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First graduate transfers in John Savage era bring experience to UCLA baseball

By Jay Fenn

May 22, 2022 11:37 p.m.

An NCAA-high 10 players left Westwood for the 2021 MLB Draft in the offseason.

To replace those players, the Bruins brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, according to Baseball America and D1Baseball.

But the freshmen haven’t been the only ones taking No. 23 UCLA baseball by storm.

The first two graduate transfers in the coach John Savage era, left fielder Kenny Oyama and first baseman Jake Palmer have been two mainstays in UCLA’s lineup, helping lead the Bruins to a 35-20 record.

Oyama, who transferred from Loyola Marymount, said he didn’t think twice about making the approximately 10-mile move north.

“Seeing the way they go about their business and the winning culture they have, it’s always something I’ve wanted to be a part of,” Oyama said.

The left fielder was coming off his best collegiate season with the Lions, in which he logged a career-high .330 batting average while being named to the All-WCC Second Team.

Palmer, on the other hand, starred at UC Irvine, slashing .307/.446/.380 over a four-year career with the Anteaters. The first baseman joined the Bruins in the winter after being named an honorable mention on the 2021 Big West All-Conference Team following a second team selection in 2019.

The first baseman said UCLA’s academics and baseball program were significant factors in his decision to transfer, but he also mentioned the opportunity to learn from Savage.

“It’s (UCLA is) an unbelievable academic institution, … but also it’s an unbelievable historic baseball school with a great background,” Palmer said. “It was a cool opportunity to play for coach Savage.”

Originally reluctant to acquire graduate transfers, Savage jumped at the opportunity to find some more experienced players to blend with his young recruiting class considering the opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic presented in the NCAA.

The 18-year coach said both Oyama and Palmer have made noticeable impacts on the program both on and off the field in their lone season in Westwood.

“(They’re) great makeup guys with great character who really fit into the program and the culture,” Savage said. “I can’t say enough about Kenny and Jake, just really high-end character guys who’ve really contributed a ton this season.”

With a plethora of nationally ranked recruits joining Bruin sophomores such as third baseman Kyle Karros, outfielder JonJon Vaughns and right-hander Max Rajcic bound to play big roles this season, Palmer and Oyama had to provide experience. The duo combined to play 304 collegiate games in their past four seasons, compared to the rest of the roster, which has combined for 492.

Palmer said the young players are talented enough that experience doesn’t play that large of a role, but he and Oyama are doing what they can to help them along the way.

“We talk all the time that once you get into the season, your age doesn’t really matter, and it’s all about who is ready to perform,” Palmer said. “It was cool, guys like Kenny and I being able to blend into young talent and kind of seeing how we can mold that together with our experience from the different backgrounds that we came from.”

Palmer is currently leading the team in batting average and on-base percentage with .322 and .452 lines, respectively, while reaching base in 41 consecutive starts at one point. Oyama, meanwhile, is slashing a .276 average and is leading the Bruins in stolen bases – with 19 successful tries on 23 attempts. Oyama is also tied for first in runs with 40.

Oyama and Palmer both said their favorite moment as Bruins has been knocking off then-No. 1 Texas in Houston on March 6, a game in which Palmer notched an RBI single and Oyama crossed home plate twice.

“The stage that we were on and all the eyes that were on us – it was basically a Texas home game for them,” Oyama said. “It was really fun to get out there and play our style and take it to them and take them down.”

The two transfers aspire to play in the MLB after this season and said they believe UCLA has prepared them to do so. However, if that doesn’t work out, each said their bachelor’s degrees and transformative coaching and leadership master’s degrees from the No. 1 public university in the country will bring them success no matter where life takes them.

Palmer said his master’s program along with his experience on the baseball team have taught him lessons that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

“(I’ve learned) what it means to be a Bruin and … what it means to carry that greatness with you,” Palmer said. “Having that championship mindset in all aspects of life and sport has definitely been the coolest thing about it.”

Oyama added that his time wearing the blue and gold has been a dream come true, but he is still looking to bring a second national championship banner to Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“It’s been everything I could ask for: the coaching, the guys, the stage we get to play on. It’s fun baseball,” Oyama said. “I’ve definitely tried to enjoy every single moment that I have here.”

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Jay Fenn | Sports staff
Fenn is currently a Sports staffer on the baseball beat. He was previously a reporter on the women's soccer beat and a contributor on the beach volleyball and men's and women's golf beats.
Fenn is currently a Sports staffer on the baseball beat. He was previously a reporter on the women's soccer beat and a contributor on the beach volleyball and men's and women's golf beats.
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