UC Santa Barbara’s LeTrey McCollum Hits For Cycle With Walk-Off Home Run
Image credit: LeTrey McCollum (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
Just a few weeks before the start of his 14th season atop the UC Santa Barbara baseball program, Andrew Checketts offered a rundown of his roster.
The veteran head coach touched on the group’s elite pitching, which includes multiple first-round hopefuls, and ran through his lineup, which consists of a mix of transfer newcomers and homegrown talents.
At that point, with hardly any preseason camp behind him, Checketts wasn’t ready to name starters at several positions. How certain players performed in the team’s final preparations would determine their roles.
But when Checketts reached center field, he was sure. No amount of preseason competition would sway him.
“LeTrey McCollum,” he said without hesitation, “that’s my center fielder.”
McCollum doesn’t have the draft appeal of some of his teammates like righties Tyler Bremner and Jackson Flora. But he was still the obvious choice to patrol one of the Gauchos’ most crucial positions.
Physically and statistically, McCollum was the perfect fit for center, Checketts explained. At 6-foot-4, the Murieta, Calif. native was armed with speed and athleticism. It helped, too, that his bat produced averages north of .300 in 2023 as an everyday starter and again a year later when his role included roughly 20 appearances off the bench.
McCollum’s status as UC Santa Barbara’s starting center fielder in 2025 was also due in large part to his leadership and presence.
“People listen when he talks,” Checketts said. “He’s a great player for us, but he’s just as much a role model for some of our younger guys. He’s going on his fourth year in our program.”
On Sunday, that unique combination of skill and leadership culminated in history: McCollum became the first Gaucho in nearly three decades to hit for the cycle.
The soon-to-be 22-year-old tripled in the second, doubled in the fourth, singled in the fifth and—with the game on the line in the ninth—launched just the second home run of his college career. It was a walk-off, two-run shot that capped the cycle and sealed UCSB’s first conference series victory of the season over Cal State Northridge.
“I was really just playing the game,” McCollum told Baseball America the day after his feat. “I didn’t even know I was on track to hit for the cycle until my fourth at-bat when one of the fans yelled, ‘You’re a homer away from the cycle!’ I didn’t even know it. But when it happened, it was one of the best moments of my life.”
In many ways, McCollum felt like his historic moment against the Matadors was a launching pad—an accelerant he didn’t know he needed but was thankful for in its aftermath. The performance forced him into the spotlight, a development he welcomed as a college senior striving for a shot at professional baseball.
But, for McCollum, hitting for the cycle was about more than personal milestones. It was also a moment for his team to rally around and, hopefully, learn from.
The significance of that wasn’t lost on him. Emerging from his career night, he felt different. More confident. More ready to lead.
“I think this really happened for me because of the way I’ve changed how I approach things,” McCollum said. “In the past, I was very focused on results. I set all my goals based on results like a number of stolen bases or a batting average or hitting homers or whatever. It might sound cliche, but this year I’m really taking it a game at a time. Even a moment at a time. I know the results will come that way and they definitely did.”
McCollum believes his outing can have a lasting influence on some of his teammates, particularly the underclassmen trying to find their footing in Division I baseball. While the night belonged to him, he hopes the message extends beyond just the one performance.
For McCollum, his cycle was a lesson in staying grounded, but also a reminder that no task is too tall if it’s approached with the right strategy and mindset. He understands how difficult it can be to trust that process, especially for younger players eager to make an impression. He hopes his moment proves that staying patient and prepared pays off.
“I don’t hit home runs,” McCollum said. “But I did in that moment because I just approached it all the same way I always do. I trusted our coaches and preparations and was looking for my pitch and when I got it I just put a good swing on and the rest took care of itself. I think there’s something to learn from that.”
He’ll certainly never forget the takeaways.
“No matter what happens in the rest of my career—in the rest of my life—this is a moment I’ll take with me,” McCollum said. “Like I said, one of the best moments of my life.”
