Bruins' Sophomore Duo Unstoppable in Early Going

The UCLA Bruins possess a pair of hot-hitting sophomores who have surged their squad to an impressive 10-3 record to start the season.

UCLA Bruins outfielder Carson Yates (18) celebrates after hitting a home run as Florida State Seminoles take on UCLA Bruins during the NCAA regional baseball tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala., on Friday, June 3, 2022. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The UCLA Bruins (10-3) have been putting on an offensive light show this season, led by a pair of sophomores who are smacking the baseball all around the park on a nightly basis. Shortstop Roch Cholowsky and first baseman Mulivai Levu have been unstoppable for UCLA this season.

Cholowsky was ranked as a top-10 shortstop in the preseason Big Ten rankings and has lived up to the hype after earning All-Conference in the Pac-12 his freshman season. He has 15 total hits this season, leading the team in runs scored (16), home runs (5), RBIs (20) and OPS (1.217).

The Chandler, Arizona native has delivered big swing after big swing for UCLA this year, already smacking two grand slams this year. He has scored or driven in 36 total runs this season, making him one of the most productive players in the Big Ten.

Levu has been just as impressive, maybe even more so than his freshman season when he started 43 of the team's 46 games with 48 hits in 165 at-bats.

He holds a team-high 16 hits with four homers, 15 RBIs and a .304 batting average. The second-year Bruin is continuing his freshman year success as he currently is on an eight-game hitting streak with four multi-hit games already this season.

Both young stars have started all 13 games for the Bruins, helping them to the third-best record in the Big Ten this season. They have outscored teams with an outstanding 123-53 margin, spearheaded by Cholowsky and Levu as the star bats in the lineup.

Neither player has the ability to be drafted this year as they are both one year shy of the requirement, but there will certainly be future interest in both hitters to be taken in the 2026 MLB Draft. The pair have displayed too much talent already to not be jumping up draft boards for next year.

The Bruins will officially begin Big Ten play on the road this weekend, facing the Maryland Terrapins (7-5). UCLA is already 3-0 against Big Ten teams in unofficial contests, defeating the Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines and bitter rival USC. They outscored those three opponents, 42-15.

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