No. 1 UCLA Welcomes Tulane for Midweek Contest at JRS

Tuesday, February 17

Los Angeles, CA

1:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

Tulane

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Dean West

Photo by: Mac Brown

No. 1 UCLA Welcomes Tulane for Midweek Contest at JRS

February 16, 2026 | Baseball

UCLA's Game Notes (PDF)Information Guide Watch (B1G+)Live Stats Media Center

LOS ANGELES - The No.1-ranked UCLA baseball team will play its first midweek contest of the 2026 season when it welcomes Tulane to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on B1G+ with Nick Koop and Sid Iyer on the call. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball).

GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Stream: B1G+
Talent: Nick Koop (play-by-play), Sid Iyer (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com

THE RUNDOWN

UCLA enters the season as the preseason No. 1 ranked team (D1Baseball.com)
UCLA made its sixth appearance at the CWS and fourth under Head Coach John Savage in 2025
The Bruins swept through postseason play to advance to the College World Series
UCLA took two of three games from UC San Diego on opening weekend
The Bruins were selected as the No. 15 national seed and hosted its first NCAA Super Regional since 2019
UCLA earned its seventh super regional berth and sixth under Coach Savage
The Bruins returned to the postseason for the 15th time in the last 21 seasons
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's 48 wins are its most since 2019 and fifth-most in program history
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 earned 16 winning records in 21 seasons under HC John Savage
UCLA's defense led the country in double plays (66) and double plays-per-game (1.00) in 2025
UCLA won 13 of its 15 weekend series last season and won every series played at Jackie Robinson Stadium
UCLA went 31-7 at Jackie Robinson Stadium last season
UCLA's team fielding percentage of .982 ranked seventh nationally and first in the Big Ten last season
UCLA collected five weekend sweeps, including four during Big Ten play in 2025
Cholowsky was named Player of the Year and a First Team All-American by four outlets (ABCA/Rawlings, BA, D1B, PG)
Cholowsky also won the Brooks Wallace Award, honoring him as the nation's top shortstop
According to data compiled by 643 charts, Cholowsky led the nation in wins-above-replacement (WAR) at 6.49 in 2025
Cholowsky's 23 home runs was the most by a Bruin since 2000 (Forrest Johnson)
Cholowsky led the team in hitting at .353, with 23 home runs, 74 RBIs, .710 SLG%, and a B1G-best OPS of 1.190
Dean West broke the single-season HBP record with 22 last season
Michael Barnett ranked third in the nation and topped the Big Ten with 12 wins in 2025
Mulivai Levu ranked second in the nation and led the Big Ten with 85 RBIs in his sophomore campaign
Levu and Cholowsky have combined for the most RBIs (159) by a UCLA duo since 1997
In 2023, the Bruins welcomed the top signing class in the country
The Bruins were picked to finish first in the Big Ten Preseason Poll
Transfer pitcher Logan Reddemann (San Diego) and Will Gasparino (Texas) headline the incoming transfer portal class

WEEKEND RECAP
UCLA opened its 2026 season by taking two of three games from UC San Diego. In Friday's opener, the Bruins erased an early three-run deficit with eight unanswered runs, powered by Payton Brennan's four RBIs and a dominant middle-inning surge. They followed on Saturday with a 7-2 win highlighted by three home runs, from Roch Cholowsky, Cashel Dugger and Brennan, while Michael Barnett and the bullpen held the Tritons in check. Sunday's finale turned into a slugfest featuring six total homers, including blasts from Mulivai Levu, Aiden Aguayo, and Will Gasparino, but UCSD's ninth-inning two-run shot proved decisive in an 8-7 UCLA loss. Despite the setback, the Bruins' lineup flashed depth, power, and strong contributions from newcomers as they moved to 2-1 on the young season.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
Tuesday, Feb. 17 - 1 p.m. PT
UCLA – Fr. RHP Angel Cervantes
TUL – Sr. RHP J.D. Rodriguez

ABOUT THE GREEN WAVE
Tulane enters 2026 as a program defined by late-season toughness and a lineup built on continuity, even as it works to replace a few key stars. After reaching the American Conference tournament title game three straight years and winning it in 2023 and 2024, the Green Wave return most of their everyday bats from a 33-25 campaign, anchored by veteran up-the-middle stability in shortstop Kaikea Harrison and catcher Hugh Pinkney. Transfers such as AJ Groeneveld, Trent Liolios, Nolan Nawrocki, and Tye Wood add real offensive upside to a group that already features proven contributors like Tanner Chun, Matthias Haas, and Jason Wachs. The bigger questions lie on the mound, where sixth-year senior Trey Cehajic provides a reliable, ground-ball-heavy presence at the front of a staff that will lean heavily on newcomers. Oklahoma's Beau Sampson, Tennessee Tech's Jack Brafa, and Liberty's Jack Frankel are all in the mix for rotation roles, while Eastern Kentucky transfer Aidan Rath offers high-octane potential at the back end. Altogether, Tulane looks like a balanced, veteran team with enough returning production and transfer impact to remain a serious factor in the American.

RETURNING PRODUCTION
In an era of college baseball defined by heavy transfer-portal movement, UCLA has taken a different path by retaining its core talent and reaping the rewards. No program in Division I returns more production for 2026, with the Bruins bringing back an impressive 83 percent of their overall output. That includes 85 percent of last season's plate appearances and 78 percent of the innings pitched, giving UCLA one of the most stable and experienced rosters in the country.

BRUINS' PRESEASON BUZZ
UCLA baseball placed two standouts on Baseball America's Preseason All-America teams. Junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky was selected as the outlet's preseason Player of the Year in addition to his First Team nod. Junior first baseman Mulivai Levu secured a spot on the Third Team. Cholowsky enters 2026 as one of the nation's premier players after assembling one of the most accomplished individual seasons in UCLA history. Levu returns as one of the conference's most productive run producers after a breakout 2025 season. Cholowsky and Levu were also named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. UCLA has now seen 19 total players named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, with Cody Schrier being the Bruins' last inclusion in 2023. Logan Reddemann was recognized on D1Baseball's Preseason Pitcher of the Year Watch List while newcomers Angel Cervantes and Dominic Cadiz were featured on the outlet's Preseason Freshman of the Year Watch List.