Thursday, May 15
Los Angeles, CA
4:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
vs
Northwestern
Mulivai Levu
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
No. 14 UCLA Hosts Northwestern in Regular Season Finale
May 14, 2025 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES - The No. 14-ranked UCLA baseball team will host Northwestern for the final series of the regular season beginning on Thursday, May 15 at 4 p.m. PT, continuing on Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m. PT, and concluding on Saturday, May 17 at 1 p.m. PT. All three games will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, with J.B. Long and Wes Clements on the call. Fans can also follow along with live stats (StatBroadcast) and X/Twitter updates (@UCLABaseball).
ย
GAME INFORMATION
Venue:ย Jackie Robinson Stadium
Stream:ย Big Ten Network
Talent:ย J.B. Long (play-by-play), Wes Clements (analyst)
Live Stats:ย ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
THE RUNDOWNย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Thursday, May 15 - 4 p.m. PTย
UCLA โ RS Jr. LHP Ian May (6-2, 4.88 ERA)
NU โ Jr. RHP Sam Hliboki (3-3, 5.33 ERA)
ย
Friday, May 16 - 7 p.m. PTย
UCLA โ Sr. RHPย Michael Barnettย (9-1, 4.37 ERA)
NU โ TBA
ย
Saturday, May 17 - 1 p.m. PTย
UCLA โ So. RHP Landon Stump (5-0, 5.78 ERA)
NU โ TBA
ย
ABOUT THE WILDCATSย
Northwestern (24-25, 12-15 Big Ten) closed out its home schedule with a series win over Ohio State. The Wildcats opened the weekend with a commanding 12-2 victory on Friday at Wrigley Field, sealed by a two-run walk-off single from shortstop Ryan Kucherak. After a setback on Saturday, Northwestern responded emphatically, run-ruling the Buckeyes 17-2 in Sunday's Senior Day rubber match.
ย
CHOLOWSKY NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD MIDSEASON WATCH LISTย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Sophomore Roch Cholowsky was named to the USA Baseball Midseason Golden Spikes Watch List. Cholowsky, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., has been outstanding for UCLA as it reaches the halfway point in the season. The shortstop is hitting a team-best .359 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky boasts team-bests in on-base percentage (.498) and slugging (.729) to post an OPS of 1.227. The 2024 Freshman All-American has produced in the crucial moments for the Bruins with five go-ahead home runs on the season. He launched a grand slam to complete UCLA's comeback against Michigan State on Feb. 23 in what was just the beginning of his heroics at the plate in 2025.
In what was arguably UCLA's most exhilarating win of the season, Cholowsky hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Bruins the lead when they were down to their final out against Maryland on March 7. This dramatic moment helped secured UCLA's first-ever victory in the Big Ten Conference.
ย
CARDIAC BRUINSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA has scored first just 20 times in its 51 games this season, racking up a total of 18 come-from-behind victories. Remarkably, the Bruins have pulled off three comebacks after trailing by five or more runs. UCLA is 19-1 when scoring first in 2025.
ย
ROCH AND THE ADVANCED STATISTICS
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 5.36. 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 4.12 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 55.11.
ย
DAZZLING DOUBLE PLAYSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
The UCLA defense has turned 53 double plays this season which is the top mark in the country. The Bruins also lead the country in double plays-per-game, averaging 1.04 per contest. It is worth noting that all 53 double play turns have taken place in the infield as first baseman Mulivai Levu has been involved in all of them. The Bruins have been excellent defensively in 2025, posting a fielding percentage of .980 which ranks 12th nationally. Levu has been fantastic playing his position at first base, making just one error in 419 total chances (.998 fielding percentage).
ย
IN ELITE COMPANYย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Head Coach John Savage recently reached a significant milestone, eclipsing the 800-win mark at for his career with a Saturday night win at Illinois. With 713 wins at UCLA, he ranks second all-time, trailing only Gary Adams (1975-2004) who finished his career with 984 wins. Savage began his head coaching career at UC Irvine, where he notched 88 wins in his first three seasons, bringing his career total to 801, which ranks 23rd among active Division I coaches and first among active Big Ten coaches. His winning percentage of .599 with the Bruins is the highest among UCLA coaches with over 100 games coached.
ย
QUITE THE INTRODUCTIONย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Sophomore Grant Gray received his first career start in UCLA's midweek matchup with LMU on Tuesday night, and he made the most of it, launching a two-run home run in what was his first career hit. Gray is a two-way athlete, as he also competes as a wide out for the UCLA football team.
ย
BRUINS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLLย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. Oregon
2. Nebraska
3. Indiana
4. UCLA
5. Michigan
6. USC
ย
FRIENDLY CONFINESย ย ย ย ย
UCLA clinched its 10th consecutive season with a winning record at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have had a losing record at home just twice over the last 21 seasons, last occurring in 2014 (11-20).
ย
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
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.
ย
ย
GAME INFORMATION
Venue:ย Jackie Robinson Stadium
Stream:ย Big Ten Network
Talent:ย J.B. Long (play-by-play), Wes Clements (analyst)
Live Stats:ย ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
THE RUNDOWNย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
- UCLA enters the week ranked No. 14 in the D1Baseball national poll
- The Bruins are also ranked in the Baseball America poll at No. 20
- UCLA has won seven of its nine conference series and currently sits in second place in the Big Ten standings
- The program has clinched another winning record, making it 16 winning records in 21 seasons under HC John Savage
- With Saturday's victory over Illinois, Coach Savage earned his 800th career win
- UCLA's sweep over Illinois marks the first time the Illini were swept at home in the Big Ten since 2017
- UCLA has won 11 of its 13 weekend series this season
- UCLA are currently 10th in the RPI rankings
- UCLA is 24-6 at Jackie Robinson Stadium this season
- UCLA's defense leads the country in double plays (53) and double plays-per-game (1.04)
- UCLA's team fielding percentage of .980 ranks 12th nationally and first in the Big Ten
- UCLA has collected five weekend sweeps, including four during Big Ten play
- Roch Cholowsky was recently named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List
- According to data compiled by 643 charts, Cholowsky leads the nation in wins-above-replacement (WAR) at 5.36
- Cholowsky leads the team in hitting at .359, mashing 18 home runs, collecting 58 RBIs, and slugging .729
- Cholowsky boasts an OPS of 1.227 which ranks second in the Big Ten
- Cholowsky carries a 15-game hitting streak into the weekend, the longest by any UCLA player this season
- Cholowsky hit 10 home runs in April, slashing .403/.518/.881
- Dean West hit a team-best .439 with 22 runs scored, 13 walks, and four HBPs (.554 OBP) in the month of April
- Mulivai Levu ranks 15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 66 RBIs
- At 23-5, UCLA achieved its best 28-game start to a season since 2010
- UCLA earned its first series win over Washington since 2019
- UCLA scored 37 runs in the sweep over Purdue, matching its tally from the three-game set against Cal Poly (Feb. 14-16)
- Against Michigan, UCLA scored 20 or more runs in a game for the first time since its 23-0 win over Omaha (2/18/23)
- In 2023, the Bruins welcomed the top signing class in the country
- Roch Cholowsky returns for his sophomore season after receiving Freshman All-American acclaim (Perfect Game)
- 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
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Thursday, May 15 - 4 p.m. PTย
UCLA โ RS Jr. LHP Ian May (6-2, 4.88 ERA)
NU โ Jr. RHP Sam Hliboki (3-3, 5.33 ERA)
ย
Friday, May 16 - 7 p.m. PTย
UCLA โ Sr. RHPย Michael Barnettย (9-1, 4.37 ERA)
NU โ TBA
ย
Saturday, May 17 - 1 p.m. PTย
UCLA โ So. RHP Landon Stump (5-0, 5.78 ERA)
NU โ TBA
ย
ABOUT THE WILDCATSย
Northwestern (24-25, 12-15 Big Ten) closed out its home schedule with a series win over Ohio State. The Wildcats opened the weekend with a commanding 12-2 victory on Friday at Wrigley Field, sealed by a two-run walk-off single from shortstop Ryan Kucherak. After a setback on Saturday, Northwestern responded emphatically, run-ruling the Buckeyes 17-2 in Sunday's Senior Day rubber match.
ย
CHOLOWSKY NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD MIDSEASON WATCH LISTย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Sophomore Roch Cholowsky was named to the USA Baseball Midseason Golden Spikes Watch List. Cholowsky, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., has been outstanding for UCLA as it reaches the halfway point in the season. The shortstop is hitting a team-best .359 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs during his excellent campaign. Cholowsky boasts team-bests in on-base percentage (.498) and slugging (.729) to post an OPS of 1.227. The 2024 Freshman All-American has produced in the crucial moments for the Bruins with five go-ahead home runs on the season. He launched a grand slam to complete UCLA's comeback against Michigan State on Feb. 23 in what was just the beginning of his heroics at the plate in 2025.
In what was arguably UCLA's most exhilarating win of the season, Cholowsky hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Bruins the lead when they were down to their final out against Maryland on March 7. This dramatic moment helped secured UCLA's first-ever victory in the Big Ten Conference.
ย
CARDIAC BRUINSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA has scored first just 20 times in its 51 games this season, racking up a total of 18 come-from-behind victories. Remarkably, the Bruins have pulled off three comebacks after trailing by five or more runs. UCLA is 19-1 when scoring first in 2025.
ย
ROCH AND THE ADVANCED STATISTICS
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 5.36. 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 4.12 and offensive runs-above-replacement (ORAR) of 55.11.
ย
DAZZLING DOUBLE PLAYSย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
The UCLA defense has turned 53 double plays this season which is the top mark in the country. The Bruins also lead the country in double plays-per-game, averaging 1.04 per contest. It is worth noting that all 53 double play turns have taken place in the infield as first baseman Mulivai Levu has been involved in all of them. The Bruins have been excellent defensively in 2025, posting a fielding percentage of .980 which ranks 12th nationally. Levu has been fantastic playing his position at first base, making just one error in 419 total chances (.998 fielding percentage).
ย
IN ELITE COMPANYย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Head Coach John Savage recently reached a significant milestone, eclipsing the 800-win mark at for his career with a Saturday night win at Illinois. With 713 wins at UCLA, he ranks second all-time, trailing only Gary Adams (1975-2004) who finished his career with 984 wins. Savage began his head coaching career at UC Irvine, where he notched 88 wins in his first three seasons, bringing his career total to 801, which ranks 23rd among active Division I coaches and first among active Big Ten coaches. His winning percentage of .599 with the Bruins is the highest among UCLA coaches with over 100 games coached.
ย
QUITE THE INTRODUCTIONย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Sophomore Grant Gray received his first career start in UCLA's midweek matchup with LMU on Tuesday night, and he made the most of it, launching a two-run home run in what was his first career hit. Gray is a two-way athlete, as he also competes as a wide out for the UCLA football team.
ย
BRUINS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN BIG TEN PRESEASON POLLย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
Big Ten Preseason Poll
1. Oregon
2. Nebraska
3. Indiana
4. UCLA
5. Michigan
6. USC
ย
FRIENDLY CONFINESย ย ย ย ย
UCLA clinched its 10th consecutive season with a winning record at Jackie Robinson Stadium. The Bruins have had a losing record at home just twice over the last 21 seasons, last occurring in 2014 (11-20).
ย
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
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.
ย
Players Mentioned
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