UCLA pitcher Michael Barnett throws against Oregon during the first inning at PK Park in Eugene April 19, 2025 Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Big Ten Tournament Predictions for No. 2 Seed Bruins

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated May 20, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The No. 13 UCLA Bruins (39-15, 22-8) will play at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, the home of the Big Ten Tournament and College World Series, this week. Holding the No. 2 overall seed in the conference tournament, the Bruins are looking for a second Big Ten title this year.

The tournament will span from Tuesday to Sunday, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that begins Friday. Regardless of whether the Bruins win the tournament or not, they will most certainly be one of the 64 teams that qualify.

There are four pools consisting of three teams, with one team emerging from each pool to feature in the semifinal bracket on Saturday.

UCLA kicks off competition on Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. PT against the No. 11 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-23, 14-16), a team that it swept on the road two weekends ago.

The Bruins will dispatch the Illini, cruising to an explosive victory with their top pitcher, junior right-hander Michael Barnett, getting the start. He holds a Big Ten-best 10-1 record and should be able to grab win No. 11 on Wednesday.

The Bruins will then face a much better opponent, one that they absolutely demolished earlier this season in a non-conference battle. The No. 7 seed Michigan Wolverines will meet UCLA on Thursday morning at the same first pitch time as the Illini game.

UCLA took down the Wolverines, 22-5, in seven innings back in early March, but both teams have improved a ton this that game. Michigan will put up a strong fight, but UCLA will escape pool play with a 2-0 record and move on to the semifinal round to face another top team.

The other three teams that will accompany the Bruins in the semifinal round are No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 6 seed Indiana, and No. 5 seed Washington. The Hoosiers will get past the No. 3 seed Iowa Hawkeyes, while the Huskies upset the No. 4 USC Trojans to advance.

It would only be fitting for the two teams that shared a piece of the regular season conference title to meet in the Big Ten tournament, but it will not happen. The co-champion Ducks will lose in the semifinal round to the Indiana Hoosiers while UCLA defeats Washington, getting to the title game.

It will be UCLA facing Indiana for the Big Ten tournament championship and an automatic bid in the national tournament. The Bruins won the season series, 2-1, and will continue the success they have had against the Hoosiers this year.

UCLA wins the Big Ten tournament, defeating Indiana by a score of 7-2. Star shortstop and recent Golden Spikes Award semifinalist Roch Cholowsky will have a multi-RBI game while sophomore infielder Mulivai Levu blasts a game-turning home run last in the contest.