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Roch Cholowsky (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
The 2025 NCAA baseball tournament is set to get underway on Friday, May 30, with teams opening regional play across the nation.
To get ready, Baseball America presents the ultimate tournament guide with stat-focused break downs of all 64 teams. Check out the full list of regional previews here.
1. UCLA
UCLA enters regional play looking like one of the more balanced and polished host teams in the field. It ranks among the nation’s top 50 in runs scored per game (7.9), batting average (.291), on-base percentage (.409) and walk rate (11.9%), showing off a versatile and controlled offense that can grind out games or lean on contact with shortstop Roch Cholowsky leading the way.
The Bruins also excel in run prevention, where they’ve allowed just 4.8 per game (24th nationally). But some of their underlying pitching metrics are a touch less convincing: UCLA ranks outside the top 85 in both strikeout minus walk percentage (10.1%) and FIP (5.89), suggesting some of its run suppression could be aided by defense or ballpark context.
Still, it’s a veteran team with enough across-the-board quality to be a real factor, especially as a host for the first time since 2019.
2. UC Irvine
UC Irvine enters the regional with one of the most balanced and efficient statistical profiles of any two-seed. It ranks top 50 nationally in runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+, forming an offense that rarely beats itself and steadily applies pressure.
Colin Yeaman (.345 average, .620 slugging percentage) and Jacob McCombs (.351 average, 16 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs) anchor a deep lineup that doesn’t rely on the long ball to do damage but is capable of leaving the yard. Pitching-wise, Irvine is similarly steady.
Its 4.95 ERA ranks 60th nationally and its core four of Trevor Hansen, Ryder Brooks, Ricky Ojeda and Riley Kelly all threw more than 60 innings with all but Brooks finishing conference week with sub-4.00 ERAs. Of the group, Ojeda (.212 opponent average, 3.63 ERA) has the most deceptive stuff, and Kelly has explosive potential with a mid-90s fastball and violent downer curveball.
The staff’s walk rate (10.5%) is manageable, and a 1.45 WHIP—while not elite—is solid enough when paired with a defense that makes plays.
3. Arizona State
Arizona State is one of the most volatile teams in this regional field—a club capable of looking elite on its best days but prone to unraveling on its worst. That unpredictability is rooted in the contrast between its top-30 offense and inconsistent pitching staff.
Offensively, few teams are more dangerous. The Sun Devils rank top 10 nationally in batting average (.317) and top 20 in slugging percentage (.526), home runs (84) and wRC+ (120), meaning they’re not just collecting hits—they’re driving them with impact. Their 13th-ranked strikeout rate (15.2%) also shows discipline, but a 186th-ranked walk rate (10.8%) reveals a lack of plate control that keeps rallies from reaching full potential at times.
The greater concern is on the mound. Despite elite strikeout ability (28.3%, seventh nationally), the Sun Devils walk 11.4% of batters and rank outside the top 80 in ERA, WHIP and runs allowed per game. That kind of imbalance leaves them exposed in close games and vulnerable to any team that strings together competitive at-bats, which UCLA and UC Irvine are more than capable of.
In a regional packed with steady, low-variance teams like UCLA and UC Irvine, Arizona State’s volatility makes it both a threat and a liability.
4. Fresno State
Fresno State enters this regional as a well-rounded but statistically modest four-seed. The Bulldogs’ offense is solid—top 50 nationally in both batting average (.303) and slugging percentage (.477)—but lacks overwhelming power or walk production.
On the mound, they’re middle-of-the-pack in most metrics and don’t feature elite strikeout or command numbers. Fresno’s path to an upset likely hinges on timely offense and avoiding high-scoring shootouts that expose its pitching depth.
