NCAA Baseball Tournament Los Angeles Regional Preview & Predictions
Last updated May 30, 2025
The Los Angeles Regional of the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament opens Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium, promising four days of tense, high-stakes baseball. Host and national No. 15 seed UCLA welcomes red-hot UC Irvine, power-packed Arizona State, and Mountain West champion Fresno State for a double-elimination bracket that will send a single survivor to the Super Regionals. Weather is expected to stay in the mid-70s with light afternoon breezes, perfect for offense and tough on late-inning relievers.
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Los Angeles Regional Preview
UCLA Team Preview
The UCLA Bruins arrive at 42-16 after falling in the Big Ten title game, yet their resume still glistens, including a 26-7 home record. Shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the headline, slashing .369/.507/.783 with 23 homers, 44 walks, and 20 hit-by-pitches, an on-base machine batting in front of Mulivai Levu (75 hits, 74 RBI) and AJ Salgado (1.003 OPS). Dean West (.456 OBP) sets the table, and the lineup averages .291 with 73 long balls.
Pitching depth is the question for UCLA. Michael Barnett (11-1, 4.18 ERA) and Landon Stump (6-1, 4.75 ERA) headline a rotation that strikes out a ton of batters. In relief, Jack O’Connor’s heavy sinker has produced a 2.05 ERA over 22 innings. Easton Hawk (five saves) can handle the ninth.
Arizona State Team Preview
The Arizona State Sun Devils (35-22) finished third in the Big 12 but smashed their way into the field on the strength of a .318 team average and 84 homers. Matt King (.405, 54 RBI) and Kyle Walker (.363, 22 steals) ignite an order that produces traffic on the bases early and often, while Isaiah Jackson’s 16 home runs supply instant impact.
On the mound, Jack Martinez (6-3, 4.76 ERA, .219 opponent average) flashes Friday-night stuff, and Ben Jacobs (114 Ks in 78.2 innings) can miss bats despite a 5.03 ERA. Cole Carlon (2.82 ERA) is the bullpen anchor with a 1.00 WHIP. Yet Arizona State’s staff ERA sits at 5.27, and free passes, 252 of them, have been their Achilles heel. If the Devils fall behind in counts, Jackie Robinson Stadium’s short alleys could punish them.
UC Irvine Team Preview
The Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine Anteaters roll in at 41-15, owning the bracket’s best winning percentage (.732). Coach Ben Orloff’s club is balanced, with a .301 team average, 63 homers, and a rotation anchored by Trevor Hansen (9-2, 3.24 ERA, 87 Ks) and do-everything righty Ricky Ojeda (13-1, 3.63 ERA, 79 Ks, .212 BAA). Closer Max Martin has 14 saves with a 1.19 WHIP over 35.1 innings.
Offensively, Jacob McCombs (.350, 11 HR), Colin Yeaman (.342, 13 HR), and Chase Call (.322, 9 HR) give Irvine three bats above a 1.040 OPS, while Anthony Martinez drives in runs (54 RBI) alongside them. The lineup’s strike-zone judgment, with 265 walks and 147 HBP, leads to extended innings and elevated pitch counts. Irvine steals selectively (17-for-29) but takes the extra base well, pressuring opposing arms.
Fresno State Team Preview
The Fresno State Bulldogs (31-27) reached Los Angeles by winning the Mountain West tournament and have history on this diamond, with a 2011 regional appearance in the same venue. Murf Gray (.330, 18 HR, 73 RBI) is the big bat in their lineup, joined by Griffen Sotomayor (.333, 7 HR) and Justin Stransky (.319, 12 HR). Fresno’s .304 team average is the highest in the regional, and they’ve slugged 69 homers despite playing in pitcher-friendly venues.
Pitching remains the sticking point for Fresno. The Bulldogs’ staff ERA is 5.58 over the last month, and opponents have hit .280 on the season. Fresno must lean on offense and hope Jackie Robinson’s big foul territory suppresses UCLA’s right-handed power.
Betting Insights
Oddsmakers have set the Los Angeles regional markets with UCLA a clear favorite at –130, UC Irvine +240, Arizona State +300, and Fresno State +1400. But bettors should monitor bullpen usage closely, as double-elimination brackets reward teams with reliable late-inning arms, and Irvine could use that to their advantage more than the other teams in this foursome.
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2025 Los Angeles Regional Prediction
UCLA’s offense is the most explosive here, and they wield the tournament’s best single player in Cholowsky. Yet championship weekends often swing on fresh arms, and UC Irvine owns both rotation stability and a bullpen that pounds the zone. My projection:
- Friday: Bruins dispatch Fresno State 9-4; Irvine edges Arizona State 7-5.
- Saturday winners’ game: Irvine stuns UCLA 6-3.
- Saturday elimination: Arizona State eliminates Fresno State 11-7 in a slugfest.
- Sunday: UCLA survives Arizona State 8-6 but enters the final with limited pitching.
- Final: UC Irvine clinches the regional with a 5-4 win over UCLA.
Pick: UC Irvine +240 to win the Los Angeles Regional. The Anteaters’ superior strike-throwing and balanced lineup offer the best value. Hedge opportunities on UCLA exist after the tournament begins, but the call here is Irvine celebrating advancing to the Super Regionals.
