UCLA Bruins team huddles during a break in the action as Auburn Tigers take on UCLA Bruins during the NCAA regional baseball tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

UCLA to Face Pair of Familiar Foes in NCAA Tournament

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated May 30, 2025 10:09 AM ET

The No. 13 UCLA Bruins (42-16, 22-8) prepare for NCAA Tournament action, hosting the Los Angeles Regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium this weekend. Within the four-team, double-elimination pool, the Bruins will be facing a pair of very familiar opponents. Only one can emerge to the next round.

Due to the Bruins earning the 15th out of 16 total national seeds, they were awarded a host location for the first round of the tournament. The other three teams that will be coming to Westwood are Fresno State, Arizona State and No. 23-ranked UC Irvine.

The Sun Devils were a fellow Pac-12 team with the Bruins, two of the top baseball programs in the country for decades. This is a long-standing rivalry with Arizona State holding the all-time series record at 37-31.

ASU and the Bruins already matched up once this season, with the Sun Devils earning a 2-0 win. It was the first of two times UCLA was shut out this season in 58 total games. The other came most recently in the Big Ten tournament championship, falling to Nebraska, 5-0.

The second familiar face that the Bruins will see in their regional is a team that arguably could have hosted their own regional because of how talented they are. UC Irvine (41-15) split with the Bruins in two games this season and is one of the nation's top teams.

The Bruins earned an 11-4 win over the Anteaters back in early March during a midweek non-conference battle at home. The second matchup came in late April with UCLA suffering a 5-3 road loss. This is the most even matchup of the region without a doubt.

The history between the Bruins and Fresno State is the least involved of the three teams, having last played in 2011, with only 10 career meetings. The Bulldogs will be UCLA's first opponent before potentially battling either the Sun Devils or UC Irvine in Game 2 later in the weekend.

I still predict the Bruins to emerge from the regional pool, but each game is going to be a dog fight. Most of these teams have recent experience with each other, making this one of the more exciting regions in the country. We'll see if the Bruins deliver and move into a Super Regional appearance.

UCLA will start its road to the College World Series on Friday when it battles Fresno State in the first game of the regional. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. PT, 4 p.m. ET, with coverage provided by ESPN+.