John Savage, the longtime mentor of UCLA’s baseball program, received the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year award on Tuesday, capping a season that saw his Bruins finish with a program‑record 52 victories.
The Bruins entered the final week of play ranked No. 1 in the nation and secured both the regular‑season and tournament championships of the Big Ten, a testament to their consistency and depth.
National Player Honors
At the College Baseball Foundation’s annual ceremony, Jackson Flora of UC Santa Barbara was crowned national pitcher of the year, while Daniel Jackson of Georgia captured the Buster Posey Award as the nation’s top catcher.
Dylan Carey of Nebraska earned the Brooks Wallace Award as the premier shortstop, and Evan Dempsey from Florida Gulf Coast repeated as the John Olerud Award winner for the second straight year as the best two‑way player.
Gene Stephenson was recognized with the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence, underscoring the broader impact of collegiate baseball beyond the field.