UCLA Falls to Baylor in Tennis Final

Matias Marin’s service ace Tuesday night secured Baylor’s 4-0 victory over UCLA, giving the Bears their first NCAA men’s tennis title.

Marin scored a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Chris Lam as Baylor (32-2) won the match at Tulsa, Okla., in 1 hour 58 minutes, surrendering only one point and posting five shutouts in six NCAA tournament matches.

UCLA (23-6) lost in a final for the fifth time since winning the national title in 1984.

The Bears, making their first appearance in a sports championship match since the 1948 basketball team lost to Kentucky in the NCAA final, are the first Big 12 Conference team to win the men’s tennis title.

Baylor defeated Rice, 4-1, and shut out Ohio State and USC by 4-0 scores to reach the final.

The championship shutout was the sixth in NCAA history.

The Bears had to rally to win the doubles point and then won every first set.

Matija Zgaga finished first with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Alberto Francis. Benjamin Becker followed with a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Luben Pampoulov. Becker rallied to force the first-set tiebreaker and won, 7-4.

“Baylor took it up a gear and we weren’t able to keep up with them,” UCLA Coach Billy Martin said.

Associated Press

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Long Beach State pitcher Jered Weaver is one of five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation’s top amateur baseball player.

Weaver, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound junior, has not lost in 16 starts and leads the nation with 14 victories and 182 strikeouts while compiling a 1.25 earned-run average.

Other finalists are Texas junior closer Huston Street, Arizona State shortstop Dustin Pedroia, Rice junior pitcher Wade Townsend and Mississippi sophomore pitcher-first baseman Stephen Head. The award will be announced July 13.

Weaver and Cal State Fullerton senior pitcher Jason Windsor were named co-pitchers of the year in the Big West Conference. Windsor (8-2, 2.12) went 7-0 with a 1.14 ERA and threw six consecutive complete games in conference play.

Fullerton junior catcher Kurt Suzuki was named player of the year. Suzuki is batting .438 with 74 runs batted in.

-- Eric Stephens