Wednesday, May 21
Omaha, Neb.
8:00 AM (PT)
UCLA
vs
Illinois
Roman Martin and Payton Brennan
Photo by: Luke Bourgeois
No. 13 UCLA Gears Up for Big Ten Tournament presented by IFS.ai
May 20, 2025 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES - The No. 13-ranked UCLA baseball team has earned the No. 2-seed for its first-ever appearance at the Big Ten Baseball Tournament presented by IFS.ai. The Bruins' journey begins with Wednesday's contest against No. 11-seed Illinois on Wednesday, May 21 at 8 a.m. PT (10 a.m. CT). UCLA will then face No. 7-seed Michigan on Thursday, May 22 at 8 a.m. (10 a.m. CT) to wrap up pool play. All games will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, with Connor McKnight and Jeff Leise on the call. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball).
ย
SERIES INFORMATION
Venue:ย Charles Schwab Field Omaha
Stream:ย Big Ten Network
Talent:ย Connor McKnight (pxp), Jeff Leise (analyst)
Live Stats:ย ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
THE RUNDOWNย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
LAST WEEK'S RECAPย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA rebounded from a tough series-opening loss to Northwestern with dominant performances in games two and three, securing a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. The Bruins dropped game one, 9-4, despite a late rally and a dramatic three-run homer by Roch Cholowsky. Northwestern's Ryan Kucherak led the Wildcats with a pair of home runs, and UCLA's late-inning push fell short. In game two, UCLA bounced back with an 8-2 victory, powered by Cholowsky's 20th homer of the season and a stellar pitching performance from Michael Barnett, who notched his 10th win. Strong defensive play, including a home-run-saving catch by AJ Salgado, sealed the win. UCLA's momentum carried into the series finale, where it clinched the conference title with a commanding 11-1 run-rule victory. Landon Stump delivered a career-best start, and Salgado shined on Senior Day with a home run and three RBIs. The Bruins now turn their attention to the Big Ten Tournament, entering as the No. 2 seed.
ย
ABOUT THE FIGHTING ILLINIย ย ย ย ย
Illinois trails UCLA in the all-time series, 2-5, with the Illini holding a 0-3 record at home, 1-1 on the road, and 1-1 at neutral sites. In their first-ever conference matchup, UCLA secured a sweep over Illinois from May 9-11 at Illinois Field, further extending its advantage in the series. Illinois enters the Big Ten Tournament presented by IFS.ai as the No. 11-seed, making its sixth straight appearance.
ย
ABOUT THE WOLVERINESย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Michigan closed out its regular season on a strong note, avoiding a home sweep with a victory over Indiana on May 17. The Wolverines finished with a 33-21 overall record, including a 16-14 mark in conference play. t the plate,ย Benny Casillas leads the charge offensively, slashing an impressive .406/.491/.579 while tallying 20 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 38 RBI, and 28 walks across 53 games. Mitch Voit provides the power, pacing the team in OPS (1.132), home runs (13), and RBI (58). On the mound, Kurt Barr anchors the rotation, posting a 6-5 record with a 4.26 ERA (33 ER/69.2 IP) over 15 appearances, including 13 starts, while striking out 74 batters. Out of the bullpen, Max Debiec emerged as a reliable relief arm, compiling a 2.63 ERA (8 ER/27.1 IP) over 18 outings and limiting opponents to a .181 batting average.
ย
CHOLOWSKY NAMED GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD SEMIFINALISTย ย ย ย
UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky has been named one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced Sunday. The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player. Cholowsky is UCLA's first Golden Spikes Semifinalist since Ryan Garcia in 2019 and the program's first position player to earn the honor since Jeff Gelalich in 2012. Cholowsky, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., has been outstanding for UCLA,ย hitting a team-best .371 with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky's 20 home runs is the most by a Bruin since the 2009 season when Cody Decker hit 21. Cholowsky has posted a Big Ten-best 1.274 OPS and led the league in on-base percentage at .511. During conference play, he ranked first in slugging (.839), total bases (99), and runs scored (41).
CARDIAC BRUINSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA has scored first just 21 times in its 54 games this season, racking up a total of 19 come-from-behind victories. Remarkably, the Bruins have pulled off three comebacks after trailing by five or more runs. UCLA is 20-1 when scoring first in 2025.
ย
ROCH AND THE ADVANCED STATISTICS
Roch Cholowsky has undoubtedly been one of the nation's most valuable players, and the advanced statistics prove it. According to data compiled by 643 charts, Cholowsky leads the nation in wins-above-replacement (WAR) with a mark of 5.84. UCLA's shortstop has particularly stood out defensively with a defensive-runs-saved (DRS) mark of 16.44 and defensive WAR of 1.23, ranking second in the nation for both metrics. At the plate, Cholowsky has been equally impressive, boasting an offensive WAR of 4.12 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 55.11.
ย
DAZZLING DOUBLE PLAYSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
The UCLA defense has turned 54 double plays this season which is the top mark in the country. The Bruins also lead the country in double plays-per-game, averaging exactly one per contest. It is worth noting that all 54 double play turns have taken place in the infield as first baseman Mulivai Levu has been involved in all of them. The Bruins have been excellent defensively in 2025, posting a fielding percentage of .981 which ranks 10th nationally. Levu has been fantastic playing his position at first base, making just one error in 439 total chances (.998 fielding percentage).
ย
IN ELITE COMPANYย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Head Coach John Savage recently reached a significant milestone, eclipsing the 800-win mark for his career with a Saturday night win at Illinois. With 715 wins at UCLA, he ranks second all-time, trailing only Gary Adams (1975-2004) who finished his career with 984 wins. Savage began his head coaching career at UC Irvine, where he notched 88 wins in his first three seasons, bringing his career total to 803, which ranks 23rd among active Division I coaches and first among active Big Ten coaches. His winning percentage of .599 with the Bruins is the highest among UCLA coaches with over 100 games coached.
ย
QUITE THE INTRODUCTIONย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Sophomore Grant Gray received his first career start in UCLA's midweek matchup with LMU on Tuesday night, and he made the most of it, launching a two-run home run in what was his first career hit. Gray is a two-way athlete, as he also competes as a wide out for the UCLA football team.
ย
FRIENDLY CONFINESย ย ย ย ย
UCLA clinched its 10th consecutive season with a winning record at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have had a losing record at home just twice over the last 21 seasons, last occurring in 2014 (11-20).
ย
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA added 11 newcomers ahead of the 2025 season, including eight freshmen and three transfers. Coach Savage has bolstered his pitching staff with three pitchers joining via the transfer portal. Left-hander Ian May (California) will look to occupy a spot in the starting rotation after logging 20 starts and 90.0 total innings for the Golden Bears. Fellow southpaw Ryan Rissas (UC San Diego) helped lead the Tritons to their first-ever Big West title in 2023. August Souza (Santa Clara) brings 43 appearances worth of experience after spending a total of five seasons (including 2020 Covid-shortened season) at Santa Clara.
ย
ย
SERIES INFORMATION
Venue:ย Charles Schwab Field Omaha
Stream:ย Big Ten Network
Talent:ย Connor McKnight (pxp), Jeff Leise (analyst)
Live Stats:ย ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
THE RUNDOWNย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
- UCLA enters the week ranked No. 13 in the D1Baseball national poll
- The Bruins are also ranked in the Baseball America poll at No. 15
- UCLA won eight of its 10 conference series to earn a share of the Big Ten Conference regular season title
- Roch Cholowsky was named Big Ten Player of the Year, the league's defensive player of the year, and received a First Team nod
- UCLA claimed its first conference title since 2019
- HC John Savage secured his fifth conference championship at UCLA
- Six different Bruins received All-Conference honors: Cholowsky, Levu, Barnett, Martin, Salgado, and Moss
- The program has clinched another winning record, making it 16 winning records in 21 seasons under HC John Savage
- With Saturday's victory over Illinois, Coach Savage earned his 800th career win
- UCLA's sweep over Illinois marks the first time the Illini were swept at home in the Big Ten since 2017
- UCLA has won 12 of its 14 weekend series this season
- UCLA are currently 15th in the RPI rankings
- UCLA is 26-7 at Jackie Robinson Stadium this season
- UCLA's defense leads the country in double plays (54) and double plays-per-game (1.00)
- UCLA's team fielding percentage of .981 ranks 10th nationally and first in the Big Ten
- UCLA has collected five weekend sweeps, including four during Big Ten play
- Roch Cholowsky was recently named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
- According to data compiled by 643 charts, Cholowsky leads the nation in wins-above-replacement (WAR) at 5.84
- Cholowsky's 20 home runs is the most by a Bruin since 2009
- Cholowsky leads the team in hitting at .371, mashing 20 home runs, collecting 63 RBIs, and slugging .762
- Cholowsky boasts an OPS of 1.273 which leads the Big Ten
- Cholowsky carries an 18-game hitting streak into the weekend, the longest by any UCLA player this season
- AJ Salgado is the first UCLA player to record double-digit home runs (12) and stolen bases (11) in a season since 2012
- Dean West hit a team-best .439 with 22 runs scored, 13 walks, and four HBPs (.554 OBP) in the month of April
- Mulivai Levu ranks 13th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 71 RBIs
- At 23-5, UCLA achieved its best 28-game start to a season since 2010
- UCLA earned its first series win over Washington since 2019
- Against Michigan, UCLA scored 20 or more runs in a game for the first time since its 23-0 win over Omaha (2/18/23)
- In 2023, the Bruins welcomed the top signing class in the country
- Roch Cholowsky returns for his sophomore season after receiving Freshman All-American acclaim (Perfect Game)
- Duce Gourson, Cody Schrier, and Luke Jewett were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft
- The Bruins were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll
- Roch Cholowsky, Cody Delvecchio, and Dean West were named Big Ten Players to Watch
- UCLA is coming off a 19-33 campaign, snapping a streak of seven consecutive winning seasons
- Three transfer pitchers (Ian May - Cal, Ryan Rissas - UCSD, August Souza - Santa Clara) bolster UCLA's pitching staff
LAST WEEK'S RECAPย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA rebounded from a tough series-opening loss to Northwestern with dominant performances in games two and three, securing a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. The Bruins dropped game one, 9-4, despite a late rally and a dramatic three-run homer by Roch Cholowsky. Northwestern's Ryan Kucherak led the Wildcats with a pair of home runs, and UCLA's late-inning push fell short. In game two, UCLA bounced back with an 8-2 victory, powered by Cholowsky's 20th homer of the season and a stellar pitching performance from Michael Barnett, who notched his 10th win. Strong defensive play, including a home-run-saving catch by AJ Salgado, sealed the win. UCLA's momentum carried into the series finale, where it clinched the conference title with a commanding 11-1 run-rule victory. Landon Stump delivered a career-best start, and Salgado shined on Senior Day with a home run and three RBIs. The Bruins now turn their attention to the Big Ten Tournament, entering as the No. 2 seed.
ย
ABOUT THE FIGHTING ILLINIย ย ย ย ย
Illinois trails UCLA in the all-time series, 2-5, with the Illini holding a 0-3 record at home, 1-1 on the road, and 1-1 at neutral sites. In their first-ever conference matchup, UCLA secured a sweep over Illinois from May 9-11 at Illinois Field, further extending its advantage in the series. Illinois enters the Big Ten Tournament presented by IFS.ai as the No. 11-seed, making its sixth straight appearance.
ย
ABOUT THE WOLVERINESย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Michigan closed out its regular season on a strong note, avoiding a home sweep with a victory over Indiana on May 17. The Wolverines finished with a 33-21 overall record, including a 16-14 mark in conference play. t the plate,ย Benny Casillas leads the charge offensively, slashing an impressive .406/.491/.579 while tallying 20 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 38 RBI, and 28 walks across 53 games. Mitch Voit provides the power, pacing the team in OPS (1.132), home runs (13), and RBI (58). On the mound, Kurt Barr anchors the rotation, posting a 6-5 record with a 4.26 ERA (33 ER/69.2 IP) over 15 appearances, including 13 starts, while striking out 74 batters. Out of the bullpen, Max Debiec emerged as a reliable relief arm, compiling a 2.63 ERA (8 ER/27.1 IP) over 18 outings and limiting opponents to a .181 batting average.
ย
CHOLOWSKY NAMED GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD SEMIFINALISTย ย ย ย
UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky has been named one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced Sunday. The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player. Cholowsky is UCLA's first Golden Spikes Semifinalist since Ryan Garcia in 2019 and the program's first position player to earn the honor since Jeff Gelalich in 2012. Cholowsky, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., has been outstanding for UCLA,ย hitting a team-best .371 with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky's 20 home runs is the most by a Bruin since the 2009 season when Cody Decker hit 21. Cholowsky has posted a Big Ten-best 1.274 OPS and led the league in on-base percentage at .511. During conference play, he ranked first in slugging (.839), total bases (99), and runs scored (41).
CARDIAC BRUINSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA has scored first just 21 times in its 54 games this season, racking up a total of 19 come-from-behind victories. Remarkably, the Bruins have pulled off three comebacks after trailing by five or more runs. UCLA is 20-1 when scoring first in 2025.
ย
ROCH AND THE ADVANCED STATISTICS
Roch Cholowsky has undoubtedly been one of the nation's most valuable players, and the advanced statistics prove it. According to data compiled by 643 charts, Cholowsky leads the nation in wins-above-replacement (WAR) with a mark of 5.84. UCLA's shortstop has particularly stood out defensively with a defensive-runs-saved (DRS) mark of 16.44 and defensive WAR of 1.23, ranking second in the nation for both metrics. At the plate, Cholowsky has been equally impressive, boasting an offensive WAR of 4.12 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 55.11.
ย
DAZZLING DOUBLE PLAYSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
The UCLA defense has turned 54 double plays this season which is the top mark in the country. The Bruins also lead the country in double plays-per-game, averaging exactly one per contest. It is worth noting that all 54 double play turns have taken place in the infield as first baseman Mulivai Levu has been involved in all of them. The Bruins have been excellent defensively in 2025, posting a fielding percentage of .981 which ranks 10th nationally. Levu has been fantastic playing his position at first base, making just one error in 439 total chances (.998 fielding percentage).
ย
IN ELITE COMPANYย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Head Coach John Savage recently reached a significant milestone, eclipsing the 800-win mark for his career with a Saturday night win at Illinois. With 715 wins at UCLA, he ranks second all-time, trailing only Gary Adams (1975-2004) who finished his career with 984 wins. Savage began his head coaching career at UC Irvine, where he notched 88 wins in his first three seasons, bringing his career total to 803, which ranks 23rd among active Division I coaches and first among active Big Ten coaches. His winning percentage of .599 with the Bruins is the highest among UCLA coaches with over 100 games coached.
ย
QUITE THE INTRODUCTIONย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Sophomore Grant Gray received his first career start in UCLA's midweek matchup with LMU on Tuesday night, and he made the most of it, launching a two-run home run in what was his first career hit. Gray is a two-way athlete, as he also competes as a wide out for the UCLA football team.
ย
FRIENDLY CONFINESย ย ย ย ย
UCLA clinched its 10th consecutive season with a winning record at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have had a losing record at home just twice over the last 21 seasons, last occurring in 2014 (11-20).
ย
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA added 11 newcomers ahead of the 2025 season, including eight freshmen and three transfers. Coach Savage has bolstered his pitching staff with three pitchers joining via the transfer portal. Left-hander Ian May (California) will look to occupy a spot in the starting rotation after logging 20 starts and 90.0 total innings for the Golden Bears. Fellow southpaw Ryan Rissas (UC San Diego) helped lead the Tritons to their first-ever Big West title in 2023. August Souza (Santa Clara) brings 43 appearances worth of experience after spending a total of five seasons (including 2020 Covid-shortened season) at Santa Clara.
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