Recap: 2026 Live Like Lou Las Vegas Classic - Game 6 - UC Irvine vs Arizona

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March 1, 2026

RECAP: 2026 Las Vegas Classic - Game 6 - UC Irvine vs. Arizona

Arizona staked itself to an early lead en route to a 7-1 win over UC Irvine.

LAS VEGAS - The Arizona Wildcats scored early and often in their 7-1 triumph over the UC Irvine Anteaters Sunday in the finale of the Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic at Las Vegas Ballpark.

With the win, the Wildcats (3-8) forced a three-way tie atop the Classic’s final standings, as Arizona, Oregon and UC Irvine (8-4)concluded the three-day affair with identical 2-1 records. By virtue of a tiebreaker, Oregon was crowned the tournament champion. Vanderbilt rounded out the four-team field, going 0-3.

Despite not claiming the Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic’s Championship Belt - an homage to the rich boxing and MMA history in Southern Nevada, the Wildcats’ own Nate Novitske was recognized as the tournament MVP. Novitske, a freshman infielder from Pleasanton, California, registered a .643 batting average with nine hits, four RBI and one run scored.

Novitske was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Caleb Danzeisen, who chipped in three hits, three runs and one RBI, for the Wildcats.

Two of Danzeisen’s hits as well as all three runs and the RBI occurred in Sunday’s victory. He scored the first run of the contest off a groundout by teammate Tony Lira. The other two instances came with Novitske at the plate in the second (RBI single) and fifth inning (RBI double). Danzeisen and teammate TJ Adams knocked in one run apiece in the second, as the latter started the inning’s scoring with a sacrifice fly, while the former had an RBI triple.

Carson McEntire also contributed to Arizona’s offensive production with a solo homer in the fifth prior to one of Novitske’s aforementioned hits.

UC Irvine’s lone run came in the top of the ninth off a sacrifice fly by Dylan Hillman.

The Wildcats’ Luc Fladda tossed 7.0 scoreless innings, striking out nine against four hits. As a result of his play, Fladda was tabbed the player of the game.

The Anteaters’ Cade Castles (0-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs off four hits and one walk in 2.0 innings.

2026 LIVE LIKE LOU LAS VEGAS COLLEGE BASEBALL CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Caleb Danzeisen, OF, Arizona

Angel Laya, OF, Oregon

Jax Gimenez, OF, Oregon

Nate Novitske, IF, Arizona

Ryan Cooney, IF, Oregon

Drew Smith, IF, Oregon

Zach Fjelstad, IF, UC Irvine

Burke-Lee Mabeus, C, Oregon

Dominic Hellman, DH, Oregon

Cal Scolari, SP, Oregon

Tanner Bradley, RP, Oregon

MVP: Nate Novitske, Arizona

2026 LIVE LIKE LOU LAS VEGAS COLLEGE BASEBALL CLASSIC FINAL STANDINGS

1. Oregon (2-1) - Tournament Champion

Arizona (2-1)

UC Irvine (2-1)

4. Vanderbilt (0-3)

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