CARY, N.C. – UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky has been named one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, USA Baseball announced Sunday.
 
The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the nation's top amateur baseball player. Cholowsky is UCLA's first Golden Spikes Semifinalist since Ryan Garcia in 2019 and the program's first position player to earn the honor since Jeff Gelalich in 2012.
 
Cholowsky, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., has been outstanding for UCLA, hitting a team-best .371 with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky's 20 home runs is the most by a Bruin since the 2009 season when Cody Decker hit 21.
 
Cholowsky has posted a Big Ten-best 1.274 OPS and led the league in on-base percentage at .511. During conference play, he ranked first in slugging (.839), total bases (99), and runs scored (41).
 
Roch Cholowsky has undoubtedly been one of the nation's most valuable players, and the advanced statistics prove it. According to data compiled by 643 charts, Cholowsky leads the nation in wins-above-replacement (WAR) with a mark of 5.84. UCLA's shortstop has particularly stood out defensively with a defensive-runs-saved (DRS) mark of 16.44 and defensive WAR of 1.23, ranking second in the nation for both metrics. At the plate, Cholowsky has been equally impressive, boasting an offensive WAR of 4.61 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 61.60.
 
Cholowsky has been the cornerstone of a UCLA defense that leads the nation with 54 double plays while maintaining an impressive .981 fielding percentage, ranking 10th nationally.

Fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award in 2025. Baseball fans can vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning today with the naming of the semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 4, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 20. To stay up to date on the 2025 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com and follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter/X.

A complete list of the 25-player 2025 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award semifinalists is as follows:

Name - School - Year - Position - Conference

•  Wehiwa Aloy - Arkansas - JR - INF - SEC
•  Kade Anderson - LSU - SO - LHP - SEC
•  Jamie Arnold - Florida State - JR - LHP - ACC
•  Aiva Arquette - Oregon State - JR - INF - Pac-12
•  Robbie Burnett - Georgia - SR - INF/OF - SEC
•  Drew Burress - Georgia Tech - SO - OF - ACC
•  Roch Cholowsky - UCLA - SO - INF - Big Ten
•  Kerrington Cross - Cincinnati - INF - 3B - Big 12
•  Daniel Cuvet - Miami - SO - INF - ACC
•  Liam Doyle - Tennessee - JR - LHP - SEC
•  Joseph Dzierwa - Michigan State - JR - LHP - Big Ten
•  Ike Irish - Auburn - JR - OF/C - SEC
•  Jake Knapp - UNC - GR - RHP - ACC
•  Justin Lebron - Alabama - SO - INF - SEC
•  Kade Lewis - Wake Forest - SO - INF - ACC
•  Alex Lodise - Florida State - JR - INF - ACC
•  Kyle Lodise - Georgia Tech - JR - INF - ACC
•  JB Middleton - Southern Miss - JR - RHP – Sun Belt
•  Jacob Morrison - Coastal Carolina - R-SO - RHP - Sun Belt
•  Mason Neville - Oregon - JR - OF - Big Ten
•  Jack Ohman - Yale - FR - RHP - Ivy League
•  James Quinn-Irons - George Mason - JR - OF - A-10
•  Devin Taylor - Indiana - JR - OF - Big Ten
•  Dylan Volantis - Texas - FR - LHP - SEC
•  Kyson Witherspoon - Oklahoma - JR - RHP - SEC

All-Time UCLA Golden Spikes Award Semifinalists
Ryan Garcia – 2019
Griffin Canning – 2017
David Berg – 2013, 2015
Jeff Gelalich – 2012
Trevor Bauer – 2010, 2011
Alden Carrithers – 2008
Brandon Crawford - 2007