UC Santa Barbara baseball 2025 season preview: 3 biggest games, key players, and predictions
UC Santa Barbara baseball fared decently this season. They won their third Big West regular season title in five years, finishing with a strong 26-4 conference record. This earned them the No. 14 national seed and the right to host an NCAA regional in this year's postseason.
However, their wait to win a regional after 2016 continued as they lost the deciding game of the Santa Barbara Regional to the tournament's third seed, the Oregon Ducks. Despite their failure to make the NCAA Super Regionals, the Gauchos finished an impressive 44-14 overall.
In 2025, Andrew Checketts will look to strengthen his roster in the offseason and try to recreate their success from 2016, when they made their first and only College World Series appearance to date. Let's preview UC Santa Barbara ahead of the 2025 NCAA baseball season.
3 big games for UC Santa Barbara baseball in the 2025 season
3. Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
The Rainbow Warriors finished third in the Big West regular season with a 20-10 conference record and 37-16 overall. The Gauchos swept them in a three-game series this April en route to winning the regular-season title.
Rich Hill's impact on the Rainbow Warriors has been immense, and he will be keen to develop the team further in 2025. They could pose a threat for the Gauchos next year after narrowly missing out on the postseason this year.
2. UC Irvine Anteaters
The Anteaters were one of only two teams in the Big West to claim a series win over the Gauchos this year. This happened at the beginning of April, when the Anteaters won a three-game home series against the Gauchos in the regular season.
The Anteaters finished second in the Big West regular season with a 22-8 conference record that helped them make the postseason. The Anteaters could be the Gauchos' top challenger for regular season honors, while the Gauchos will hope it can get revenge in 2025.
1. Cal Poly Mustangs
The Gauchos and the Mustangs form an athletic rivalry that is popular in the state of California. Although the Mustangs finished fourth in the Big West regular season with a 20-10 conference record, it were the only team apart from the Anteaters to beat the Gauchos in a regular season series this year.
The Mustangs did so in March, beating the Gauchos in a three-game home series. The Gauchos will look to get even in 2025, while the Mustangs will hope to make a push for the postseason after missing out this year.
Key players for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in 2025
3. Jack Hafferkamp, OF/RHP
Hafferkamp is the top high school prospect in the Gauchos' recruiting class of 2024. Perfect Game ranked him second among all outfielders in the state of California and 18th in the country.
Hafferkamp possesses incredible speed, clocking 6.29s in the 60-yard dash and a throwing arm which will only get better with time. He has the potential to be one of the top freshmen for the Gauchos in 2025.
2. Cole Tryba, LHP
Tryba was one of the most impressive freshmen for the Gauchos this year. He finished the season 3-2 while striking out 65 batters with an ERA in 3.64. He achieved these numbers in 47.0 innings across 27 appearances.
With the Gauchos losing some of their top arms in the draft, Tryba could play a bigger role in the team's bullpen in 2025.
1. Tyler Bremner, RHP
Bremner was arguably the most impressive pitcher for the Gauchos this year. He finished the season 11-1 while striking out 104 batters with an ERA of 2.54, achieving these astonishing numbers in 88.2 innings across 19 appearances. In addition, his WHIP of .88 was the third lowest in all of Division I.
The sophomore's exploits earned him a place in Perfect Game's All-America Second Team. Entering his junior year as one of the 2025 MLB draft's most exciting prospects, Bremner is likely to lead the Gauchos' charge on the mound next season.
Predicting UC Santa Barbara Gauchos' 2025 season
The Gauchos should be favorites to win another Big West regular season title next year. 2025 will also see the return of the Big West championship, for which the Gauchos will be a frontrunner to win the postseason tournament and ultimately make another NCAA Tournament appearance.
However, they will need to strengthen their offense further to attempt a deep postseason run. The competition from the SEC and the ACC may be too stiff for the Gauchos, which could see them fail to make the College World Series in Omaha.