Mike Klan
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Cole Tryba was back on the mound for the UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (16-8) on Saturday, and even better, he was back in his groove. After injuries delayed the start of his season, the Gauchos’ star left-handed reliever provided his first signature moment of 2026, spinning 4 1/3 perfect innings out of the bullpen to back up Nathan Aceves’ strong start and lock down Santa Barbara’s 8-2 win over No. 20 Oregon (22-5). Those eight runs were courtesy of an offense that was back in its groove after a big reshuffle in the order. Rowan Kelly remained stellar at the top, with two hits and three RBIs on the night, but Xavier Esquer also played a big role after being inserted into the four spot as the Gauchos’ designated hitter for the night.
QUOTABLEFrom head coach Andrew Checketts: “It starts on the mound, it starts with that guy going out and setting the tone, and I thought Aceves did that, gave us some time to score and work and be able to punch through a little bit,” Checketts said. “(Tryba) looked like he was in Spring Training his first three outings. You know, it was, it was the stuff was good but it was a little loose, the command wasn’t where he would like it, he was throwing some stuff miss or middle, so that’s the first time where he has put it all together and looked like alright there’s Cole, he’s back, not only healthy but he’s executing the way he’s capable of executing.”
“We’ve been struggling offensively, I think we’re better than that,” Checketts said. “I think our coaches do a good job of recruiting, I think we have better players than that. Coach Fonteno has been with us a long time and has coached in regionals, championship games of regionals and conference-championship teams for us that have led the conference in offense and runs scored, so he knows what he’s doing, so I think we’re really trying to get everyone to take a breath a little bit, not panic, we’ve got a lot of season in front of us. We do have a lot of new guys, in terms of some transfers on the position player side of it, but I think that was the right response today.
I didn’t put that together, Coach Fonteno did.”
From Cole Tryba: “My plan was attack, attack, attack,” Tryba said. “Just getting in there early, trusting the process, trusting my stuff, that’s really just it.
It felt amazing. I’ve been hurt for around a month now, coming back from injury two weeks ago, my stuff didn’t feel as good, but I stuck to the process and stuck to my mentality and that’s what really helped me today, and it felt really good.”
HOW IT HAPPENEDAceves did his part to help the Gauchos grab the early momentum, setting the Ducks down in order in the top of the first, including a big strikeout, winning an eight-pitch battle. Santa Barbara’s offense showed their intent in their half of the first too, with Kelly’s hard-hit ball getting him aboard on an error, and Esquer’s single putting runners on the corners. They were left there that time around, but it did not take much longer for the home side to get on the board. Corey Nunez was hit by a pitch to start a two-out rally in the bottom of the second, which Ryan Severns continued with his second career hit. Kelly reached on another error, this time a throw that sailed into the Ducks’ dugout, allowing Nunez to score. Severns then came home on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 to Santa Barbara.
The game remained on a knife edge with the threat of Oregon’s potent offense looming, but Aceves kept them in check. He stranded runners on the corners in the third and struck out two more Ducks in the fourth before the visitors finally got to him in the fifth. Four consecutive two-out singles tied the game, and Tryba was summoned to put out the fire. The stadium PA blasted Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero, and the junior lefty answered the call. He struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches to end the threat.
Even better, the Santa Barbara offense re-took the lead immediately. Kelly led off the bottom of the fifth with a ground-rule double, then scored on Esquer’s two-out single. Colin Beazizo then narrowly missed a home run to the deepest part of the ballpark but got an RBI double out of it, and the Gauchos’ two-run lead was restored.
Tryba continued his heroics with perfect sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, and in their last chance to bat, the Santa Barbara offense put the game away. Beazizo led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and a steal of second, and Nunez brought him home with a single up the middle. Kelly then punched another base hit back up the middle to score two more runs, and Max Stagg brought home the eighth and final run of the night for his squad by walking with the bases loaded.
To punctuate the big win, Tryba ended his evening as he started it, with a three-pitch strikeout.
UP NEXTThe Gauchos’ victory sets up a rubber match on Sunday, March 29 in the series finale, with first pitch set for 12:05 p.m. from Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Santa Barbara native Kellan Montgomery will take the mound for his hometown team. Sunday is Youth Day; kids ages 13 and under can run the bases after the game and join in an autograph session with Gauchos Jackson Flora, Rowan Kelly, Calvin Proskey and Josh Jannicelli. Tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets.
(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)
Click here to follow the original article.
