Is UCLA a Lock for Omaha or Next Season's Version of 2025 Texas A&M?

By Jake Mckeever

UCLA’s return to Omaha in 2025 was one of the most surprising story lines of the college baseball season. The Bruins stormed through a loaded Big Ten slate, hosted both a regional and super regional, and punched their ticket to the College World Series for the first time since the Gerrit Cole/Trevor Bauer era.

Now only one question remains. Can they return to Omaha as the hunted?

On paper, UCLA looks as loaded as anyone in the country. The Bruins return eight of nine starters from their final game in Omaha, losing only five-hole hitter AJ Salgado. Seven of those returning starters will be juniors next season, with Toussaint Bythewood the lone senior.

With all the uncertainty around UCLA’s baseball field and their ongoing legal battle with the VA, add in lack of investment to the program itself compared to ACC and SEC schools, you worry about UCLA’s ability to hold onto the talent itself. In very recent memory,we have seen Thatcher Hurd and other Bruins leave LA and land on SEC rosters.

That level of continuity is rare in this new era of NIL, where top juniors often depart for a big payday. The fact that stars like Angel Cervantes and Dominic Cadiz spurned pro offers to stay in Westwood might be the most important story line of UCLA’s offseason.

“Getting both Angel Cervantes and Dominic Cadiz on campus shows how special of a place UCLA is, both academically and athletically,” said head coach John Savage. “Both are cornerstone players that will make an immediate impact to our program.”

Even the transfer portal barely touched UCLA’s roster. Only Cameron Kim (Cal State Fullerton) and Logan De Groot (Northwestern) left the program. That’s a testament to Savage’s culture and to the fact that, as he proudly put it in Omaha, “UCLA wasn’t a bought team.”

A Roch and a hard place

If UCLA is going to chase a national title, it starts with Roch Cholowsky, and he might just be the best player in college baseball. A rarely underclassman winner of Player of the Year, a Team USA participant, and with an Omaha appearance, it felt like "the summer of Roch."

Now a Golden Spikes Award favorite in 2026 and a likely 1:1 pick, Cholowsky was a force in 2025, leading the Bruins in batting average, home runs, OBP, slugging, and walks. RJ Anderson called him “a fluid athlete with a good feel for both the position and the game overall…not just a plus glove and wheels at a premium position, but a compelling offensive prospect too.”

Overslot’s Joe Doyle went even further, calling Cholowsky “a total package…with the bat-to-ball skills, raw power, elite defense, plus arm strength, and 80-grade makeup to become a franchise pillar.”

The Best Infield in the Country?

UCLA’s infield might be the best ever assembled in college baseball. They have three guys who could start at short at a majority of P5’s around the country. We already mentioned Roch Cholowsky, but lets take a look at the two guys on either side of him.

Third baseman Roman Martin is a consensus Top-50 prospect with a cannon arm and 25-homer power. At second, Phoenix Call is a defensive wizard who arguably has greater range than his double-play counterpart. Golden Glover Mulivai Levu rounds out the infield, finishing second in the nation in RBIs.

The outfield looks to pack a punch as well, with leadoff man Dean West returning to Westwood. He’s an old school leadoff man, who loved to get on base and absolutely flies. Likely manning center field is Texas Transfer Will Gasparino. Back in the fall of his freshman year, his then head coach David Pierce raved about his raw power and mature approach. Despite the disappointing finish to his career on the "40 Acres," there was a two-week stretch where he was the best hitter in the SEC.

The Weak Spot: Pitching

As good as UCLA’s offense and defense were in 2025, their rotation was their undoing in Omaha. The weekend rotation saw changes throughout the season due to injury, academic ineligibility, and players moving in and out of the bullpen. Friday night ace Mikey Barnett returns for his senior season after earning second-team All-Big Ten honors, but the Bruins must replace Cody Delvecchio and find more consistency across the rotation.

The Bruins posted a 4.62 ERA as a staff, rarely getting past the fifth inning. Savage has built his reputation on developing arms, and he’ll need to work his magic again if UCLA wants to take the next step.

The Schedule: A Big Ten Grind

While we don't have the Bruins' Big 10 slate yet, there are a few things we can anticipate. USC will likely now take a home Big 10 series, and I doubt they dodge the trio of Rutgers, Maryland, and Penn State for a second year. Some teams (2024 Oregon State) thrive under heavy travel, while others (2025 Stanford) falter late in the year. UCLA’s ability to handle the grind could determine whether they peak in April, or finish in Omaha.

Bottom Line

With a returning core, a Golden Spikes favorite in Roch Cholowsky, and one of the nation’s best defenses, UCLA will likely open the season ranked in the top five.

But, just like 2025 Texas A&M or 2024 Wake Forest, the Bruins’ ability to make it back to Omaha will depend on their ability to maintain expectations. If Savage can develop a reliable rotation behind Barnett, UCLA has a chance to turn its 2025 run into something even bigger.

Prediction: Back to Omaha

*****