Maryland’s Upset Bid Falls Flat as No. 1 UCLA Sweeps Weekend Series

Maryland’s (11-12, 1-5 Big Ten) West Coast trip turned into a bruising three‑game sweep, as the Terps fell to No. 1 UCLA (21-2, 9-0 Big Ten) in Los Angeles by scores of 12–2 (7 innings), 8–3, and 14–4 (8 innings). The top‑ranked Bruins controlled the series from start to finish, overpowering Maryland on both sides of the ball and extending their dominant start to the 2026 season.

Game One: 12-2 Loss

UCLA struck early and never let up, taking a 1–0 lead in the first inning on a junior infielder Roman Martin's RBI double before junior catcher Cashel Dugger's grand slam blew the game open at 5–0. Maryland showed some life in the second as sophomore catcher Rylen Stockton and sophomore infielder Paul Jones II opened the frame with the Terps’ first hits. Maryland finally broke through when infielder Brayden Mart ripped a double down the line, driving in center fielder Aden Hill to put the Terps on the board. The RBI knock cut into UCLA’s early lead and gave Maryland a brief spark in the third inning.

UCLA added to its cushion with a bases‑loaded walk in the fifth, while Brayden Ryan provided a bright spot with a clean, 1‑2‑3 sixth. Hill notched his second hit to start the seventh for the Terps, but the Bruins sealed the outcome with a four‑run burst in the bottom half to put the game out of reach.

UCLA right‑hander Logan Reddemann improved to 6–0 on the season, earning the win, while Maryland’s Lance Williams took the loss and fell to 1–2.

Maddox Mandino 1, Louisianas Ragin Cajuns baseball take on Maryland. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Game Two: 8-3 Loss

Maryland struck first in the opening inning when Stockton ripped an RBI double, but UCLA quickly countered in the bottom half with an RBI double and a three‑run homer to jump ahead 4–1. Hill answered in the second with his third home run of the season, only for the Bruins to tack on two more runs in the third.

Junior catcher Devin Russell’s RBI double in the fourth trimmed the deficit to 6–3, but a bases‑loaded walk in the bottom half pushed UCLA’s lead back to four. Pitcher Cristofer Cespedes delivered a clean, 1‑2‑3 fifth to steady things briefly, and the Terps threatened again in the eighth when Jones II and freshman outfielder Nate Hawton‑Henley reached to open the frame. UCLA, however, added an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to extend the margin and close out an 8–3 win.

UCLA’s Wylan Moss earned the win to move to 2–0, while Maryland left‑hander Evan Smith took the loss and dropped to 0–2, with Easton Hawk closing the door in the ninth to secure his second save of the season for the Bruins.

Rigoberto Hernandez 10, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball take on Maryland. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Game Three: 14-4 Loss

Maryland opened the game with early pressure as junior right fielder Brayden Martin drew a leadoff walk and swiped his team‑high 10th stolen base. Still, UCLA answered immediately with a three‑run first inning highlighted by a triple. Left fielder Jordan Crosland delivered the Terps’ first hit in the second, yet the Bruins piled on three more runs to make it 6–0 before adding an unearned run in the third.

Maryland finally broke through in the fourth when first baseman Ryan Costello launched a solo homer, and Jackson Sirois followed in the fifth with an RBI single to trim the deficit to 7–2. Crosland appeared to cut down a runner at the plate in the bottom of the fifth, but the call was overturned on replay, and UCLA later erupted for four runs in the sixth. Crosland struck again in the seventh with his sixth homer of the season, and freshman catcher Franklin Pichardo Jr. added an RBI single in the eighth, but UCLA responded with three runs in the bottom half to enforce the run rule and close out an 11–4 win.

UCLA’s Justin Lee earned the win to move to 1–0 on the season, while Maryland’s Jake Yeager took the loss and fell to 0–1.

What's Next for the Terps?

Maryland now turns its attention to a midweek showdown against No. 9 Virginia (20-5, 6-3 ACC), traveling to Fredericksburg for a Tuesday evening matchup at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. The Terps will look to regroup quickly after the UCLA series and aim for a statement performance against a top‑10 Cavaliers squad in the 5:30 PM contest.

To secure its third ACC series win of the season, Virginia run‑ruled No. 24 Wake Forest 14–4 on Sunday at Disharoon Park.

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