No. 1 UCLA Hosts Minnesota for Three-Game Series

Friday, April 17

Los Angeles, CA

7:00 PM (PT)

UCLA

Minnesota

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Dominic Cadiz

Photo by: Mac Brown

No. 1 UCLA Hosts Minnesota for Three-Game Series

April 16, 2026 | Baseball

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

LOS ANGELES - The No.1-ranked UCLA baseball team returns to Big Ten Conference action when it hosts a three-game set against Minnesota beginning on Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m. PT. Saturday's contest will begin at 2 p.m. PT and Sunday's series finale is slated for a 12 p.m. PT first pitch. The series opener will be nationally broadcast on Big Ten Network, with Chris Sylvester and Wes Clements on the call. The final two game of the series will be available for viewing on B1G+. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball).

SERIES INFORMATION
Venue: Jackie Robinson Stadium
First Pitch: 7 PM / 2 PM / 12 PM
Television: Big Ten Network (Fri.) B1G+ (Sat. and Sun.)
Talent (Fri.) J.B. Long (pxp), Wes Clements (analyst)
Talent (Sat. and Sun.) Nick Koop (pxp), Sid Iyer (analyst)
Live Stats: UCLA.statbroadcast.com

THE RUNDOWN

UCLA entered the season as the preseason No. 1 ranked team (D1Baseball.com and Baseball America)
UCLA is the consensus No. 1 team in the country as it is ranked No. 1 by all prominent outlets (D1B, BA, USAT, PG, NCBWA)
UCLA is off to its best start to a season (33-3) since 2010 when the Bruins opened the year 22-0
UCLA became the first Division I team to reach 30 wins on Apr. 7 at Cal State Fullerton
UCLA's 27-game winning streak from Feb. 27 to Apr. 12 was the longest in program history
The Bruins' 18-0 start to Big Ten play marks their best league start in program history
UCLA out-scored its opponents 255-85 during the winning streak
Logan Reddemann matched the program record with 18 strikeouts on April 10 vs. Rutgers
Reddemann earned both Golden Spikes Player of the Week and CB Foundation National Pitcher of the Week honors
Reddemann also received weekly honors from Baseball America, NCBWA, and the Big Ten Conference
The UCLA pitching staff combined for 30 strikeouts on April 10 vs. Rutgers, which is one shy of the all-time NCAA record
The Bruins went undefeated (18-0) in the month of March
UCLA has earned seven wins via the run-rule this season, including six during the 27-game win streak
UCLA swept Ohio State, Michigan, Maryland, Iowa, USC, and Rutgers for six straight Big Ten sweeps to open league play
UCLA ranks second nationally in team ERA (3.09)
The Bruins are ranked second in the nation for hit-by-pitches with 92 on the season
Roch Cholowsky is the Big Ten leader in runs scored with 47 on the year
UCLA is ranked 11th in the nation for on-base percentage with a mark of .432
UCLA scored 40 runs in the OSU sweep, its most in any series since 2023 and its most in a conference series since 2022
Will Gasparino was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series
Gasparino leads the team in hitting, posting a .366 average with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs
Wylan Moss was recently named to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation
The Bruins have nine victories over ranked opponents
UCLA made its sixth appearance at the CWS and fourth under Head Coach John Savage in 2025
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
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
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
Cholowsky's 23 home runs was the most by a Bruin since 2000 (Forrest Johnson)
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 Rutgers in Piscataway behind dominant pitching and timely offense, extending its nation-leading winning streak to 27 games and remaining perfect in Big Ten play. The Bruins opened the weekend with a 14-inning, 4-1 thriller, highlighted by Logan Reddemann's record-tying 18 strikeouts and a 30-strikeout team performance before late RBI hits from Cashel Dugger and Aidan Espinoza sealed it. UCLA followed with a 7-1 win in game two, blasting three home runs, one each from Will Gasparino, Cashel Dugger, and Mulivai Levu, and getting five strong innings from Michael Barnett. The Bruins completed the sweep on Sunday with a 9-2 victory, riding six shutout innings from Landon Stump and an 11-hit attack that included three-hit days from Dugger and Aiden Aguayo, plus a four-run fourth that broke the game open.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday, April 17 - 7 p.m. PT
UCLA – Jr. RHP Logan Reddemann (7-0, 2.85 ERA)
MINN – Jr. RHP Cole Selvig (4-2, 5.84 ERA)

Saturday, April 18 - 2 p.m. PT
UCLA – Sr. RHP Michael Barnett (6-0, 3.49 ERA)
MINN – Jr. RHP Isaac Morton (3-2, 3.88 ERA)

Sunday, April 19 - 12 p.m. PT
UCLA – Jr. RHP Landon Stump (2-0, 3.55 ERA)
MINN – Jr. RHP Marcus Kruzan (3-2, 3.19 ERA)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Minnesota enters 2026 looking deeper, healthier, and more stable under second-year head coach Ty McDevitt, who spent the offseason rebuilding a roster that was stretched thin by injuries last spring. The Gophers return a strong defensive core up the middle, Weber Neels, Jack Spanier, Jameson Martin, and Easton Richter, while adding experienced bats and several impact arms through the portal, including Isaac Morton, Marcus Kruzan, and Ben Gregory. A healthy Cole Selvig headlines a pitching staff that now has legitimate weekend-starter depth, supported by emerging bullpen pieces like Adam Urban, Logan Winkelman, and Brandon Jaenke. Offensively, Neels remains the centerpiece, with Spanier, Richter, and a wave of newcomers expected to elevate production.

BRINGING THE HEAT
UCLA rode a historic overpowering pitching performance to a 4-1, 14-inning win at Rutgers, a result that underscored why the Bruins lead the Big Ten with a 3.07 team ERA. Logan Reddemann delivered one of the most dominant outings in program history, matching the school record with 18 strikeouts over eight innings while allowing just two hits and a single run, including fanning 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. His effort anchored a staff that piled up 30 strikeouts, one shy of the NCAA single-game record, and set the tone for a night where UCLA's arms once again proved to be the backbone of the nation's top-ranked team.

MIDSEASON AWARDS

Golden Spikes Award Watch List: Roch Cholowsky, Will Gasparino, Mulivai Levu, Logan Reddemann
Big Ten Midseason Player of the Year: Roch Cholowsky
Perfect Game All-Americans: Roch Cholowsky, Will Gasparino, Wylan Moss (1st Team), Mulivai Levu (3rd Team)
Baseball America Player of the Year Watch List: Roch Cholowsky and Will Gasparino
Baseball America Pitcher of the Year Watch List: Logan Reddemann
Buster Posey Award National Catcher of the Year Watch List: Cashel Dugger

SEEING REDD
Logan Reddemann was named Golden Spikes Player of the Week, College Baseball Pitcher of the Week, and Big Ten Pitcher of the Week following his dominant outing on April 10 at Rutgers. Reddemann matched the UCLA program record with 18 strikeouts over 8.0 innings, anchoring a Bruins pitching staff that piled up 30 Ks, just one shy of the NCAA all-time single-game record, in a 4-1, 14-inning series-opening win over Rutgers. The right-hander allowed just two hits and one run, punctuating his night by fanning 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. His 18 punchouts tied Rob Henkel's mark set against Washington in 2000. Before this game, the most innings Reddemann pitched was 6.1 against Iowa on March 27.

MAGNIFICENT MOSS
Sophomore right-hander Wylan Moss was named to the National Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation. Moss has been nothing short of dominant to open the 2026 campaign, allowing just three earned runs across 30.1 innings while piling up 36 strikeouts. He owns a 0.89 ERA and is holding opponents to a .181 average. His signature outing came in UCLA's win over No. 7 TCU, where he delivered four scoreless innings to earn the save and recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts, including an astonishing nine straight to end the game, with eight swinging.

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.

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.