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The Omaha steak that is the UCLA baseball team starts the year seasoned in talent new and old

Junior right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole has earned preseason All-America honors from ESPN and is the projected starter for today.

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The No. 2 Bruins open their season with a three-game home series against San Francisco. A chance of rain is in the weekend forecast.

By Ryan Eshoff

Feb. 18, 2011 2:51 a.m.

The taste most often associated with the city of Omaha has to be steak.

After all, the Nebraska metropolis has a past predicated on meatpacking and a reputation for providing some of the nation’s premier beef.

For UCLA, though, the taste of Omaha ““ home of the College World Series ““ is a little different. It’s a taste of something that’s as rare as the rarest steak, enough of a bite to make the mouth water, but not enough for extended satisfaction.

The Bruins’ magical run to the College World Series ended a pair of wins short of a national title in 2010; South Carolina took the first two games of the three-game championship series to eliminate UCLA.

“I was proud of the players and how they responded,” coach John Savage said of his team’s run. “In the big picture, I think we went back and represented ourselves very well.”

“Every person that signs up wants to go to Omaha,” the now-graduated Rob Rasmussen added. “It’s very special.”
In an effort to repeat their run, the Bruins hold all the cards. And we’re not talking threes, fours or even jacks; no, UCLA returns a set of aces unmatched in the country.

In junior starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, the Bruins have a pair of All-Americans anchoring the rotation, two right-handers with different styles but similar dominion over hitters. Both will be very high draft picks in June’s MLB Draft.

Behind the two aces, however, lie plenty of cards whose values have yet to be revealed. Gone are Rasmussen, Garett Claypool and Dan Klein, who excelled in their respective roles as Sunday starter, Tuesday starter and closer.

Enter sophomore Scott Griggs and freshmen Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig and Zack Weiss, a group expected to fill out the rest of the UCLA rotation and bullpen. Savage has indicated that Plutko will likely start on Sundays, with either Griggs or Weiss getting the call on Tuesdays and Vander Tuig handling the closing duties. Eric Jaffe, a transfer from Cal, will likely see plenty of innings coming out of the bullpen.

On the offensive side, UCLA will rely on the continued development of a number of young hitters who often weren’t consistent enough down the stretch. Sophomore Cody Regis and junior Dean Espy will likely man the corner infield spots and hit in the middle of the order.

The Bruins will also benefit from the improved health of junior middle infielder Tyler Rahmatulla, who missed UCLA’s fortnight in Omaha with a broken wrist.

The returning personnel should help the Bruins improve under the tutelage of third-year hitting coach Rick Vanderhook.

“Coach Vanderhook’s done an unbelievable job in terms of offensive mindset and hitters’ approach,” Savage said. “I think he’s the best offensive guy in the country.”

That’s the standard that UCLA is holding itself to now. Best in the country. A year after starting the season 22-0 and rising to the top of the rankings, UCLA will start there this time around.

“There’s a target on our backs and the players know it,” Savage said. “You’ve got to stay on your toes and ahead of the curve and make sure you’re competitive every weekend.”

A miserable 2009 season is now far back in the rearview mirror; the 2010 campaign has raised the bar for this year.

“Turning 180 degrees around from (2009 to 2010) was definitely a success,” Cole said at the end of last season. “It’s definitely something that we’ll dwell on.”

The Bruins achieved the rare feat of playing for a College World Series title. To match that success, and to eclipse it, would be a job well done. The cooking starts now.

With reports from Sam Strong, Bruin Sports senior staff.

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