UCSB vs. LMU baseball game delayed by enormous pelican

While the New Orleans Pelicans gave the Lakers all they could handle in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, a real pelican wreaked havoc on a college baseball game some 120 miles north.

As UC Santa Barbara was facing off with Loyola Marymount University at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Isla Vista, an enormous pelican flew onto the field and made quite the scene in the top of the fourth inning.

The bird got caught in some infield netting, and when it couldn’t wrestle itself free, the action on the diamond was put on pause.

One fan sitting in the front row climbed up on a wall and tried to help it break loose so the teams could get going again — and after a few moments, the man’s efforts were successful.

The pelican got untangled and dropped to the ground softly. But, when it did not bolt away from the area immediately, university staffers had to put in further work to clear the scene.

Eventually, a UCSB coach wrapped it in a towel and carried it away from the game.

“Happy to report that the pelican did (eventually) fly away safely,” the UC, Santa Barbara Gauchos wrote on X.

Play resumed and UCSB went on to win, 11–1, making it the second major Southern California sports team to overcome pelican problems on a memorable midweek evening.