Top-ranked UCLA ultimately pulled away from 12th-ranked USC during the crosstown college baseball rivalry game on Friday night. It used one of the oldest tricks in the book to prevent a potential comeback.
The Trojans somehow fell for the most basic first-and-third play and spoiled a scoring opportunity.
There are Little League teams that would not get caught with their pants down like this. For a Division-I college baseball team to get fooled during a crucial scoring opportunity is downright embarrassing.
The college baseball world has eyes on Los Angeles.
Even though college baseball is not as big of a deal on the west coast as it is in the southeast, some of the top-ranked teams in the country are original members of the Pacific Coast Conference. Oregon State is ranked No. 9. Oregon is ranked No. 15. Arizona State is ranked No. 25. You get the idea.
USC and UCLA are ranked No. 12 and No. 1, respectively. They are playing the most important series of the weekend. Tickets cost as much as $150 just to get in the door. I have never seen Jackie Robinson Stadium as packed as it was for the first of three games on Friday.
Fans will always show up for the crosstown rivalry but this is next level. The Trojans have not been this relevant since the days of Mark McGuire and Randy Johnson. The Bruins are the top-ranked team in college baseball for the first time in program history. It’s a massive series.
UCLA fooled USC with the oldest trick in the book.
USC jumped out to an early lead over UCLA but it did not hold. The home team scored seven runs in the eighth inning to secure a victory in Game 1.
7 runs in the eighth inning gave @UCLABaseball the win over crosstown rival USC 🐻 pic.twitter.com/8oFefEE88y
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) April 4, 2026
The visitors had a chance to keep things close in the top of the fifth inning and failed. They squandered a scoring opportunity in the worst way possible. It was super embarrassing.
The Trojans had runners on the corners with two outs. The Bruins tricked them into the third.
USC correctly sent its runner on first to swipe a free bag. UCLA pretended to throw down to second base to try and beat the baserunner. That triggered the runner on third to break toward home.
However, the Bruins catcher did not throw to second. He threw back to the pitcher, who caught the runner on third in no man’s land for out number three. Awkward…
THERE IS NO WAY THIS PLAY JUST WORKED
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) April 4, 2026
Coaches across America will be playing this on loop. pic.twitter.com/Pm9rNetOI4
Every single baseball team in the country has this play installed. I practiced this during Little League when I was six years old. Everybody knows not to get fooled by this exact play. The Trojans still got got!