In Los Angeles, a remarkable performance by Payton Brennan propelled UCLA to a 7-0 victory over UTSA on Sunday, securing their place in the College World Series. This triumph in the Los Angeles Super Regional marks the first such title for UCLA since their 2013 national championship win.
The Bruins, seeded 15th with a record of 46-16, now advance to face the winner of the matchup between Duke and Murray State at the College World Series. Brennan’s noteworthy contribution included a crucial two-out double, with teammate Toussaint Bythewood following up with an RBI single against UTSA’s starting pitcher Conor Myles, establishing a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Phoenix Call initiated the fifth inning with a bunt single, advancing on Dean West’s sacrifice bunt, and scored courtesy of Roch Cholowsky’s single to left field, which expanded their lead to 2-0.
UCLA’s pitcher, Landon Stump, had a brief spell of trouble during the fifth inning after hitting Andrew Stucky with a pitch, leading to his replacement by Chris Grothues. Grothues effectively dealt with the challenge, inducing a 6-3 double play by Norris McClure, thereby marking the Bruins’ 63rd double play of the season, a national best, and subsequently striking out Mason Lytle to end the inning.
Relief pitchers Grothues, Cal Randall, August Souza, and Easton Hawk combined efforts, delivering five no-hit innings and ensuring UCLA’s shutout victory. The Bruins added to their lead with two runs in the eighth inning and an additional three in the ninth, aided by Brennan’s two-run single, sealing their commanding triumph.
A brief disruption occurred in the seventh inning when umpire Eric Goshay was struck on the chin by a foul ball hit by Cholowsky and left the field in the eighth inning. This led to second base umpire Travis Carlson taking over the home plate duties as the officiating crew was reduced to three members.
Despite a remarkable season, UTSA ended their journey with a 47-15 record. Their impressive season highlights included their first-ever postseason win over Kansas State in the Austin Regional, as well as overcoming the second-ranked national seed Texas twice to claim the program’s inaugural regional title.