History and rivalry go hand-in-hand.
The Bruin-Trojan rivalry dates back decades, but the series finale carried an uncommon weight: a series sweep and the longest winning streak in program history with 23 wins in a row.
No. 1 UCLA baseball (29-2, 15-0 Big Ten) defeated then-No. 12 USC (27-6, 10-5) 10-4 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday evening, cementing the 2026 squad in yet another part of program history.
“Very successful weekend. We got back to playing our game today and pitched much better,” coach John Savage said. “We just kept playing and had some really good at-bats.”
Junior right-hander Landon Stump got the nod as the starting pitcher, tossing four innings while only giving up two earned runs.
Tremendous outfield defense supported him. Redshirt junior right fielder Payton Brennan made a backtracking snag, and junior center fielder Will Gasparino tracked down a line out before turning and firing a missile that one-hopped to first to record a double play.
“Our outfield defense has been fantastic,” Savage said. “I thought we played unbelievable defense last week at Iowa, which is a very hard place to play defense. Gasparino’s double play today. Brennan’s home run robbery (yesterday) and the line drive – Brennan had a Hall of Fame weekend.”
Brennan’s defensive performance was bolstered by another 3-for-5 day at the plate, going 9-for-14 on the weekend with a home run, six RBIs and four runs scored.
But the Bruins faced a brief moment of uncertainty on the mound to open the fifth.
Stump threw two straight pitches that drifted far outside the strike zone – one into the dirt and one plunking a batter before he was eventually pulled mid at-bat.
“I don’t know the last time I pulled a pitcher mid at-bat,” Savage said. “It may be the first time in 22 years.”
The decision was made in a fifth inning that ended with the Bruins leading by just one run.
Junior first baseman Mulivai Levu sparked a rally, launching a solo home run to open the bottom of the fifth before Gasparino added a two-run blast later in the frame to increase UCLA’s lead to two.
“We try to get at least one (run) every inning,” Levu said. “We always punch back, this team doesn’t give up.”
Levu struck again in the sixth, crushing his second homer of the day – a laser over the left-center field wall – finishing the game going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored to headline the Bruins’ five-home-run performance.
The bullpen locked things down from there.
Freshman right-hander Zach Strickland entered in the eight, striking out three across two scoreless innings and escaping a major eighth-inning threat with back-to-back punchouts while two runners stood in scoring position.
“I got to flip the switch right away when I get out there,” Strickland said. “We have a job to do, a job to finish. We’re picking up our guy and going out there and finishing it out.”
Gasparino yelled at the home plate umpire after striking out in the bottom of the eighth, earning an ejection that will sideline him in UCLA’s midweek matchup against Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday.
Strickland returned to the mound unfazed in the ninth to retire the side in order, securing the win and the Trojan sweep.
“The winning streak speaks for itself. They play with a lot of confidence,” Savage said. “In baseball, it isn’t easy to win as many as we have, but the big picture is not about a streak – it’s about where we want to go.”
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