UCLA Earns Top Spot in Collegiate Baseball's 2021 Recruit Rankings

Sep 28, 2021

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA baseball program received its second No. 1 recruit class ranking of the offseason on Tuesday, with Collegiate Baseball tabbing the Bruins' incoming class as the best in nation.

Earlier this month, UCLA garnered the No. 1 spot in Baseball America's 2021 recruit class rankings.

UCLA is the lone school from the Western United States to make the top-20 of Collegiate Baseball's 50-team rankings, and the Bruins are one of just two non-SEC teams in the top-10.

The incoming group of Bruins features three players from the top-100, and five from the top-125, of Baseball America's top 500 prospect list for the 2021 Draft. UCLA lost just one commit to the draft this year.

The newest group of Bruins is headlined four players ranked inside the top-100 nationally by Perfect Game in outfielder Malakhi Knight (No. 26), right-handed pitcher Thatcher Hurd (36), infielder Cody Schrier (43), and left-handed pitcher Gage Jump (45).

The Bruins are also slated to bring in talented transfers from both the four-year and junior college ranks: outfielder Kenny Oyama will join UCLA as a grad transfer after batting .320 for Loyola Marymount this past season, and right-hander Kelly Austin is Westwood-bound after earning conference pitcher of the year honors this spring with Orange Coast College (6-0, 1.26 ERA, 55 Ks in 43 IP).

The 2021 UCLA baseball recruiting class also features standout prep players in right-hander Alonzo Tredwell (No. 164 national ranking from Perfect Game), right-hander Luke Jewett (195), outfielder Nick McLain (211, younger brother of Bruin alum Matt McLain), catcher Jack Holman (292), and infielder Bryce Grudzielanek (314). The class is rounded out by right-handed pitcher Josh Alger, who was No. 342 in the BA Top-500 Draft rankings, right-handed pitcher Nate Leibold, who pitched to a 2.19 ERA this summer in the West Coast League, left-hander Ethan Flanagan, who was an Orange County All-Star our of Santa Margarita Catholic HS, and infielder Ethan Gourson, an All-CIF shortstop out of Point Loma HS.

Stay up to date on all things UCLA Baseball by following the team Twitter account: @UCLABaseball.

2021 Collegiate Baseball Recruit Class Rankings