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Championship Game
UCLA Oregon Oregon
Starting Pitchers:
- Oregon – RHP Miles Gosztola 2-3 4.03
- UCLA – RHP Angel Cervantes 4-1 4.35
After the way they dispatched Nebraska last night, there is no question that Oregon belonged in today’s championship game against the top-seeded UCLA Bruins. A year ago, they expected to be in this game as well until Will Bolt’s team on a mission blew up that plan. On a perfect day for baseball, even by west coast standards, two teams looking for their first Big Ten championship faced off to settle it.
A couple of weeks ago at Jackie Robinson Park in Los Angeles, the Bruins took two of three from the Ducks. Both teams are packed with incredible talent and both play with a high level of confidence and swagger. That would be on full display in Omaha today.
Two weekend starters, Miles Gosztola for Oregon and Angel Cervantes faced off and both pitched well early on. They both pitched a clean sheet until the bottom of the fourth when the Bruins were able to put a run on the board amid some controversy. Keep in mind that these two teams had a dustup in their series a couple of weeks ago and both of them are well-known for their chippiness.
Gosztola struck out Roman Martin to start the inning and this issued a walk to Peyton Brennan. That brought Texas transfer Will Gasparino to the plate who tripled, scoring Brennan for the first run of the game. Cashel Dugger then hit a ground ball right at pulled in third baseman Drew Smith and inexplicably, Gasparino took off for home. Smith threw home and they had the Bruin in a pickle. Deciding to retreat to third base, Gasparino blasted Smith with a body check common in the NHL. He was ejected from the game for malicious contact. After that, the Ducks got out of the inning but were down 1-0.
Back-to-back Jacks is a theme for the Oregon Ducks this weekend. The Big Ten’s most powerful offense flexed their muscle this weekend, and did it again in the top of the 6th inning. With Bruin reliever Justin Lee entering the game he would have to face the power part of the order. Sure enough, Burke-Lee Mabeus blasted a 1-0 pitch to rightfield to tie the game, and then Naulivou Lauaki, Jr. blasted his own to left-center to put the Ducks up 2-1
Both teams brought in their top relievers and prevented any further runs up to the ninth inning. The Bruins Ethan Hawk struggled yesterday and nearly lost the game to USC, but he came through today, setting the Ducks down in order.
Oregon strikeout king Tanner Bradley had pitched the eighth but in the ninth he would be pitching for the championship. He started off giving up a walk to Brennan, but then got Jarrod Hocking to ground out and struck out Dugger looking. He was one out away from winning the game, but Aidan Espinoza lashed a single to rightfield, scoring Brennan to tie the game and take it into extra innings.
In each game of the tournament UCLA made a late game comeback to win the game. Today was no different when it was decided in the bottom of the 11th inning. Devin Bell, on the mound for Oregon loaded the bases with no outs. He nearly got out of the trouble he made by striking out Dugger and Espinoza. Up came number nine hitter Phoenix Call, and on the first pitch thrown by Bell, he was hit by the pitch. A walk-off hit-by-pitch. The call was reviewed but it stood and UCLA is the 2026 Big Ten Tournament champions by a score of 3-2.
Both teams will be in the regionals, along with Nebraska and USC. Who will host will be determined tonight. Purdue and Michigan are hoping for their names to be called on Monday. It has been a banner year thus far for Big Ten baseball with more to come.
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