LOS ANGELES - UCLA baseball hosts Michigan in a nonconference game on Tuesday, March 4 at 5 p.m. PT. The midweek contest will be streamed on B1G+, with Nick Koop and Graham Metzker 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), Graham Metzker (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
THE RUNDOWN
WEEKEND RECAP
UCLA was unable to get the bats going in its 8-3 defeat to No. 14 Vanderbilt, mustering just three hits on the night. The bullpen shined, however, holding the nationally-ranked Commodores to just two hits over seven innings of scoreless ball.
The Bruins ultimately won the weekend after rattling off wins over UConn and USC on Saturday and Sunday. In the win over UConn, UCLA used a five-run fifth inning to take a lead that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest. Freshman Wylan Moss held UConn scoreless over two innings of work to earn the six-out save, his second of the year. Roch Cholowsky blasted a three-run home run in the fifth followed by a solo shot in the seventh to lead the Bruins to a 5-1 win over their crosstown rivals. The pitching staff kept the bats in check, limiting the Trojans to just one run.
ABOUT THE WOLVERINES
Michigan will come to Westwood for the first time since March 1, 2023 when UCLA prevailed in a midweek affair. The Wolverines hold a narrow 6-4 advantage in the all-time series, including their series win in the 2019 Los Angeles Super Regional to advance to the College World Series. Michigan brings a 6-4 overall record into Tuesday night after winning the three-game set against Long Beach State over the weekend.
HE'S A ROCH STAR
Sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky had three hits last weekend, and all of them were home runs. He ascended into the team-lead for home runs after his two-homer display in UCLA's win over crosstown rivals USC. Cholowsky launched a three-run home run to make it a four-run lead for the Bruins in the bottom of the fifth, and then belted a solo shot in the seventh to extend his team's advantage. Cholowsky has collected a team-high 18 RBIs through the first 12 games of the season, smacking five home runs while slugging .705 on the year.
BRUIN DEBUTS
Seven Bruins made their collegiate debuts on opening weekend, including position players Logan de Groot, Grant Gray, and Kasen Khansarinia. On the mound, Jack O'Connor, Wylan Moss, Josh Alger, CJ Bott toed the rubber for the first time in the college careers. Additionally, two transfers, Ian May and Ryan Rissas, made their UCLA debuts. August Souza, a transfer from Santa Clara, recently made his UCLA debut on Feb. 26 against Arizona State.
READY TO ROCH
UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky was named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-Big Ten team. Cholowsky is coming off an impressive freshman campaign with a team-leading .308 batting average and eight homers. The Chandler Ariz. native received Second Team Freshman All-American acclaim (Perfect Game) and a Pac-12 Honorable Mention nod. Cholowksy was the lone Bruin to start all 52 games. He was red hot in the closing stages of 2024, slashing .391/.452/.766 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs over the final 16 games of the season. Recently, Cholowsky was named the No.9 shortstop in the country by D1Baseball.com.
BRUINS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. Oregon
2. Nebraska
3. Indiana
4. UCLA
5. Michigan
6. USC
FRIENDLY CONFINES
With a sweep over Stanford in the final weekend of the 2024 regular season, UCLA clinched its ninth consecutive season with a winning record at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have had a losing record at home just twice over the last 20 seasons, last occurring in 2014 (11-20).
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
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.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Jackie Robinson Stadium
Stream: B1G+
Talent: Nick Koop (play-by-play), Graham Metzker (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
THE RUNDOWN
- Roch Cholowsky's two-homer game powered UCLA past crosstown rivals USC on Sunday afternoon
- On Tuesday night, Roch Cholowsky blasted a grand slam in the fourth inning to propel UCLA to the 8-4 victory
- Cholowsky hit a grand slam in back-to-back games (Feb. 23 vs. MSU, Feb. 25 vs. Arizona State)
- Roch Cholowsky leads the team in hitting with a .318 average, five homers, and 1.188 OPS.
- Cholowsky had three hits last week, all of them were home runs
- Cholowsky enjoyed the fourth multi-homer game of his career in the win over USC
- Cholowsky launched a grand slam to spark UCLA's nine-run fourth inning in the comeback win over MSU
- Justin Lee ranks third in the nation with seven appearances this season
- UCLA drew 15 walks against BYU, its most in a game since Feb. 18, 2024
- The Bruins are currently ranked 20th nationally in base-on-balls with 59, and 15th in runs scored with 85
- UCLA was 15-11 last season at home
- UCLA enters its inaugural season in the Big Ten in 2025
- The UCLA bullpen has been outstanding, posting a 1.96 ERA over 55.1 innings
- In 2023, the Bruins welcomed the top signing class in the country
- The Bruins went 5-6 in midweek contests in 2024, with wins against Nevada, LBSU, UCSB, LMU, and Pepperdine
- Roch Cholowsky returns for his sophomore season after receiving Freshman All-American acclaim (Perfect Game).
- The program has posted 15 winning records in 20 seasons under HC John Savage
- 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
WEEKEND RECAP
UCLA was unable to get the bats going in its 8-3 defeat to No. 14 Vanderbilt, mustering just three hits on the night. The bullpen shined, however, holding the nationally-ranked Commodores to just two hits over seven innings of scoreless ball.
The Bruins ultimately won the weekend after rattling off wins over UConn and USC on Saturday and Sunday. In the win over UConn, UCLA used a five-run fifth inning to take a lead that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest. Freshman Wylan Moss held UConn scoreless over two innings of work to earn the six-out save, his second of the year. Roch Cholowsky blasted a three-run home run in the fifth followed by a solo shot in the seventh to lead the Bruins to a 5-1 win over their crosstown rivals. The pitching staff kept the bats in check, limiting the Trojans to just one run.
ABOUT THE WOLVERINES
Michigan will come to Westwood for the first time since March 1, 2023 when UCLA prevailed in a midweek affair. The Wolverines hold a narrow 6-4 advantage in the all-time series, including their series win in the 2019 Los Angeles Super Regional to advance to the College World Series. Michigan brings a 6-4 overall record into Tuesday night after winning the three-game set against Long Beach State over the weekend.
HE'S A ROCH STAR
Sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky had three hits last weekend, and all of them were home runs. He ascended into the team-lead for home runs after his two-homer display in UCLA's win over crosstown rivals USC. Cholowsky launched a three-run home run to make it a four-run lead for the Bruins in the bottom of the fifth, and then belted a solo shot in the seventh to extend his team's advantage. Cholowsky has collected a team-high 18 RBIs through the first 12 games of the season, smacking five home runs while slugging .705 on the year.
BRUIN DEBUTS
Seven Bruins made their collegiate debuts on opening weekend, including position players Logan de Groot, Grant Gray, and Kasen Khansarinia. On the mound, Jack O'Connor, Wylan Moss, Josh Alger, CJ Bott toed the rubber for the first time in the college careers. Additionally, two transfers, Ian May and Ryan Rissas, made their UCLA debuts. August Souza, a transfer from Santa Clara, recently made his UCLA debut on Feb. 26 against Arizona State.
READY TO ROCH
UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky was named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-Big Ten team. Cholowsky is coming off an impressive freshman campaign with a team-leading .308 batting average and eight homers. The Chandler Ariz. native received Second Team Freshman All-American acclaim (Perfect Game) and a Pac-12 Honorable Mention nod. Cholowksy was the lone Bruin to start all 52 games. He was red hot in the closing stages of 2024, slashing .391/.452/.766 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs over the final 16 games of the season. Recently, Cholowsky was named the No.9 shortstop in the country by D1Baseball.com.
BRUINS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. Oregon
2. Nebraska
3. Indiana
4. UCLA
5. Michigan
6. USC
FRIENDLY CONFINES
With a sweep over Stanford in the final weekend of the 2024 regular season, UCLA clinched its ninth consecutive season with a winning record at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have had a losing record at home just twice over the last 20 seasons, last occurring in 2014 (11-20).
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
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.