UCLA & Kaprielian on Verge of Championship!

UCLA is on the verge of winning its first ever College World Series baseball title, heavily relying on setup man James Kaprielian in doing so.

Kaprielian is a 6'4", hard throwing right hander who has a 1.55 ERA this season. He has spent all season setting up National Pitcher of the Year finalist David Berg.

Here is James' UCLA Player Profile: UCLA Player Profile

Kaprielian hails from Tustin, California, and grew up a die-hard USC fan. The following L.A. Times article not only highlights his wise decision to attend UCLA instead, but even talks about the support he has received from the Armenian community!: Kaprielian LA Times Article

James threw a scoreless 7th inning in yesterday's 3-1 win against Mississippi State, bringing UCLA one win away from the national title! We wish James incredible success as he vies to join the ranks of such all time Major League Baseball greats of Armenian ancestry as Steve Bedrosian, the 1987 N.L. Cy Young Award Winner. 

Here is some highlight footage on YouTube from James' successful Freshman campaign at UCLA:

 Kaprielian Freshman Highlight Footage

College Basketball Series, Part 1: Sooren Derboghossian

The NCAA basketball season is now in full swing, and there are several athletes of Armenian descent competing across the country. We will be showcasing a few of our favorite athletes.

What better place to kick things off than in Bruin land, where Sooren Derboghosian has become the first Armenian to compete for UCLA.

This 6'10", 240 lb. center hails from Teheran, Iran, and got his start in the Iranian national basketball program. However, Coach Ben Howland recruited him while he was playing at Glendale Community College in Glendale, CA. This article details his long journey to California:

Daily Bruin Article: Sooren Derboghosian

And here are some highlights of him on the floor:

Good luck to Sooren in his time at UCLA!