“What A Joke” – Controversy Erupts After UCLA Beats Oregon For Big-10 Championship Title On Divisive Hit-By-Pitch Call

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May 25, 2026 - 10:49

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“What A Joke” – Controversy Erupts After UCLA Beats Oregon For Big-10 Championship Title On Divisive Hit-By-Pitch Call

Mar 1, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins against Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. © Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins have finally captured their first-ever Big Ten tournament championship after beating the Oregon Ducks, who fell to the Bruins in the 11-inning thriller that ended as one of the most dramatic finishes in baseball’s recent history. The celebratory moment has now quickly turned divisive, as many fans have raised questions on the umpire’s decision regarding the walk-off hit-by-pitch call that gave UCLA its win.

Sunday’s match at the Charles Schwab Field in Omaha saw the top-seeded UCLA Bruins enter the tournament as the No. 1 team in the country, while Oregon had to fight its way through the brackets to make it to this anticipated matchup. After hours of gritty action, in the 11th inning, things took a wild turn.

UCLA had its bases loaded, with Phoenix Call at the batter’s plate. As the innings progressed, Oregon’s pitcher Devin Bell pitched the ball very close to Call’s head, which appeared to have grazed Call’s helmet, prompting the umpire to rule a hit-by-pitch. This automatically forced a run for the Bruins, and as soon as the call came in, Roman Martin, standing on third base, made the move for the winning score. Although the call was checked, it was eventually ruled in favor of the UCLA batter.

Fans took to social media, arguing whether or not the ball actually hit Call’s head, as many assumed the hit was a slight graze.

One user wrote:

What a joke of a tournament

Another wrote:

Lol all these replies defending ucla like they truly earned that. A hbp to win your first big ten title? That’s not champion baseball that’s just pure luck.

Someone wrote:

Lmao hbp walkoff?? 😂😂 big 10 baseball is such a joke😂😂

One user commented:

Makes up for that unnecessary ejection of the UCLA player earlier

Another person wrote:

UCLAs entire stance is scraping by in the worst P4 conference in baseball

UCLA’s Mulivai Levu Talks About The Team’s “Never Give Up” Motto

UCLA has been riding high on success, especially with its latest stint at the Big Ten games. After leading UCLA to the win with his striking home run against USC, Mulivai Levu spoke about having a huge heart to let no amount of negativity in while having complete confidence in his own lineup.

“My heart’s still beating, so I was just trying to hunt for a fast one. You just don’t give up, we’re never out of it, never doubting ourselves, we know what kind of lineup we’ve got, so we’ve got to use it,” he said.

With this win, the Bruins are expected to rock the upcoming NCAA Division I Baseball tournament, scheduled to begin on May 29.

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