Ahead of No. 1 UCLA baseball’s (14-2, 3-0 Big Ten) weekend series with Michigan (9-6) at Jackie Robinson Stadium, assistant Sports editor Gabriela Garcia shares five thoughts on the Bruins’ first 16 games of the 2026 campaign, as the squad rides an eight-game win streak and its best start since 2010.

The run factory

Eighty-six runs.

That’s how many times the Bruins have crossed the plate throughout the last eight matches.

And UCLA’s only two losses came on nights when the offense went quiet. In their first loss of the season, the Bruins recorded only eight hits against the Tritons, after knocking a combined 20 hits over the first two games of the series.

Then UCLA only garnered three hits against San Diego State.

It’s been clear that when the Westwood bunch is firing on all cylinders, they usually add another tally to the win column.

Four of the seven everyday starters currently boast a .300-plus batting average. Junior center fielder Will Gasparino leads the team with a slash line of .418/.554/1.109. The Los Angeles local’s slugging percentage ranks third in the nation.

Gasparino has knocked in 15 RBIs in the duration of the winning streak, with junior first baseman Mulivai Levu picking up 12 of his own.

In that same stretch, the Bruins have totaled 82 combined hits, recording fewer than eight on the board in just one game. No matter which part of the order is at the plate, opposing pitchers are continuously tested.

Although the saying goes “defense wins games,” the offense has surely held up its end of the stick.

Savage’s deep arsenal

The Bruins roster consists of 40 members, and only nine have not seen game action this season.

Nine.

And this is precisely what coach John Savage has striven for.

“You always want depth,” Savage said. “You want inventory, and you always want a surplus of players off the bench.”

Options allow for different matchups and developmental opportunities.

Seven new Bruins have worked their way into the starting lineup or onto the mound this season.

When junior second baseman Phoenix Call was out for the first 11 games of the season because of a low-grade right-arm flexor strain, freshman infielder Aiden Aguayo stepped up and manned the keystone for the Bruins.

Aguayo grew up a shortstop before coming to Westwood, showcasing his versatility across the infield to start the campaign. But Aguayo is not the first Bruin to make the transition – junior third baseman Roman Martin came to UCLA as the No. 12-ranked shortstop in the nation by Perfect Game. Martin has now operated the hot corner since the beginning of last season.

Redshirt junior outfielder Payton Brennan has also shifted through the outfield positions. Brennan predominantly took center field through the 2025 campaign – with the exception of missing nearly a month because of injury – but has since shifted to right field with the Gasparino transfer.

No matter who is playing which position, Savage has all the choices he needs to guide his squad.

Revamped staff

It was clear at the end of the 2025 season that if Savage signed a contract extension, he would need to address his pitching situation.

By the time the Bruins made it to the Men’s College World Series, the bullpen was overworked and the starters were underperforming.

UCLA starters had a 7.59 ERA in just 10.2 innings pitched on the biggest stage of collegiate baseball last season. By the end of the Bruins’ run in Omaha, the staff had given up 20 runs on 31 hits.

But Savage has left that statistic behind him, adding the new necessary pieces.

Junior right-hander Logan Reddemann has become the Bruins’ ace in just four starts. The San Diego transfer has struck out 33 batters in 21.1 innings of work this season and has only allowed seven runs.

Fellow junior transfer and right-handed pitcher Jake Swenson has been a solid acquisition out of the bullpen for the Bruins. Swenson, who previously played Division III baseball at Linfield University, has allowed no runs across seven appearances while striking out five.

However, it is not just the transfers making contributions – three true freshmen have made immediate impacts on the mound for UCLA.

Freshmen right-handers Angel Cervantes, Zach Strickland and Elai Iwanaga have all made at least five appearances this season, combining for 26.2 frames. The trio has given up 12 runs and only six free passes.

And suddenly, the Bruins’ biggest concern has begun to fade.

Defensive consistency

With players moving around the diamond, transitions can be difficult.

But for the Bruins, adapting has seemed almost seamless.

UCLA currently ranks 11th in the nation with a .985 fielding percentage with eight errors this year.

Brennan currently boasts a perfect fielding percentage in his new position. This is not an easy task for most, but something the right-fielder has taken pride in.

Assistant coach Jake Palmer attested to the difficulties that come from moving away from the only position a player has ever known.

“He’s (Brennan has) been a lifelong center fielder,” Palmer said. “If it is something that you’re not familiar with, playing the corners is definitely different than playing center field. There’s different angles, different reads, different vantage points of where you’re trying to see the ball off the bat. … He’s obviously made a leap pretty quick on having a high level skill set out there.”

Defense is an incredibly important piece to a baseball game. Backing up the revamped pitching staff will be key for the Bruin position players down the stretch, allowing them to build trust and communication.

Chemistry and culture

The annual start of the school year brings excitement and anticipation.

For the Bruins, last season’s preseason brought notice of being kicked out of Jackie Robinson Stadium.

While some may have seen this as a curse, it may have been UCLA’s biggest blessing.

The team spent extended amounts of time together, taking buses to high school baseball fields in the area. This kickstarted a deeper development of team culture and is something the Bruins carried with them all the way to Omaha.

The veterans have continued to foster the same environment for the new members of the squad and built stronger chemistry.

“We got the right pieces on the field,” Savage said. “It’s a bunch of guys that are together, and they’ve been with each other for three years, a lot of these guys, and you just do not see that anymore a whole lot in college athletics. … You just do not see that sort of togetherness very often anymore.”

Savage has kept his key pieces together over the last two seasons, losing few players to the transfer portal – something that most programs can not seem to replicate.

The program-wide continuity has allowed for deeper bonds and trust to develop on and off the field.

Keeping the core intact and welcoming the new bunch with open arms allows the Bruins to set their sights on a second consecutive MCWS appearance.