No. 23 UC Santa Barbara 2025 College Top 25 Preview

Image credit: Tyler Bremner (Photo courtesy of Jeff Liang/UCSB Athletics)

• Last season: 44-14 (26-4 Big West); eliminated in Santa Barbara Regional
• Final 2024 ranking: No. 20
• Coach (record at school): Andrew Checketts (453-248-3, 14th season)

You can find our complete 2025 preseason Top 25 ranking here.

The Good News

After serving as a first-time regional host in 2024, UC Santa Barbara’s 2025 roster should once again reflect its sterling reputation for pitching development. It boasts one of the most talented rotations in the nation with righty Tyler Bremner serving as its headliner. Bremner opens the season among the frontrunners for pitcher of the year and should contend to be the first pitcher taken off the board in this year’s draft. Sophomore righty Jackson Flora, who Gauchos head coach Andrew Checketts said has first-round potential, is expected to serve as UCSB’s Saturday starter while a number of pitchers, including juniors Frank Camarillo and Chase Hoover and sophomores AJ Krodel and Cole Tryba, could fill in the Sunday spot. Several Division I head coaches told Baseball America throughout the preseason that UCSB’s rotation could be enough to propel the Gauchos deep into the postseason even if their offense is more modest.

The Bad News

The Gauchos are hoping that experience will turn into run production for a lineup that will be reasonably dependent on doubles and home runs to do its damage. Checketts shared that while past teams of his have had a decent blend of speed and power, this year’s group is far more power-first, which he said will force the group to be as efficient as possible. The Gauchos brought back second baseman Jonathan Mendez, shortstop Corey Nunez and outfielders LeTrey McCollum and Reiss Calvin, all of whom are expected to contribute heavily, and added Folsom Lake CC catcher Nate Vargas, UCLA first baseman Jack Holman, Tacoma CC third baseman Jeremiah Crain, Santa Barbara CC outfielder Cole Kosciusko and Pamona-Pitzer designated hitter Isaac Kim to play big roles, too.

Player To Know

Bremner enters his junior season as arguably the top righthander in college baseball after posting an 2.54 ERA and 104 strikeouts against just 21 walks in 88.2 innings as a sophomore last year. The Collegiate National Team alum sat in the 93-96 mph range and topped out at 98 out of a high three-quarters delivery and backed up his heater with a plus slider and changeup that drew an impressive 46% miss rate last season.

Path To Omaha

On their pitching talent alone, the Gauchos are a contender to reach the College World Series for the second time ever. However, for Andrew Checketts’ team to truly solidify itself as a potential pick for Omaha, it will need to prove itself at the plate, where it has just one player, Kim, slotted into its projected starting lineup who hit at least five home runs in 2024. The Gauchos were eliminated in their own regional last season due to measly offensive outputs, a trend that can’t continue if the program wants to take a big step forward.

Projected 2025 Lineup

Pos	Player	Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	HR	RBI	Note
C	Nate Vargas*	Jr.	.337	.452	.523	172	3	49	Folsom Lake College
1B	Jack Holman*	Sr.	.223	.365	.398	103	4	14	UCLA
2B	Jonathan Mendez	So.	.272	.354	.389	180	4	30
3B	Jeramiah Crain*	Jr.	.317	.382	.503	161	4	47	Tacoma Community College
SS	Corey Nunez	Jr.	.194	.306	.290	31	1	10
OF	Cole Kosciusko*	Jr.	.323	.421	.461	167	3	36	Santa Barbara City College
OF	LeTrey McCollum	Sr.	.320	.400	.383	128	0	14
OF	Reiss Calvin	Sr.	.214	.409	.330	112	2	15
DH	Isaac Kim*	Sr.	.438	.493	.835	176	17	82	Pomona-Pitzer
Pos	Player	Year	GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	SO	BB	Note
SP	Tyler Bremner	Jr.	9	88.2	2.54	0.88	104	21
SP	Jackson Flora	So.	4	47.0	3.83	1.45	40	25
SP	Frank Camarillo	Jr.	1	20.1	7.97	1.92	18	12
RP	Cole Tryba	So.	1	47.0	3.64	1.19	65	14
RP	Reed Moring	Jr.	3	30.1	7.12	2.04	31	20