 pitches through two innings and 42 through three - but he was dealing.

Cole had four strikeouts through three, but took it to another level in the middle innings, striking out five in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

"He's one of the best in the country," TCU shortstop Taylor Featherston said. "He showed that tonight. He threw all pitches for strikes and kept us off-balance all night. We didn't barrel up as many balls as we could."

John Savage and the Bruins have mixed things up a little bit for tonight's College World Series matchup with TCU:

Niko Gallego, who had four hits leading off against Florida, will bat second, with Beau Amaral moving up to first. Blair Dunlap stays in the third spot, Justin Uribe moves seventh to cleanup, Cody Regis stays fifth, Dean Espy drops sixth, Jeff Gelalich comes back in at right field for Brett Krill, followed by Chris Giovinazzo and Steve Rodriguez to finish things off.

From UCLA:

pair of Bruin football standouts, junior linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior safety Rahim Moore, appear on the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List which features the best of the upcoming season's defensive players. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte,NC Touchdown Club.

Ayers, a full-time starter for the first time last season, led the Bruins with four forced fumbles and was second on the squad with 6.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. He tied a UCLA season record with two touchdowns on interceptions (Oregon / Temple) and scored three defensive touchdowns in all (one fumble return - ASU).

Moore, who was named to several All-American teams, led the nation in 2009 with 10 interceptions, one shy of the school record and the most by an FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) player since 2003. His career total of 13 interceptions is tied for seventh on the UCLA all-time list. Moore's interception average of 0.77 also led the nation. He ranked second in the nation in passes defensed (1.31).

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on November 18.The annual Nagurski Trophy Banquet will be on Dec. 6 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

The UCLA football team will open the 2010 season on Sept. 4 at Kansas State. Stanford visits the Rose Bowl on Sept. 11 in the Bruin home opener.

Maurice Jones-Drew took a stab at Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback today, and here's the link: MoJo on the NFL

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

I'll finish off last week's leftover questions shortly...

Thanks
Jon

OMAHA, Neb. - John Savage had to be kicking himself.

He gambled on his rotation in UCLA's opening game of the College World Series against the Florida Gators and it exploded in his face.

Trevor Bauer, starting instead of Gerrit Cole, was shaky, nervous and flustered. He looked frazzled, his mind a cluttered mess, the hot sun pounding every pore, his sweat sweating.

For one at-bat.

Bauer walked the first Florida batter, allowed two first-inning runs, and then settled down to shut down the Gators, 11-3, in front of 23,271.

The Hart of Santa Clarita product surrendered six hits and three runs while striking out 11 in seven innings, setting a new UCLA single-season record with 152 punchouts.

"It's definitely tougher leading off, first game jitters, obviously playing in such a great venue here," Bauer said. "You kind of get a game under your belt and you feel more relaxed, you've kinda gone through it once. For me, it was just another game, trying to execute pitches, go one at a time, and let the results be what they are."

While Bauer was increasingly stable, Florida's pitchers grew more erratic with time. The Gators allowed 18 hits, hit four UCLA batters and committed four wild pitches while facing 51 batters. Starting pitcher Alex Panteliodis was the primary culprit, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits in 3 1/3 innings, exiting after just 61 total pitches.

"We pecked away at them," Savage said. "We didn't have a home run all night, but it was a typical game offensively for us in terms of (using) the middle of the field. We kept coming - we had two outs, nobody on, and we scored a run. I think we wore their starting pitcher down a little bit, and then we got to their bullpen."

It was a balanced attack by the UCLA offense - five Bruins had multi-hit games and nine batters had hits, as the team scored runs in all but the second inning. Leadoff man Niko Gallego led the way with four hits and two runs, but catcher Steve Rodriguez's two hits, two runs and two RBIs out of the nine-hole were equally impressive.

A tell-tale sign of domination: UCLA left 13 runners on base and still scored 11 runs, its highest total in five College World Series games, and its first CWS win in program history.

"Going into it, we had an approach of taking the fastball away and staying with it up the middle, the middle to right side of the field," Gallego said. "I think we just saw the ball well. (Panteliodis) is a great pitcher, and we knew he was a great pitcher, and we just tried to battle him."

With the win, the Bruins advance to face Texas Christian, which dismantled Florida State, 8-1, in the early game on Saturday. Cole will get his chance against the Horned Frogs on Monday, with the winner waiting until Friday for the chance to advance to the CWS championship series.

"It was a tough decision," Savage said of going with Bauer. "Gerrit has started Friday all season long, and that's the one thing: We've been very consistent, we've been very disciplined on the pitching side of it. We went with the hunch, went with the matchup. It could have backfired. Trevor upheld his end of the deal."

OMAHA, Neb. - This hurts Tyler Rahmatulla.
Not his right wrist, broken during UCLA's postgame celebration following its 8-1 win over Cal State Fullerton last Sunday in the NCAA Super Regionals at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

What really hurts, what stabs Rahmatulla to the very core, is his heart.

Aching, breaking.

"I was heartbroken for him," UCLA head coach John Savage said. "The guy was such a big part of our team, started 61 games and hit third all year on a World Series team. He knows he still has opportunities to come back as a junior and senior, and we talked about that one-on-one. Rammy's with us with every pitch."

Great UCLA baseball column by Yahoo! Sports College Baseball writer Kendall Rogers: Getting over the hump

The Bruins lead Florida 9-3 through 7.5 innings, pounding 13 hits and capitalizing on a handful of Gator miscues. Trevor Bauer continues to deal, striking out eight so far, while tying the team's single-season strikeout record. He should clinch it this inning.

Hey guys,

To stay connected with up-to-the-minute updates during the UCLA's run in Omaha, follow me on Twitter HEREand on the Inside UCLA fan page HERE. Baseball updates are much quicker there than here, but I'll try for sporadic posts during the games, too.

Also, here's a link to my John Savage feature today: Omaha Stakes

The UCLA baseball team is handling the sweltering Omaha heat pretty well, leading the Florida Gators 4-2 going into the fourth inning. Great baserunning and timely hitting have done the trick, with the 3-4-5 guys - Dunlap, Espy and Regis - contributing three RBIs.

Scout.com's Brandon Huffman is reporting that Lakewood (Calif.) offensive lineman Torian White has verbally commited to UCLA. White doesn't have many offers, in fact he picked one up from the Bruins today at the lineman camp, but he's had a strong offseason and is rising in many eyes.

Here's his profile: White

I wrote the UCLA football previews for Lindy's College Football Preview and Athlon Sports. Here's my feature for Lindy's on Rahim Moore: Moore

On having the opportunity at Fresno State, after Ryan Mathews was drafted in the first round:
"That says it all right there. They are known for running the ball. I haven't been able to have opportunities like that at UCLA; why not go to a place that has led the nation in rushing? This is a perfect fit for me. They run basically everything - I formation, out of the spread - and they feature their backs a lot."

On his decision to transfer:
"I really didn't talk to coach Neuheisel or the coaches. I had a feeling, a gut feeling, that if I stayed there, I wasn't going to get the opportunity. That's what it is - I didn't really go up and ask them what was the deal. I kind of looked at the situation and looked ahead at everything."

On why he's excited to play for Fresno State:
"Fresno State has a huge chip on their shoulder, and I have a huge chip on my shoulder. Some people don't believe in me. Fresno State has been able to beat BCS schools - it's disrespectful they weren't picked for the Pac-10 when they beat schools on the West Coast. They are respected, but also they're disrespected. I feel the same, me against the world. It's the best fit."

On his top choices:
"I really wanted to go to Utah, but they just didn't have any scholarships open. I would love to play against a lot of my friends in the Pac-10. But Fresno State is great. I talked to my friends, and it's a win-win situation, no matter what."

On staying close to home because of the poor health of some immediate family members:
"That really wasn't part of the deal, staying close because of that. It's nice to have, but I'm going to have to leave home. I didn't want to go somewhere in the Northwest or Indiana, too far. It's nice to have. I can always go home, see my friends and family."

Former UCLA running back Milton Knox is transferring to Fresno State, he said today. Knox recently visited the Bulldogs and head coach Pat Hill, and came away impressed with his trip. The story for Knox is a simple one: He just wanted more of an opportunity for playing time, and after seeing little playing time last season, and with Derrick Coleman and Johnathan Franklin ahead of him on the depth chart - and the arrival of Malcolm Jones and Jordon James - he did not think it would happen at UCLA.

I'll try to get a hold of him from Omaha.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

From UCLA:

OMAHA, Neb. - Sophomore right-hander Trevor Bauer will start UCLA's opening game of the 2010 College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on Saturday (4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT, TV: ESPN). Bauer enters this Saturday's contest with a 10-3 record and 3.02 ERA in 16 starts.

A second-team All-America selection this spring by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, Bauer currently leads all Pac-10 pitchers with 141 strikeouts and 116.1 innings pitched. The native of Valencia, Calif., has moved into third place on UCLA's single-season strikeouts list.

Bauer earned the victory against LSU in UCLA's second game of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional, allowing three runs (one earned) and seven hits in eight-plus innings, notching 11 strikeouts and two walks against the defending national champions on June 5. He was named Most Valuable Player at the 2010 NCAA Los Angeles Regional.

Bauer has registered 10 or more strikeouts in six of his 16 starts, recording a career-high 15 strikeouts in UCLA's 5-2 win over Mississippi at the Whataburger College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas (March 13).

No. 6-national seed UCLA (48-14) takes on No. 3-national seed Florida (47-15) on Saturday, June 19. The Gators will counter with sophomore left-hander Alex Panteliodis (11-2, 3.26 ERA) against the Bruins. Fans can watch live on ESPN at 4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT or listen live, free of charge, at uclabruins.com.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Utah has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10, and will become the league's 12th member, joining recent newcomer Colorado.

This is a great move for the Pac-10, opening up the Denver and Salt Lake City markets, and an adequate fallback once the Pac-16 realities faded.

Utah will become the conference's third or fourth best football team, and is certainly no slouch in basketball, while the Buffaloes need to improve in both.

Realignment is the new big question, and will need to be addressed quickly. Some are calling for a "zipper" split, essentially breaking up the natural geographic pairings, and some are clamoring for a "north" and a "south," essentially with Washington, WSU, Oregon, OSU, Cal and Stanford in the north, and with UCLA, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah in the south.

Guess I'll start these early...

Here's UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel on the Dan Patrick Show this morning: CRN on DP

Hey guys,

I have Lakers coverage for the next two days, and then I fly to Omaha on Friday morning. I'll have much of the Q&A for Friday, and then fully be in baseball mode starting Friday/Saturday.

If interested, here's my Laker column from today's paper: Game 6

The UCLA baseball team was dealt a devastating blow on Monday night, when it was discovered that starting second baseman and three-hole hitter Tyler Rahmatulla suffered a broken right wrist and would be lost for the College World Series, which begins for the Bruins at 4 p.m. Saturday against Florida at Rosenblatt Stadium.

"I found out about it yesterday afternoon," UCLA head coach John Savage said on Tuesday. "It was bothering him, but I really didn't think it was much, to be quite honest. They X-rayed it, found out it was a broken wrist."

Rahmatulla injured the wrist during the team's post-game celebration following an 8-1 win over Cal State Fullerton in the deciding game of the Los Angeles Super Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday night.

Ecstasy to agony: Rahmatulla was 5-for-14 in the super regional with four RBIs and two runs, including a two-run home run on Saturday night that put the Bruins up 7-6 in the top of the ninth inning.

"I just feel terrible for Tyler," Savage said of Rahmatulla, who was batting .328 with a team-leading 52 runs for the season. "I know the team feels really bad for him. We had yesterday off, we'll practice here in a bit and let everyone know it's another setback to deal with. We'll deal with it. We'll handle it."

This isn't the first time UCLA has been chomped, chewed and spit out by the injury bug.
The Bruins lost freshman outfielder Cody Keefer earlier this season to a leg injury after 45 games, but the loss of Rahmatulla cannot be understated.

Defensively, the Bruins should be fine, with Savage throwing out several options: shift Cody Regis from third base to second and slide Dean Espy to third or move Trevor Brown or Adrian Williams into the starting lineup.

But offensively, Rahmatulla leaves a gaping hole in the third spot, where he's hit in 61 of 62 games.

"We have options, but Tyler has hit third in 61 games," Savage said. "Who's gonna hit third? That's the bigger question. Offensively, we'll have to make some adjustments and put some people in. We were shocked. We have to have a day at least to get to it."

UCLA second baseman - and three-hole hitter - Tyler Rahmatulla suffered a broken right wrist in the team's post-game celebration on Sunday night, and will be out for the College World Series in Omaha.

UCLA's bracket is a tough one, with TCU, Florida and Florida State. The Bruins open with the Gators at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

I just got off the phone with John Savage, and I'll have a story up shortly.

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

I'll finish off last week's leftover questions shortly...

Thanks
Jon

Dave Serrano
Opening statement:
"First off, I'd like to congratulate UCLA baseball, Coach Savage and his staff on a job well done. They're a fabulous baseball team. My hope is they hope they go out and represent the west coast in a wonderful way. I hope they bring back a championship."

On how he feels:
"As far as our team, obviously devastation. Like I told them out there, there was a script written for this team, and unfortunately it wasn't what we'd hoped it to be."

On Rob Rasmussen:
"Rasmussen was really good. I was talking to coaches in about the 7th inning, and I felt he got better actually. There was a small wind of opportunity in the first four innings, and we got one run. But he got better. He got much tougher as the game went on."

John Savage
Opening Statement:
"First I'd like to congratulate Cal State Fullerton for once again getting into a super regional, having a tremendous team. Coach Serrano and his staff have been to Omaha with two different programs. He's certainly as good as there is out there. Certainly the toughest super regional in the country, and we feel very fortunate to come out on top.

On Rob Rasmussen:
"You just can't say enough about how Rob pitched. They got a little bit to him in the first inning, they got the run, but we made that a quiet inning. Then he just had complete control the rest of the evening. We played tremendous defense this weekend as we had to. Our guys did not get ahead of ourselves."

On when he realized Rasmussen was having a special night:
"Really after he got out of the first inning, he really settled down. First of all, he's been great all year. He went 11-2, he went in the second round. He's a special guy. He wanted the ball, his pitch count was down. I think he averaged 12 pitches per inning going into the ninth. I would say third, fourth inning, I knew it was going to be a special inning."

Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com is now reporting that the talk of Texas coming west might be finished, Longhorns reconsider: Back to Pac-12?

If Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer have been UCLA's twin aces this season, Rob Rasmussen has been the Bruins' trump card.

When Cole and Bauer got the ball on Friday and Saturday and all the ink and the love and the attention, Rasmussen waited his turn patiently. Sunday was his day. He owned it. He tucked Monday through Saturday in the back of his mind, went through the motions and waited for Sunday.

It is not his day of rest.

Rasmussen was again masterful on Sunday, throwing a two-hitter to lead the Bruins to an 8-1 win over Cal State Fullerton in the deciding game of the Los Angeles Super Regional in front of 1,967 fans at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Now UCLA is headed to Omaha for the first time since 1997, the final College World Series at historic Rosenblatt Stadium awaiting.

"It was unbelievable - they ended our season my freshman year, and it left a bitter taste in all of our mouths," Rasmussen said. "Once we made that comeback yesterday, I just knew. I said to myself, 'Please, for Fullerton's sake, don't give me the ball.' I want this. I want this really bad because of what they did."

Rasmussen certainly made the Titans pay for knocking the Bruins out of the 2008 regional at Fullerton.

The 73rd pick of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft allowed just two hits and walked one, striking out nine in his first career complete game, while dealing just 112 pitches.
So while UCLA baseball coach John Savage may say "it's all about the team," Rasmussen reminded fans that it is the team's incredible pitching depth that has carried them through the season.

"That's why we've won I think 18 out of 20 weekends - whenever you can go on and lose two series all season, I think you can say you're starting pitching is as good as there is out there," Savage said. "This is a special year. These types of pitching staffs don't come around very often. Guys do leave, they don't sign 10-year contracts. Unfortunately, they sign three-year contracts. Not every year is like this. When you have a year like this, you better make it count."

On Sunday, UCLA's offense certainly made the most of the opportunity - but Fullerton foibles sure helped.

Tyler Rahmatulla was again the lucky beneficiary of Titan miscues, hitting a liner straight to Fullerton centerfielder Joey Siddons that Siddons dropped, scoring two Bruins in the bottom of the third inning, after Beau Amaral staked the team a 1-0 lead earlier in the inning with an RBI single.

In the 10th inning of UCLA's 11-7 win on Saturday night, Rahmatulla's drove in two with a misplayed pop-up to rightfielder Casey Watkins.

"After last night was a tough game from both sides, we just felt that whoever when out and threw the first punches was going to end up on top," said Bruins leadoff hitter Beau Amaral, who went 3-4 with a home run and three RBIs. "Momentum is a big thing in baseball - but being able to score runs late in the game really made it a lot easier."

With Rasmussen dealing, the Bruins took what they could off Fullerton starter Dylan Floro.

The Fullerton starter, who managed a 7-1 record despite a .279 batting average against and low strikeout numbers, flourished early, retiring the first seven Bruin batters, inducing four groundouts and striking out two.
But after the three runs in the third, UCLA added two more in a crucial sixth-inning spurt.

"It's frustrating, but it's one of those things you have to work through being a pitcher," a gracious Floro said after the game. "I was throwing pitches low and they were getting runs around. He was getting outs and they were going right to guys. Not much else you can do."

Rob Rasmussen just capped off a masterpiece - first career complete game, nine strikeouts, two hits, one walk on 112 pitches - and UCLA is off to its first College World Series since 1997.

Hey guys,

I'm at Jackie Robinson Stadium for the deciding game of the L.A. Super Regional between UCLA and Cal State Fullerton, the winner heading to Omaha for the College World Series.

I'll primarily be updating on Twitter and the Facebook Inside UCLA page.

Thanks
JG

The frustration mounted, plum opportunity after plum opportunity squashed, the fruit of UCLA's labor in a gooey mess on the ground.

Twice, the Bruins had the bases loaded against Cal State Fullerton in the teams' NCAA baseball Super Regional matchup at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night.

Twice, the Titans ruined UCLA's fun, holding the Bruins to just one run despite numerous runners in scoring position.

But they say the third time is the charm, and pinch hitter Trevor Brown was certainly charmed, smacking a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Bruins to a 11-7 win over the Titans.

Up next, a one-day date with destiny to determine the teams' flight plans to Omaha, the winner advancing to the College World Series, the loser heading home for the summer.

"At the beginning of the inning, (UCLA coach Rick) Vanderhook told me to go warm up, and I went down to the bullpen, got ready, got into the mindset," Brown said. "When the righty came in, he kind of walked me through his repertoire, said he has a good fastball, and he did."

After Jeff Gelalich singled and Niko Gallego and Tyler Heineman walked, Brown took the Kyle Mertins offering into left field, delivering the knockdown that would leave the Titans reeling.

"We've been leaving runners in scoring position the last two nights; it's been frustration," UCLA coach John Savage said. "You've got to give them a lot of credit, they pitched out of problems. It's a combo of us not coming up big in a situation when we needed to, and them making good pitches. We did enough. We finally knocked the door down a little bit."
Then Tyler Rahmatulla slammed it down.

In the ninth inning, Rahmatulla made up for a first-inning baserunning gaffe - he was caught at home to end the inning - with a two-run home run to put UCLA up one. The
Titans tied it up with a Gary Brown run, after the injured pinch runner scored on a throwing error by third baseman Cody Regis.

After Brown's single scored two, Rahmatulla hit a high fly ball that popped out of the glove of Fullerton right fielder Casey Watkins, bringing home Brown and Beau Amaral.

"We dropped it," Serrano said. "Casey had problems last week at home too. He looked like he was coming fast and couldn't gather. I don't know if it was twilight and he couldn't see it a bit, but no excuses, we should've caught that."

Now it all comes down to one game, with UCLA starting recent second-round pick Rob Rasmussen and Fullerton offering Dylan Floro.

The Bruins' 22-game winning streak to open the season? A memory.
The Titans' 7-9 start? A blur.
One day, one game, Omaha or bust.

"It's actually pretty easy to forget the whole season," Rahmatulla said. "We're facing Fullerton; we know how good they are. They're not going to quit. We know we have to come out just for (today). It's all about (today)."

UCLA second baseman Tyler Rahmatulla just jacked a Raymond Hernandez offering over the left field wall to score two, and the Bruins are on top 7-6 in the top of the ninth.

Will be interesting to see if the home-team status of Cal State Fullerton plays in their favor.

Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden was laid to rest Friday afternoon in a small service at Forest Lawn's Old North Church, a private ceremony for family and close friends.

Wooden died at the age of 99 at UCLA medical center last Friday of natural causes, after family, friends and several former players were able to visit him.

A public memorial for Wooden is scheduled for June 26 at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, and tickets are available on first-come, first-serve basis to the first 6,000 attendees.

From UCLA:

UCLA men's basketball head coach Ben Howland is resting comfortably at his home today after having successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. The surgery was performed yesterday afternoon at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

They had their opportunities.
Oh boy, were there opportunities.
Down by three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to Cal State Fullerton in the first game of the NCAA baseball playoff Los Angeles Super Regional, the UCLA baseball team loaded the bases, finally finding some offensive rhythm for the first time since the first inning.
But Steve Rodriguez and Beau Amaral both struck out, and Blair Dunlap smoked a screamer high above star Titan shortstop Christian Colon's head.
Or so the Bruins thought.
Colon jumped and didn't stop jumping, leaping high off the ground to snag the ball and end the UCLA threat.
Or so the Titans thought.
UCLA would score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning - Tyler Rahmatulla scoring after opening with a double, Nike Gallego knocking in pinch hitter Justin Uribe after beating out a single - and set the stage for an intense finish.
But the Bruins stranded the tying run on third base, falling to Cal State Fullerton, 4-3, on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
"It's a championship game, and I thought you saw two teams go after each other really good," UCLA coach John Savage said. "We've bounced back all season, played a ton of three-game series. We're here for a reason - we feel very confident we can come back and get back to even in this series."
They'll need to put the ball in play more.
Titans starting pitcher Noe Ramirez struck out 13 Bruins in seven innings, allowing just six hits and one run. Despite throwing 118 pitches, Ramirez walked only two.
"He's as good as there is out there," Savage said. "Guy like that can get punched early and sorta settle down. We left too many guys on base. We had plenty of opportunities. We did have an opportunity in the seventh, but we couldn't get the contact with the bases loaded."
Colon didn't need the bases loaded.
After the Titans scored three runs in the four inning, two coming home on a two-RBI single by Nick Ramirez, Colon smacked what would be the deciding run on a solo homer in the fifth.
"That was a changeup, up and in," Colon said. "I' take pride in my defense, so I think that was a really big play right there, the line drive I caught. I like that one better."
But in the ninth, the Bruins were still in it.
After Beau Amaral walked and Blair Dunlap singled, Amaral advanced to third on a dropped pitch by Cal State Fullerton catcher Billy Marcoe. Amaral was caught in a pickle, though, Rahmatulla struck out and pinch-hitter Chris Giovinazzo grounded to shortstop to end the game.
"My heart was pumping through my jacket I think," Serrano said. "I'll tell you the truth, exactly what I told my coaches; I looked up to the sky, I lost my mom eight years ago, and I said I need your help right now. She's like my angel over my shoulder. I owe a lot of success to my mom. She got me through that, along with Nick, Chris, and the rest of the Titans."

Head coach John Savage: "It's a championship game, and I thought you saw two teams go after each other really good. We've bounced back all season, played a ton of three-game series. We're here for a reason - we feel very confident we can come back and get back to even in this series."

Savage on Brett Krill's attempt at a diving catch on Tyler Pill's bloop single:
"He was there. He had a good jump on the ball, really. He's made that catch all year. I thought Gerrit did a good job bouncing back after that."

Savage on Noe Ramirez:
"He's as good as there is out there. Guy like that can get punched early and sorta settle down. We left too many guys on base. We had plenty of opportunities. We did have an opportunity in the seventh, but we couldn't get the contact with the bases loaded."

Savage on the pitching matchups:
"We feel strong over a three-game span that we can be where we want to be. Losing Fridayt night, you don't feel that way. We've won 46 games for a reason. We believe in ourselves, we believe in our pitching. Trevor will be out tomorrow and be ready to pitch."

Savage on the team ignoring its lack of success against Cal State Fullerton:
"Our strength has been really focusing on ourselves all season. It wasn't about Fullerton tonight. It's about the game. Of course, they're very good. We knew this was going to be a battle. We have to flush it. We have to move on. We have to come out tomorrow. Whoever wins the first game feels pretty good and the other team is going to be down. But we've bounced back. We'll come out tomorrow and if we take care of business, then you're talking about one game for all on Sunday. We're disappointed but we're not down. And we're not out."

Gerrit Cole:
"I came out pretty strong, but we got in situations in the fourth with the bases loaded and I didn't make pitches to get after it. I had some opportunities but didnt cash in. I squeaked my way out later in the game, but I didnt jump on them like I should have."

Tyler Rahmatulla:
"Noe Ramirez came out throwing pretty good. He kept us off balance pretty good, or at least kept me off balance. He made some really good pitches. I just didn't stay disciplined enough."

Hey guys,

Today's edition of the JV Show just went up, and it was so long we had to split it into to shows!

Here's the first link: Talking Lakers/Celtics, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and a little USC sanctions

Here's the second link: Talking USC sanctions and UCLA recruiting with Scout.com's Brandon Huffman and Pac-10 expansion

Click inside for chat...

FROM UCLA:

UCLA senior place kicker Kai Forbath and senior long snapper Christian Yount have been named to the Playboy Pre-Season All-America team.

Forbath, the 2009 Groza Award winner and consensus All-American, has made virtually every pre-season All-America team.

This is Yount's second Playboy selection. In 2009, Playboy added the position to its team, making Yount the first-ever Playboy All-America long snapper.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com, who has simply been the MAN in all this Pac-10 expansion talks, has written that it looks like it's a go. Except the new six might be changing a bit.

Brown reports that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will join the Pac-10 as early as next week, but that Texas A&M is now flirting with the SEC. If the Aggies go east, either Utah or Kansas could gobble up the extra spot.

Here's a link to the story: I'm an idiot. Here's the link.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Hey guys,

It's been a while, and there's so much stuff going on, I thought a live chat during the first game of Super Regionals would be cool. I'll be at the game, and the internet is sometimes spotty. But we should be good to go.

Join me at 7:30.

Hey guys,

Check out the first back of weekly answers...

Between UCLA's need at QB and their interest in you, are you surprised how fast things moved with them?
"I think things are moving a little faster as a process as a whole. The UCLA thing has really lighted it up. That's a great situation there. As a whole, I was looking to make my commitment in September probably, but now it's looking like July. I was going to take a trip to Boise State a couple weeks ago, but they got a commitment. When you start losing opportunities because you're taking too much time, I didn't want to get involved in that."

As a 17-year-old, is it difficult knowing your future in some way depends on other kids your age? Is that overwhelming?
"It's really a process. You look at everything, and the key is just to stay prepared. You have to know what other guys are doing. You have to know what you're looking for. No one offers one QB anymore. Some people have three, some have five. Usually it's the same three to five throughout the country. There are the same guys on every board, you have to see who else is interested in."

The weekend is coming up, so John Savage is relaxed.
His feet are up - in cleats of course, but they might as well be sandals - and the pina colada is chilled and all is good for the UCLA baseball coach.
Sure, the Cal State Fullerton Titans have defeated his Bruins twice this season, and now UCLA hosts Fullerton in the NCAA baseball playoff Super Regionals, which begin at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

But those games were in the middle of the week, the Bruins less focused, less hungry, less prepared.

Now UCLA is working for the weekend, a three-game set to determine its future College World Series plans, a trip to Omaha to the victor.

"Everybody feels different on the weekend," Savage said. "We played two good ballgames against them this year, and they've come out on top in both games, but the weekends are a completely different environment. A different mindset as a team, Friday to Sunday, winning a series. It's a grind, it's a three-game grind, and we think that's what this is going to be."

Guys,

This is just a crazy day, and I'm hitting some of the news on Twitter at @TheCoolSub and at the Inside UCLA Facebook page. Check out both, and email at jon.gold@dailynews.com

Thanks
JG

As my colleague Scott Wolf is reporting maniacly on the Inside USC blog, the Trojans were hit harder than even reported yesterday. Thirty scholarships, reducing the max limit to 75 and the per-year to 15. That is absolutely shocking.
When people asked me about the sanctions, I said I thought the one- or two-year bowl ban was about right, and the forfeiture of games, but I don't think anyone expected those scholarship losses.
Great point by Bruce Feldman on the Scott Van Pelt show today, that I cannot stress enough: USC can no longer take gambles for the next three years on "diamonds in the rough." The simple scholarship limits alone should incredibly boost UCLA, and there's really no telling to what extent at this point.

Just got off the phone with Dan Guerrero. He understandably would not address what's going down across town, but he talked a bit about Colorado joining the Pac-10.

Talk about the decision to give Larry Scott the go-ahead to add more teams:
"Early in the process, and when I say that, I mean early in Larry Scott's tenure, he was given the charge to optimize the potential for the Pac-10. Clearly, it was the belief of many that the Pac-10 had been undervalued from the standpoint of media rights, especially given the competitive excellence of the conference. The process to explore possible expansion, to do due diligence and see if there was any interest along the landscape, was one that he got into pretty early on. The addition of Colorado is really a byproduct of that exploration and that due diligence. They're a very good fit in a lot of ways to our conference, a university that's been part of a major conference and from an academic standpoint, a university that is compatible."

How does it affect UCLA?
"This is a first-step if you will. We need to assess and evaluate what else might occur down the road. It's very clear that in order for the Pac-10 to remain prominent as a national player in athletics, it needs to grow. It needs to grow in a number of ways. Primarily it needs to grow consistently with the growth of other conferences in the country that have optimized their value."

A public memorial service celebrating the life of Coach John Wooden has been scheduled for Saturday, June 26, in UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, beginning at 11 a.m.

The memorial service - expected to last approximately 90 minutes - will be broadcast live by Prime Ticket, which will provide a satellite feed allowing other outlets to also broadcast live. In addition, the service will be streamed live at www.ucla.edu.

Approximately 6,000 seats in Pauley Pavilion's middle and upper levels will be available to the public on a general admission basis. The doors to Pauley Pavilion will open at 9 a.m. Per University policy, no overnight camping will be allowed and anyone on campus prior to 5 a.m. will be asked to leave. Attendees will enter through the Intramural Field. The entrance to the IM Field will be from the east at Wilson Plaza between the John Wooden Center and the North Athletic Field.

Floor seats in Pauley Pavilion will be reserved for the Wooden family, Bruin basketball players and coaches, as well as other designated guests.

For those not admitted to Pauley Pavilion, the service will be shown live on two video boards in Drake Stadium.

Those planning to attend are reminded that this is a memorial service; please do not bring cameras into Pauley Pavilion, and refrain from using portable devices to shoot photographs or video.

Additional details on the service will be made available when finalized.

A separate announcement will be made about a pool arrangement for news media and other accommodations for journalists.

How does the Pac-11 sound?

The University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10, the conference's first expansion since the Arizona schools in 1978.

"This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth," conference commissioner Larry Scott said. "The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10."

This is only the tip of the iceberg, it seems, but the fit is at least a bit logical. Rumors about Colorado joining the Pac-10 have been swirling for quite some time.

"The University of Colorado is a perfect match - academically and athletically - with the Pac-10," said University of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson. "Our achievements and aspirations match those of the universities in the conference and we look forward to a productive relationship."

What was already going to be a day of epic proportions in college football might have just taken Armageddon status: Multiple news outlets are reporting, including the Daily News' Scott Wolf, are reporting that USC will receive a two-year postseason ban after a four-year investigation into alleged misconduct by both basketball and football programs.
I'm also hearing a loss of a significant number of scholarships in addition to the forfeiture of games from 2004 to 2005.
Wolf reports that USC intends to appeal the ruling and reduce the penalty. That is important for recruiting purposes, particularly the bowl ban, which may cause Class of 2011 prospects to reconsider their early verbal commitments.

From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - Redshirt sophomore left-hander Mitchell Beacom was chosen by the Kansas City Royals in the 36th round, and redshirt senior outfielder Blair Dunlap was selected in the 43rd round of the 2010 MLB Draft on Wednesday afternoon.

In all, the selection of Beacom and Dunlap pushed UCLA's total number of draftees this week to 11, one shy of the Bruins' all-time MLB Draft record (12, set in 2000 and tied in 2006).

Beacom, a 6-foot-8 left-hander from San Diego, went 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA, recording 22 strikeouts and three walks in 17.2 innings. He made 14 appearances, all in relief, in helping UCLA post the second lowest ERA (2.95) in the nation prior to this weekend's NCAA Super Regionals. As a redshirt freshman in 2009, Beacom netted 14 strikeouts and four walks in nine innings of relief, posting a 6.00 ERA.

Dunlap has keyed UCLA's offense, batting .330 with five home runs, two triples, a team-leading 20 doubles, 23 RBI and 42 runs. The fifth-year senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., ranks second on the team with 69 hits and 209 at-bats and fourth with 42 runs. Dunlap enters this weekend's NCAA Super Regional having posted a career .299 batting average, including 16 home runs, five triples and 48 doubles, the sixth-highest all-time total in program history.

UCLA's draft selections prior to Wednesday included (in order) Rob Rasmussen, Dan Klein, Matt Grace, Garett Claypool, Matt Drummond, Chris Giovinazzo, Erik Goeddel, Brett Krill and Niko Gallego.

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

I'll finish off last week's leftover questions shortly...

Thanks
Jon

It appears that Jeremiah Masoli could not get his act together, and Chip Kelly has officially booted him. This is not a huge surprise. Oregon has prepared for his absence for the next season following a one-year suspension, and there is talk Darron Thomas could jump ahead of Nate Costa for the starting gig. Thomas is only a sophomore, Costa a senior, and Kelly could choose to look toward the future.

Brock Berglund called just before running into practice, but we got caught off after a couple questions. We'll pick it back up later or tomorrow, but here are a couple of quotes from the Colorado quarterback, who looked very impressive at UCLA's one-day camp on Sunday.

Berglund is a major priority for the Bruins, and he was ecstatic about the offer he received Sunday night.

Here's his Scout.com profile: Berglund

Quotes after the jump...

UCLA has for all intents and purposes moved on to 2011 recruiting. There is still a chance on Remi Barry, but I don't expect it to happen. The class of 2011 is crucial to UCLA, especially after Ben Howland finished the 2010 class on a high note with the signing of Matt Carlino and the transfer of the Wear twins.

With a relative lack of quality big men out west this year, the Bruins will focus on shoring up their backcourt. With a great season, Malcolm Lee could test the draft waters, and after seeing him a couple times recently, he's looking pretty good. His shot is getting better and better.

UCLA currently has three offers out: SF Branden Dawson, PF Norvel Pelle, and SG Norman Powell.

However, the Bruins are taking very hard looks at guards Quinn Cook, Jahii Carson, and Nick Johnson.

Carson's stock is improving greatly, and I think he's a no-brainer to push hard for. Austin Rivers is showing some interest, and I've heard Howland has been pushing the parent angle pretty hard. But I'd still consider that a bit of a longshot, with how hard Duke is going after him, too.

I had a great conversation with Evan Daniels of Scout.com, check it out after the jump:

UCLA has had little success against Cal State Fullerton this season.
The teams have played twice, the Bruins have lost twice, the Titans only one of three teams that have taken multiple games them.

But UCLA coach John Savage has a little up his sleeve this time, a couple of aces whom Fullerton has not seen.

So even though the Titans have gone on a power surge this season, the Bruins are confident that Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer will pull the plug this weekend at Jackie Robinson Stadium, as UCLA hosts its NCAA Super Regional.

"Fullerton is a little different than they have been in the past," said Sunday starter Rob Rasmussen, who is 10-2 with a 2.90 ERA. "They swing with a lot of power. My first two years, they didn't have this power. But they haven't seen our weekend guys. They haven't seen Cole, Bauer, myself. We know our pitching staff is good. Really darn good. We're going to go out there and do what we've done every weekend, and we think that will be enough."

It will need to be against a veteran Fullerton squad that plays in its seventh consecutive NCAA Super Regional. The Titans lost to Minnesota in Game 1 on Friday night at home, but rallied for wins against Stanford, New Mexico and the Golden Gophers on Sunday before beating Minnesota again on Monday.

UCLA, meanwhile, cruised through its regional with a 3-0 sweep over Kent State, Louisiana State and UC Irvine.

"We're extremely confident," Rasmussen said. "The starters, we have confidence in each other. There's not one day that we go this can be an iffy days. We watch each other pitch and expect each other to win every time out. And once it's out of our hands, we have complete faith that our 'pen is going to take care of it. We don't have to go nine every game. There's a lot of confidence. And our hitting...our hitting has been timely almost the entire year. There's a lot of belief we can do some special things."

The UCLA softball team just defeated Arizona, 15-9, its first national championship since 2004, the program's 12th, 11th NCAA championship, and the program's 106th title. Another incredible power display today, with Andrea Harrison smashing a grand slam and Megan Langenfeld knocking in yet another home run in the first inning.

I'll try to reach a couple softball coaches and players tomorrow, but here's what a couple had to say after the game on ESPN...

Kelly Inouye-Perez on how she feels:
"Words can't even describe it right now. This team has done so much, they've come so far, they believed. I'm so proud of how they played down to the last pitch. It was 20 people who really tried to play the best ball at the end of the year."

Inouye-Perez on Coach Wooden:
"I think he added to it. We had a little extra something in the sky. He was with us, and we felt it, and we was the extra push that helped us get over the hump."

Megan Langenfeld:
"To be honest, pretty surprised. But it was there, and you just have to take. They weren't going to give us anything tonight. We had to take it, and we did."

Jon Gold: The baseball draft is so different than basketball and football; there are so much less media coverage and mock drafts. Is it equally hard for you to just wait without knowing much?
UCLA pitcher Rob Rasmussen: "The draft is hard to predict. There's a lot of guesses out there, and you hear anything from first round to fifth round. I thought I had the talent - and the question was could someone overlook my size. I'm really happy that the Marlins did."

JG: Were you just waiting around like the rest of us?
RR:"I got a couple calls early this morning, started around 8, calling to see what my signability was, where they saw me going. Interestingly enough, the Marlins weren't one of them. I was kind of sitting around, just watching some teams I thought I could go to, specifically the Cardinals at 75. I was watching on my computer, laying in bed, and the 73rd pick came up and they got me, and I thought, 'Wait, I haven't talked to these guys.' Their area scout called me right after, told me I was the second guy they'd taken and their first pitcher. Right off the bat, I thought I was in a good situation."

From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - Nine UCLA baseball players have been selected on the second day of the 2010 MLB Draft. Five pitchers, headlined by second-round selection Rob Rasmussen and third-round draft pick Dan Klein, were chosen in the draft's first 20 rounds. In all, six pitchers were drafted and three position players were selected from UCLA.

Rasmussen, a junior left-hander, was selected in the second round (73rd overall) by the Florida Marlins. Klein, a redshirt sophomore right-hander, was chosen in the third round (85th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles. Junior left-handed pitcher Matt Grace was drafted in the eighth round (236th overall) by the Washington Nationals.

Senior right-hander Garett Claypool was selected in the 11th round (351st overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies, and redshirt junior left-hander Matt Drummond was taken in the 20th round (598th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles.

Junior outfielder Chris Giovinazzo became the Bruins' first position player selected in the 2010 MLB Draft, being chosen by the Colorado Rockies in the 21st round (650th overall).

Redshirt sophomore right-hander Erik Goeddel was drafted in the 24th round (722nd overall) by the New York Mets, and junior outfielder Brett Krill was taken in the 25th round (768th overall) by the San Francisco Giants. Junior infielder Niko Gallego was selected in the 27th round (811th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Rasmussen becomes the Bruins' earliest draft selection since 2006, when left-hander David Huff was drafted in the supplemental first round (39th overall) by the Cleveland Indians. Rasmussen is the first UCLA ballplayer drafted in the second round since 2007 (Brant Rustich, New York Mets).

Rasmussen and Klein become the seventh and eighth UCLA pitchers, respectively, to be chosen in the draft's first five rounds under sixth-year head coach John Savage.

Rasmussen earned his 10th victory of the season Sunday, leading UCLA past UC Irvine, 6-2, by striking out seven batters in six innings to help the Bruins earn their second berth in the NCAA Super Regionals in the last four seasons. Rasmussen has gone 10-2 with a 2.90 ERA, totaling 108 strikeouts and 27 walks in 90.0 innings this spring.

After not earning a decision in his first three starts, Rasmussen collected the victory in each of his next six starts. In nine Pac-10 starts, the southpaw went 6-2 with a 3.04 ERA, tops among UCLA's weekend starters. Rasmussen logged 54 strikeouts and eight walks in 53.1 innings in conference action.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 27th round of the 2007 MLB Draft, Rasmussen pitched in nine games as a freshman (two starts), in a rookie campaign that was cut short due to a broken foot sustained from a line-drive comebacker in his debut. He missed 10 weeks before returning to the mound at the end of the season.

After going 4-2 with a 6.45 ERA in 18 games (six starts) as a sophomore, Rasmussen shined in the 2009 Cape Cod League, going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 35.0 innings for the Orleans Firebirds. Rasmussen was selected as one of two starting pitchers in the Cape Cod League's All-Star Game at Boston's Fenway Park in July 2009.

Klein was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles for the second time in four seasons, having been chosen by Baltimore in the 24th round of the 2007 MLB Draft following his senior season at Servite High School.
Klein has gone 5-0 with nine saves, collecting 48 strikeouts and eight walks in 44.1 innings as the Bruins' closer in 2010. The right-hander from Los Alamitos, Calif., was named to the Midseason Stopper of the Year Award's watch list in April and is tied for second in the Pac-10 with 35 appearances and ranks third in the conference in saves.

Klein's nine saves are the third most in a single season in school history, trailing Gabe Sollecito's 12-save total in 1992 and Herb Fauland's 10 saves in 1980. In two seasons, Klein has gone 7-2 with a 3.63 ERA, registering 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in 62.0 innings (42 appearances, two starts).

Klein missed the 2009 season with a shoulder injury. He returned in exceptional form in 2010, opening the season with a 20.1 consecutive inning scoreless streak as UCLA's closer.

Grace has gone 0-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 33 appearances, all in relief, as a junior for the Bruins in 2010. The 6-foot-4 left-hander from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., registered 20 strikeouts and seven walks in 25.0 innings during his junior campaign.

In three seasons at UCLA, Grace has gone 4-4 with a 3.95 ERA (69 appearances, six starts), totaling 72 strikeouts and 38 walks in 98.0 innings. Through NCAA Regional action this spring, Grace is tied for seventh in the Pac-10 with 30 appearances.

Claypool has shined as both a starting pitcher and reliever for the Bruins in 2010, going 8-3 with a 2.05 ERA, collecting 72 strikeouts and issuing just 19 walks in 79.0 innings. The senior right-hander from West Hills, Calif., has gone 14-7 with a 3.04 ERA, 179 strikeouts and 78 walks in 204.0 career innings (73 games, 33 starts).

Claypool was chosen in the 32nd round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and returned to pitch for UCLA as a senior in 2010. The Bruins' reliable midweek starter has gone 7-3 with a 2.27 ERA, registering 55 strikeouts and 17 walks in 67.1 innings as a starting pitcher this spring.

Drummond has gone 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in 11 relief appearances for UCLA as a redshirt junior in 2010. He has notched eight strikeouts and eight walks in 10.1 innings, returning after having missed the entire 2009 nursing a shoulder injury. Drummond has gone 2-4 with a 5.74 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 47 walks in 69.0 innings in three seasons with the Bruins.

Giovinazzo has batted .279 with three home runs, 16 RBI and 26 runs in 50 games (23 starts) as an outfielder in 2010. The native of Laguna Hills, Calif., has performed best in the second half of the Bruins' season, having posted a .381 batting average and .480 on-base percentage in Pac-10 play. In the Bruins' last 19 contests, Giovinazzo has batted .362 with one homer, two triples, four doubles, 10 RBI and 14 runs.

Goeddel has been UCLA's go-to right-hander out of the bullpen, going 2-0 with a 3.33 ERA in 33 appearances, the second-highest total on the team. The right-hander from Hillsborough, Calif., has registered 55 strikeouts and 21 walks in 46.0 innings, limiting the opposition to a .244 batting average. Goeddel made nine relief appearances in 2009 after missing the 2008 season recovering from an arm injury sustained in high school.

Krill has batted .290 with seven homers, 36 RBI and 44 runs in 50 games (46 starts) for the Bruins in 2010. One of three starting outfielders (right field), Krill hit at a .296 clip in Pac-10 action, leading UCLA with five home runs in conference games. Aside from being a perfect 7-for-7 on the basepaths this season, Krill has collected 15 multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI efforts.

Gallego has started at shortstop in all but two games the last two seasons. The junior from Yorba Linda, Calif., has batted .261 with three homers, two triples, 13 doubles and a team-leading 21 stolen bases in 22 attempts this season. Gallego has started at shortstop in 58 contests and ranks fourth on the team with 23 walks and first with 16 hit-by-pitches. Last spring, he started in 55 games at shortstop, batting .273 with 27 RBI and 26 runs.

From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - Junior left-hander Rob Rasmussen (Florida Marlins, second round), redshirt sophomore right-hander Dan Klein (Baltimore Orioles, third round), junior left-hander Matt Grace (Washington Nationals, eighth round) and senior right-hander Garett Claypool (Philadelphia Phillies, 11th round) have been selected midway through the MLB Draft's second day.

The first round (and supplemental first round) took place on Monday evening. Rounds 2-30 continue on Tuesday, while rounds 31-50 take place on Wednesday.

Rasmussen has been selected 73rd overall (Florida), Klein 85th overall (Baltimore), Grace 236rd overall (Washington) and Claypool 351st overall (Philadelphia).

Rasmussen becomes the Bruins' earliest draft selection since 2006, when left-hander David Huff was drafted in the supplemental first round (39th overall) by the Cleveland Indians. Rasmussen is the first UCLA ballplayer drafted in the second round since 2007 (Brant Rustich, New York Mets).

Klein was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles for the second time in four seasons, having been chosen by Baltimore in the 24th round of the 2007 MLB Draft following his senior season at Servite High School.

Rasmussen and Klein become the seventh and eighth UCLA pitchers, respectively, to be chosen in the draft's first five rounds under sixth-year head coach John Savage.

Rasmussen earned his 10th victory of the season Sunday, leading UCLA past UC Irvine, 6-2, by striking out seven batters in six innings to help the Bruins earn their second berth in the NCAA Super Regionals in the last four seasons. Rasmussen has gone 10-2 with a 2.90 ERA, totaling 108 strikeouts and 27 walks in 90.0 innings this spring.

After not earning a decision in his first three starts, Rasmussen collected the victory in each of his next six starts. In nine Pac-10 starts, the southpaw went 6-2 with a 3.04 ERA, tops among UCLA's weekend starters. Rasmussen logged 54 strikeouts and eight walks in 53.1 innings in conference action.

Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 27th round of the 2007 MLB Draft, Rasmussen pitched in nine games as a freshman (two starts), in a rookie campaign that was cut short due to a broken foot sustained from a line-drive comebacker in his debut. He missed 10 weeks before returning to the mound at the end of the season.

After going 4-2 with a 6.45 ERA in 18 games (six starts) as a sophomore, Rasmussen shined in the 2009 Cape Cod League, going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 35.0 innings for the Orleans Firebirds. Rasmussen was selected as one of two starting pitchers in the Cape Cod League's All-Star Game at Boston's Fenway Park in July 2009.

Klein has gone 5-0 with nine saves, collecting 48 strikeouts and eight walks in 44.1 innings as the Bruins' closer in 2010. The right-hander from Los Alamitos, Calif., was named to the Midseason Stopper of the Year Award's watch list in April and is tied for second in the Pac-10 with 35 appearances and ranks third in the conference in saves.

Klein's nine saves are the third most in a single season in school history, trailing Gabe Sollecito's 12-save total in 1992 and Herb Fauland's 10 saves in 1980. In two seasons, Klein has gone 7-2 with a 3.63 ERA, registering 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in 62.0 innings (42 appearances, two starts).

Klein missed the 2009 season with a shoulder injury. He returned in exceptional form in 2010, opening the season with a 20.1 consecutive inning scoreless streak as UCLA's closer.

Grace has gone 0-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 33 appearances, all in relief, as a junior for the Bruins in 2010. The 6-foot-4 left-hander from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., registered 20 strikeouts and seven walks in 25.0 innings during his junior campaign.

In three seasons at UCLA, Grace has gone 4-4 with a 3.95 ERA (69 appearances, six starts), totaling 72 strikeouts and 38 walks in 98.0 innings. Through NCAA Regional action this spring, Grace is tied for seventh in the Pac-10 with 30 appearances.

Claypool has shined as a starting pitcher for the Bruins in 2010, going 8-3 with a 2.05 ERA, collecting 72 strikeouts and issuing just 19 walks in 79.0 innings. The senior right-hander from West Hills, Calif., has gone 14-7 with a 3.04 ERA, 179 strikeouts and 78 walks in 204.0 career innings (73 games, 33 starts).

Claypool was chosen in the 32nd round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and returned to pitch for UCLA as a senior in 2010. The Bruins' reliable midweek starter has gone 7-3 with a 2.27 ERA, registering 55 strikeouts and 17 walks in 67.1 innings as a starting pitcher this spring.

From UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - The UCLA baseball team will host a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series against Cal State Fullerton at Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium beginning Friday, June 11. Each game will be televised live, across the nation on ESPN2, as announced by the NCAA on Monday evening.

First pitch on Friday is slated for 7:30 p.m. Game 2 on Saturday will begin at 4 p.m. If necessary, Sunday's final game of the Super Regional will begin at 7 p.m. The winner of this weekend's NCAA Super Regional will earn a trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., slated for June 19-30.

UCLA (46-13) advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round by sweeping the NCAA Los Angeles Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium with a 6-2 victory over UC Irvine on Sunday. The Bruins downed Kent State, 15-1, on Friday night before defeating defending national champion LSU, 6-3, on Saturday night.

UCLA will host its first Super Regional in program history this weekend. The Bruins last advanced to an NCAA Super Regional in 2007, dropping two games in the best-of-three series to Cal State Fullerton at Goodwin Field.

Cal State Fullerton (45-16) earned its seventh consecutive NCAA Super Regional berth by winning four consecutive games in the NCAA Fullerton Regional, including a regional-clinching 9-5 victory over Minnesota on Monday night. The Titans dropped a 3-1 decision to Minnesota in Game 1 on Friday, before securing wins over Stanford on Saturday, New Mexico and Minnesota on Sunday and Minnesota in a winner-take-all game on Monday.

Tickets for the 2010 NCAA Super Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium will not be on sale until Tuesday afternoon. Ticket sales at UCLA will be coordinated through UCLA's Central Ticket Office (310-825-2101).

FROM UCLA:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Senior Megan Langenfeld went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of home runs, including a walk-off bomb in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the fifth-seeded Bruins defeated #10 Arizona 6-5 on Monday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

UCLA improves to 49-11 and is one win away from its 12th national championship and 11th NCAA title. Game 2 is on Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT on ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com, with Gametracker available on UCLABruins.com.

The Bruins rallied twice, coming back from a run down in the bottom of the seventh after surrendering a 4-2 lead in the top half of the inning. UCLA had 12 hits as a team, with sophomore Andrea Harrison posting a two-hit game.

Sophomore Aleah Macon (12-1) picked up the win in relief, striking out three in two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk. Langenfeld started and pitched six-plus innings, striking out five and giving up five runs, nine hits and five walks.

For the first time in the WCWS, the Bruins saw their opponent score first. With two outs in the top of the first, K'Lee Arredondo and Stacie Chambers drew back-to-back walks and Brigette Del Ponte blooped a single to left to score Arredondo to put the Wildcats up 1-0.

The Bruins had their own two-out rally in the bottom of the first, as Langenfeld sent a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right for her team-leading 18th home run of the season to even the game.

The Wildcats had a chance in the third, but a nice defensive play in center by freshman Devon Lindvall kept the game tied at one. With runners at second and first and two outs, Del Ponte sent another blooper to the outfield in left-center, but Lindvall came in and made a diving catch to end the inning.

UCLA took the lead with a run in the bottom of the third. Junior GiOnna DiSalvatore led off by sending one deep to left that tipped off the outstretched glove of Brittany Lastrapes for a double. After DiSalvatore advanced to third on a wild pitch, she came home one out later when Langenfeld blooped a single to right in front of the sliding attempt by Karissa Buchanan to make it 2-1 Bruins.

The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the fifth on another two-out rally. Lauren Schutzler walked, Arredondo singled up the middle and Chambers singled to right to plate Schutzler to make it 2-all.

The Bruins squandered a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the fifth. Langenfeld singled up the middle with one out and moved to third on a double to left by Andrea Harrison. But Arizona's Kenzie Fowler struck out sophomores Samantha Camuso and Dani Yudin to end the threat.

In the sixth, Langenfeld stranded a pair of Wildcats on base. Lini Koria singled to center to open the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice by Kristen Arriola. One out later, Buchanan singled to center to put runners at the corners, but Langenfeld struck out Lastrapes to keep the game tied.

The Bruins took the lead again with yet another two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and senior Kaila Shull at first, freshman B.B. Bates singled to left to put a pair on base. After both runners moved up on a DiSalvatore groundout, junior Monica Harrison stroked a double that hit the left-field foul line to score Shull and Bates to give UCLA a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Schutzler led off with a walk and Arredondo tied it with a homer to left to even the score at four. Chambers followed with a go-ahead homer to center to put the Wildcats on top 5-4.

To keep the theme of the game going, the Bruins once again rallied with two outs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to some breaks given by the Wildcats. After Fowler retired the first two of the inning, miscommunication by the Arizona left and center fielders kept things going. Yudin skied a ball to left-center, but it fell between a colliding Lastrapes and Schutzler to put the Bruin sophomore on second with a double. After the Wildcats walked senior Julie Burney intentionally, Shull lifted a ball to right that tipped off the outstretched glove of Buchanan for a double, as sophomore pinch-runner Marti Reed scored to tie the game at five. Fowler then fanned Bates to send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, the Wildcats had the bases loaded, but Macon struck out Chambers looking to keep the game at 5-all.

That setup the heroics for Langenfeld, who hit a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence with two outs in the bottom of the eighth for her 19th homer of the season and second of the game to put the Bruins one win away from a national championship.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News is one of the best in the business, and my favorite source on the Pac-10. He's a Daily News alum, and a great guy to boot. Here's what he had to say about the Pac-10 expansion talks.

All the talk is on a 16-team expansion, but what about a 12-team league?
"I can't help but wonder if the Pac-10 honchos have concluded that it's an all-or-nothing situation. Either they're going for 16, or they're going to stand down at the Pac-10. Just adding two teams is just not worth it on the revenue side. They're going to go big and if they don't go big, go with what they've had. But nobody's told me that. I've been very skeptical all along that Colorado and Utah would do enough on the revenue front to make it worthwhile. There are a lot of steps, and a lot of those steps have nothing to do with the Pac-10."

Where does college football go from here?
"I don't know what they do with some of those leftover teams - Colorado, Baylor, the Kansas schools. Maybe they'd end up joining the Mountain West, a fifth conference. I'm just not sure how it's going to shake down. It has the potential to be completely different than it has been. A month ago, I would have told you that the chances would be minimal, now I would say they'd be significant. Texas still holds so many of the cards. If the Longhorns are still adamant about staying in the Big-12, there's a good chance the Big-12 stays together in some form. But what is the SEC doing behind the scenes? What is the Big-10 doing behind the scenes? I'm sure as much as we know, there is twice as much we don't."

Whittier Christian defensive tackle Jeff Worthy was one of the premier players at UCLA's camp on Sunday, and one of the few who will get serious looks from the Bruins.

Worthy, at 6-4, 270 pounds, was a specimen compared to most of the linemen in attendance, and his power and technique is surely something Todd Howard covets. Worthy was bullying people around - in the mode of his favorite Bruin, Brian Price - and he performed well enough to receive a scholarship offer last night.

"It was a good camp; I learned a lot," Worthy said. "The coaches seem like they were riding me a lot harder than most of the players, and it gave me the feeling they were caring about me. It was a productive camp."

Worthy welcomed the extra criticism, knowing full well what was at stake on Sunday. While he has some impressive scholarship offers - Nebraska, Oregon State and Boise State to name a few - he desperately wanted a UCLA offer.

He was willing to scratch and claw for it.

"The fighting aspect, the competition is crazy," Worthy said. "You're trying to earn a scholarship - it's like in college, the spring practices, they're all trying to earn a spot. They're competing so hard, some are even fighting. Going against guys as big as me or even bigger, I had to work a lot harder. I was trying to work on my technique, because that's what it's all about in college."

Worthy's primary technique, he said, is brute force. His numbers last season - 137 tackles, 19 sacks - show, however, that he bring versatility to the table. He said he's not really a speed guy but is quick, and he knows that's what let Price camp in opposing backfields last season.

"I'm a different kind of player; I bring a lot of technique and strength to the table," Worthy said. "Defensive tackle is an important spot, every play he might get a one-on-one chance. He needs to make the big plays. I think that's saying a lot when UCLA recruits me for that position. Theyre expecting me to do a lot."

Now he expects them to do a little more.

Worthy said he does not have a final three, but that his top three at the moment are UCLA, Nebraska and Boise State. He plans to wait until the end of the season to make his decision, and the potential conference realignments could play a factor in his, and every other recruit's, decision.

But he's very clear about his top priority.

"The biggest thing for me is playing time," Worthy said. "I want to play early. Maybe my sophomore year I want to start on the team. That's the thing I'm looking for. I just want to play."

Here's his profile: Jeff Worthy

LOS ANGELES - Cody Regis' three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning helped the No. 1-seed UCLA baseball team secure a four-run cushion as the Bruins (46-13) won the NCAA Los Angeles Regional with a 6-2 victory over No. 3-seed UC Irvine before 1,209 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday night.

UCLA punched its second ticket in the last four seasons to the NCAA Super Regionals. The victory also set the Bruins' new school record for victories in a single season (46), eclipsing the 1997 team's 45-21-1 record.

Regis belted his second home run in as many games in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional on Sunday evening, going 1-for-2 with one homer, three RBI, two runs and two walks. Regis had a solo homer in the Bruins' 6-3 win over LSU on Saturday night. Designated hitter Blair Dunlap went 2-for-4 with one double, one run and one RBI.

Left-hander Rob Rasmussen (10-2) notched the victory, limiting the Anteaters (39-21) to two runs and five hits in six innings. Rasmussen struck out seven batters and did not issue any walks. Rasmussen became the third UCLA pitcher this spring to collect 10 wins, joining sophomores Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole in that category.

Right-hander Erik Goeddel threw two scoreless innings (seventh and eighth), scattering two hits and notching two strikeouts to help preserve the regional-clinching victory.

UC Irvine right-hander Eric Pettis (9-5) absorbed the loss, allowing three runs and five hits in four innings. Pettis registered two strikeouts and walked two batters.

The Anteaters were led at the plate by shortstop D.J. Crumlich's 3-for-4 effort, while left fielder Drew Hillman and right fielder Jonathan Hurst each went 2-for-4. Hillman and designated hitter Jordan Leyland each belted solo home runs for UC Irvine.

UCLA took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a run-scoring triple to center field by shortstop Niko Gallego.

UC Irvine answered with a solo home run from Hillman with two outs in the second, tying the contest at 1-1.

The Bruins scored twice in the top of the third to claim a 3-1 cushion. Center fielder Beau Amaral led off the frame with an infield single before scoring from first base on a double down the left-field line by Dunlap. Later in the inning, right fielder Chris Giovinazzo bounced a run-scoring single on the infield.

A solo home run by Leyland in the fifth inning reduced UCLA's lead to 3-2.

Regis' had the Bruins' biggest hit of the game with his three-run round-tripper in the eighth inning.

The Bruins will face either No. 1-seed Cal State Fullerton or No. 4-seed Minnesota in NCAA Super Regional action next weekend. UCLA will play a best-of-three series against the winner of the Fullerton Regional on June 11-13 or June 12-14. The NCAA announces the dates, times and site on Monday evening.

Game Notes: UCLA broke the school record for wins in a season, established in 1997 -- that marks the last season in which the Bruins advanced to the College World Series ... the Bruins won an NCAA Regional at UCLA for the first time in program history ... the Bruins last swept an NCAA Regional in 2007 (at Long Beach State) ... UCLA has advanced to NCAA Super Regional action for the third time since the NCAA adopted the Super Regional format in 1999 (also won Regionals in 2000 and 2007) ... UCLA's 27 home victories s are the most since the Bruins went 28-10 in 1982 ... no UCLA baseball team has had three pitchers with 10 or more victories until this season (Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Rob Rasmussen).

On Dan Klein potentially becoming a starter:
"The kid throws 16 innings in 2 years, and now guys want to start him? You know what? They could be right. But I wouldn't bet on that."

How high do you expect him to go?
"He could go in the back of the first round if someone drafts him as a pure reliever. I think he could get (to the majors) very quickly. He could be one of the first guys who could get to the big leagues."

On Rob Rasmussen:
"Rasmussen to me - I know he's the third starter, but he's a true four-pitch lefty. He could go in the second round, if you can stomach the fact that he's about 5-9 and a half. I mean, a lefty up to 94, pretty good idea of what he's doing. There's the potential there for a pretty good starter. He could go in the second. I'd be surprised if he went higher than that, but I'd be surprised if we went lower than the third. How high do you rank a guy who's that short? There's a legitimate idea of that flat fastball, but he has enough weapons to get guys out."

Dan Guerrero says UCLA's deal with Adidas will approach Michigan's landmark $7.5 million deal.

Endorsement Deals

FROM UCLA:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Freshman B.B. Bates got the fifth-seeded Bruins on the board with a two-run homer in the second and sophomore Samantha Camuso added a three-run shot in the third, as UCLA advanced to the championship round of the Women's College World Series with a 5-2 victory over #6 Georgia on Sunday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

The Bruins improve to 48-11 on the season and will face #10 Arizona or #15 Tennessee in the finals. The best 2-of-3 Championship Series begins on Monday at 5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com, with Gametracker on UCLABruins.com.

Senior Megan Langenfeld earned the win to move to 14-1 on the year, striking out three in seven innings and giving up just two runs, two hits and a walk. She retired the first nine batters of the game and then set down the final 12 of the contest.

Junior GiOnna DiSalvatore had a pair of base knocks, as the Bruins had five hits as a team.

The Bruins scored first for the fifth straight game and the third time in the WCWS, putting two on the board on one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second. Camuso led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Julie Burney. One out later, Bates launched a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right field for her fifth home run of the season to give UCLA a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Bruins set a WCWS record with their eighth home run in Oklahoma City. With one out and sophomore Andrea Harrison at first, sophomore Dani Yudin was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on. Junior Grace Murray entered the game as a pinch-runner for Harrison and came home along with Yudin on a three-run bomb by Camuso to center on a 1-1 pitch to increase the margin to 5-0. It was Camuso's seventh home run of the postseason, second of the WCWS and 15th of the year. The eight homers break the single-team mark set by Georgia in last season's WCWS.

The Bulldogs rallied with a pair in the top of the fourth. Taylor Schlopy became Georgia's first base runner of the game following a leadoff walk and moved to third on a double to left by Megan Wiggins. Alisa Goler followed with a bloop single to left to plate both runners and cut the deficit to 5-2. But Langenfeld got the next three outs in a row to keep the damage to a pair of runs.

"Early Friday evening, UCLA lost its living legend when John Wooden passed away.

"There will never be another John Wooden. Those of us fortunate enough to have known this exceptional man will remember the impact he has made on our lives forever. His greatness was such that he also had a profound effect on people whom he never met.

"As members of the Bruin Family, I know you share our sadness at the passing of this amazing individual. The way Coach lived his life, cherishing his family and treating everyone, from his best friend to someone he had never met, with great respect, should be an example to all of us. Those are the ideals we strive to instill in all of our student-athletes and they come directly from Coach.

"As you reflect on his passing, be happy for Coach, because he is now with Nell, his wife of almost 53 years before her passing in 1985. Remember his humility, his integrity and his love of life and pass those thoughts on to your friends and family, especially your children.

"Take pride in knowing Coach Wooden was one of us - a Bruin - and honor his passing by making each day your masterpiece."

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden

Be prepared and be honest. - John Wooden

Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts. - John Wooden

Be quick, but don't hurry - John Wooden

There is John Wooden, the coaching legend, whose legendary numbers will likely never be duplicated.

And there is John Wooden, the motivational speaker, whose words are used by coaches throughout the country on a daily basis.

But what about the John Wooden that we don't know. The one that only his players know, the one who was there every day with them, guiding them, watching them, teaching them.

Mopping the floor with them.

Or just plain mopping the floor.

Keith Erickson played on UCLA's last team before Pauley Pavilion opened, when the Bruins played in the old men's gym, stuffed into the facility with the wrestling team and the women's gymnastics squad. The hardwood floor bordering the canvas and mats, chalk would inevitably pile up on the old court.

Coach Wooden would inevitably make sure it was gone.

"Every day before practice, he was always the first one on the floor, and he was out there before anyone else was in there with his mop, and he mopped the entire floor back and forth - you know how big the court is, full-length - he mopped the entire floor, back and forth, every day before practice," said Erickson, a key player on Wooden's first two championship teams in 1964 and 1965. "I can remember walking in there, and here's our coach out here doing this. And the reason was, you know, you slip on that stuff, you break an ankle, you sprain an ankle, and you're out. He didn't have the ball boys doing it or someone in the administration getting somebody out there. He did it every single day before practice."

You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. - John Wooden

What you are as a person is far more important that what you are as a basketball player. - John Wooden

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. - John Wooden

The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones. - John Wooden

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team. - John Wooden

Ability is a poor man's wealth. - John Wooden

Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters. - John Wooden

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. - John Wooden

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. - John Wooden

Check out what President Barack Obama said about John Wooden: Obama on Wooden

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights. - John Wooden

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then. - John Wooden

Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. - John Wooden

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." - John Wooden

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. - John Wooden

It isn't what you do, but how you do it. - John Wooden

If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? - John Wooden

Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be. - John Wooden

There is a rhythm to baseball, particularly college baseball.
Week in, week out, Gerrit Cole threw on Friday, and that was it.
He owns it. Owns it like a bum owns a street corner. Owns it like a lion owns a guppy. Owns it.

So while UCLA baseball coach John Savage debated to leave his ace in the hole, he ultimately decided to stick with the rhythm and ride Gerrit Cole all the way to the second game of the Los Angeles Regional in the NCAA college baseball playoffs.

Cole limited Kent State to just five hits and UCLA's relievers did the rest of the dirty work in a 15-1 victory over the Golden Flashes at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Friday night.

"Some people will probably second-guess after they look at the score and say 'Oh God, you should've gone with Claypool," Savage said, referring to Garett Claypool, UCLA's dependable mid-week starter whom he considered starting. "I really think we made the right call. He threw five innings, he threw 79 pitches, and we got what we needed. You need to win games in double elimination tournaments. Our routine has been really good all season."

Things looked a bit precarious early, as Kent State got its first two batters on base against the usually dominant Cole. While the Golden Flashes fizzled, the Bruins flourished.

UCLA scored two runs in the first inning, added five more in the third and then put Kent State away with a five-run fourth inning.
But Savage maintained that Cole set the tone with his starting pitching.

"We've got a ton of respect for Kent State," Savage said. "They are as good a No. 4 seed as there is out there. Cole wanted the ball. We thought about [using another pitcher], but not for very long."

Up next, Louisiana State, which outlasted UC Irvine, 11-10, in 11 innings earlier Friday. The Bruins will put Trevor Bauer on the mound to stop the Tigers, who won the national championship last season.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes. - John Wooden

It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it. - John Wooden

Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming. - John Wooden

Forty years after John Wooden gave John Vallely a stern warning about his future, Vallely stood in Wooden's hospital room at the UCLA Medical Center on Wednesday, leaned over, said I love you, and kissed the man whose words would shape the rest of his life.

The stern warning had paid off.

Karen Vallely leaned over and kissed Wooden, too.

"I hugged him and I told him he helped put Team Vallely together," said Vallely, who played on the 1969 and 1970 UCLA national championship teams, two of Wooden 10 title squads. "He had a broad smile on his face when I teased him about being a 21-year-old kid, on the way to the NBA, when I sat with him and said, "Coach, I've been with Karen for three years, but I'm such a young guy.' He says one thing to me. 'Son, you marry that girl.' Here I am 40 years later with this fabulous woman next to me."

If Wooden influenced one man, he influenced a million.

His words span the sporting universe, coaches and players alike, enough quotes for his own edition of Bartlett's.

*Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

*Ability is a poor man's wealth.

*Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Wooden may have passed away on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. at the age of 99, but his words will live on forever.

For his family, for fellow Bruins, for basketball fans the world over, for those he mentored.

"He's the primary caretaker of the game," said former UCLA head coach Jim Harrick, whose 1995 national championship is the program's only title aside from Wooden's 10. "The symbol of everything that basketball stood for, for so many people. So many lives he touched. He could sit down and talk to anybody. Loved to talk to coaches, JV coaches, sophomore coaches. Anyone. If you're ever going to call anyone a coach, it's him."

Wooden was so much more than a coach to so many, though.

His Pyramid of Success has become iconic in the business world, a throwback to the days before "synergy" and "corporate teamwork" became the buzzwords.

Wooden was a simple man, a man who believed in simple principles, a man who, quite simply, understood the world around him.

He coached UCLA during a period of unparalleled success, but also a period of unparalleled turmoil, the country turned upside down by a war thousands of miles away.

"Here's a guy from Martinsville, Indiana, in L.A., with all this stuff going on; these young, very talented, high-energy, big egos, young men under his supervision," said former UCLA forward Jamaal Wilkes, who visited his former coach twice during the last week. "All these challenges going around, yet he kept your focus. He really became somewhat of a unifying force, but not just regionally. It started off regionally - but throughout college basketball, with all that stuff going on, here was something stable, here was something pure, here was something pristine. Even after he retired, it's like yesterday when he was coaching. His impact transcended basketball, transcended sports culturally."

Even as a pillar that stood when everything else crashed around, Wooden did not realize the depth of his words.

UCLA fans describe his common touch, his ability to come down to the level of those who worshipped him and what he stood for. An impromptu UCLA eight-clap in front of the Bruin Bear and Wooden Center was organized hastily for 12:30 p.m. on Friday, hours before he was to pass. More than 2,000 said they would show up.

"He did not know what his words would mean," Vallely said. "He knew that what he was teaching was solid principles because he'd used them in his own life. When you embrace something and live it and find peace of mind about your effort to achieve these things, when you see these things work, you find yourself sticking with them. In the process of living his journey, he shared how we could do that."

Perhaps no coach has strived to embody the principles of Wooden as UCLA's current torchbearer, Ben Howland. If the measure of a man is how he affects those he's touched, there is not a measuring stick big enough in the world to gauge Wooden's influence.

Howland likes to say that he's just the steward of the program, that it truly belongs to Wooden, whose teams Howland watched as a young man growing up in Goleta.

"Having Coach here was something that was great for me," Howland said. "He embraced every coach that coached here. He's been supportive and has always loved this program. I remember the first visit I had with him after I was hired. I was in the Final Four in New Orleans and went to his hotel room. He was already at the Final Four. I had my son Adam with me. It was really special, sitting on that bed in his room. It's really something I'll never forget."

He was sharing with UCLA coaches until the end.

An emotional Harrick, fighting back tears just more than an hour after Wooden passed away, described his last in-depth meeting with Wooden, just a short time after the death of Harrick's wife, Sally. Wooden's wife of 53 years, his beloved Nell, died in 1985, and those close to the coach said he frequently spoke during the past few years of reuniting with her.

"I saw him at Christmas for a long time at the Wooden Classic," Harrick said. "Spent a long time with him just talking. My wife passed away in November, his wife had passed long ago, and he sat with me for so long.
"He really grabbed me close and he held me and he told me, 'I know how you feel.'"

What did Coach Wooden mean to you?
"People kind of speak so highly of him just because he's a better person than coach. We all know how great he was as a coach. Anyone who knows him just raves. Nothing but great things to say about him."

Did you ever have a chance to meet Coach?
"I actually got the John Wooden award in high school, and that was my first time meeting him. Hearing him speak is something of greatness. He was so sharp at his age."

What do you feel John Wooden meant to UCLA as an institution?
"He made it as great a legacy is. Everyone who's come after that has just tried to keep it going."

Do you think that every UCLA player or coach kind of feels the same today?
"I would say everybody who's been able to play for UCLA will definitely the pain. But it's a country-wide event. It's a story just because of how good he was as a man."

How are you right now?
"He was my mentor, and he's a guy I learned so much basketball from. He's really responsible for everything I've ever done. It's a sad day, even though we knew it was coming. He meant so much to everybody. Probably the greatest thing I could say is he had the least ego of anyone I ever knew. Never let anything he accomplished get in the way he felt. He was a superb man. Boy I tell you, we all looked up to him."

Coach Howland has said he just feels like the torch-bearer, but the program still belongs to Coach Wooden. Did you share that sentiment?
"Without a doubt. He built it. Everything he did was his. It has his touch. We maintained it. It was his. He put that school on the map, made it as famous as it is today."

At the Finals game last night, so many players and coaches had wonderful things to say about Coach Wooden. Are you surprised by the outpouring of love?
"It's called the game of basketball, and we're all in it. He's the primary caretaker of the game. The symbol of everything that basketball stood for, for so many people. So many lives he touched. He could sit down and talked to anybody. Loved to talk to coaches, JV coaches, sophomore coaches. Anyone. If you're ever going to call anyone a coach, it's him."

"I've followed him for a long time. I saw him at Christmas for a long time. Spent a long time with him just talking. My wife passed away in November, his wife had passed long ago, and he sat with me for so long. He really grabbed me close and held me, told me, 'I know how you feel.' We talked for a long, long time. Saw him in the hospital the last time he was there. Talked every few days. We knew it was coming, and his health had really gotten to the point where quality of life wasn't great.
"But even though you know it's coming, it's still sad to lose a man like him."

From UCLA:

The following statement was issued by Nan and Jim Wooden on the passing of their father, John Wooden:

We want to thank everyone for their love and support for our father. We will miss him more than words can express.

He has been, and always will be, the guiding light for our family. The love, guidance and support he has given us will never be forgotten.

Our peace of mind at this time is knowing that he has gone to be with our mother, whom he has continued to love and cherish.

We wish to express our gratitude for your support and appreciate your respecting our privacy.

• • •

In lieu of flowers, the Wooden family requests that donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or another charity of choice.

Members of the Wooden family will not be available for interviews.

Coach Wooden's family requests everyone respect their privacy and not attend the private funeral service, which is for immediate family only.

A public memorial for Coach Wooden will be announced at a later date. Former players and coaches will have special accommodations at the public memorial service, and there will be a reception for them and the Wooden family following the memorial.

UCLA fans, here's the place to post your best John Wooden memories and thoughts. This is a truly sad day for the world, as Coach Wooden was more than a sports figure, but a true luminary.

Please be kind, because I will immediately ban anyone with negative comments. This is not the place.

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden passed away at 6:45 pm PT Friday evening at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center of natural causes.

Full obituary to follow at www.uclabruins.com

Jackie Robinson is slowly packing to the brim, in anticipation of the Bruins matchup with Kent State.

The Golden Flashes are decked out in their retro uniforms, big, bold lettering, baggy sleeves, and a genuine old-school look.

The game is already an hour late, after the LSU-UC Irvine matchup went 11 innings, the Tigers winning on a bases-loaded double with two outs, 11-10.

If UCLA wins, they'll face LSU tomorrow.

UCLA took a 4-0 lead and cruised the rest of the way to defeat Hawaii 5-2 in the second game of the College World Series.

Samantha Camuso, Julie Burney and Andrea Harrison hit home runs for the Bruins, who defeated Florida 16-3 yesterday.

UCLA won't play until Sunday, as the team awaits the winner of Missouri/Florida and Hawaii in the loser's bracket matchup.

This is off-topic, but very important to me. My good friend Adam Maya of the Orange County Register, the UCLA blogger, is traveling to Haiti as part of a 14-person group to serve at an orphanage for seven days. I told him I would post this email on the blog, and to be sure, every denarius does indeed count.

As you know, very soon I will be going to Haiti as part of a disaster relief team with Hope World Wide. I'm part of a team of 14 people who will be serving in an orphanage with about 120 children, attending to four severe needs: Medical and health-related care; psychology, social work, and counseling; construction and building; teaching, computer, and educational training.

I will be in Haiti from June 12-19. The total budget of the trip, which includes transportation, food, supplies, a large donation to the orphanage, and incidentals, will be about $2,000. I wanted to see if you would like to help me donate to the cause and change lives in Haiti. Of course, any support you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Please email me at amaya@ocregister.com.com if you're interested. Every denarius counts.

Thanks.

-Adam

From UCLA:

Coach John Wooden continues to rest comfortably at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and is surrounded by his family. At their request, no other information regarding his condition will be released.

Coach Wooden's family and the UCLA Family want to again tell all of Coach's fans that their thoughts and prayers are truly appreciated.

There will be no further updates today.

I'm on my way to the UCLA baseball game and just got word that WR Antwon Moutra has been granted his release and will be transferring. I'll try to get in touch with Moutra later.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Richard "Duke" Llewellyn, the co-founder of the Wooden Award, died this morning at 4:00 a.m. according to a Wooden Award official. He was 93. Llewellyn worked at The Los Angeles Athletic Club for 54 years.
The Los Angeles Athletic Club is deeply saddened by the loss, a statement on the Wooden Award Web site says.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Frank Burlison of the Long Beach Press-Telegram has a great feature on Tyus Edney's desire to break into coaching: Edney

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

Just saw that UCLA fans have organized an impromptu 8-clap for John Wooden in front of the Bruin Bear and Wooden Center today from noon to 12:30. An astounding 2,300-plus people have said they will attend, and the 8-clap should start around 12:20.

Incredible show of support for the legend.

From UCLA:

The family of Coach John Wooden and the UCLA Family thank all of Coach's fans for their wonderful thoughts and prayers.

Coach Wooden is resting comfortably at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and spent a peaceful night. He was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, May 26 due to dehydration. At the request of the family, no other information regarding Coach Wooden's condition will be released.

Members of the Wooden Family and UCLA staff are not available for interviews regarding Coach's condition.

Wooden is resting comfortably at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this morning, according to UCLA. The school issued a release which said he ``spent a peaceful night'' at the hospital. At the request of the family, UCLA is not releasing any further information. Wooden was admitted to the hospital on May 26 for dehydration, according to the release.

From UCLA:
"UCLA confirms that Coach John Wooden is at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center but, per wishes of family, will not comment on his condition. No one from the Wooden Family or UCLA staff is available for interviews regarding Coach Wooden."

On a related note, I was told that Bill Walton was in the hospital visiting Coach on Tuesday.

Scout.com's Brandon Huffman is reporting that Lincoln (Stockton) WR Brandin Cooks has been offered by UCLA.

Cooks is rated the No. 91 wideout in the country by Scout, and he looks very impressive on film. UCLA is probably looking at signing two receivers in this class, and currently has 13 offers out: Wideout list

Here is Cooks' profile: Cooks

In other recruiting news, the No. 1 QB in the country, Braxton Miller, has verbally committed to Ohio State. Miller has a UCLA offer, but chances were somewhere between slim and none, and the Ohio-bred star is sticking at home.

NBA Analyst David Aldridge on John Wooden:
"I don't think I could accurately convey the impact he had on the game, and all of basketball; not just college, but the NBA. He's a giant figure. He's a seminal figure in the history of basketball. His impact is far-reaching. The tentacles reach down into the heart of the game. Everybody that's either played for him or coached with him or got a job because of him - he is a dynamic, large figure. If there's a Mount Rushmore of basketball, you could make a very good argument he's on it."

From UCLA:

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The fifth-seeded Bruins broke the school record for home runs in a single season with three more bombs on Thursday and also scored the most runs ever in a UCLA postseason contest in a 16-3, six-inning victory over #4 Florida in the first game of the Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

UCLA (46-11) advances to the winner's bracket, where it will play Hawai'i on Friday at 4 p.m. PT/6 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNHD and online at ESPN3.com, with Gametracker at UCLABruins.com.

Sophomore Andrea Harrison went 2-for-5 with a pair of three-run homers, driving in a career-high six. Senior Megan Langenfeld went 4-for-4 with four RBI, four runs scored and a home run. The Bruins now have 97 home runs on the season, besting the mark of the NCAA title-winning 1999 squad that hit 95.

Sophomore Samantha Camuso also had a two-hit game, as the Bruins had 11 hits as a team. The season-high 16 runs were the most scored by UCLA in an NCAA Tournament game, bettering the 14 against Creighton in 1999.

Langenfeld also earned the win in the circle, pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to improve to 12-1 on the season. She struck out three and allowed four hits, striking out a pair in the fourth and retiring the side in order in the sixth.

The Bruins, playing as the visiting team, got on the board in the first inning. With one out, junior Monica Harrison walked, moved to second on an illegal pitch by Florida's Stephanie Brombacher and advanced to third on a single to right by Langenfeld. Andrea Harrison then hit a 2-2 pitch out to left, her 14th home run of the season, to put UCLA ahead 3-0.

The Gators (48-9) tied it up in the bottom of the second. Florida loaded the bases to open the inning on a hit by pitch of Francesca Enea, a single to left by Brittany Schutte and a walk to Megan Bush. Tiffany DeFelice followed with a bases-clearing double to left-center to even the game at three. UCLA was able to keep the damage to three runs though. Following a sacrifice bunt for the first out, Langenfeld came in the game to pitch and retired Brittany Walker on a groundout to third and Michelle Moultrie on a foul out to left.

UCLA scored three runs in the third to re-take the lead. Junior GiOnna DiSalvatore walked to open the inning, moved to second on an illegal pitch and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Monica Harrison. Langenfeld followed with a double down the right-field line to plate Harrison to make it 4-3. Langenfeld then moved to third on another illegal pitch, this time by Florida's Ensley Gammel, and one out later, sophomore Dani Yudin walked to put runners at the corners. Camuso made it 5-3 with a double to left to plate Langenfeld and Yudin came home on another illegal pitch by Gammel to extend the advantage to 6-3.

The Bruins added another run in the fourth. Freshman B.B. Bates and Monica Harrison each walked to open the inning and Langenfeld drove in Bates with a single to left-center to increase the margin to 7-3.

The Gators threatened in the fourth, but came up empty. With one out, DeFelice singled to left and Corrie Brooks singled to right, as DeFelice advanced to third on the play. Lauren Heil came in to run for Brooks and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Walker then chopped a ball to shortstop, with Monica Harrison leaping high in the air to snag it and throw home to get the force on DeFelice for the second out. Langenfeld ended the threat with a strikeout of Moultrie to maintain the four-run lead.

The Bruins busted it open in the sixth, sending 12 to the plate and scoring nine times. Monica Harrison led off with a double to center, Langenfeld was hit by a pitch and Andrea Harrison hit her second homer of the day and 15th of the season on a 1-0 pitch to make it 10-3. The Bruins then loaded the bases when Yudin reached on an error, Camuso doubled to center and senior Julie Burney walked. Senior Kaila Shull followed with a double down the right-field line to bring in junior Amy Crawford, who was running for Yudin, and freshman Devon Lindvall, who was in for Camuso, to increase the lead to 12-3.

UCLA wasn't done though. One out later, DiSalvatore singled to center to plate Burney, and when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, Shull came home for the Bruins' 14th run. Following the second out of the inning, Langenfeld launched her team-leading 17th home run of the season to left on a 3-1 offering to give the Bruins a 16-3 advantage.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Junior Rob Rasmussen and sophomores Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole, Dan Klein and Tyler Rahmatulla have earned All-Pac-10 Team honors, as announced by the conference office on Thursday. Bauer and Cole been named to the All-Conference Team for the second time in as many seasons. This marks the first time in which UCLA's weekend rotation has been named, in its entirety, to the All-Pac-10 Team.

In addition, no UCLA baseball team has had more than three pitchers earn All-Pac-10 Team honors (this year's ballclub has had four pitchers selected in Bauer, Cole, Klein and Rasmussen).

Here's what Celtics star Ray Allen had to say about John Wooden before Game 1 of the NBA Finals:
"He's had an impact on all of us, indirectly. You figure that anybody's who has played basketball in the last 50, 60 years, we've ran his offensive sets, his schemes. We've followed the quotations he used to motivate his teams. But not only just basketball: He's been legendary as a coach, emulated by many coaches across the spectrum. We all have been better as individuals, as sportsmen, to have him in our lives."

Legendary UCLA head coach John Wooden is reportedly at a Los Angeles Hospital, but details about his condition have not been released.

A UCLA official said: "In accordance with the wishes of the family, we are not commenting on Coach Wooden's health."

I'm at Staples Center, and we'll have some player and coach reactions on the UCLA legend.

At this point, I will not speculate on the extent of his health concerns out of respect for his family, and to be honest, none of us are doctors, and any speculation is just that, speculation.

On the night of the first Lakers-Celtics game in the 2010 NBA Finals, Daily News staff writer Jon Gold and Daily News sports columnist Vinnie Bonsignore start their new all-sports, all-the-time podcast, "The JV Show."

To listen to today's podcast, click the play button above, download this MP3, and look soon for a blog, RSS feed and iTunes listing devoted exclusively to "The JV Show."

In this premiere episode, Jon and Vin debate whether or not Lakers-Celtics is the greatest sports rivalry of all time. They also discuss the L.A.-Boston matchups, whether Andrew Bynam is still a factor, and how not preparing for the Celtics can sink a team's playoff hopes.

Jon and Vin also look at the Los Angeles Dodgers and what needs to happen to turn the team around.

They also talk about the perfect game that got away for Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga when umpire Jim Joyce declared a runner safe at first base and later admitted botching the call.

"The JV Show" is produced and engineered by Jon Gold and Steven Rosenberg. Theme music by Matt Evans.

The final scores are shocking, alarming, even a bit confusing.

In the Super Regionals of the NCAA softball playoffs, teams are not supposed to win 10-2, even at home, even in ideal circumstances, even if they are as good as UCLA.

And they're especially not supposed to win 10-1 the next day.

Yet that's just what the Bruins did to Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend, twice mercy-ruling the Ragin' Cajuns to advance to the Women's College World Series, which begins today in Oklahoma City.

There is a benefit to hosting a college baseball playoff regional that extends far beyond playing in front of the home crowd and sleeping in the warm, comfortable bed and getting Mom and Dad in for the game.

When UCLA gets its allotted one hour of practice time to gear up for its game one matchup against Kent State - scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium - the Bruins won't have to learn the grass and the dirt and the dugouts.

With a 24-9 record at home, they know it pretty well already.

"It's our field - we're the ones who take care of it in the Fall, we're the ones who practice on it every day," said Sunday starter Rob Rasmussen, who went 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA for the 43-13 Bruins. "When we were at Fullerton, and obviously we played there during the year, but you're trying to find out how the ball is playing. (Now) that hour of practice isn't sitting figuring out how the ball ricochets off the wall or what the backstop is like. We know this. This is our field."

From UCLA:

On Saturday, June 5, from 8:15am-12:00pm, the UCLA football team will host the Prime Time Games; a full-inclusion, peer-mentor sports program in which economically disadvantaged and underserved middle school students from the Team Prime Time after-school program ("coaches") coach and play alongside children with developmental disabilities ("athletes") in the only after school sports program of its kind.

Approximately 30 football players and many other UCLA athletes will take part in "Championship Saturday," serving as honorary coaches and captains for the inclusive soccer and basketball teams. This already inspirational day should start on an even higher note as Head Football Coach Rick Neuheisel will address the hundreds of coaches, athletes and families in attendance during the Opening Ceremonies, which take place on Spaulding Field at 9am. Soccer commences soon thereafter on Spaulding while the basketball teams will play in the Student Activities Center. The basketball games feature guest referee Matt Stevens, the radio analyst for UCLA football and a former Bruin quarterback.

The driving force behind bringing the Prime Time Games to UCLA is Mike Linn, UCLA's Head Athletic Performance Coach, "This unique program builds much needed self esteem and self confidence in two uniquely different population groups through sports," said Linn. "The lessons learned through coaching, as well as through participation in sports, are long lasting and should be available for all to experience. This one day event will highlight the Team Prime Time program and its many participants. "

The Prime Time Games began with 20 athletes from six LAUSD schools in Fall of 2004. By Spring of 2005, the program had nearly tripled in size. To date, over 250 athletes with developmental disabilities ranging from autism to down syndrome have participated in the Prime Time Games. At the core of the Prime Time Games lies the very simple premise that bringing two "high-risk" populations together, united by a shared love of sport, will generate lasting benefits for everyone involved.

Hey guys,

I've been waiting to promote this for a while, but it's finally here: The JV Show with Jon Gold and Vinny Bonsignore.

The Daily News sportswriters will dish on the week's biggest sporting news, with EXCLUSIVE interviews with the city's top sports stars! We're talking Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Bruins, Trojans, Kings, Ducks and everything else going on in the sports world.

This will be LA's first all-sports newspaper podcast, but it will be more about the two hosts than anything else. We're Mike and Mike, only Vinny's cooler than Greenberg and Gold is less cool than Golic. But the contrast will be hilarious: young vs. old, married vs. single, father vs....un-father, skinny vs. fat, Italian vs. Jew, Ventura (grrrrr.) vs. Thousand Oaks (yaaaaaa) and much much more.

The show starts tomorrow, previewing the Lakers/Celtics Finals matchup, and will be up at some point in the afternoon.

But here comes the fun part...Next week comes the big step that we were never able to figure out with the Inside UCLA podcast: LIVE. CALL. INS. We want to hear from YOU!

We're still working out all the kinks and getting the promotional stuff done, but we wanted to start this week no matter what.

Stay tuned for more info, and I hope you guys enjoy it.

(PS: The Inside UCLA Podcast hasn't disappeared. I love doing it, but I'll need to either find a new co-host or go it alone, because Ben Olson's schedule is pretty slammed. I'll keep you updated!)

From UCLA:

DURHAM, N.C. - Sophomore right-hander Trevor Bauer has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award (GSA). Bauer enters the NCAA postseason having gone 9-3 with a 2.84 ERA, totaling 124 strikeouts and 33 walks in a team-leading 101.1 innings.

Bauer, who was named Collegiate Baseball's National Freshman Pitcher of the Year last spring, has become the first pitcher at UCLA to record nine wins or more in back-to-back seasons since Jim Parque (1996 and 1997). The 6-foot right-hander from Valencia, Calif., is tied for the Pac-10 strikeouts lead (124) with teammate Gerrit Cole.

Fans can vote for the 30 semifinalists by visiting GoldenSpikesAward.com. The list of semifinalists will be reduced to five finalists on Tuesday, June 8, before the announcement of this year's winner takes place on Tuesday, July 13.

Bauer is one of two players from the Pac-10 Conference (along with Arizona State's Zack MacPhee) to be named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

UCLA hosts the NCAA Los Angeles Regional beginning Friday, June 4, at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The No. 1-seed Bruins (43-13) take on No. 4-seed Kent State (39-23) at 6 p.m. after No. 2-seed LSU (40-20) faces No. 3-seed UC Irvine (37-19) at 2 p.m. that day.

The UCLA baseball team got some major ink from ESPN in its college baseball playoff preview: Baseball preview

UCLA kicker Kai Forbath was named ESPN's No. 25 Pac-10 player in Ted Miller's rankings and got a pretty nice write-up: Forbath at 25

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

I'll finish off last week's leftover questions shortly...

Thanks
Jon