Roch Cholowsky
Photo by: Mac Brown
Cholowsky Named Dick Howser Trophy Finalist
June 05, 2025 | Baseball
DALLAS โ UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky has been selected as a Dick Howser Trophy finalist announced today by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The Dick Howser Trophy is awarded annually to college baseball's top player, as voted on by a national panel of writers, broadcasters, and publicists.
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The four finalists are Arkansas junior shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Tennessee junior starting pitcher Liam Doyle, and Florida State junior shortstop Alex Lodise.
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Cholowsky becomes the first Bruin to be named a finalist for the award since David Berg in 2015.
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A slugging standout from Chandler, Ariz., Cholowsky made UCLA history in the program's first Big Ten season, earning both Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, becoming the first Bruin to claim both awards in the same season. His selection also marked UCLA's first conference Player of the Year recognition since 1998, when the team competed in the Pac-12.
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A First Team All-Big Ten selection, Cholowsky played a pivotal role in UCLA's late-season surge, propelling the Bruins to a 45-16 record ahead of the Los Angeles Super Regional. This marks the team's highest win total since the 2019 squad finished 52-11. He led all Division I hitters in the regular season with a 5.85 wins-above-replacement (WAR) tally.
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At the plate, Cholowsky anchored Head Coach John Savage's lineup, batting .370 with 23 home runs and 71 RBI, both team highs. He also topped the Big Ten in OPS (1.261) and slugging percentage (.761), while ranking third in on-base percentage (.500), total bases (175), and runs scored (78). His 23 home runs were the most by a Bruin since Cody Decker's 21 in 2009.
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Defensively, Cholowsky excelled while guiding UCLA to the Big Ten Championship Game against Nebraska and a three-game sweep in the Los Angeles Regional, setting up an upcoming Super Regional showdown with UTSA. His 16.44 defensive runs saved and 1.23 defensive WAR ranked second among all NCAA Division I players. He committed just seven errors in 289 total chances, finishing with a .976 fielding percentage.
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The award recipient will be unveiled on MLB Network in a special national presentation at 9:30 a.m. (CT) prior to the Friday, June 13, news conference in Omaha, Neb. at 10 a.m. (CT) before the first game of the 78th NCAA College World Series in the Schwab Field Media Room.
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The four finalists are Arkansas junior shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Tennessee junior starting pitcher Liam Doyle, and Florida State junior shortstop Alex Lodise.
ย
Cholowsky becomes the first Bruin to be named a finalist for the award since David Berg in 2015.
ย
A slugging standout from Chandler, Ariz., Cholowsky made UCLA history in the program's first Big Ten season, earning both Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, becoming the first Bruin to claim both awards in the same season. His selection also marked UCLA's first conference Player of the Year recognition since 1998, when the team competed in the Pac-12.
ย
A First Team All-Big Ten selection, Cholowsky played a pivotal role in UCLA's late-season surge, propelling the Bruins to a 45-16 record ahead of the Los Angeles Super Regional. This marks the team's highest win total since the 2019 squad finished 52-11. He led all Division I hitters in the regular season with a 5.85 wins-above-replacement (WAR) tally.
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At the plate, Cholowsky anchored Head Coach John Savage's lineup, batting .370 with 23 home runs and 71 RBI, both team highs. He also topped the Big Ten in OPS (1.261) and slugging percentage (.761), while ranking third in on-base percentage (.500), total bases (175), and runs scored (78). His 23 home runs were the most by a Bruin since Cody Decker's 21 in 2009.
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Defensively, Cholowsky excelled while guiding UCLA to the Big Ten Championship Game against Nebraska and a three-game sweep in the Los Angeles Regional, setting up an upcoming Super Regional showdown with UTSA. His 16.44 defensive runs saved and 1.23 defensive WAR ranked second among all NCAA Division I players. He committed just seven errors in 289 total chances, finishing with a .976 fielding percentage.
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The award recipient will be unveiled on MLB Network in a special national presentation at 9:30 a.m. (CT) prior to the Friday, June 13, news conference in Omaha, Neb. at 10 a.m. (CT) before the first game of the 78th NCAA College World Series in the Schwab Field Media Room.
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Players Mentioned
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