Bateman set to play at UCLA

COSTA MESA -- Former Orange Coast College offensive lineman Zach Bateman will continue his athletic and academic careers at UCLA, as announced at a press conference on campus on Wednesday.

Bateman, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound sophomore out of Estancia High School, made the announcement in OCC's gymnasium foyer and he can't wait to begin his football career at the next level.

"It's real now," Bateman said. "Instead of it being a thought and me thinking I can't wait to be there and whatnot, the time is now. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing in the weight room and keep training hard. I'm going to be there on full scholarship. It's going to be amazing and I'm going to have everything paid for. It's a dream come true and I can't wait to start my career there."

Bateman earned All-CIF and All-Orange County honors while at Estancia HS and was an all-league selection in both football and wrestling during his prep career.

"Any time anyone gets a scholarship from a community college, it's a real treasured thing, and obviously playing for UCLA, that's a top-notch program," Bateman's offensive line coach, Doug Smith, said. "Zach has got his work cut out for him -- they are one of the top Pac-12 teams. They have a great coaching staff there and education, so I think his decision was a wise one for him and I think he'll be able to contribute to their team."

During his tenure with the Pirates, Bateman helped anchor an offensive line that helped create time and space for the OCC offense to generate nearly 8,000 yards of total offense over the past two seasons.

"This is the time to improve myself in every aspect and become that much stronger, faster and a more deadly player on the field and hone in my technique," Bateman said. "If I keep my eye on the prize, then there's no telling what I'm going to accomplish the next couple of years."