UCLA Garners No. 1 Recruit Class Ranking From D1Baseball

LOS ANGELES – UCLA's incoming recruit class for the 2022 season has been ranked No. 1 in the country by D1Baseball, the outlet revealed on Friday afternoon.

With D1Baseball placing the Bruins at the top of their rankings, UCLA has now topped the recruit class rankings for three outlets (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball being the others).

UCLA has been ranked inside the top-25 of D1Baseball's recruit class rankings in all seven years of that poll's existence. The Bruins have now brought in a nationally-ranked recruiting class in seven consecutive years and 15 of 17 seasons overall under head coach John Savage.

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 have also brought in talented transfers from both the four-year and junior college ranks including outfielder Kenny Oyama (batted .320 last season at Loyola Marymount) and right-handed pitcher Kelly Austin (6-0, 1.26 ERA last season at Orange Coast College).

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.