Saint Mary’s College walked into the NCAA baseball tournament regional and left with one of the biggest wins in its history, beating No. 1 national seed UCLA 3-2 on Friday. Jacob Johnson delivered the blow that changed the game, launching his second home run of the night in the ninth inning to put the Gaels ahead for good.
The victory was more than an upset. It was the first time since the current regional format began in 1999 that the No. 1 national seed lost its opening game, and it gave Saint Mary’s back-to-back regional opener wins against a national seed. Johnson’s homer came against UCLA closer Easton Hawk, who had not allowed a run in his previous 26 appearances before the ball left the yard.
The game was tied 2-2 when Johnson stepped in and did what UCLA had spent all season surviving against. The Bruins had 26 comeback wins, a mark that spoke to how often they found a way back into trouble, but Saint Mary’s did not let this one slip. Johnson’s shot gave the Gaels a 3-2 lead, and Cam Stanton finished it by retiring three straight Bruins after allowing a hit.
That finish mattered because it came on opening day of the 2026 NCAA baseball tournament regionals, when every result sets the tone for the rest of the weekend. Saint Mary’s had already shown in 2025 that it could spoil a favorite’s bracket, beating top seed Oregon State 6-4 in the opening day of regionals, and this one carried the same kind of sting with a higher rank on the other side. UCLA entered the tournament as college baseball’s wire-to-wire No. 1 team during the regular season, but the ranking meant little once the Gaels got late-game power and a clean final frame.
The day also delivered other shocks around the country. Milwaukee upset No. 4 Auburn 13-8 for its first NCAA tournament win in 27 years, and Little Rock beat No. 9 Southern Miss 7-4 after scoring four runs in the ninth inning. For Saint Mary’s, the next step is the one the regional now demands: keep winning, or let Johnson’s blast become the headline that lasted only one round.
