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On May 9, 2026, the University of Oregon baseball program delivered one of its most meaningful wins of the modern era. Trailing 4–0 on the road against top-ranked UCLA and coming off an 11–1 run-rule loss in the series opener, the Ducks rallied to shock the Bruins 9–6 at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles.
The result did far more than dent UCLA’s record. Oregon snapped the Bruins’ 27-game Big Ten Conference winning streak, handed the nation’s No. 1 team its first league loss of 2026, and strengthened the Ducks’ case to host an NCAA regional at PK Park in Eugene.
At first pitch, Oregon entered the night ranked No. 13 nationally, sitting at 35–13 overall. By the final out, the Ducks had improved to 36–13 and 18–8 in Big Ten play, while UCLA slipped to 45–5 overall and 25–1 in the conference.
Early on, it looked like the Bruins might roll again. Playing at home in front of a pro-UCLA crowd, the Bruins’ offense immediately flexed the form that had powered their unbeaten conference run. In the bottom of the first, UCLA erupted for four runs, highlighted by a solo home run from junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky and a string of well-timed hits with runners aboard.
For Oregon, still stinging from an 11–1 run-rule loss in the series opener the night before, the first inning felt dangerously familiar. Another lopsided defeat at the hands of the nation’s top-ranked team seemed possible just three outs into the game.
Instead of folding, the Ducks answered immediately in the top of the second inning.
Freshman outfielder Angel Laya opened the frame with a double into the right-field corner, sparking life into the Oregon dugout. Infielder Maddox Molony followed with a walk, putting two Ducks aboard with nobody out.
First baseman Gabe Miranda then got Oregon on the board with a double to right, driving in Laya and cutting the deficit to 4–1. That brought up designated hitter Naulivou Lauaki Jr., who delivered one of the biggest swings of Oregon’s season.
Lauaki Jr. launched a 422-foot three-run home run to straightaway center, smashing the ball off the batter’s eye. In a matter of minutes, the Ducks erased UCLA’s 4–0 lead and tied the game at 4–4, completely changing the tone at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
UCLA, which had dominated Big Ten play all season, did not stay quiet for long. In the bottom of the third, outfielder Will Gasparino homered to put the Bruins back in front 5–4.
From there, though, Oregon’s arms gave the Ducks the platform they needed to hang around against the nation’s most dangerous lineup. Starter Collin Clarke and reliever Cal Scolari stabilized the game, working deep enough into the night to keep the Bruins from breaking things open.
Clarke, Scolari, and eventual closer Tanner Bradley combined to strike out 11 UCLA hitters, a crucial number against a lineup that had been punishing mistakes all season. That strikeout total helped limit traffic and damage, giving Oregon time to find its second comeback.
The turning point of the game came in the late innings, when Oregon’s resilience and opportunistic offense finally cracked UCLA’s bullpen.
In the top of the seventh, with the Ducks still trailing 5–4, outfielder Jack Brooks became the spark. Batting toward the bottom of the order, Brooks worked a key walk to lead off the inning.
He then stole second base, applying pressure and forcing UCLA to pay attention to him on the bases. A subsequent balk pushed Brooks to third, setting up a classic small-ball run-scoring chance.
Second baseman Ryan Cooney capitalized with a ground ball to shortstop that left UCLA with only a play at first. Brooks scored easily from third, tying the game at 5–5 and rewarding Oregon’s aggressiveness on the bases.
UCLA answered immediately again. Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Cholowsky crushed his second solo home run of the night, putting the Bruins back in front 6–5 and seeming to flip the momentum once more in favor of the hosts.
Down one, on the road, and facing the heart of UCLA’s bullpen, Oregon’s season-defining sequence started with two outs in the top of the eighth.
With the first two batters retired, Laya reached on a tough infield single. Cholowsky had to range and make a difficult backhand play, and Laya’s speed out of the box gave the Ducks a lifeline.
Molony then drilled a double into right field. When the ball skipped past a diving Bruin outfielder and rolled down the line, Laya scored all the way from first, tying the game 6–6 and keeping the dugout loud.
A walk to Miranda and an infield chopper by Lauaki Jr. that second baseman Phoenix Call could not handle on a short hop suddenly loaded the bases. With two outs and the game tied, Brooks stepped in with a chance to deliver a defining moment.
He seized it. On a one-strike pitch, Brooks lined a ball into the left-center field gap. All three runners scored, turning a 6–6 tie into a 9–6 Oregon lead in one swing. The Ducks’ dugout exploded as Brooks pulled into second, having just provided the biggest hit of the night and perhaps the most pivotal swing of Oregon’s regular season.
After Oregon’s three-run eighth, it was up to closer Tanner Bradley to navigate the final six outs against a lineup that rarely went quietly.
Bradley had already entered in the seventh after UCLA briefly regained the lead on Cholowsky’s second home run, and he continued to execute in the game’s highest-leverage moments. In the bottom of the eighth, with traffic on the bases, he induced a key double play that defused the threat and preserved the 9–6 advantage.
In the ninth, Bradley retired the heart of the Bruin order, finishing off a statement win. Oregon closed the night with nine runs on nine hits and no errors. UCLA managed six runs on seven hits and committed one defensive miscue.
For the University of Oregon, the combination of explosive, timely hitting, aggressive base running, and resilient relief pitching was a night-and-day contrast to the previous game’s 11–1 run-rule loss.
Beyond the immediate thrill, this win occupies rare territory in Oregon’s baseball record book. The Ducks disbanded their program in the 1980s, only reinstating baseball in 2009. That shorter modern history has limited the number of chances to face and beat No. 1-ranked opponents.
According to Oregon’s own postgame coverage and national reports, the 9–6 victory over UCLA marked just the fourth win over a No. 1 team in program history, and the third time the Ducks have defeated UCLA while the Bruins sat atop the rankings.
That context matters for recruits and families evaluating Oregon baseball. This is a comparatively young modern-era program that has shown it can not only reach the national stage, but also knock off the biggest brands when it matters most. For athletes who want to play in high-stakes environments, this game is a blueprint of the kind of stage they can expect in Eugene.
Since the program’s return, UCLA has generally held the overall edge in the series. But some of Oregon’s signature wins have come at the Bruins’ expense. Multiple victories over No. 1-ranked UCLA teams have added emotional and competitive weight to the rivalry.
The 2026 upset extends that storyline. Oregon battled back three separate times on the road, quieted a stadium that had watched UCLA roll all year, and reshaped the perception of the Big Ten race heading into the postseason.
Heading into the series, UCLA had been steamrolling the Big Ten schedule, entering the weekend undefeated in conference play and owning a 27-game Big Ten winning streak that stretched back into late 2025. The Bruins were widely viewed as a lock for a top national seed in the NCAA tournament.
Oregon, by contrast, was in a more precarious but promising position. National outlets like D1Baseball had the Ducks projected as the No. 16 overall seed, essentially the last team in line to host an NCAA regional at home. Oregon also entered the series with a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of No. 27, while UCLA sat at No. 1.
In baseball selection terms, true road wins over RPI No. 1 teams are gold. After the Ducks’ 9–6 victory, Oregon’s RPI reportedly jumped into the low 20s, significantly strengthening its postseason profile and supporting the argument that a strong finish should secure another regional in Eugene.
For recruits and families, this matters because hosting a regional signals a program that is relevant nationally, not just regionally. It means exposure, high-level competition at home, and an environment that is attractive to pro scouts and media coverage.
For more background on how RPI and postseason positioning are evaluated at the national level, the NCAA’s official baseball resources are a helpful starting point: https://www.ncaa.com/sports/baseball/d1. Rankings and projections from national outlets like D1Baseball also provide context for how wins like Oregon’s over UCLA move the needle: https://d1baseball.com.
Several Ducks had standout nights that will stick in the memories of Oregon fans and, importantly, in the minds of college baseball observers.
Lauaki Jr.’s three-run blast in the second inning is the obvious headline swing. At 422 feet to dead center off the batter’s eye, it was not just a momentum changer but a message that Oregon’s lineup has the power to punish mistakes against elite pitching.
For a program selling recruits on the chance to play major games in front of big crowds, home runs like this in nationally significant matchups show what is possible in an Oregon uniform.
Laya and Molony were central to both of Oregon’s major rallies. Laya’s leadoff double in the second and his late infield single in the eighth set the table for big innings. Molony followed with a walk before Lauaki Jr.’s home run, then added the game-tying RBI double in the eighth that allowed Laya to score from first.
The pair showcased modern offensive traits that coaches value: on-base skills, gap power, and the ability to force defenders into tough plays with speed.
Brooks’ night epitomized the theme of resilience. From his seventh-inning walk, stolen base, and aggressive read on a balk to score the tying run, to his three-run double in the eighth, he consistently found ways to change the game from the bottom of the order.
For younger athletes watching, Brooks is a reminder that impact does not always come from the middle-of-the-order star. Hustle, plate discipline, and clutch execution can make a player indispensable in postseason-level games.
Bradley’s work to close out the final innings, coupled with the efforts of Clarke and Scolari, underscored the value of depth and poise on the mound. Eleven combined strikeouts against a balanced UCLA lineup reflect both stuff and command under pressure.
Even on a night when UCLA hit three solo home runs, Oregon’s staff limited multi-run innings after the first and prevented the Bruins from blowing the game open. In postseason play, that is often the difference between advancing and going home.
Since reinstating the program in 2009, Oregon has pushed to carve out a consistent top-25 identity in a crowded national landscape. Wins like this one over No. 1 UCLA reinforce a few core traits the Ducks are building around:
For high school players considering a future in Eugene, the message is clear: Oregon expects to be in the national conversation, and the Ducks are increasingly comfortable reshaping that conversation with upset wins like this.
For student-athletes thinking about playing college baseball at a school like Oregon, this game offers several practical takeaways:
If you or your family are exploring where a program like Oregon fits into your recruiting journey, tools like Pathley’s College Fit Snapshot can help you quickly evaluate how your academics, athletics, and preferences align with schools on your list. You can also explore broader college options and basic program details using the Pathley College Directory.
While the focus here is on Division I baseball and the Ducks’ breakthrough win at UCLA, athletes interested in Oregon as a destination should remember there are multiple college options in Eugene alone.
Bushnell University, also located in Eugene, offers a different campus feel and athletic profile that may suit some students better depending on academic goals, faith background, and desired level of competition. Exploring both large D1 environments like Oregon and smaller campuses like Bushnell can help recruits find the right overall fit.
To start broad and then narrow your choices, Pathley’s Baseball Pathley Hub lets you compare college baseball options, check out different levels, and see which programs align with your goals and metrics.
With another Big Ten series against USC looming and Selection Monday approaching, the Ducks’ 9–6 win at UCLA shifted how national observers view their postseason ceiling. Rather than simply fighting to host, Oregon now profiles as a team no national seed will want in its bracket.
A gritty road win over the No. 1 RPI team, highlighted by a late-inning, two-out rally and lockdown relief work, fits the classic description of a dangerous regional opponent. For current players, it is a confidence anchor. For recruits, it is proof that choosing Oregon means playing real postseason baseball, not just hoping for it.
If you are beginning or refining your own recruiting process, you can use the Pathley Chat assistant to get personalized guidance, discover colleges that fit your profile, and organize a realistic target list that could one day include programs like Oregon and Bushnell. Wins like this Ducks upset at UCLA are the type of games Pathley helps athletes visualize themselves in, then build a step-by-step plan to reach.
For now, the record will show a 9–6 road win and a snapped 27-game Big Ten streak. But inside Oregon’s clubhouse, the victory is something bigger: tangible proof that the Ducks can walk into the home of the nation’s top team, take the hardest punches, and still be the last ones standing.
