PHOENIX - Former UCLA standout pitcher Trevor Bauer earned his first major league victory on Sunday afternoon, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-1, in his third major league start.

The native of Valencia, Calif., pitched six scoreless innings and scattered just two hits as Arizona pulled within four games of the first-place Dodgers in the National League West standings. Bauer (1-1) finished with six strikeouts and one walk, retiring the final 12 batters he faced.

Bauer, 21, became the second-youngest UCLA player to record a major league victory. Dick Conger secured his first major league win less than three weeks after turning 21 years old with the Detroit Tigers in 1940.

Bauer made his major league debut for Arizona at Atlanta's Turner Field on June 28 and did not earn a decision on that start. In that game, he became the second-youngest UCLA player to make his major league debut (Conger's major league debut came at 21 years, 19 days).

Bauer became UCLA's first-ever Golden Spikes Award winner in 2011 after going 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA and nation-leading 203 strikeouts in 136.2 innings. The native of Valencia, Calif., was selected third overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by Arizona.

Earlier this season, Bauer went 11-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 16 starts between double-A (Mobile) and triple-A (Reno) this season. Pitching for triple-A Reno, Bauer went 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA, 56 strikeouts and 22 walks in 44.2 innings (eight starts).

Bauer finished his three-year collegiate career with a 34-8 record and 2.36 ERA, having logged 460 strikeouts in 373.1 innings. He established himself as UCLA's career leader in victories (34), strikeouts (460) and innings (373.1). As a starting pitcher, he posted a 32-5 career record in 44 starts.

Through games played Sunday, March 25, UCLA's baseball team ranked No. 17 in the nation with a .315 batting average. Slated to play three games at UCLA the first weekend of May, Purdue leads the nation with a .346 batting average through the season's first six weekends.

The Bruins' offense also ranks No. 57 in slugging percentage (.424) out of 291 total NCAA Division I programs.

Junior outfielder Jeff Gelalich has posted a team-leading .420 batting average, having totaled five home runs, five doubles, 18 RBI and 23 runs. Gelalich had logged a .429 batting average through Sunday, which ranked No. 23 in the nation at the time. Through Monday's action, Gelalich's .420 batting average ranks second in the Pac-12 (behind Oregon State's Tyler Smith, who has batted .463).

Five UCLA hitters are batting over the .350 plateau, more than one-third of the way through the 2012 campaign. Trevor Brown (.372), Tyler Heineman (.368), Kevin Williams (.368) and Cody Keefer (.359) round out the group behind Gelalich.

The Bruins' pitching staff has helped fuel UCLA's 17-5 start, after having lost two of the nation's top three draft selections from its pitching rotation in 2011 (Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer). Through Sunday's games, the staff's 3.16 earned run average ranked No. 47 in the nation and fifth-lowest in the Pac-12 Conference.

Ranked No. 6 nationally by Baseball America this week, UCLA plays a three-game Pac-12 series at Utah beginning Friday, March 30. Game time at Mobile Spring Ballpark in Salt Lake City is 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT.

Former UCLA baseball standout Nick Theodorou will play for the Greek National Team at the 39th Baseball World Cup in Panama from Oct. 1-15. Theodorou helped Greece finish fourth at the 2010 European Championship.

This year's Baseball World Cup begins on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama. Greece will face Panama in the tournament's opening game on Saturday evening.

Theodorou played for Greece at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. A product of Eisenhower High School (Rialto, Calif.), he was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA (1995-98) and played in the minor leagues from the summer of 1998 until March 2006. Theodorou spent eight seasons playing in the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization after having been a 27th round selection in the 1998 MLB Draft by the Dodgers.

Theodorou works in UCLA's Athletic Development office.

Updated results of the Baseball World Cup are available at the tournament's official web site, run by the International Baseball Federation (link here).

Tournament web site: http://www.mundialbeisbolpanama2011.org.pa/

UCLA right-hander Trevor Bauer agreed to terms on a major league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, closing his memorable collegiate career with the Bruins.

This week, Bauer is slated to join the Visalia Rawhide, Arizona's single-A advanced affiliate in the California League. The right-hander from Valencia, Calif., is scheduled to make his first minor league start on Saturday against the Stockton Ports (7 p.m., PT) at Visalia's Recreation Ballpark.

Bauer set UCLA's career records in wins (34), strikeouts (460) and innings pitched (373.1), compiling a career 34-8 record with a 2.36 ERA. In 2011, he set the Pac-10 Conference's single-season strikeouts record (203), eclipsing USC's Mark Prior, who logged 202 for the Trojans in 2001. He won the 2011 Golden Spikes Award, presented annually by USA Baseball to the nation's premier amateur player.

Below is a selection of links to news articles about Bauer beginning his professional career.

MLB: Bauer Signs - The Signal

Diamondbacks Sign Bauer - Baseball America

Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Top Draft Pick Bauer - Arizona Republic

Notes on the Trevor Bauer Signing - Arizona Republic (blog)

Dbacks Agree to Deal With First Pick Bauer - Dbacks.com (includes video)

Diamondbacks Sign Top Draft Pick Bauer - FoxSportsArizona.com (includes video)

UCLA baseball's Trevor Bauer earned the "Best Male College Athlete" ESPY, as announced earlier this week by ESPNLosAngeles.com in the website's version of the L.A. ESPY Awards.

Bauer had a phenomenal junior season for the Bruins in 2011, going 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA while leading the country in both strikeouts (203) and complete games (10). The junior right-hander from Valencia, Calif., is one of three finalists for the 2011 Golden Spikes Award, to be announced on MLB Network in a live presentation Friday at 3 p.m. (PT).

Bauer was not the only UCLA-related mention in the list of L.A. ESPY award winners. Jasmine Dixon of the women's basketball team was named the honorable mention in the "Best Female College Athlete" category. Former UCLA women's basketball head coach Nikki Caldwell was tabbed the honorable mention for the "Best Coach" award.

UCLA's football team captured the award for "Best Upset" as the Bruins defeated Texas, 34-12, in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 25, 2010. The men's basketball program was also highlighted with an honorable mention in the "Best Moment" category, as Tyler Trapani (great grandson of coach John Wooden) scored the final basket in the old configuration of Pauley Pavilion in a 71-49 rout of No. 10-ranked Arizona.

To view the complete list of L.A. ESPYs from ESPNLosAngeles.com, click here.

TUCSON, Ariz. - The UCLA baseball program's incoming group of nine freshmen has been ranked the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, the national weekly baseball newspaper announced on Tuesday.

The top five recruiting classes, as ranked by Collegiate Baseball, include LSU, San Diego, Oregon, UCLA and Florida, respectively. The Bruins' latest additions have arrived in Westwood this week, as fall quarter classes are slated to begin Thursday, Sept. 23.

Five players from the Bruins' recruiting class were chosen in the 2010 MLB Draft last June. Each of the incoming three-right handed pitchers were drafted - Adam Plutko (sixth round, Houston), Zack Weiss (10th round, Pittsburgh) and Nick Vander Tuig (39th round, Toronto). The two other incoming draftees - outfielder Brenton Allen (ninth round, Philadelphia) and infielder Kevin Williams (41st round, L.A. Dodgers) - both hit from the left side of the plate.

UCLA's recruiting class includes first baseman Patrick Gallagher, the 2010 Nevada Player of the Year and a three-year varsity letterwinner at Reno High School (Reno, Nev.). Standout infielder Pat Valaika joins the Bruins from Hart High School, while Jacob Shirley and Brian Carroll each shined as two-sport stars (baseball and football) at South Hills High School and Granite Hills High School, respectively.

TOKYO - UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole will start for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team against Cuba in the gold medal game of the V FISU World University Baseball Championships on Saturday, Aug. 7.

First pitch at Meiji Jingu Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time in Japan - 2 a.m. (PT) in Los Angeles.

Team USA enters the gold medal game against Cuba sporting a 16-2 record and currently rides a seven-game winning streak after defeating host Japan in semifinal action on Thursday night. Cuba will enter Saturday's contest on the heels of an 11-0 victory over Korea in semifinal action. The Cubans have scored in double-digits in all five games of the World Championships, outscoring the opposition by a 70-8 margin.

Cole has gone 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in four games (three starts) for Team USA this summer. The native of Santa Ana, Calif., has registered 21 strikeouts and three walks in 18.0 innings during his second stint with the USA Collegiate National Team. Cole pitched for Team USA as a rising sophomore in 2009.

The Cuban National Team will send Ismel Jimenez to the mound on Saturday. Jimenez has logged an 18.00 ERA in two innings of work at the World Championships.

Team USA has won the last three FISU World University Baseball Championships and is seeking its fourth consecutive gold medal.

Former UCLA ballplayers Jack Santora and Nick Theodorou are playing in the 2010 European Baseball Championships from July 23 through August 1 in Germany. Santora, a four-year letterwinner from 1996-99, will play for Italy, while Theodorou, a four-year letterwinner from 1995-98, is competing for Greece.

Santora and Theodorou will take the same field on Saturday, July 24, as Italy faces Greece in a pool-play contest in Heidenheim, Germany. Italy opens the tournament against Spain on Friday, while Greece takes on Sweden in its opening contest.

Santora starred on the infield for UCLA, posting a career .281 batting average with 10 home runs and 75 RBI in 194 games. The native of Monterey, Calif., was selected in the 19th round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks and played in the minor leagues through 2006.

Theodorou played center field and second base for UCLA during his collegiate career, collecting a .339 batting average with nine home runs, 40 doubles, 93 RBI and 140 runs in 174 career games. The native of Rialto, Calif., currently ranks first in school history with a .475 career on-base percentage.

Selected in the 27th round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Theodorou enjoyed an eight-year minor league career, including four seasons in triple-A with the Dodgers' organization (Las Vegas 51s). Most recently, Theodorou served as a color commentator on the UCLA baseball radio network in 2010 with play-by-play announcer John Ramey.

For an updated schedule of the 2010 European Baseball Championships, click here or visit the following website: http://competition.baseballeurope.com/2010/stuttgart/schedule.php

Former UCLA baseball players Garett Claypool and Niko Gallego have begun their respective minor league careers. Claypool, a senior in 2010 who was selected in the 11th round of June's MLB Draft by the Philadlephia Phillies, has gone 2-0 in two relief appearances with the Williamsport Crosscutters (New York-Penn League).

Claypool surrendered one run and two hits in his professional debut on July 9, earning the victory in a 4-3 win for Williamsport. The right-hander from West Hills, Calif., tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit ball on July 12, recording four strikeouts and no walks to notch his second victory in as many relief appearances.

Gallego, a junior in 2010 who was selected in the 27th round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, made his professional debut on Wednesday night for the Visalia Rawhide (high-A, California League). Inserted as a defensive replacement at shortstop in the seventh inning, Gallego struck out in his only plate appearance of the game. Having signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, Gallego has forfeited his final year of eligibility at UCLA.

In the June 2010 MLB Draft, UCLA had 11 players selected (tied with Auburn for the most draft selections of any college baseball program in 2010). Gallego and Claypool are the only players who have signed with their respective professional organizations.

Here are audio highlights of John Ramey on uclabruins.com from UCLA's 11-3 victory over Florida in the first round of the College World Series: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_D76j1cWvc - UCLA's Dean Espy rbi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTqF_N4G-Js - UCLA's Beau Amaral great catch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAtcJus0ArM - Florida's costly error

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enHsTEQz96A - UCLA's Beau Amaral scores on a wild pitch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET-bnytptfk - Florida's Matt Den Dekker makes an impossible catch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssZj-CtvKY8 - UCLA's Cody Regis rbi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3kNvWf5z2o - UCLA's Trevor Bauer notches record-breaking strikeout

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yumEudt3X3k - UCLA's Beau Amaral rbi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs8b7MpqJxg - UCLA vs Florida final out

Sophomore right-hander Gerrit Cole of the No. 12 UCLA baseball team has been featured by AOL's MLB Fanhouse. The article, written by Tom Raskovic, discusses Cole's career thus far at UCLA and the right-hander's decision to attend college in Westwood after having been selected in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.

To read AOL's article about Cole, click here.

Former UCLA pitcher and center fielder Josh Roenicke has been recalled from triple-A Las Vegas to the Toronto Blue Jays' 25-man roster. He made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in September 2008 and spent most of 2009 in the majors (with Cincinnati and Toronto).

Roenicke, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Bruins (2003-06), has thrown 8.2 scoreless innings for the Las Vegas 51s (triple-A, Pacific Coast League). The hard-throwing right-hander has scattered four hits in six relief appearances, logging eight strikeouts and one walk in the month of April.

Roenicke, who wears No. 17 for Toronto, is reunited with former UCLA pitcher Casey Janssen on the Blue Jays. Roenicke was traded to Toronto from Cincinnati prior to the July 2009 trading deadline and spent the remainder of last season pitching for the Blue Jays' big-league club.

The No. 3 UCLA baseball team (23-2) hits the road Thursday for a three-game series at No. 17 Oregon State (21-6), beginning Friday evening at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.

Thursday's Los Angeles Times includes a feature story about the ambiance and environment at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium. To read the article written by Chris Erskine, click here.

Additionally, Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com features the Bruins' recent 23-2 start to its season and discusses the team's improved offense. To read Rogers' article, click here.

ESPN.com's "Campus Connection" has featured the UCLA baseball team's pitching staff in a short video (2:27). The Bruins (23-1) have posted the lowest ERA (2.32) in the Pac-10 Conference, through games played on Monday.

To view the video and report by ESPNU's Josh Hoffman, click here.

The No. 6 UCLA baseball team improved its overall record to 22-0, earning a 6-5 victory in 10 innings against Stanford in the Bruins' Pac-10 opener on Thursday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA's Dean Espy blooped a base-hit into shallow center field, allowing Niko Gallego to score the winning run from third base in the bottom of the 10th inning.

To read the Orange County Register's recap, which appeared on page one of the sports section's Friday print edition, click here.

To view video from CBS-2/KCAL-9 TV, click here.

UCLA and Stanford continue their three-game series on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults and $5 for children (ages 16 and under).

UCLA right-hander Dan Klein, who serves as the baseball team's closer, has recorded a team-high five saves as the Bruins have won their first 21 ballgames this season. Klein has gone 1-0 in relief, registering 23 strikeouts in 16.0 scoreless innings.

To read more about Klein and the Bruins' success in a column by Mark Whicker of the Orange County Register, click here.

The No. 6 UCLA baseball team earned its 21st consecutive win on Tuesday night, defeating Pepperdine, 2-1, at Steele Field at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Closer Dan Klein struck out the side in order in the top of the ninth, securing his fifth save of the year. Right-hander Garett Claypool fanned nine batters, allowing one unearned run and two hits through 6.2 innings, to improve his record to 3-0.

UCLA's school-record start was featured in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times. To read the story written by Baxter Holmes and to watch the accompanying video (courtesy Fox Sports West), click here.

No. 6 UCLA (21-0) opens Pac-10 play against Stanford (12-7, 2-1 Pac-10) on Thursday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Game time is 6 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults and $5 for children (ages 16 and under).

The UCLA baseball team, at 20-0 overall, is off to its best-ever start in school history. The Bruins' 20-game win streak is the longest such streak in the baseball program's 91 seasons.

UCLA has climbed to the No. 2 slot in Collegiate Baseball's weekly top-30 poll, the Bruins' highest ranking in any poll since opening the 2008 season as the preseason No. 1 team by Baseball America.

In addition, UCLA has been ranked No. 5 by the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and by Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com. Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) have tabbed UCLA as the No. 6 team, nationally.

The Bruins continue their season against Pepperdine (8-14) on Tuesday, March 30. Game time at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium is 6 p.m. Admission for adults and children costs just $2 for all Tuesday night UCLA home games ("Two Dollar" Tuesday promotion).

UCLA defeated Cal Poly, 11-7, on Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium to improve to 18-0, the Bruins' best-ever start to a baseball season.

The Bruins' record start was featured in today's Los Angeles Daily News. Click here to read the article.

ESPNLosAngeles.com's UCLA blog highlights several key offensive performances in the Bruins' 18th consecutive victory here.

The Los Angeles Times' website features video footage of the Bruins' series-opening win on Thursday here. Viewers can find the L.A. Times' video by scrolling down to the video portion of the website (left-hand side).

Former standout UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford has spent the last month playing in Spring Training for the San Francisco Giants (big-league camp). Crawford, a three-year starting shortstop for the Bruins (2006-2008), was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants.

To read a feature article about Crawford, click here.

UCLA sophomore pitcher Trevor Bauer, one of the key components in UCLA's rise in the national polls (No. 3 on Collegiate Baseball's poll), is featured in the upcoming issue of UCLA Magazine.

Bauer is 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA.

To check out the story, click on this link: http://www.magazine.ucla.edu/depts/happenings/pitch_perfect/

Sophomore catcher Steve Rodriguez of the No. 12-ranked UCLA baseball team has been featured in a nine-question format on CollegeBaseballInsider.com. Rodriguez, who graduated from St. John Bosco High School in 2008, has been a key component of the Bruins' 13-0 start in 2010.

Rodriguez leads UCLA with five home runs, having started behind the plate in 12 of the team's 13 games. The native of Lomita, Calif., is batting .375 (15-for-40) with five homers, one triple, two doubles, 12 RBI and 13 runs. Rodriguez leads the club with an .850 slugging percentage.

To read the question and answer series with Steve Rodriguez click here.

No. 12 UCLA hosts Oral Roberts for three games beginning Friday, March 19, at the Bruins' Jackie Robinson Stadium. Game time Friday is 6 p.m. The Bruins (13-0) and Golden Eagles (5-7) will play on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

UCLA sophomore right-handed pitchers Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer have been featured on ESPNLosAngeles.com by writer Mark Saxon. Cole (3-0) and Bauer (2-0) lead the Bruins' weekend starting rotation in 2010 and have helped guide UCLA to a 10-0 start.

Cole is slated to start Friday evening against Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the Whataburger College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas. Game time Friday is 6 p.m. (CT). Bauer will start for the Bruins on Saturday evening versus Mississippi State. Saturday's game is slated for 5 p.m. (CT).

To read the story in its entirety, click here.

The UCLA baseball team is off to its best start (10-0) of the Modern Era (post-1955) and attracting some national attention.

Head coach John Savage is featured in a great Q&A with Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports/Rivals.com.

To read the Q&A, click here.

Yahoo! Sports is doing a series of college baseball previews.

One of today's stories is a feature on the Bruin pitching tandem of sophomores Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer.

To read the feature, click here.

CLEVELAND - Former UCLA right-handed pitcher Hector Ambriz has been selected by the Cleveland Indians as the fifth selection in the Major League Phase of the 2009 Rule V draft from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He was selected for $50,000 and must remain on the Indians active major league roster the entire 2010 season or be offered back to Arizona at half the original price.

Ambriz, who pitched at UCLA from 2003-06, will be reunited in Cleveland with former Bruin teammate David Huff, a left-handed pitcher who excelled in the Indians' starting rotation during his rookie campaign in 2009. Ambriz and Huff both pitched in UCLA's weekend rotation in 2006, helping lead the Bruins to a berth in the NCAA Malibu Regional.

Ambriz, 25, was a combined 12-11 with a 4.94 ERA in 156.2 innings in 28 games 927 starts) between AA Mobile and AAA Reno in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2009. He began the season at AA Mobile, going 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA in 29.0 innings in five starts before being promoted to AAA Reno on May 5. Pitching for the Reno Aces, he went 9-9 with a 5.57 ERA in 127.2 innings in 23 games (22 starts).

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound right-hander was originally selected in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft out of UCLA. He owns a career minor league record of 28-35 with three saves and a 4.41 ERA in 501.2 innings. Ambriz has registered 438 strikeouts and 154 walks in 98 career minor league games (83 starts).

Ambriz starred both on the mound and at the plate while at UCLA. He logged a 13-21 career record and 4.41 ERA in 57 games (43 starts), totaling 249 strikeouts in 296.0 innings. In the lineup, he compiled a career .311 batting average with eight homers, 62 RBI and a .405 on-base percentage.

Former UCLA standout ballplayer Cody Decker will be honored by the Professional Baseball Scouts of Southern California (PBSSC) as one of two first-year minor league Player of the Year selections at the 12th Annual PBSSC Awards Banquet on Jan. 8 at Angel Stadium.

Decker, a native of Santa Monica, Calif., was named the Arizona League's Most Valuable Player in August 2009. A 22nd-round draft selection by the San Diego Padres last June, Decker led the AZL in home runs (15), RBI (63), doubles (21), extra-base hits (39) and slugging percentage (.717) in 52 games. His 15-home run total was nearly twice then next-closest competitor (teammate Rymer Liriano, 8).

Decker was promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps in late August. He went 2-for-18 in a backup role following his addition to the TinCaps' roster August 29.

In his senior season at UCLA, Decker led all Pac-10 hitters with 21 homers in 2009. He finished an excellent four-year Bruin career with a .288 batting average in 191 games. Decker totaled 47 career homers, 28 doubles, 153 RBI and 118 runs. He concluded his UCLA career tied for seventh place on the school's all-time home run list.

Likewise, he became the first UCLA player to win the Pac-10 home run title since 2002 (Wes Whisler and Adam Berry, 18). He twice earned All-Pac-10 team honors (2007, 2009) and was a three-time Pac-10 Player of the Week selection.

Former UCLA baseball standout Brandon Crawford recently completed his fall competing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Crawford batted .312 in 20 games, going 24-for-77 with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and 18 runs. A three-year starting shortstop for the Bruins from 2006-08, Crawford posted a .396 on-base percentage for Scottsdale.

He ranked among the team's leaders in multiple offensive categories. Crawford finished second in runs scored (18), third in total bases (35) and on-base percentage (.396) and tie for third in hits (24). The Pleasanton, Calif., resident played 25 games for the San Jose Giants (high-A) before finishing his first full professional season playing in 108 contests for the Connecticut Defenders (108).

The Arizona Fall League is regarded as the most prestigious fall league for the minor leagues' top prospects. Scottsdale finished its fall season with a 15-16 record.

Former UCLA left-handed pitcher David Huff complete his rookie season with an 11-8 record for the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first former UCLA pitcher to record at least 11 wins in a major-league season since 2000, when left-hander Jim Parque went 13-6 for the Chicago White Sox.

Huff became the first rookie in the Cleveland Indians' organization to lead the pitching staff in wins since 2001, when CC Sabathia went 17-5 during his rookie campaign.

Huff, who starred in UCLA's rotation in 2006, led Cleveland with 11 wins and registered a 5.61 ERA in 23 starts after having been promoted from the Columbus Clippers (AAA) in May. The native of Huntington Beach, Calif., finished second on Cleveland in starts (23), third in innings pitched (128.1) and fourth in strikeouts (65).

Huff becomes just the fifth former UCLA pitcher to record 11 wins or more in a season. Huff's 11-8 campaign in 2009 marks the seventh time a former UCLA pitcher has logged 11 victories or more in a major-league season.

Decker played in seven games for Fort Wayne, posting a .111 batting average and .333 on-base percentage. He finished his UCLA career last spring with 47 home runs, tied for the seventh-highest career total in program history.

UCLA rising sophomore right-hander Gerrit Cole has been rated the top prospect in Baseball America's list of the top-20 prospects from the 2009 USA National Team (Collegiate). Below is what Baseball America's Aaron Fitt wrote about Cole:

Cole was utterly dominant for Team USA, going 4-0, 1.06 with 46 strikeouts and 10 walks in 34 innings. Scouts were unanimous in proclaiming him the national team's best prospect. "He's head and shoulders above the rest," one scouting director said. Added Team USA coach Rick Jones, "I've never coached a better arm than this one, and I've been doing this a long time."

Former UCLA three-year starting shortstop Brandon Crawford has been named to the Scottsdale Scorpions' Arizona Fall League roster. Currently playing for the Connecticut Defenders (double-A affiliate, San Francisco Giants), Crawford will have the opportunity to play in Major League Baseball's most prestigious fall league.

Crawford, 22, batted .371 in 25 games for the San Jose Giants (high-A) at the start of the 2009 season. The former UCLA standout has hit at a .250 clip with four home runs, 24 doubles, 28 RBI and 34 runs in 94 games with Connecticut (Eastern League). He was a fourth-round selection by San Francisco in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Crawford started all 158 games for UCLA in his three seasons in Westwood (2006-08). The left-handed hitting shortstop concluded his collegiate career with a .319 batting average, 20 homers, 13 triples, 44 doubles, 136 RBI and 145 runs.

UCLA junior left-handed pitcher Rob Rasmussen has earned the Thomas Yankus Pitching Award, along with teammates Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) and Jorge Reyes (Oregon State), as announced Tuesday by the Orleans Firebirds (Cape Cod League). The Yankus Award honors the top Orleans pitchers each summer.

Rasmussen, who was named a Cape Cod League Year-End All-Star on Monday, finished the summer going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The southpaw from Arcadia, Calif., has gone 4-4 with a 6.27 ERA in 27 games (eight starts) the past two seasons at UCLA. Rasmussen figures to be a prominent veteran pitcher for the Bruins in 2010.