UCLA Advances to NCAA Baseball Regional Final with 11-5 Win Over Arizona State

Arizona State's baseball season ended after a loss to UC Irvine in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional, following a previous defeat by UCLA. The Sun Devils, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 under coach Willie Bloomquist, faced challenges with their offense sputtering late in the postseason, including a significant 11-5 loss to UCLA highlighted by a seven-run second inning and a grand slam by Roman Martin. Despite some offensive opportunities, ASU was unable to capitalize, with multiple double plays and key players like Landon Hairston struggling at the plate. UCLA, benefiting from home-field advantage at Jackie Robinson Stadium, dominated their regional games and was poised to advance to the super regionals, needing just one more win. ASU faced a daunting path, requiring consecutive wins against UC Irvine and UCLA to extend their tournament run, but ultimately fell short. The series underscored UCLA's strong pitching and offensive pressure, contrasting with Arizona State's difficulty maintaining their typically high-scoring offense during critical moments.