On MLB draft day, Tyler Bremner was thrilled to go second. And he wished his mom was there

On May 9, 2024, UC Santa Barbara pitcher Tyler Bremner broke the school's all-time strikeout record during a game against Loyola Marymount. Instead of celebrating with teammates after the game, Bremner immediately took the historic baseball and drove through the night to see his mother, Jen, who was battling terminal triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed in 2020.

Bremner had deliberately chosen to stay at UC Santa Barbara for his junior season, rejecting transfer offers and NIL opportunities from larger programs, to remain close to his mother. His priority was making the five-hour drives to be with her, sit by her bedside, and play guitar to ease her pain, especially as she became too weak to attend his games. He delivered the record-breaking baseball to her that night.

Jen Bremner passed away on June 11, 2025, exactly five years after her initial diagnosis. She was 55 years old.

Just over a month later, in the MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Angels unexpectedly selected Tyler Bremner as the No. 2 overall pick. The emotional video of Bremner and his family reacting to the draft announcement captured their shock and joy. This moment occurred in the same San Diego home where, just 72 hours prior, the family had held Jen Bremner's celebration of life ceremony.