A year ago, a season-ending sweep of Stanford saved UCLA baseball from the Pac-12 cellar. This year, a final sweep could catapult the Bruins to the top of the Big Ten standings.
No. 14 UCLA (37-14, 20-7 Big Ten) enters its regular-season finale with a shot at its first conference title since 2019. The Bruins will host Northwestern (24-25, 12-15) in a pivotal three-game series starting Thursday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
“We’re very excited for the weekend,” said coach John Savage. “We’ve put ourselves in a really good position after this weekend, coming off a tough weekend last week against USC.”
Tight Race for the Big Ten Title
UCLA sits just one game behind first-place Iowa and holds a one-game lead over third-place Oregon. Interestingly, the Bruins own the tiebreaker over Iowa but would lose it to Oregon. With all three teams still alive in the race, UCLA must at least win its series against Northwestern to stay in contention.
The last time UCLA claimed a conference championship was 2019, a season where the Bruins were the top-ranked team nationally and narrowly missed the College World Series. That year also marked the program’s most recent opportunity to host an NCAA regional. However, projections from D1Baseball this week predict a return to Jackie Robinson Stadium, with UCLA as the No. 11 overall seed.
Final Games at Jackie Robinson Stadium?
Amid legal uncertainties surrounding UCLA’s lease with the West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs, this weekend could mark the final series at Jackie Robinson Stadium — the Bruins’ home for the past 44 years. Adding to the sense of finality, head coach John Savage is in the last year of his contract as he completes his 21st season in Westwood.
Cholowsky, Call Power UCLA’s Resurgence
Sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky has been a catalyst in UCLA’s rebound campaign. He leads the nation with a 5.36 WAR (per 6-4-3 Charts) and launched his 18th home run of the season last Sunday, ranking fourth in the Big Ten.
Second baseman Phoenix Call has also shown signs of resurgence. After dipping to a .207 batting average, Call delivered a career-best performance with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs on Sunday, raising his average to .230 — its highest mark in a month.
“We’re a great group. We gel together pretty well,” Call said. “It never seems like we’re out of a game.”
Elite Defense, Timely Pitching Key for Postseason Push
With Cholowsky and Call anchoring the middle infield, UCLA leads the nation in double plays (53) and boasts the Big Ten’s top fielding percentage at .980 (11th nationally). These defensive strengths will be critical as the Bruins head into postseason play.
Despite control issues — 11 walks and two hit batters in Sunday’s win — UCLA’s pitching staff managed to strand 26 Illinois runners during last weekend’s sweep. Still, Savage sees room for improvement.
“At the end of the day, our guys did enough to sweep the series,” Savage said. “But we have to clearly pitch better than we did this weekend.”
Northwestern Fighting for Big Ten Tournament Berth
For Northwestern, the series carries significant postseason implications. The Wildcats are locked in a three-way tie with Illinois and Michigan State for the final two Big Ten tournament spots.
Shortstop Ryan Kucherak, fresh off a Big Ten Player of the Week honor, went 6-for-10 with two homers and five RBIs in Northwestern’s series win over Ohio State. Designated hitter Trent Liolios has also been a force, slugging 16 home runs, seventh-best in the conference.
Pitching, however, remains Northwestern’s Achilles’ heel. The Wildcats’ 7.61 ERA and 1.76 WHIP both rank second worst in the Big Ten.
“We’re prepared, we’re ready, and we’re just in control,” said Bruins freshman closer Easton Hawk. “Until the final pitch, the final out, nothing’s done.”
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