NCAA baseball tournament winners and losers: No. 4 seeds thrive, UCLA knocked out

The NCAA baseball tournament opened with a major upset as No. 1 seed UCLA was eliminated by Saint Mary’s after losing a 6-5 extra-inning game on Sunday. The Bruins, known for their clutch performances, had already fallen to the Gaels 3-2 in their regional opener, marking a historic collapse for a team that won 30 games in come-from-behind fashion this season. No. 2 seed Georgia Tech also faltered, losing back-to-back games to Oklahoma after an early 2-0 regional start. Five other regional seeds—Florida, Southern Mississippi, Florida State, Texas A&M, and Nebraska—were knocked out early. In contrast, No. 4 seeds Arkansas-Little Rock and St. John’s advanced to super regionals, making it the first time two No. 4 seeds reached this stage in the same season. West Virginia, a No. 16 seed, rallied from a 9-6 deficit to defeat Kentucky in a ninth-inning comeback, securing their spot in the tournament. They will now face Cal Poly, winners of the Los Angeles regional. North Carolina also advanced smoothly, defeating East Carolina twice and avoiding Tennessee, with freshman pitcher Jackson Rose delivering a standout performance. Oregon, seeded No. 11, won their regional after a rivalry game, while Troy and Alabama also secured their spots. The tournament’s early rounds highlighted underdog victories and unexpected eliminations, setting the stage for super regional matchups.