Momentum in college baseball can be fragile. Even after stretches of success, each game offers a fresh opportunity to build momentum or lose control of it.

But by the time they boarded their flight home from Iowa City, Iowa, the Bruins had pushed their winning streak to 19 games and remained perfect in Big Ten play.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (25-2, 12-0 Big Ten) swept Iowa (15-11, 3-6) at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City over the weekend, besting the Hawkeyes 5-2 on Friday, 19-0 in a seven-inning run ruled game Saturday and 14-6 in Sunday’s finale.

Friday’s affair proved the tightest margin of the weekend, as UCLA opened the series with a win behind early power and a strong start on the mound. Junior right-hander Logan Reddemann delivered 6.1 innings marked by nine strikeouts and only one earned run.

Junior first baseman Mulivai Levu launched a two-run homer in the third inning, and redshirt-junior right fielder Payton Brennan followed with a towering 514-foot solo shot in the fourth as the Bruins built run support within an early lead that they never relinquished. All nine starters recorded a hit in the balanced offensive effort.

“We have a lot of guys that compliment each other throughout the lineup,” coach John Savage said. “We want to make the lineup long and make it difficult on opposing pitching staff to get through the nine hitters.”

Sophomore closer Easton Hawk finished off the battle by escaping a bases-loaded jam and recording the final out in the ninth to secure his third save of the season and 11th of his career.

The Bruins followed with their largest margin of victory since February 2023, knocking in 19 runs while shutting out the Hawkeyes. UCLA matched its season high of 15 hits, with eight of the nine starters recording a knock.

Juniors catcher Cashel Dugger and second baseman Phoenix Call tallied three hits each, with Call launching his first home run of the season. Freshman designated hitter Dominic Cadiz drove in five runs and launched a grand slam to break the game open in a twelve-run, fourth inning offensive outburst.

“Hitting is contagious. All of our guys put up good at bats, I got good pitches to hit, and I got to do some damage,” Call said.

The Bruins were plunked four consecutive times to garner momentum in the explosive fourth inning, producing three runs and juiced bases.

UCLA has been hit by 75 pitches this season – 50 more free bases than it has allotted to its opponents.

“The hit by pitch is a big part of our game. We don’t take it personal or anything. It’s just a way to get on base,” Call said. “Using that momentum just helps us for future at-bats. ‘Keep passing the baton,’ that’s what we say. It’s a free base, and free bases are hard to get in baseball.”

Senior right-hander Michael Barnett tossed 5.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, and senior right-hander Jack O’Connor recorded the final five outs to secure the shutout.

If there is one thing the Bruins have proved this season, it’s that offensive production can come from anywhere in the lineup.

And the sweep was completed by a breakout performance from junior third baseman Roman Martin. The Whittier, California, local went 3-for-5 on Sunday, with two home runs and a career-high six RBIs to lead the offense.

“It’s called UCLA baseball, but it’s really a culture,” Martin said. “When you have so many guys that are just bought in, you see the results.”

Junior outfielders Dean West and Will Gasparino also homered while Levu gathered two hits of his own. Junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky reached base five times and scored three runs as the Bruins applied pressure throughout the lineup.

Although the Hawkeyes cut into the deficit with five runs across the seventh and eighth innings, Martin’s second home run of the day in the ninth restored the cushion.

Sophomore right-hander Wylan Moss earned the win with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief, and Hawk closed the game with a perfect ninth to secure the series sweep.

“We’ve been a really good defensive team that’s picked up our pitching a lot throughout the season. Defense shows up every day. Defense will travel,” Savage said. “The best way to describe them is a true team. They believe in one another, they get on each other. They’re all about the right things. They’re about winning.”