What Went Wrong for UCLA Baseball Against Saint Mary's

In their first game of the regional games, the number one overall seed UCLA Bruins have been stunned by Saint Mary’s.

The Bruins had the advantage of playing in Los Angeles and at home, with a crowd of Bruins fans. However, in the end, the Saint Mary’s Gaels came out on top, and for the first time in tournament history, the number one seed lost its first game in the NCAA Tournament.

Jun 17, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage (22) walks to the dugout before the restart of the game against the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Saint Mary’s DH Jacob Johnson lifted a solo home run to right field in the top of the ninth inning to give Saint Mary's a 3-2 lead. Johnson also hit a solo shot in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, UCLA star Roch Cholowsky came up to the plate with two outs and a runner on first base, but flew out to end the game.

With the Bruins losing, we need to look at what went wrong for a team that was supposed to be a favorite to win the College World Series and is now one loss away from elimination.

What Went Wrong

Throughout the season, UCLA had been one of the best offensive teams in the country, led by one of the top players in the country and the perceived number one overall pick in the MLB draft, Roch Cholowsky.

Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) bunts in a run against the Murray State Racers during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Along with Cholowsky are first baseman Mulivai Levu and third baseman Roman Martin. All three led the Bruins in batting average and were near the top in every batting category.

Against Saint Mary’s, all three went a combined 1-12 when at the plate, with Martin being the only one to get a hit and bring in one of the two Bruins runs.

No More Second Chances

Against the Gaels, the bats were fairly silent. While walking lead-off hitter Dean West in his first plate appearance, John Damozonio had a great day on the mound, pitching seven innings with two runs allowed, five hits, and six strikeouts.

This time of year, there are no excuses. The Bruins were missing a key player in the batting order as Will Gasparino was not in the lineup, as he was suspended after being ejected in the Big Ten Championship game against Oregon.

Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins third baseman Roman Martin (7) doubles in a run against the LSU Tigers during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Even going back to the Big Ten Tournament, the bats have been fairly quiet during the beginning part of games, as they would have to come back and win each Big Ten tournament game with walk-offs.

In the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins can't rely on walk-offs to win games, as teams will play at 110% and take advantage of any problems the Bruins have.

Aug 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, US; West outfielder Will Gasparino (23) during the Perfect Game All-American Classic high school baseball game at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After losing their first NCAA Tournament game, the Bruins are now fighting for their playoff lives and will face the loser of the Cal Poly-Virginia Tech game.

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