Top-ranked UCLA baseball opens 2026 with comeback win over UC San Diego at Jackie Robinson Stadium
A three-run early deficit turns into an eight-run response
LOS ANGELES — UCLA began its 2026 season Friday, Feb. 13, with an 8–4 victory over UC San Diego at Jackie Robinson Stadium, rallying after falling behind by three runs in the first three innings. The Bruins trailed 3–0 before producing eight unanswered runs across the third and fourth innings to take control of the series opener.
UCLA’s comeback was built on plate discipline and timely contact. All nine Bruins starters reached base, and eight drew at least one walk. The Bruins finished with seven hits while forcing UC San Diego into extended innings through free passes and defensive mistakes.
Key swings: Payton Brennan’s four RBIs and UCLA’s decisive fourth inning
Outfielder Payton Brennan drove in four runs, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. His RBI single in the third inning tied the game 3–3 and chased UC San Diego starter Steele Murdock. The Bruins then separated in the fourth, posting five runs highlighted by Brennan’s two-run double as UCLA pushed the margin to 8–3.
Roman Martin contributed two RBIs, while Dean West reached base twice and scored twice from the leadoff spot. UCLA also received hits from Roch Cholowsky, Cashel Dugger, and Dominic Cadiz. The game marked collegiate debuts for freshmen Aiden Aguayo and Cadiz, along with transfer outfielder Will Gasparino.
Pitching: debut win for Logan Reddemann, bullpen closes late
Right-hander Logan Reddemann earned the win in his UCLA debut, allowing three earned runs over five innings with six strikeouts and five hits. After Reddemann exited, UCLA’s bullpen limited UC San Diego’s opportunities to climb back into the game. A late Tritons run in the eighth trimmed the deficit, but UCLA navigated the inning and closed with a scoreless ninth to finish the opener.
UC San Diego strikes first, but can’t sustain momentum
UC San Diego opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning and added another in the third to build a 3–0 advantage. The Tritons finished with eight hits and capitalized on early two-out offense, but defensive errors and UCLA’s walk-heavy innings shifted the game’s trajectory.
What the opener signals for both programs in 2026
UCLA entered the season with the nation’s top preseason ranking and was picked to finish first in the Big Ten preseason poll, returning a veteran core from a 2025 team that won 48 games and reached the College World Series. UC San Diego opened its schedule with a three-game road series designed to test the Tritons ahead of Big West play.
Final: UCLA 8, UC San Diego 4 (Feb. 13, 2026).
Series continues Saturday, Feb. 14, with a 2 p.m. PT first pitch in Los Angeles.
Series finale scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. PT.
UCLA’s eight-run surge across the middle innings turned a 3–0 deficit into a four-run win, setting an early tone for a roster built around returning production and new pitching additions.