Latest news with #Cholowsky
Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Bill Plaschke shares a personal story
From Bill Plaschke: They pull giant boxing gloves over aging, sometimes shaking hands. They approach a black punching bag on weary, sometimes wobbly feet. Then they wail. They hit the bag with a left-handed jab, a right-handed reverse, a hook, another hook, an uppercut, another jab, bam, bam, bam. They end the flurry with kicks, side kicks, thrust kicks, wild kicks, their legs suddenly strong and purposeful and fueled by a strength that once seemed impossible. Outside of this small gym in a nondescript office park in Monrovia, they are elderly people dealing with the motion-melting nightmare that is Parkinson's disease. But inside the walls of Kaizen Martial Arts & Fitness, in a program known as Kaizen Kinetics, they are heavyweight champs. Ranging in age from 50 to 90, spanning the spectrum of swift strides to wheelchairs, they are the most courageous athletes I've met. I am in awe of them, perhaps because I am one of them. I, too, am living with Parkinson's disease. Continue reading here All Times Pacific NBA FINALS Oklahoma City vs. Indiana Indiana 111, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107 (box score, story)Wednesday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCFriday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCMonday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABCThursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC* *if necessary From Benjamin Royer: Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind. The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament honors despite UCLA not claiming the championship. So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a 'premium shortstop' — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn't making its usual noise. Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday. Cholowsky's RBI single off that strike in the fifth, a part of his two-for-five day, clinched UCLA's spot in the Men's College World Series with a 7-0 victory over Texas San Antonio. The two-game sweep of the Roadrunners gave the Bruins their sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all. Continue reading here From Kevin Baxter: The Dodgers have sent Clayton Kershaw to the mound to give a slumping team a lift countless times during his 18-year career. And they've rarely been disappointed. They did it again on a sultry Sunday afternoon in St. Louis and once again Kershaw delivered, earning his first win of the season in a 7-3 victory over the Cardinals that broke a two-game losing streak and ended a slide that had seen the Dodgers lose five of their last seven. 'He's been a stopper for many years. He's been a staff ace for many years. He's going to the Hall of Fame,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. 'So he understands. And he's going to be prepared.' Continue reading here Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings George Kirby struck out a career-high 14 during seven innings of two-hit ball, and the Seattle Mariners snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Angels on Sunday. Kirby (1-3) issued no walks while retiring both his first 11 and his final 10 batters. His strikeouts were the most by a Mariners pitcher since James Paxton had 16 in May 2018, and he matched Miami's Max Meyer for the most strikeouts in a major league game this season. Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in the fourth for the Halos, who struck out 18 times overall while losing for only the second time in six games. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings Denis Bouanga had a goal and two assists, Eddie Segura scored his first goal since 2020 and LAFC extended its MLS unbeaten streak to nine games with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night at BMO Stadium. Bouanga converted from the penalty spot in the 59th to give LAFC (7-4-5), which had 56% possession and outshot Kansas City 21-5, a 2-1 lead. Dejan Joveljic scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game when he ran onto a through ball played ahead by Manu García, and scored from near the penalty spot to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute. Continue reading here LAFC summary MLS standings Coco Gauff won the French Open for the first time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's final for her second Grand Slam singles title. The second-ranked Gauff made fewer mistakes in a contest that was full of tension and momentum swings to get the better of Sabalenka for the second time in a Grand Slam final. She also came from a set down to beat the Belarusian in the 2023 U.S. Open final. Gauff raised the winner's trophy aloft, then kissed it several times. She held her hand over her heart when the U.S. national anthem played. She is the first American woman to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015. She then thanked her parents for doing everything 'from washing my clothes to keeping me grounded and giving me the belief that I can do it.' 'You guys probably believe in me more than myself,' Gauff said in her on-court speech. It was the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and just the second in the last 30 years. Continue reading here ———— Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) on Sunday and win the French Open title for a second straight year. Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam tournament in as many finals, produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament. It was even better than his performance here last year, when he came back from 2-1 down in sets in the final against Alexander Zverev. But this time Alcaraz emulated Novak Djokovic's feat from the 2021 final at Roland-Garros, where he fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas. Continue reading here Tennis great Stan Smith on life lessons, Arthur Ashe's legacy and his namesake shoes All times Pacific STANLEY CUP FINAL Edmonton vs. Floridaat Edmonton 4, Florida 3 (OT) (summary, story)Florida 5, at Edmonton 4 (2 OT) (summary, story)Monday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTThursday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTSaturday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTTuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT* * If necessary 1888 — James McLaughlin sets the record for wins by a jockey in the Belmont Stakes, six, when he rides Sir Dixon to a 12-length victory. McLaughlin's record is matched by Eddie Arcaro in 1955. 1899 — Jim Jeffries knocks out Bob Fitzsimmons in the 11th round in New York to win the world heavyweight title. 1930 — Paavo Nurmi runs world record 6 mile (29:36.4). 1934 — Olin Dutra edges Gene Sarazen by one stroke to win the U.S. Open. 1940 — Lawson Little beats Gene Sarazen by three strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open golf title. 1945 — Hoop Jr. wins the Kentucky Derby, which is run one month after a national wartime government ban on racing is lifted. 1946 — Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in 8 for heavyweight boxing title. 1973 — Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the Belmont Stakes in record time to capture the Triple Crown. Secretariat sets a world record on the 1½-mile course with 2:24, and a record for largest margin of victory in the Belmont, 31 lengths. 1978 — Larry Holmes scores a 15-round split decision over Ken Norton for the WBC heavyweight title in New York. 1979 — Coastal, ridden by Ruben Hernandez, spoils Spectacular Bid's attempt at the Triple Crown with a 3¼-length victory over Golden Act. Spectacular Bid finishes third. 1984 — Swale, ridden by Laffit Pincay, wins the Belmont Stakes by four lengths over Pine Circle. Swale dies eight days later. 1984 — French Open Women's Tennis: Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert 6-3, 6-1; 2nd women in Open Era to hold all 4 Grand Slam titles at once. 1985 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 29 points to lead the Lakers to a 111-100 victory over the Boston Celtics and the NBA title in six games. 1990 — Monica Seles holds off four set points in the first set tiebreaker and goes on to become the youngest winner of the French Open, beating two-time champion Steffi Graf 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. Seles is 16 years, six months. 1991 — In the first all-American men's final at the French Open since 1954, Jim Courier rallies to beat Andre Agassi 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 for his first Grand Slam title. 1993 — Patrick Roy makes 18 saves and the Montreal Canadiens capture their 24th Stanley Cup, beating the Kings 4-1 in Game 5. 2001 — Stanley Cup Final, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO: Colorado Avalanche beat defending champion New Jersey Devils, 3-1 for 4-3 series win; Avalanche 2nd title. 2001 — Jennifer Capriati beats Kim Clijsters 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 to win the French Open, her second consecutive Grand Slam title. 2003 — The New Jersey Devils end the Mighty Ducks' surreal season, winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 victory. Mike Rupp, who had never appeared in a playoff until Game 4, scores the first goal and sets up Jeff Friesen for the other two. 2007 — Rags to Riches, a filly ridden by John Velazquez, outduels Curlin in a breathtaking stretch run and won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first of her sex to take the final leg of the Triple Crown in more than a century. 2010 — Chicago's Patrick Kane sneaks the puck past Michael Leighton 4:10 into overtime, stunning Philadelphia and lifting the Blackhawks to a 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961. 2013 — Rafael Nadal becomes the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam tournament after beating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the French Open final, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. 2018 — Justify becomes the 13th Triple Crown winner by winning the Belmont Stakes with Mike Smith aboard. 2019 — French Open Men's Tennis: Rafael Nadal beats Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; 3rd straight French singles title; 12th overall; first to win 12 singles titles at same Grand Slam; 18th major. 2022 — The controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series gets underway at the Centurion Club, Hertfordshire; PGA suspends 17 participating players. 2024 — French Open Men's Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz becomes the youngest man to win grand slams on all three surfaces, coming back to beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a final lasting 4 hours 15 minutes 1901 — The New York Giants set a major league record with 31 hits in beating Cincinnati 25-13. Al Selbach of the Giants went 6-for-7 with two doubles and four singles and scored four runs. 1906 — Boston snapped a 19-game losing streak by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3. 1914 — Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates got the 3,000th hit of his career off Philadelphia's Erskine Mayer in a 3-1 loss to the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Wagner's hit, a double, came in the ninth. Wagner joined Cap Anson as the only members of the 3,000-hit club. 1935 — The St. Louis Cardinals became the 10th team in major league history to score a run in every inning in a 13-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. 1946 — Commissioner Happy Chandler imposed five-year suspensions on players who jumped to the Mexican League and three-year suspensions for those who broke the reserve clause. 1946 — The New York Giants' Mel Ott became the first manager to be ejected in both ends of a doubleheader. The Pittsburgh Pirates won both games, 2-1 and 5-1. 1963 — Playing the first Sunday night game in major league history because of excessive heat during the day, the Houston Colt .45s handed the San Francisco Giants their seventh straight loss in Houston, 3-0. Turk Farrell and Skinny Brown pitched the shutout. 1966 — Rich Rollins, Zoilo Versalles, Tony Oliva, Don Mincher and Harmon Killebrew homered in the seventh inning for the Minnesota Twins in a 9-4 victory over the Kansas City Athletics. 1979 — Nolan Ryan struck out 16 batters as the Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 9-1. It was the 21st time in his career he struck out 15 or more batters in one game. 1986 — White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver (306) and Angels hurler Don Sutton (298) had the highest composite win total (604) for opposing pitchers since 1926, when Walter Johnson (406) faced Red Faber (197). Sutton pitched a two-hit shutout to beat the White Sox 3-0. 1990 — Eddie Murray of the Dodgers tied Mickey Mantle's record by homering from each side of the plate in the same game for the 10th time in his career. The Dodgers beat the Padres 5-4 in 11 innings. 1998 — Cecil Fielder of the Angels and Yamil Benitez of the Diamondbacks each hit grand slams in the same inning in Anaheim's 10-8 win over Arizona. It was the first time both teams hit grand slams in the same inning since 1992. 2008 — Ken Griffey Jr. became the sixth player in baseball history to reach 600 homers with a drive off Mark Hendrickson in the first inning of the Cincinnati Reds' 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. 2014 — Lonnie Chisenhall had nine RBIs and three home runs in a five-hit game, Michael Brantley scored five times and the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 17-7. 2015 — Chris Heston pitched the first no-hitter in his 13th career start, leading the San Francisco Giants over the New York Mets 5-0. The rookie allowed three baserunners — all on hit batters. He also had a two-run single for his first big league RBIs and finished with two more hits than the Mets. 2019 — The Nationals accomplish a very rare feat as four consecutive batters hit solo homers in the 8th inning in Petco Park in San Diego to break a 1-1 tie. Pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick starts things off against Craig Stammen, and is followed by Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon, who all go yard. This is only the ninth time in major league history this has happened, and the Nats were the last to do so, on July 27, 2017. 2019 — Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz shot in the back while visiting in his native Dominican Republic. 2022 — The Twins open the bottom of the 1st against the Yankees with three consecutive homers off Gerrit Cole at Target Field, by Luis Arraez, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. This is the first time in franchise history this has happened. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
After a 12-year wait, UCLA is back in the Men's College World Series
Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind. The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament despite UCLA not claiming the championship. Advertisement So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a 'premium shortstop' — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn't making its usual noise. Lagging behind for Cholowsky isn't the same for the rest of Division I baseball. The Arizona-raised team captain was still hitting .333 through the regionals and super regionals entering Sunday. A big swing, however, had yet to come — Cholowsky flying out to the deep outfield on numerous occasions across the last two weeks. 'He's just trying to do too much, probably,' Savage reasoned after Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional on Saturday. 'All he cares about is winning. That's all what these guys all care about. We like an average Roch. Average Roch is pretty good.' Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday. He did a little too much, as Savage said, trying to catch Texas San Antonio's defense sleeping and got picked off at third base in the fifth. But his big swing finally arrived — a swing that helped deliver the Bruins to Omaha. Advertisement Cholowsky's RBI single in the fifth, a part of his 2-for-5 day, clinched UCLA's spot in the Men's College World Series with a 7-0 victory over UTSA. The two-game Los Angeles Super Regional sweep of the Roadrunners makes for the Bruins' sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all. Cholowsky, whose trip to Omaha as a high-school senior convinced him of going to UCLA rather than becoming a likely first-round MLB draft selection, will now get his wish. The shortstop fell to the ground as Phoenix Call caught the final out in shallow right field, holding his head to the dirt. Cholowsky leapt up from the ground, his teammates already celebrating at the center of the diamond. He joined them, jumping in glee. His dreams, realized. Whereas Cholowsky may be one of the most well-known Bruins baseball players in recent memory, it was a little-playing junior who broke a scoreless game. Outfielder Toussaint Bythewood, a Harvard-Westlake alumnus, dunk a soft line drive into right field for a two-out RBI single against UTSA starting pitcher Conor Myles. Bythewood, who had started twice all season and taken just 12 at bats entering the game, provided the Bruins with their winning swing. UCLA added two insurance runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to build enough distance for its arms to pitch a little more comfortably as the Roadrunners ran out of outs. Advertisement A UTSA offense that was dominant in an Austin Regional sweep a week ago, exited with a whimper, rallying just four hits against UCLA's pitching staff. Starting pitcher Landon Stump couldn't get through the fifth, but the Bruins' relief pitchers carried the brunt of the battle to shut out the Roadrunners. Left-hander Chris Grothues tied a career high with 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out two and making a nifty play to catch a popped-up bunt to end the sixth. Righties Cal Randall and August Souza bridged the gap to the ninth, where freshman closer Easton Hawk shut the door. Savage, who is in the 12th and final year of the contract extension UCLA rewarded him with after winning the 2013 national championship, will get his long-awaited chance to revisit old memories and create new ones as the Bruins attempt to win their second national championship beginning later this week in Omaha. Advertisement Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
After a 12-year wait, UCLA is back in the Men's College World Series
Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind. The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament despite UCLA not claiming the championship. So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a 'premium shortstop' — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn't making its usual noise. Lagging behind for Cholowsky isn't the same for the rest of Division I baseball. The Arizona-raised team captain was still hitting .333 through the regionals and super regionals entering Sunday. A big swing, however, had yet to come — Cholowsky flying out to the deep outfield on numerous occasions across the last two weeks. 'He's just trying to do too much, probably,' Savage reasoned after Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional on Saturday. 'All he cares about is winning. That's all what these guys all care about. We like an average Roch. Average Roch is pretty good.' Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday. He did a little too much, as Savage said, trying to catch Texas San Antonio's defense sleeping and got picked off at third base in the fifth. But his big swing finally arrived — a swing that helped deliver the Bruins to Omaha. Cholowsky's RBI single in the fifth, a part of his 2 for 5 day, clinched UCLA's spot in the Men's College World Series with a 7-0 victory over UTSA. The two-game Los Angeles Super Regional sweep of the Roadrunners makes for the Bruins' sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all. Cholowsky, whose trip to Omaha as a high-school senior convinced him of going to UCLA rather than becoming a likely first-round MLB draft selection, will now get his wish. The shortstop fell to the ground as Phoenix Call caught the final out in shallow right field, holding his head to the dirt. Cholowsky leapt up from the ground, his teammates already celebrating at the center of the diamond. He joined them, jumping in glee. His dreams, realized. Whereas Cholowsky may be one of the most well-known Bruins baseball players in recent memory, it was a little-playing junior who broke a scoreless game. Outfielder Toussaint Bythewood, a Harvard-Westlake alumnus, dunk a soft line drive into right field for a two-out RBI single against UTSA starting pitcher Conor Myles. Bythewood, who had started twice all season and taken just 12 at bats entering the game, provided the Bruins with their winning swing. UCLA added two insurance runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to build enough distance for its arms to pitch a little more comfortably as the Roadrunners ran out of outs. A UTSA offense that was dominant in an Austin Regional sweep a week ago, exited with a whimper, rallying just four hits against UCLA's pitching staff. Starting pitcher Landon Stump couldn't get through the fifth, but the Bruins' relief pitchers carried the brunt of the battle to shut out the Roadrunners. Left-hander Chris Grothues tied a career high with 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out two and making a nifty play to catch a popped-up bunt to end the sixth. Righties Cal Randall and August Souza bridged the gap to the ninth, where freshman closer Easton Hawk shut the door. Savage, who is in the 12th and final year of the contract extension UCLA rewarded him with after winning the 2013 national championship, will get his long-awaited chance to revisit old memories and create new ones as the Bruins attempt to win their second national championship beginning later this week in Omaha.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Omaha is what I'm really chasing': Top MLB draft prospect Roch Cholowsky eyes CWS
UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky throws the ball during a game against BYU on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press) Roch Cholowsky was reasonably conflicted when he arrived in Omaha in June 2023. His life was about to dramatically change. Since his sophomore year at Hamilton High in Chandler, Ariz., the wiry shortstop and son of former big leaguer Dan Cholowsky received deserved attention from scouts — developing power as he grew into his eventual 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. Advertisement It was time for Cholowsky, however, to make a decision. Cholowsky slashed .466/.577/.970 with 11 home runs in his senior campaign. The Athletic's Keith Law projected Cholowsky would be a late first-round pick. Life-changing money for a then-18-year-old was on the table should he choose to forgo his longstanding commitment to UCLA. He could have become a millionaire as a teen — for many, a dream. And then he saw Louisiana State's Paul Skenes, the eventual top selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, pitch at Charles Schwab Field during the College World Series. Cholowsky called that moment, just a few weeks before the draft, "a turning point." He watched in awe as the top collegiate pitcher in the nation, an enigma on the mound, hurled seemingly unhittable 101-mph fastballs past his opponents. UCLA's Roch Cholowsky (1) trots around the bases after hitting a home run against USC on March 2. (Greg Fiore/Cal Sport Media/AP) 'It was one of the coolest things that I've ever experienced in baseball,' Cholowsky said on a recent Tuesday, sitting on a bench outside Jackie Robinson Stadium's clubhouse before a bus trip to Long Beach State's Blair Field. Advertisement For Cholowsky, it was no longer 'up in the air' whether Westwood was right for him. Roch Cholowsky was coming to UCLA. 'I want to get to that point, in that spot and in college,' Cholowsky said. 'I didn't want to pass that up.' In Cholowsky's dorm, he hangs a vision board on the wall. In small lettering, he lists personal accomplishments such as becoming first team All-American (he earned second team honors last season), getting an invitation to Team USA's collegiate camp and returning to the Cape Cod Baseball League, the nation's premier summer-collegiate baseball competition. UCLA's Roch Cholowsky hits a three-run homer in the fifth inning against USC on March 2. (Greg Fiore / Cal Sport Media / AP) But in big letters, highlighted at the bottom of the board, one word stands above the rest: 'Omaha.' Advertisement For Cholowsky and No. 15 UCLA baseball, a trip to Omaha for the first time since the Bruins won the College World Series in 2013 isn't so far out of the equation. The city and the experience as a teenage fan watching Skenes sculpted Cholowsky's motivations. 'Omaha is what I'm really chasing,' he said. Cholowsky may be the widely projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB draft, but reaching Omaha while representing 'the four letters' is what makes Cholowsky the player he is today. He is slashing .359/.498/.729 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. He walks more than he strikes out (38 walks to 26 strikeouts) and takes a free base when needed, wearing 18 hit by pitches. Advertisement 'It's like he knows what's coming,' said Phoenix Call, UCLA second baseman and Cholowsky's roommate. 'That doesn't just happen.' Read more: UCLA softball earns record 40th NCAA tournament appearance, will host regional Some consider the Bruins shortstop to be the top player in college baseball. He's a UCLA captain — the only sophomore among the three team leaders. Cholowsky has already all but led UCLA back to the postseason for the first time since 2022 — after two unremarkable, injury-impacted seasons — and a top-half finish in the program's first year in the Big Ten. A trip to Omaha is still a ways away — UCLA last advanced to a super regional in 2019 — but Cholowsky's leadership and talent have the Bruins and coach John Savage dreaming of what could be in the next two months. Advertisement 'I think any coach believes they're the leader of the program — you're the voice of the program,' said Savage, who is in his 21st season as coach. 'Without player leadership, it's really hard these days to navigate, so just having a guy like Roch, who clearly understands the team, is just such an advantage in so many ways.' Added Savage: 'He has the brightest future as any player we have ever had, and we've had many that became premier major leaguers for a long time.' UCLA's Roch Cholowsky throws the ball during a game against Loyola Marymount on April 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press) Savage fondly remembers Cholowsky's high school football career. He was a three-star quarterback at Hamilton High. Cholowsky held a football scholarship offer from Notre Dame; all to say, UCLA's signal caller in the infield was no slouch on the gridiron. Advertisement 'He just has a command and a presence in himself that most people don't have,' said Michael Zdebski, Hamilton's football coach when Cholowsky was quarterback. 'That's something that comes from having great success in everything that you do, the fact that you don't take it for granted, and you always want to be the best possible player at your position on the field.' Zdebski said he could tell Cholowsky's athleticism could lead to any athletic career he wanted just from watching him as a freshman — becoming a multi-faceted player on the football field while starring for the varsity baseball team. Not only did Cholowsky play defensive back beyond quarterback — showcasing his hand-eye coordination, Zdebski said — but he starred as a punter too. In 2021, Cholowsky led Arizona high school athletes in yards-per-punt, striking the ball 46.6 yards on average. Cholowsky said he always loved playing football more, but his superior talent — and lower health risks — in baseball were too hard to ignore. He knew the diamond was where he best fit. Advertisement Read more: A former UCLA bench player created basketball's plus-minus stat, and he credits John Wooden 'As I got older, I realized there's not many Deion Sanders and Bo Jacksons out there,' Cholowsky said. UCLA's coach marvels about Cholowky's leadership as a quarterback — and a shortstop. He turned to Hamilton's 2022 and 2023 Arizona State 6-A baseball championship victories. 'He was the best player on the field,' Savage said. 'He was going to have his team win a state championship. You don't always see that — you just, you don't always see that: 'Oh, the best player on the field makes the team win.'' Advertisement Cholowsky is the type of player who has provided UCLA the opportunity to bounce back from bad weekends — something the Bruins have struggled with in the last two seasons, Savage said. Savage and Cholowsky turned to their offseason bus rides to baseball fields while the status of Jackie Robinson Stadium was in limbo. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter restored UCLA's access to the stadium in late October, allowing the Bruins to use the facilities until July. Some days in the fall, it was Birmingham High School. Other days the Bruins trekked to private schools — Notre Dame High or Harvard Westlake High School. The travel baseball memories turned UCLA into a family, Savage said, gaining traits he felt may have been missing from the program as they departed the Pac-12. UCLA's Roch Cholowsky runs during a game against Loyola Marymount on April 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press) 'We were busing three, four times a week, just hanging out with everybody for an extra 30-40 minutes a day that we usually wouldn't have,' Cholowsky said. 'The big thing was that we were just together everywhere we went. And I think that that helped us bond. … Having that adversity in the fall just made us really be thankful for having Jackie Robinson as our stadium and just being able to play here every day.' Advertisement The Bruins hold a 24-6 record at Jackie Robinson Stadium (last year, they were 15-11). UCLA has won seven out of nine of its Big Ten series in 2025 — and split its season series with rival USC despite losing the formal conference three-game set. In UCLA's late April series against Penn State — in which the Bruins swept the Nittany Lions — Cholowsky socked a home run in each game, none of which ever threatened to stay in the ballpark. Cholowsky's effort has turned UCLA into a contender, and very well may lead the Bruins to postseason baseball at Jackie Robinson Stadium in May. Cholowsky pointed at the visitors' dugout and remarked about something Savage told the team. 'Coach always preaches to us that the pitching coach on the other team is feeding their families by trying to get us out,' he said. When Cholowsky steps into the batter's box, the visitors will face a hitter with a deeper hunger to reach Omaha. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
‘Omaha is what I'm really chasing': Top MLB draft prospect Roch Cholowsky eyes CWS
Roch Cholowsky was reasonably conflicted when he arrived in Omaha in June 2023. His life was about to dramatically change. Since his sophomore year at Hamilton High in Chandler, Ariz., the wiry shortstop and son of former big leaguer Dan Cholowsky received deserved attention from scouts — developing power as he grew into his eventual 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. It was time for Cholowsky, however, to make a decision. Cholowsky slashed .466/.577/.970 with 11 home runs in his senior campaign. The Athletic's Keith Law projected Cholowsky would be a late first-round pick. Life-changing money for a then-18-year-old was on the table should he choose to forgo his longstanding commitment to UCLA. He could have become a millionaire as a teen — for many, a dream. And then he saw Louisiana State's Paul Skenes, the eventual top selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, pitch at Charles Schwab Field during the College World Series. Cholowsky called that moment, just a few weeks before the draft, 'a turning point.' He watched in awe as the top collegiate pitcher in the nation, an enigma on the mound, hurled seemingly unhittable 101-mph fastballs past his opponents. 'It was one of the coolest things that I've ever experienced in baseball,' Cholowsky said on a recent Tuesday, sitting on a bench outside Jackie Robinson Stadium's clubhouse before a bus trip to Long Beach State's Blair Field. For Cholowsky, it was no longer 'up in the air' whether Westwood was right for him. Roch Cholowsky was coming to UCLA. 'I want to get to that point, in that spot and in college,' Cholowsky said. 'I didn't want to pass that up.' In Cholowsky's dorm, he hangs a vision board on the wall. In small lettering, he lists personal accomplishments such as becoming first team All-American (he earned second team honors last season), getting an invitation to Team USA's collegiate camp and returning to the Cape Cod Baseball League, the nation's premier summer-collegiate baseball competition. But in big letters, highlighted at the bottom of the board, one word stands above the rest: 'Omaha.' For Cholowsky and No. 15 UCLA baseball, a trip to Omaha for the first time since the Bruins won the College World Series in 2013 isn't so far out of the equation. The city and the experience as a teenage fan watching Skenes sculpted Cholowsky's motivations. 'Omaha is what I'm really chasing,' he said. Cholowsky may be the widely projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB draft, but reaching Omaha while representing 'the four letters' is what makes Cholowsky the player he is today. He is slashing .359/.498/.729 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. He walks more than he strikes out (38 walks to 26 strikeouts) and takes a free base when needed, wearing 18 hit by pitches. 'It's like he knows what's coming,' said Phoenix Call, UCLA second baseman and Cholowsky's roommate. 'That doesn't just happen.' Some consider the Bruins shortstop to be the top player in college baseball. He's a UCLA captain — the only sophomore among the three team leaders. Cholowsky has already all but led UCLA back to the postseason for the first time since 2022 — after two unremarkable, injury-impacted seasons — and a top-half finish in the program's first year in the Big Ten. A trip to Omaha is still a ways away — UCLA last advanced to a super regional in 2019 — but Cholowsky's leadership and talent have the Bruins and coach John Savage dreaming of what could be in the next two months. 'I think any coach believes they're the leader of the program — you're the voice of the program,' said Savage, who is in his 21st season as coach. 'Without player leadership, it's really hard these days to navigate, so just having a guy like Roch, who clearly understands the team, is just such an advantage in so many ways.' Added Savage: 'He has the brightest future as any player we have ever had, and we've had many that became premier major leaguers for a long time.' Savage fondly remembers Cholowsky's high school football career. He was a three-star quarterback at Hamilton High. Cholowsky held a football scholarship offer from Notre Dame; all to say, UCLA's signal caller in the infield was no slouch on the gridiron. 'He just has a command and a presence in himself that most people don't have,' said Michael Zdebski, Hamilton's football coach when Cholowsky was quarterback. 'That's something that comes from having great success in everything that you do, the fact that you don't take it for granted, and you always want to be the best possible player at your position on the field.' Zdebski said he could tell Cholowsky's athleticism could lead to any athletic career he wanted just from watching him as a freshman — becoming a multi-faceted player on the football field while starring for the varsity baseball team. Not only did Cholowsky play defensive back beyond quarterback — showcasing his hand-eye coordination, Zdebski said — but he starred as a punter too. In 2021, Cholowsky led Arizona high school athletes in yards-per-punt, striking the ball 46.6 yards on average. Cholowsky said he always loved playing football more, but his superior talent — and lower health risks — in baseball were too hard to ignore. He knew the diamond was where he best fit. 'As I got older, I realized there's not many Deion Sanders and Bo Jacksons out there,' Cholowsky said. UCLA's coach marvels about Cholowky's leadership as a quarterback — and a shortstop. He turned to Hamilton's 2022 and 2023 Arizona State 6-A baseball championship victories. 'He was the best player on the field,' Savage said. 'He was going to have his team win a state championship. You don't always see that — you just, you don't always see that: 'Oh, the best player on the field makes the team win.'' Cholowsky is the type of player who has provided UCLA the opportunity to bounce back from bad weekends — something the Bruins have struggled with in the last two seasons, Savage said. Savage and Cholowsky turned to their offseason bus rides to baseball fields while the status of Jackie Robinson Stadium was in limbo. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter restored UCLA's access to the stadium in late October, allowing the Bruins to use the facilities until July. Some days in the fall, it was Birmingham High School. Other days the Bruins trekked to private schools — Notre Dame High or Harvard Westlake High School. The travel baseball memories turned UCLA into a family, Savage said, gaining traits he felt may have been missing from the program as they departed the Pac-12. 'We were busing three, four times a week, just hanging out with everybody for an extra 30-40 minutes a day that we usually wouldn't have,' Cholowsky said. 'The big thing was that we were just together everywhere we went. And I think that that helped us bond. … Having that adversity in the fall just made us really be thankful for having Jackie Robinson as our stadium and just being able to play here every day.' The Bruins hold a 24-6 record at Jackie Robinson Stadium (last year, they were 15-11). UCLA has won seven out of nine of its Big Ten series in 2025 — and split its season series with rival USC despite losing the formal conference three-game set. In UCLA's late April series against Penn State — in which the Bruins swept the Nittany Lions — Cholowsky socked a home run in each game, none of which ever threatened to stay in the ballpark. Cholowsky's effort has turned UCLA into a contender, and very well may lead the Bruins to postseason baseball at Jackie Robinson Stadium in May. Cholowsky pointed at the visitors' dugout and remarked about something Savage told the team. 'Coach always preaches to us that the pitching coach on the other team is feeding their families by trying to get us out,' he said. When Cholowsky steps into the batter's box, the visitors will face a hitter with a deeper hunger to reach Omaha.
