How To Watch NCAA Baseball Selection Show
How much will this weekend's sweep of the Sun Devils help UCLA's tournament seeding?
After the UCLA baseball team clinched a fourth place finish in the Pac-12 standings by defeating Arizona State, 8-5, the Bruins completed a sweep of the Sun Devils with a 3-0 win yesterday. Now, UCLA waits to find out where they will play in the NCAA baseball tournament. The NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Show will air on Monday, May 31, 2021 at 9 am PT on ESPN2.
Due to a technical glitch, our recap of Friday’s game didn’t publish yesterday. So, let’s take a look at both Friday’s and Saturday’s games.
Friday’s Game
Adrian Chaidez earned his third win of the season Friday night after taking over for UCLA starter Sean Mullen to start the fifth inning. Mullen allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five in four innings of work. Chaidez kept the Sun Devils off the board and only gave up one hit while striking out five. Max Rajcic pitched the final two frames and allowed a run on two hits and a walk while fanning three.
Arizona State struck first in the bottom of the first. With one out, the Sun Devils got a pair of singles which scored their first run. They used a walk and a single in the second to add another breadstick. After two innings, they were up, 2-0.
The Bruins pieced together a two-out rally in the third. Pat Caulfield doubled to get it going and Matt McLain followed with an RBI double that scored Caulfield. An intentional walk to JT Schwartz backfired when Michael Curialle also doubled to right center, bringing McLain and Schwartz in to put UCLA ahead, 3-2.
With one out in the bottom of the third, ASU loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly tied the game. The Sun Devils re-took the lead in the fourth on a pair of doubles and the score remained 4-3 until the eighth.
Schwartz led off that inning with a single. With one out, Noah Cardenas was hit by a pitch and a walk to Kyle Karros loaded the bases. Jake Moberg singled up the middle which scored Schwartz. When the centerfielder booted the ball, Cardenas was also able to score. That gave the Bruins runners on the corners for Mikey Perez who took an 0-1 pitch and sent it over the right field wall for a three-run homer, giving UCLA an 8-4 lead midway through the eighth.
In the bottom half of the inning, Chaidez gave up a one-out triple to Joe Lampe. He eventually scored and the Bruins led 8-5, but Rajcic got out of the inning without giving up any additional runs and he threw a perfect ninth to wrap up the win for UCLA.
Saturday’s Game
Yesterday, Jesse Bergin threw seven shutout innings while allowing just four hits and striking out five to earn his sixth win of the season.
UCLA got on the board in the third when Noah Cardenas homered to left. While his solo shot would prove to be the game-winning hit, the Bruins weren’t done quite yet.
Neither was Cardenas, who added his second solo homer of the game in the fifth to put UCLA ahead 2-0.
Michael Townsend came in for Bergin in the eighth and sent the Sun Devils down in order.
In the ninth, the Bruins added another insurance run. Matt McLain led off with a single to left. JT Schwartz moved McLain from first to third when he singled through the left side. With two outs, Kyle Karros hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring McLain and putting UCLA up 3-0.
Max Rajcic took the hill for UCLA in the bottom of the ninth and he threw a one-two-three inning for his seventh save of the year.
NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Show
Time: 9:00 am PT, Monday, May 31, 2021
Live TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app
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Lubbock Regional.
Play UNC on Friday.
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