UCLA's Cholowsky Welcomes Pressure of Big Dreams

UCLA faces plenty of pressure as it begins the 2026 college baseball season as the No. 1-ranked program in the country, but for one player, there may be much more at stake.

Roch Cholowsky, the junior starting shortstop for the Bruins, enters the season in a coveted and envied position. He's the current favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft after two tremendous seasons for UCLA in the field and at the plate.

It's quite the honor for the 20-year-old, particularly after passing up an earlier shot at the MLB to achieve his other dream of playing college baseball at UCLA and competing for a national title.

"I just told teams that I wanted to go to college, and it's going to take a lot more than I was worth at the time to sign me," Cholowsky recalled during a recent appearance on the Extra Point podcast. "... I just knew that college was the route I wanted to go, and I was going to price myself out. If anyone wanted to pay that much, things might've looked a little different, but I wanted to go to UCLA, and I'm glad I did."

Getting Ready for the Big Leagues

UCLA MLB — Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) fields a ground ball against the Murray State Racers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Betting on himself and chasing after his dreams has turned out to be a great call for Roch Cholowsky. He has said himself that he wasn't a top-10 pick at the time, and now his game has improved so much that others are chasing him and his achievements. Yet, it's the improvements he believes he's made off the field that he's most proud of.

"I just think I've grown up as a person a lot outside of baseball, and I think that's helped me with baseball," he told the podcast. "Living on my own the last two to three years and growing up with other 18 and 19-year-old boys has been beneficial for me in every aspect of learning myself and what I need to do to survive."

But soon, the game he's so good at will be what helps him survive, and it's well deserved. In two seasons with the UCLA program, he's won multiple Player of the Year Awards, earned a myriad of All-American honors, and last season, hit the most single-season home runs of any Bruin since 2000.

In what could be his final collegiate baseball season, Cholowsky is still chasing his big dream. UCLA was a bad team his freshman year, but last season, it reached the College World Series in Omaha. The Bruins ultimately fell short of the championship, and this season brings one more shot before the MLB becomes too difficult to ignore.

UCLA ml — Jun 17, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Dave Van Horn walks off the field after defeating the UCLA Bruins at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"That's the main goal," Cholowsky added. "I could hit .220 this year with no home runs and win a national championship, and I'd be happy. That's what I've been chasing since I got to college. That's the big one."

Cholowsky and the Bruins will begin their quest to win "the big one" on Feb. 13 against UC San Diego.

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