UCLA Bruins News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage walks off the field before the game against the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

UCLA Should Be Proud of 2025 Baseball Season

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Greg Liodice | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Moral victories is such a nasty term in sports. It's a term that no player wants to hear after suffering a defeat.

So as writers, it's our duty to fluff it up to make the players look good.

The UCLA Bruins are eliminated from the College World Series after falling victim to both Arkansas and LSU. And while the loss is disappointing, and something that will live with the players for a while, it's not a slight on how far this UCLA program has come.

On top of the playoff success, UCLA was unstoppable. The Bruins went 48-18 overall, and a 22-7 record in the Big Ten. It helped them make the Super Regionals for the first time since 2019, and eventually make the program's first College World Series since 2013.

It was a drastic change from what they were the year prior. They went 19-33, and 9-21 in their final year as a member of the Pac-12.

Skipper John Savage has been at the helm in Westwood since 2004, so he's seen the best and the worst out of this program.

His first season in the blue and gold was a forgettable one, where he saw his team go 15-41 in 2005, but since then, he’s guided the Bruins to several successful seasons, including a College World Series title in 2013.

He did an exceptional job maximizing the talent on this year’s squad and getting the best out of his players, most notably Roch Cholowsky. He also didn't mind taking calculated risks, like allowing Dean West to attempt to steal home in the first inning against Arkansas.

As exciting as that was though, it may have cost his team momentum. And the game.

T1: Dean West just tried stealing home. He is called out.

UCLA is challenging.
— Andrew Riedell (@RiedellAndrew) June 17, 2025

Cholowsky brought in accolade after accolade, from the Big Ten Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, to Perfect Game Player of the Year, to being awarded Coaches Association First Team Honors, among others.

Under college baseball guidelines, Cholowsky isn't eligible for the MLB Draft this summer, so it allows college baseball's most exciting prospect to grace the field of Jackie Robinson Stadium for one more season.

It also opens the door for yet another run for Omaha.

Most of the core will be back along with Cholowsky. That means that the rising junior standouts in Dean West, Mulivai Levu, Roman Martin, and Landon Stump will all be back.

The Bruins may not have captured the ultimate goal, but the experience they had in 2025 will only be beneficial for a potential run in 2026.

Making Omaha is a ginormous accomplishment for any program, but for a program that hadn’t made it to the CWS since winning it all in 2013, this run is a sign of what’s building in Westwood.

With Cholowsky back and most of the lineup returning, the Bruins are expected to be a Top-5 team in most preseason polls. National pundits have taken notice — D1Baseball and Perfect Game both lauded UCLA as one of the nation’s most improved programs.

No one likes moral victories, and it may take a few months to get the bad taste of Omaha out of their mouths. But it's that much more pivotal for the future of the program.

With this run, the UCLA Bruins have solidified themselves as not only a powerhouse, but a destination for recruits around the country. It sends the message to recruits that if the ultimate goal is to make the major leagues, UCLA is the gateway to it.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: