Coming off its worst season since 2005, UCLA baseball (4-0) is undefeated to begin 2025. While the Bruins are next headed to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Kleberg Bank Classic, they are just two weeks away from beginning conference action in their first season in the Big Ten. With at least 50 games left to play, Daily Bruin Sports’ baseball beat predicts how the campaign will play out for the Bruins.

Kai Dizon
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Super Regional appearance

I watched nearly every game of the worst UCLA baseball season of my lifetime.

But between the heartbreaking walk-off defeats and blood-bath blowout losses, I viewed reruns of the Bruins’ glory days.

Seeing UCLA dominate TCU in the 2010 College World Series, beat Mississippi State in the national championship in 2013 and take Michigan to three games in the 2019 NCAA super regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium made me realize there’s nothing more I want in my career with the Daily Bruin than to cover Bruin baseball games come June.

Grant me that, and I won’t ask UCLA athletics for anything more.

Allow me to fill you in on my delusion.

Essentially, everything that could have gone wrong did for the Bruins over the past two seasons. Key players like right-hander Alonzo Tredwell, shortstop Cody Schrier and junior right-hander Cody Delvecchio each got injured at some point. And then Tredwell departed Westwood for professional baseball, and Schrier posted a .674 OPS in his last season with the Bruins.

And like a hitter amid a slump, the Bruins are due.

UCLA had the No. 1 incoming class in the 2022 season, but it quickly fell apart. Right-hander Thatcher Hurd, left-hander Gage Jump and outfielder Nick McLain had all transferred by the end of their second years.

However, this time around, the 2024 crop – also named best in the country – has stuck together despite last year’s wretched season. The only exception has been Matthew Gobel, who had a 14.40 ERA last season.

Coach John Savage has converted Delvecchio from a high-leverage reliever to a weekend rotation arm. When Savage did the same with Tredwell and right-handers Max Rajcic and Luke Jewett, it turned them into MLB draft picks.

The coach even brought in a trio of arms through the transfer portal – highlighted by redshirt junior left-hander and the Bruins’ Saturday starter Ian May – to make up for last year’s lack of depth.

People will talk about the offense after the Bruins’ first four games, but pitching and defense are the secrets to winning baseball. And Savage knows that – it’s what he’s been preaching all offseason.

I was at the Bruins’ last game of 2024 in May, but this year, I’ll be watching UCLA baseball in June.

Noah Massey
Daily Bruin staff
Prediction: NCAA tournament berth

The Bruins began last season ranked No. 22 in the nation after missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in six non-COVID-impacted seasons.

While UCLA baseball seemed to have what it needed to rebound – including the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation – it instead logged its worst season in nearly two decades, finishing second-to-last in its final Pac-12 campaign with a 19-33 record.

With a 4-0 record to begin the year and a roster with more depth and experience than last season, UCLA is poised to get back to college baseball’s postseason for the first time since 2022.

The Bruins feature a core of sophomore batters who are poised to elevate the offense after scoring the fewest runs in the Pac-12 last season. Sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky led last year’s team with a .308 average and eight home runs while fellow sophomore infielders Mulivai Levu and Roman Martin hit above .290.

The offense has gotten off to a scorching start this season, scoring a total of 52 runs in their first four games – nearly 20% of the runs they scored last season.

UCLA has also seen improvement in their pitching staff, which at points last season relied on club baseball walk-ons and a UCLA football linebacker to eat innings. Six of the 12 pitchers to appear for the Bruins this season made their first-ever appearances for the team over the past week and have seen success thus far, posting a 0.57 ERA across 15.2 innings.

With a bright future ahead of them, not only will the Bruins make a statement in their inaugural Big Ten campaign, they’ll prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.

Mika McCaffrey
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: NCAA tournament berth

UCLA baseball is off to a hot start with an undefeated record to begin its 2025 season.

While these promising games mirrors the start of its rocky 2024 season – when UCLA baseball swept Gonzaga over Opening Weekend – this season is sure to bring a different ending.

Last year, many of the team’s players were freshmen adjusting to the collegiate game. Now, they are experienced sophomores. One of these sophomores is Cholowsky, who was recently ranked the No. 9 shortstop in the country ahead of the 2025 season by D1Baseball.

Toeing the rubber, a revamped weekend rotation of Delvecchio, May and sophomore right-hander Landon Stump allowed just two earned runs over a combined 16 innings against Cal Poly. The Bruins also have exciting new pitchers like freshman right hander Wylan Moss, who struck out six in his first collegiate start against BYU. The combination of experienced pitchers and fresh arms will shore up the inconsistency UCLA dealt with on the mound last season.

But the biggest improvement UCLA has made is in scoring runs. In 2024, the Bruins left runners in scoring position too many times, costing them key games. However, the Bruins are averaging 13 runs per game in 2024. With an OBP of .511 to begin the season, the team is more patient at the plate – and it’s showing.

UCLA has changed since the end of last season, and it may be enough to get them back to the end-of-season tournament.

Jace Dominguez
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: NCAA tournament berth

The Bruins are set to face a new challenge this season: navigating their inaugural Big Ten campaign. At the same time, they’ll need to continue to develop their young core. But above all else, the pieces are in place for UCLA to get back to playing winning baseball and return to the postseason.

Sophomore Dean West and Mulivai Levu are making an early case to become premier pieces of the order – combining for 10 hits, 14 RBIs and three home runs in just four games. Stars deliver sparks, and just one may prove enough in any given contest.

On the mound, Moss, who was the ranked the No.138 pitcher in his class by Perfect Game, came out guns blazing against BYU on Tuesday, punching out six and giving up one hit and two walks. Stump set the tone in the Bruins season-opening series finale against Cal Poly, dealing six shutout innings of one hit ball, marking the best performance of his young career. And sophomore right-hander Justin Lee has shined out of the bullpen, having yet to surrender a hit or earned run this season.

What’s been quickly unfolding is an identity of baseball consisting of smart, disciplined and decisive play. The Bruins have managed to limit their opponents’ bats while going nuclear at the plate themselves.

In short, UCLA has looked the part of a winning team. So long as the Bruins can stay healthy and remain committed to what they’re cooking, they’ll keep climbing new heights – in May and beyond.

Jack Clarke
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: NCAA tournament berth

There is a lot for UCLA baseball fans to be excited about.

UCLA is tied for the 11th most runs scored in the country. Contributing to the run total has been the team’s ability to reach base 51.1% of the time – the eigth-best mark in the nation. Thirteen of the Bruins’ 17 position players have already recorded hits – a testament to the depth of the UCLA offense.

And the Bruin pitching staff has been lights out. UCLA arms have posted an ERA of 1.25 – tied for the sixth-best mark in the nation – alongside a WHIP of 0.92. Moss has contributed to his team’s success, punching out a team-leading 11 batters across two appearances.

Cholowsky, a freshman All-American in 2024, is a talented defender and an offensive contributor, slashing .429/.619/.500 through four games. Meanwhile, sluggers Levu – who has collected a team-leading nine RBIs – and redshirt sophomore center fielder Payton Brennan, whose 1.694 OPS leads all qualified Bruin hitters, represent two more players poised to make a big impact in 2025.

The move to a new conference could further benefit the Bruins, with no 2024 Big Ten teams advancing to a super regional in last season. Down the stretch, playing competitively on the road will be crucial for UCLA, with 21 away contests scheduled, including a trip to Eugene to take on conference-favorite Oregon in April.

The combination of effective pitching and a strong offense alongside the lingering memory of last year’s 19-33 season will continue to motivate this team and coaching staff to make a legitimate push for the playoffs in 2025.

Gabriela Garcia
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: NCAA tournament berth

The Bruins have kicked off their season in an explosive fashion.

Coming off their first losing season since 2016, the Bruins have been off to a dominant start. Pitching, which has been questionable over the past two seasons, has looked dominant – punching out nine or more batters per game and only allowing five earned runs total. And the offense has had three high-scoring games in a row – led by Levu who’s gone 6-for-15 with nine RBIs and a pair of home runs this season.

A key to the Bruins season will be consistency. If the sophomore class can continue to settle in, UCLA will thrive in their inaugural Big Ten season. Currently, the Bruins lead the Big Ten with 52 runs scored, 39 walks and a .511 team OBP.

The new pitching depth from the portal and 2024 recruiting class has already shone. May, UCLA’s Saturday starter, pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just a single earned run while striking out three. Meanwhile, Moss closed out Opening Day by striking out five of the six batters he faced.

Adversity has bonded the Bruins over the past year, and the team has everything it needs to flip last season’s script.

If the Bruins stay healthy and keep consistent, they’ll be in a prime position for a regional spot come May.