Saturday, May 24
Omaha, Neb.
11:00 AM (PT)
UCLA
vs
Iowa
Roch Cholowsky
Photo by: Big Ten Conference
No. 13 UCLA Takes On Three-Seed Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Semifinal
May 23, 2025 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES - The No. 13-ranked UCLA baseball team will face three-seed Iowa in the semifinal round of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament presented by IFS.ai. The contest will take place on Saturday, May 24 at 4 p.m. PT (6 p.m. CT).ย The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, with Connor McKnight, Jeff Leise, and Danan Hughes 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 and Danan Hughes (analysts)
Live Stats:ย ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
THE RUNDOWNย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
POOL PLAY RECAPย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA battled through two tightly contested matchups to remain undefeated in pool play at the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, first outlasting Illinois 8-6 before staging a late comeback to topple Michigan 7-5. The Bruins hit the 40-win milestone for the first time since 2022, powered by standout performances from Payton Brennan and Phoenix Call, who both delivered clutch hits. Roch Cholowsky continued his dominance, blasting home runs in both games, including his 22nd of the seasonโmarking the most by a UCLA player since 2000. Despite using a patchwork pitching approach, the Bruins found ways to secure wins, with Easton Hawk and August Souza shutting the door in the final frames. With two wins secured, UCLA advanced to the knockout stage, setting up a semifinal showdown against third-seeded Iowa.
ย
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES
Saturday's contest marks the first-ever matchup between UCLA and Iowa. The Hawkeyes held on for a 4-3 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the semifinal round. Iowa held off a late comeback attempt from the Scarlet Knights, stranding the tying run at third base in the ninth. On Thursday night, the Hawkeyes were shutout by Indiana in a 5-0 defeat.
ย
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
Saturday, May 24 - 4 p.m. PTย (6 p.m. CT)
UCLA โ Jr. LHP Michael Barnett (10-1, 4.23 ERA)
IOWA โ Jr. RHP Aaron Savary (7-1, 3.74 ERA)
ย
CHOLOWSKY NAMED GOLDEN SPIKES SEMIFINALISTย ย 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 .370 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky's 22 home runs is the most by a Bruin since the 2000 season when Forrest Johnson hit 23. Cholowsky has posted a Big Ten-best 1.292 OPS and led the league in on-base percentage at .513. 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 22 times in its 56 games this season, racking up a total of 20 come-from-behind victories. Remarkably, the Bruins have pulled off three comebacks after trailing by five or more runs. UCLA is 21-1 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 6.07. UCLA's shortstop has particularly stood out defensively with a defensive-runs-saved (DRS) mark of 16.66 and defensive WAR of 1.25, ranking second in the nation for both metrics. At the plate, Cholowsky has been equally impressive, leading the country in offensive WAR at 4.82 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 64.40.
ย
DAZZLING DOUBLE PLAYSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
The UCLA defense has turned 57 double plays this season which is the top mark in the country. The Bruins also lead the country in double plays-per-game, averaging 1.02 per contest. It is worth noting that all 57 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 465 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 717 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 805, 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 and Danan Hughes (analysts)
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 (1st), Levu, Barnett, Martin, Salgado (2nd), and Moss (FT)
- The program has clinched another winning record, making it 16 winning records in 21 seasons under HC John Savage
- With UCLA victory on May 10, Coach Savage earned his 800th career win
- UCLA's defense leads the country in double plays (57) and double plays-per-game (1.02)
- 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 13th in the RPI rankings
- UCLA is 26-7 at Jackie Robinson Stadium this season
- 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 6.07
- Cholowsky's 22 home runs is the most by a Bruin since 2000 (Forrest Johnson hit 23)
- Cholowsky leads the team in hitting at .370, mashing 22 home runs, collecting 65 RBIs, and slugging .779
- Cholowsky boasts an OPS of 1.292 which leads the Big Ten
- Cholowsky carries a 20-game hitting streak into the weekend, the longest by any UCLA player this season
- Cholowsky broke UCLA's single-season hit-by-pitch record when he was plunked for the 20th time on Wednesday
- 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 14th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 72 RBIs
- At 23-5, UCLA achieved its best 28-game start to a season since 2010
- 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
POOL PLAY RECAPย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA battled through two tightly contested matchups to remain undefeated in pool play at the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, first outlasting Illinois 8-6 before staging a late comeback to topple Michigan 7-5. The Bruins hit the 40-win milestone for the first time since 2022, powered by standout performances from Payton Brennan and Phoenix Call, who both delivered clutch hits. Roch Cholowsky continued his dominance, blasting home runs in both games, including his 22nd of the seasonโmarking the most by a UCLA player since 2000. Despite using a patchwork pitching approach, the Bruins found ways to secure wins, with Easton Hawk and August Souza shutting the door in the final frames. With two wins secured, UCLA advanced to the knockout stage, setting up a semifinal showdown against third-seeded Iowa.
ย
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES
Saturday's contest marks the first-ever matchup between UCLA and Iowa. The Hawkeyes held on for a 4-3 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the semifinal round. Iowa held off a late comeback attempt from the Scarlet Knights, stranding the tying run at third base in the ninth. On Thursday night, the Hawkeyes were shutout by Indiana in a 5-0 defeat.
ย
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
Saturday, May 24 - 4 p.m. PTย (6 p.m. CT)
UCLA โ Jr. LHP Michael Barnett (10-1, 4.23 ERA)
IOWA โ Jr. RHP Aaron Savary (7-1, 3.74 ERA)
ย
CHOLOWSKY NAMED GOLDEN SPIKES SEMIFINALISTย ย 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 .370 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky's 22 home runs is the most by a Bruin since the 2000 season when Forrest Johnson hit 23. Cholowsky has posted a Big Ten-best 1.292 OPS and led the league in on-base percentage at .513. 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 22 times in its 56 games this season, racking up a total of 20 come-from-behind victories. Remarkably, the Bruins have pulled off three comebacks after trailing by five or more runs. UCLA is 21-1 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 6.07. UCLA's shortstop has particularly stood out defensively with a defensive-runs-saved (DRS) mark of 16.66 and defensive WAR of 1.25, ranking second in the nation for both metrics. At the plate, Cholowsky has been equally impressive, leading the country in offensive WAR at 4.82 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 64.40.
ย
DAZZLING DOUBLE PLAYSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
The UCLA defense has turned 57 double plays this season which is the top mark in the country. The Bruins also lead the country in double plays-per-game, averaging 1.02 per contest. It is worth noting that all 57 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 465 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 717 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 805, 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
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