No. 1 UCLA Opens Big Ten Play at Ohio State

Friday, March 6

Columbus, OH

1:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

Ohio State

Logan Reddemann and Cashel Dugger

Photo by: Ross Turteltaub

No. 1 UCLA Opens Big Ten Play at Ohio State

March 05, 2026 | Baseball

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

LOS ANGELES - The No.1-ranked UCLA baseball team will begin its Big Ten campaign with a three-game set at Ohio State beginning on Friday, March 6 at 1 p.m. PT. Saturday's contest will start at 11 a.m. PT and Sunday's series finale is set for an 8 a.m. PT first pitch. The games will be broadcast on B1G+. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball).

SERIES INFORMATION
Venue: Bill Davis Stadium
First Pitch: 1 PM / 11 AM / 8 AM PT
Television: B1G+
Live Stats: UCLA.statbroadcast.com

THE RUNDOWN

UCLA entered the season as the preseason No. 1 ranked team (D1Baseball.com)
UCLA is now the consensus No. 1 team in the country as it is ranked No. 1 by all prominent outlets
The Bruins captured the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Championship after a perfect 3-0 weekend
UCLA defeated three SEC opponents: No. 20 Tennessee, No. 23 Texas A&M, and No. 4 Mississippi State
The Bruins have six victories over ranked opponents, including a pair of run-rule wins
UCLA handed Texas A&M and Mississippi State their first losses of the season
Will Gasparino is atop the NCAA Division I home run charts with 10 homers on the season
Gasparino's 10 home runs through the first 12 games of the season is a UCLA record in the BBCOR era (2012-present)
Gasparino leads the country in total bases (50) ranks second in the nation for slugging percentage with a mark of 1.220
Gasparino was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series
As a team, the Bruins ranks sixth in the nation with 25 total home runs
The Bruins rank second in the nation with a fielding percentage of .993, committing just three errors through 12 games
Gasparino and Moss each garnered Big Ten weekly honors following the sweep of No. 7 TCU
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
Will Gasparino leads the team in hitting, posting a .390 average with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs
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
HC John Savage secured his fifth conference championship at UCLA in 2025
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 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)
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
No. 1 UCLA swept the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series with three statement wins to claim the tournament championship. The Bruins opened by blasting five home runs in a 12-5 win over No. 20 Tennessee, highlighted by Will Gasparino's third multi-homer game of the season and a six-run seventh that broke the game open. The Bruins followed with an 11-1 run-rule rout of No. 23 Texas A&M, piling up 14 hits while Michael Barnett and Wylan Moss combined to hold the Aggies to two. UCLA capped the weekend with an 8-7 extra-inning thriller over No. 4 Mississippi State, fueled by Roch Cholowsky's two-out, game-tying homer in the ninth and Aidan Espinoza's decisive two-run triple in the 10th. Gasparino earned Most Outstanding Player honors after going 5-for-11 with four home runs as UCLA finished a perfect 3-0 against ranked opponents.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, March 6 - 1 p.m. PT
UCLA – Jr. RHP Logan Reddemann (3-0, 4.11 ERA)
OSU – So. RHP Gavin Kuziewski (0-0, 3.86 ERA)

Saturday, March 7 - 11 a.m. PT
UCLA – Sr. RHP Michael Barnett (3-0, 1.80 ERA)
OSU – Jr. RHP Chris Domke (1-2, 3.65 ERA)

Sunday, Mar. 8 - 8 a.m. PT
UCLA – Jr. RHP Landon Stump (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
OSU – Jr. RHP Pierce Herrenbruck (1-1, 6:57 ERA)

ABOUT THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State enters 2026 as a team built on defensive versatility and a solid core up the middle, but still carrying major questions on the mound after posting a 9.62 ERA, the worst mark in the Big Ten and among all power-conference programs. New head coach Justin Haire, who previously led Campbell to five straight regional appearances, has added athletic, multi-position transfers and returns key starters at shortstop and catcher, giving the lineup stability. Star shortstop Lee Ellis brings plus athleticism and impact tools, while veteran Henry Kaczmar returns after a strong stint in the SEC. Reliable pieces like sophomore arm Gavin Kuzniewski and versatile infielder Maddix Simpson provide glue, and newcomers such as freshman power arm Jude Fisher and JUCO slugger Gavin West offer upside.

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.

THE GREAT GASPARINO
Will Gasparino was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series after a blistering weekend in Arlington, going 5-for-11 with four home runs while leading UCLA to a perfect 3-0 showing against ranked opponents. The Los Angeles native delivered his third multi homer game of the season in a 12-5 win over No. 20 Tennessee, added another blast in the victory over No. 23 Texas A&M, and capped his dominant run with yet another homer in the extra innings thriller against No. 4 Mississippi State. Gasparino is the national leader in home runs with 10 on the season.

BRUIN BOMBERS
Will Gasparino and Roch Cholowsky have formed one of the most dangerous duos in college baseball to start the season, combining for 17 home runs, 38 RBIs, and 90 total bases across UCLA's first 12 games. Cholowsky is slashing .341/.448/.909 with seven homers, 16 RBIs, and 17 runs scored, while Gasparino is slashing an astounding .390/.528/1.220 with 10 homers, 22 RBIs, and 17 runs.

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.