UCSB Baseball Clinches Big West Series Over Bakersfield, Keeping Postseason Hopes Alive 

The UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Gauchos closed out their regular baseball season in a do-or-die Big West series win over the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners, taking the series at home. The Gauchos now sit at 16-14 in conference play and 36-17 overall, ranked fifth in the Big West under the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

 

“We need to win the series to continue to play this season, that’s the elephant in the room,” said UCSB Head Coach Andrew Checketts in a pre-series interview. “If we play to our potential and are competitive, based on the talent we have on the field, we have a good chance to keep playing.” 

 

UCSB came out strong last Thursday, edging Bakersfield 5-4 in a back-and-forth battle. They followed it up with a dominant 10-1 win Friday behind a strong outing from pitcher Tyler Bremner, a projected 2025 MLB Draft first round pick. ​​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Gauchos hope to repeat the successful postseason winning streak of their 2024 season, where they won the Big West Championship and made it to the first round of the national tournament. 

 

With the external pressures and high expectations coming off last season, Checketts emphasizes their coaching effort to tamp down any outside noise from the media.

 

“We want to keep the players focused on the work and the preparation,” said Checketts. “Sometimes the external noise has maybe crept in this season, but we have gotten better at that. Baseball is a humbling game.” 

 

This year has been filled with ups and downs for the Gauchos. Despite entering the season with such high expectations, UCSB’s roster was hit hard by injuries. Checketts noted that 14 of their 19 non-pitching position players are new to Division 1 baseball, and many missed crucial development time during pre-season training due to injuries. 

 

Despite injury setbacks, the culture and competitiveness of the team has only grown stronger according to star senior outfielder LeTrey McCollum. 

 

“We have a ‘next man up’ type of program, the next person has to be able to step up when their name is called,” said McCollum. “That’s only made us stronger now that we are getting all our guys back who were hurt earlier in the year.”

 

McCollum plays a prime role in the Gauchos recent success and winning streak. Despite the team's bumpy season, he has had an “all-conference type of season,” according to Checketts—becoming a steady presence both on and off the field. 

 

Standout leaders like McCollum, Jonathan Mendez, and Nate Vargas have kept the team focused and helped push UCSB through last weekend against Bakersfield. 

 

Before this series, UCSB had not faced Bakersfield this season, and Checketts expected a gritty matchup. Even with their 10th-place standing in the Big West rankings and losing record, Checketts claims it's not indicative of their talent. 

 

“They have played people competitively all season,” said Checketts. “They have a new coach from out of the area, so we aren't super familiar with their style of play yet.” 

 

UCSB relied on its starting pitching rotation of Jackson Flora, Tyler Bremner and Calvin Proskey. Flora, who was held out of the previous week’s non-conference games to stay fresh, set the tone on Thursday. Bremner followed, dominating with 13 strikeouts and receiving the Big West Pitcher of the Week award after his performance. 

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“It all starts on the mound, we always need to have good, controlled starts from our starting pitchers,” said Checketts. 

 

The Gauchos’ offense also delivered in key moments, with standout performances from Jack Holman and Isaac Kim. Both have kept the middle of the lineup strong and scoring early all season.  

 

Despite the pressure of the season-ending possibility, the Gauchos stood calm, taking it game by game like any other series of the season. 

 

McCollum says the team has tunnel vision for the present. 

 

“Our energy heading into Bakersfield is a one-game-at-a-time mentality,” said McCollum before the series. “We want to get out there and take care of business each game, but can’t try to win all three of them at once.” 

 

McCollum, one of the team’s most experienced players, has stepped into a central leadership role as the team finishes this season’s journey.  

 

“I’m proud to be a Gaucho,” said McCollum. "I just want to finish strong and help us get into this conference tournament and hopefully a regional after that.” 

 

For fans in the stands, the weekend delivered a celebration including the typical Caesar Uyesaka Stadium experience: good weather, good baseball and as put by Checketts—a chance to see some future big league players. At least two Gauchos are expected to be drafted in the MLB Draft this season. 

The season isn’t over yet—and the Gauchos aren’t done fighting.