Cholowsky Reveals Why Bruins Were All Smiles in CWS Loss

With their backs against the wall, down 7-0 entering the ninth inning of an elimination game in the Men's College World Series, UCLA players couldn't help but keep on smiling.

"It's a special group of guys," Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky said after being eliminated from the postseason by Arkansas, 7-3, Tuesday. "It was tough going through what we did last year and no one really knows what it feels like besides the guys that were in it."

UCLA, a team made up mostly of sophomores, won 48 games this season after winning just 19 in 2024. It was one of the biggest jumps in college baseball history and it translated into a young Bruins team making a solid run into Omaha.

"Just talking about what we wanted to do this year and how we wanted to do it," Cholowsky added. "And just getting here and getting to experience this was super special to us and there was no other way we wanted to go out without a fight. And just seeing all the guys in the dugout still into it in the ninth even though we're down by seven runs, it just goes to show you how special of a group that we have and how tight the bond is. It was a special year."

The Bruins didn't go out without a fight, tough, as Cholowsky mentioned. The dugout's high spirits, and dirt-covered string cheese, empowered a three-run final inning before finally being laid to rest.

Batting leadoff in the ninth, Bruins first baseman Mulivai Levu talked to the ESPN camera man while walking up to the batters box. "Do you think I'll get a hit here?," the Sophomore asked. "Let's see."

What some watching might view as unprofessional was simply the personality of this young UCLA team. Levu ended up hitting a triple down the right field line and sparked the Bruins' three-run inning.

There must also be one thought in the back of the team's mind; the Bruins overperformed. They're ahead of schedule. Many, if not all, of their core players will be returning next season and they were two wins away from their first national championship appearance since winning it all in 2013.

UCLA isn't too far off, and every player knew that behind their smiles.