Back to Back Walk Offs Send UCLA to the Championship Game

While UCLA baseball has been the most dominant team in the country all season, the Big Ten tournament has been very stressful, as the Bruins have needed walk-offs in both wins.

Heading into the Big Ten tournament, UCLA was the number one overall seed and had a two-round bye as they awaited the winner of the fifth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers and the ninth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes. Purdue would advance, and against the Bruins, Purdue was able to shut down UCLA's bats for most of the game.

Purdue would take an early 2-0 lead in the third inning with an RBI single and a costly error that brought in another run for the Boilermakers. It wasn't until the sixth inning that the Bruins were able to get onto the board with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 deficit.

After a Purdue homerun, UCLA would tie the game in the eighth inning, and junior first baseman Mulivai Levu would hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the winning run for the Bruins as they advanced to play USC in the semi-finals.

Against the Trojans, UCLA would have a much better overall game, as both teams got on the scoreboard early and throughout the game. However, USC would take the lead in the top of the ninth inning and lead 5-4.

Fortunately, Mulivai Levu would once again save the day for the Bruins as he would hit a three-run homer to right-center field and win the game 7-5.

What UCLA Needs to Fix

While UCLA has been finding ways to win, the biggest problem so far in the tournament has been a strength all season: pitching.

The pitching needs to be better. Both starting pitchers left early, as Wylan Moss pitched only three innings, allowing three hits, two runs, and three walks against Purdue. Michael Barnett didn't fare much better, pitching four innings and allowing eight hits and three runs while recording only two strikeouts.

The relief pitching was the saving grace for the Bruins on the mound, as they allowed just three runs and three hits, with 12 combined strikeouts and five walks. The relief pitchers have been strong all season, and it's good to see them keep the momentum from the regular season.

UCLA in the Championship Game

UCLA now moves on to the championship game and will play the winner of Oregon vs Nebraska. The Bruins won the season series against the Ducks 2-1, though it did not face Nebraska this year. Nebraska has won the past two Big Ten championships and is looking for a third straight championship.

If the Bruins are going to come away with their first Big Ten championship, the starting pitching will need to be much better at limiting hits and runs. Nebraska has one of the top offenses in the country, and Oregon is one of the best pitching teams in the country. Whichever team UCLA plays will be a tough matchup as the Bruins seek their first-ever Big Ten championship.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as Back to Back Walk Offs Send UCLA to the Championship Game.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 9:00 AM.