This post was updated June 4 at 10:31 p.m.
In its first NCAA super regional since 2019, No. 15 seed UCLA baseball (45-16, 22-8 Big Ten) will face off against UTSA (47-13, 23-4 AAC) in a best-of-three series at Jackie Robinson Stadium beginning Saturday. The winner will advance to the Men’s College World Series, which the Bruins haven’t been to in 12 years. This weekend’s scouting report comes courtesy of Daily Bruin reporter Mika McCaffrey, who predicted the Bruins would go on an NCAA tournament run at the start of the season.
UTSA
RPI: 18th
Quad 1 record: 8-4
Team slash line: .317/.428/.485
Team ERA, WHIP and K/9: 4.95, 1.37 and 8.84
X-Factor: Mason Lytle
The Roadrunners are relatively unfamiliar with the bright lights of the NCAA tournament. But in its first regional since 2013, UTSA put the baseball world on notice, upsetting No. 2 seed Texas twice in the Austin regional to qualify for its first-ever super regional.
Down 6-1 to the Longhorns after four innings Saturday, the Roadrunners stormed back for a 9-7 victory, sending Texas to the loser’s bracket. In Sunday’s rematch in the regional final, UTSA led 7-0 after three innings and held on for a 7-4 win.
The Roadrunner’s domination over the Longhorns wasn’t limited to the postseason. On March 18, UTSA came back from a 6-2 deficit to upset Texas – who held the nation’s No. 1 rank for four straight weeks in 2025 – 8-7 in 12 innings.
While the Bruins have displayed an ability to come back this season – securing 20 come-from-behind victories – they never trailed in the Los Angeles Regional, yet haven’t defeated a team ranked higher than No. 16 this year.
UTSA’s decade-long absence from the tournament doesn’t indicate a lack of success in recent seasons, however. Pat Hallmark is in his sixth season with the Roadrunners, and after posting a losing record in his first full season in 2021, the head coach has led his team to four straight 30-plus-win seasons.
Similar to the Bruins’ offensive power, the Roadrunners’ postseason success has relied on a lineup that boasts seven hitters with an OPS north of .900, while UCLA only has five.
Outfielder Mason Lytle is at the center of the UTSA offensive. Lytle leads the team with a .369 batting average and 96 hits and also ranks second on the team with 67 RBIs. Additionally, Lytle unanimously made the AAC All-Conference First Team and was named the conference Defensive Player of the Year this season.
He was also a key piece in the team’s come back victory over the Longhorns on Saturday, providing the go-ahead RBI single.
On the other side of the ball, the Bruins hold a slight advantage. With a staff ERA of 4.95, the Roadrunners’ pitching staff has amassed an ERA around .40 runs higher than the Bruins.
Amid the UTSA’s higher ERA, pitcher Robert Orloski has been a bright spot. Orloski made the AAC All-Freshman team in 2024 and was unanimously named to the AAC All-Conference First Team this season.
However, Orloski seemed to struggle in the team’s 7-4 victory against Texas, giving up three earned runs across three innings pitched.
Still, if their offensive outburst in the Austin regional wasn’t already an indication, the Roadrunners are an offense-first team and are the 11th best scoring team in the nation, averaging 8.8 runs per contest. In contrast, the Bruins sit in the 36th spot, averaging 8.2 runs per game.
The red-hot, come-from-behind Roadrunners aren’t to be taken lightly as they head to Westwood.
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