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

UCLA Headed to Big Ten Championship With Win Over Iowa

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated May 25, 2025 10:44 AM ET

The No. 13 UCLA Bruins (42-15, 22-8) are heading to the Big Ten Tournament championship after a huge win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in Saturday's semifinal matchup. The Bruins cruised to a 9-3 win after scoring early and often to advance to the title game in their first year in the conference.

UCLA scraped together a pair of runs in the third inning, taking a 2-0 lead, and quickly blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning to balloon the lead to 7-0. The Bruins combined for 14 hits and five walks to reach their first Big Ten Tournament in program history.

Sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky blasted his 23rd homer of the year in the fourth, adding a double, and finishing 3-for-5 with four RBI. Cholowsky has five hits and six RBI in three tournament games. He is making his name known at a national level, and the Big Ten has learned it quickly.

The other standout offensive performance came from sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a walk. He continues to be a perfect three-hitter behind Cholowsky to make the Bruins an absolute nightmare to face.

Bruins junior right hander Michael Barnett earned the big game start, hurling five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. He improves a Big Ten-best 11-1 record, giving the Bruins the best chance at victory after starting the ballgame with four scoreless frames.

Head coach John Savage went to a different bullpen in each of the final four innings. Sophomore righty Cal Randall started, followed by junior right-hander Jack O'Connor, and grad senior August Souza. Freshman closer Easton Hawk finished the ninth, and all four relief arms posted scoreless innings.

The Bruins will meet the No. 8 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers (31-27, 15-15) in the conference championship game this Sunday at 1 p.m. PT, 4 p.m. ET. Nebraska is the defending tournament champion and will be forced to go back-to-back to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

UCLA is heading to the NCAA Tournament regardless of the result but would make a major statement if they were to win both the regular season and tournament championships.