How the Bruins Turned It Around on the Diamond

UCLA baseball has gone from a 19–33 finish to a top-10 ranking, emerging as one of the nation's most compelling comeback stories.

June 17, 2012; Omaha, NE, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage watches from the dugout prior to the game against the Arizona Wildcats in six of the 2012 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

When the 2024 season ended, No.10 UCLA baseball wasn’t where it wanted to be. A 19–33 record. No postseason. A break in a seven-year streak of winning seasons.

For a program used to being a fixture in national rankings, it was a sobering reminder that even the most stable systems sometimes need to be shaken up.

Fast forward to April 2025, and the Bruins are now one of the most compelling stories in college baseball.

At 23–5, ranked 10th in the nation, and sitting atop the Big Ten standings, UCLA’s resurgence hasn’t just been about talent, though there's plenty of that. It’s been about culture. About identity. About building something new while staying grounded in the program’s championship DNA.

The move to the Big Ten marked a new chapter for UCLA athletics, but few expected the baseball team to adapt so quickly. 

Behind Coach John Savage, now with over 700 career wins in Westwood, the Bruins have emerged not just as conference contenders but as one of the most complete, well-rounded teams in the country.

Much of that transformation begins with sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky. Last year, he was a bright spot in a dark season, earning Freshman All-American honors. This year, he’s evolved into one of the most dominant players in the country. 

Cholowsky's name is now in the national spotlight, recently landing on the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, and his production is fueling something much larger than just personal accolades.

Next to him are players like sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu, who has turned into a relentless RBI machine and a quiet leader. Then there’s a freshman like right-hander Wylan Moss, calmly handling Friday night starts in a Power Four conference. 

These aren’t just good individual players; they’re pieces of a larger puzzle that fits better than anything UCLA has fielded in years.

But perhaps the most telling stat isn’t the win-loss record or the national ranking. It’s this: UCLA has 13 come-from-behind wins this season. That says something about fight. About belief. About grit. And it’s the exact trait missing from last year’s squad.

This isn’t just a bounce-back season. It’s a blueprint.

From recruiting a top-ranked class to plugging holes with savvy transfers like redshirt junior left-hander Ian May and graduate student right-hander August Souza, the Bruins have rebuilt with intention.

This weekend’s series against Washington is more than just another Big Ten matchup. It’s another checkpoint in a season that’s starting to feel special. A chance to prove that last year was an outlier, and that this year is a turning point.

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