Michael Barnett was the only pitcher on the Bruins’ 2024 roster with starting experience.

And though the then-sophomore right-hander commenced the year at the back of the weekend rotation, he ultimately led the team with five wins and racked up 79 innings – second only to eventual MLB Draft pick Luke Jewett.

But after a suspension carried into the 2025 season, Barnett began the year in the bullpen.

Barnett, however, delivered UCLA baseball’s (17-4, 6-2 Big Ten) best start of 2025 – and arguably the best of his collegiate career – surrendering just two unearned runs over seven innings to Indiana (13-10, 5-3) in his team’s 7-4 victory at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday to even series at one game apiece. With his sixth win of the year, Barnett is tied for second most in the nation.

“He’s just creating his identity and believing in himself – he’s grown up,” Savage said. “The momentum was being kind of shifted into their (the Hoosiers’) dugout. … It could have been a frustrating game that he didn’t pitch frustrated. That’s what it’s all about.”

Typically a groundball pitcher his first two seasons with the Bruins, Barnett’s K/9 has jumped from 6.27 in 2024 to 12.15 in 2025. The right-hander struck out a career-high 10 batters Saturday with the first six coming consecutively to begin the ballgame.

“Nothing special – just trusting coach, trusting myself,” Barnett said. “Just sharpening my tools on all my pitches. … And being able to throw all of them for strikes and to get guys out.”

Both of the Hoosiers’ runs off Barnett came in the fifth. After the first two reached an infield hit and error – both ricochetting off Barnett’s glove – Indiana scored a pair after a two-out single to second base by third baseman Cooper Malamazian.

Bruin second baseman Phoenix Call fielded the ball cleanly, ranging to his left, but his spinning throw went wide of first and into the dugout – allowing both runs to score and the Hoosiers to go up 2-1.

The Bruins got the lead back, however, when AJ Salgado launched a two-run homer 399 feet to straight-away center in the bottom of the sixth. The redshirt senior right fielder’s fourth home run of the year set a career-high.

For the second straight day, UCLA’s starting pitcher – Barnett – made it to the seventh inning.

Barnett escaped a two-on, nobody-out jam to preserve UCLA’s one-run lead, ending the frame by tagging out Indiana first baseman Jack Hanley at the plate after a breaking pitch skipped away from Bruin sophomore backstop Cashel Dugger.

UCLA added one run in the seventh and three in the eighth and finished Saturday 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position and 7-for-18 with runners on base compared to 0-for-6 and 0-for-10, respectively, Friday.

“We were just ready to play today,” said sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu, who went 2-for-5 with a double Saturday. “Yesterday, came out a little flat. Seemed like the energy was low – we weren’t ready to play. I think today, we just wanted to get back at them.”

Sophomore right-hander Justin Lee secured his third save of the season despite surrendering a pair of runs on three hits and a walk. Savage said he thought Lee pitched better than his final line showed.

Dugger – who Savage said is UCLA’s best blocker – had a couple of breaking pitches skip away from him, including a dropped third strike that allowed a runner to reach and a wild pitch in the Hoosiers’ two-run fifth.

But Savage and assistant coach Griffin Barnes, who handles the Bruins’ catching core, weren’t too peeved by their first-string backstop’s performance behind the plate.

“Cash (Dugger) has been really good at it,” Barnes said. “Today, just kind of didn’t center the ball. … I felt like he didn’t track the ball with his eyes – took the block for granted.”

UCLA, Oregon and Iowa are tied atop the Big Ten standings after the former lost 8-0 to Rutgers and the latter defeated Ohio State 12-5 on Saturday. And sophomore right-hander Landon Stump will get the start for the Bruins in Sunday’s rubber match against the Hoosiers with a chance to catapult his team into lone possession of the conference’s top position.

“It’s going to be a dogfight tomorrow,” Savage said.