UCLA's Tournament Run Ends in Disappointment
The UCLA Bruins have seen their baseball season come to a premature end following a heartbreaking 6-5 defeat to Saint Mary’s in extra innings. This result marks the second year in a row that the No. 1 overall seed has been eliminated during the regional stage of the NCAA baseball tournament.
The Decisive Moments
Saint Mary’s managed to force the game into extra innings after scoring a crucial run in the bottom of the ninth. The momentum shifted entirely in the 10th inning when Makoa Sniffen delivered a clutch walk-off base hit, allowing Cody Kashimoto to cross home plate for the win. Remarkably, both of these pivotal RBIs were achieved under immense pressure with two outs remaining.
This victory was the second time in three days that the Gaels overcame the Bruins. During their opening regional matchup on Friday, Saint Mary’s secured a 3-2 win thanks to a ninth-inning solo home run from Jacob Johnson and a strong closing performance on the mound by Cam Staton.
Historical Context for the Top Seed
According to historical tournament data, before 2025, no top seed had ever failed to reach the regional final. With this exit, UCLA follows in the footsteps of Vanderbilt, which was eliminated by Wright State last year, marking two consecutive years of early exits for the tournament's top-ranked team.
The Path Ahead and Conference Impact
Saint Mary’s now advances to face Cal Poly, hoping to redeem themselves after a 14-1 loss to the Mustangs on Saturday. Because the tournament utilizes a double-elimination format, the Gaels must defeat Cal Poly twice—once on Sunday and once on Monday—to remain in contention.
For UCLA, the journey concludes here. This early departure further compounds a challenging period for the Big Ten in baseball, leaving only Oregon and USC to represent the conference moving forward.