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Four Bruins Named Semifinalists for Prestigious Baseball Award

No. 1 UCLA continues to collect accolades on the baseball diamond.
Travis Tyler|
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage on the field before the game against the Murray State Races at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage on the field before the game against the Murray State Races at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

UCLA's baseball season took a step back on Thursday night with a loss to Washington, but the No. 1 team in the country still got some good news off the field.

As they enter the final weekend of the regular season, four Bruins have landed on the semifinalist list for the Dick Howser Award, given to the National Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association since 1987. It's named for the former two-time All-American Florida State shortstop, who later became a successful MLB manager, winning a World Series with the Kansas City Royals.

UCLA is one of four schools with multiple semifinalists in this season's 48-player group, but no other school has more than two players up for the award. Yet, no Bruin has won it. Previous winners include Robin Yount, Jason Varitek, Buster Posey, Jered Weaver, David Price, Paul Skenes, and Todd Helton, among others.

Let's take a look at UCLA's Howser Award semifinalists.

SS Roch Cholowsky

ucla basebal
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

Cholowsky is the least surprising name on this list, entering the season as the top player in college baseball and maintaining his status as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft this summer. The junior won several National Player of the Year Awards as a sophomore in 2025, but the Howser Award was not one of them, despite him becoming a finalist for the honor.

The shortstop had another monster season, hitting .337 with a team-high 21 home runs and 59 RBIs. He also led the Bruins in OPS, slugging percentage, and runs. This is the second time he's been up for the Howser Award in his three college baseball seasons, and he's also a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award for the second straight year.

OF Will Gasparino

The 6-foot-6 outfielder had a season to remember for the Bruins after transferring from Texas. Prior to his arrival in Los Angeles, Gasparino was known as an elite defensive player, earning All-Big 12 and All-SEC Honorable Mention, Big 12 All-Freshman Team, and SEC All-Defensive Team recognition.

UCLA helped him unlock his offense as he got off to a stellar start. He will finish the season with his first .300 batting average of his college career, and he currently sits second on the team with 19 home runs, two behind Cholowsky for the lead. Gasparino also leads the Bruins in RBIs.

RP Easton Hawk

ucla basebal
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins pitcher Easton Hawk (27) throws against the Murray State Racers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Easton Hawk has emerged as an elite closer for UCLA, taking command of the role as a freshman in 2025. That season saw him tally eight saves while holding opponents to a .150 batting average and posting six consecutive scoreless outings to end the year.

In 2026, he picked up where he left off. Entering the season's final series, Hawk leads UCLA with a 1.67 ERA, a .176 opposing batting average, and 13 saves in 22 appearances. He's also third on the team with a 0.99 WHIP.

SP Logan Reddemann

The San Diego transfer emerged as the ace for the Bruins this season, anchoring the starting rotation as its go-to Friday night starter. He was solid for two years at San Diego, winning the 2024 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and posting a 10-5 overall record between the two seasons.

This year, Reddemann leads UCLA starters with a 2.87 ERA and the entire pitching staff in innings pitched. In 10 starts, he posted a perfect 8-0 record as one of two undefeated UCLA starters alongside Michael Barnett (6-0). Reddemann also had a record-setting 18-strikeout performance against Rutgers earlier in the season.

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Travis Tyler
TRAVIS TYLER

Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.