Friday, March 21
Los Angeles, Calif.
9:00 PM
Indiana University
at
UCLA
Baseball Central: UCLA
3/20/2025 2:30:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the first time since 2018, the Indiana Baseball team (12-9, 4-2 B1G) will head west to California for a weekend series. In a new era of the Big Ten, each team will play at least one series on the west coast. The Hoosiers head to Los Angeles to face UCLA (March 21-23) before getting a return trip from its crosstown rivals USC next week in Bloomington (March 28-30).
The Hoosiers have won five-straight games heading into the weekend, their longest winning streak since February of 2024. A pair of clutch home runs from junior outfielder Devin Taylor and freshman third baseman Cooper Malamazian helped finish off a 7-4 win over Evansville on Tuesday (March 18).
IU has started to pitch the ball better over the past few weeks. Pitching coach Dustin Glant's crew has allowed seven-or-fewer earned runs in the past seven ballgames. In five of those games, IU's pitching staff gave up fewer than five runs. Redshirt junior reliever Pete Haas has been prolific in that stretch with one win, one save and 15 strikeouts to just two walks.
While Taylor is the big name in the lineup – and has produced as such – redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson continues to swing one of the hottest bats in the country. He narrowly missed another home run on Tuesday night but is tied for the Big Ten lead in home runs (10) and RBIs (37). He's the outright leader in hits (36).
This weekend provides IU a big opportunity at picking up resume-building wins. IU let games against Xavier slip away earlier in the year and will be eager to add an important victory to its postseason case. UCLA enters the weekend at No. 13 in the RPI, the highest-ranked Big Ten team.
All three contests in California will operate on Pacific time but will stick to the traditional weekend schedule. Friday's game in Westwood will have a first pitch of 9:00 p.m. ET. The Saturday and Sunday contests will begin at 5:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. ET respectively.
Gameday Info
vs. UCLA (Friday, March 21st – 9:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/4tPRD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/XdYoo
vs. UCLA (Saturday, March 22nd – 5:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/g0Fet
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/Dd8CK
vs. UCLA (Sunday, March 23rd – 4:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/WTUJP
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: ln.run/gWN_V
Probable Starters
UCLA
• Friday: TBD
• Saturday: RHP Ben Grable, Gr. (3-0, 4.50 ERA)
• Sunday: TBD
Leading Off
OUT WEST: IU will have its last big trip for over a month when it goes to UCLA this week. The Hoosiers have already been to Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina this season. After starting the season 0-4, IU has won 12 of its past 17 games entering the weekend.
KEEPS HITTIN': Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley just keeps doing his thing at the plate. He is the Big Ten leader and is third in the NCAA among freshman in base hits (32). Hanley has hit safely in 19-of-21 games this season and hasn't made an error at first base.
Heading into the weekend, Hanley is tied for third in the Big Ten with 32 base hits. The Hoosiers hold the top three spots in the conference (Dickerson – 36, Taylor – 33, Hanley – 32).
WALKIN' AWAY: Junior outfielder Devin Taylor and sophomore outfielder Andrew Wiggins just know how to get on base. The IU duo is tied for the Big Ten lead in walks with 22 each. Having them at the top of the order has set it up for IU RBI leader Korbyn Dickerson (37) in the three hole.
Through 21 games last year, IU had 175 strikeouts to just 106 walks. Those numbers have improved greatly on each side through 21 games this season. The Hoosiers have 35 more walks at this point in the season and 21 fewer strikeouts. Seven different players have at least 11 walks this season.
KD THE MVP: Redshirt sophomore center fielder Korbyn Dickerson is having a breakout season for the Hoosiers. He's the only Big Ten player to reach 10 home runs, 30 runs scored and 30 RBIs this season. He also happens to lead the conference with 36 hits.
Dickerson is one of four players in the NCAA – and one of two in the Big Ten – with at least 10 home runs and 37 RBIs this season. The others are Justin Lebron of Alabama, Ryland Zaborowski of Georgia and Alex Calarco of Maryland.
THE RISE OF GILLEY: Graduate student pitcher Cole Gilley has been a revelation for IU's pitching staff and now will likely be used as a piece the Hoosiers call on to win games. His most impressive feat is his 27 strikeouts compared to just five walks.
The Hoosiers have opted towards a one-starter rotation going forward with a couple of injuries to its pitching staff. That will allow Gilley and redshirt senior Gavin Seebold to become high-leverage arms around starting pitcher Ben Grable. Redshirt junior pitcher Pete Haas has been another impressive arm out of the bullpen lately.
SERIES SWEEP: IU's weekend sweep of Ohio State was the first of the season and the ninth Big Ten sweep in the tenure of head coach Jeff Mercer. IU outscored the Buckeyes 34-12 while recording 33 hits, seven home runs and 18 free bases. The Hoosiers made zero errors on the weekend.
Scouting the Opponent
UCLA
• After a down season in 2024, UCLA has quickly flipped the script with a tremendous 20-game (16-4) start to the new campaign. Legendary head coach John Savage has over 690 wins as the UCLA skipper in his 21st year in Westwood. He won the 2013 College World Series – a World Series that also featured Indiana.
• As is a staple of Savage-coached teams, UCLA is prolific on the mound, especially in its bullpen. All four of UCLA's primary starters have thrown at least 20 innings this year. The Bruins have walked just 89 batters on the season and only allowed 80 earned runs.
• UCLA is led offensively by former Freshman All-American Roch Cholowsky. The sophomore infielder is hitting .338 on the season with seven home runs and 26 RBIs. Him and sophomore outfielder Dean West have each worked 20 walks this season.
• The Bruins' debut season in the Big Ten has begun with a series win at Maryland and a sweep of Nebraska in Los Angeles. UCLA has also picked up non-conference wins against USC, Michigan State and Michigan.
Inside the Series
UCLA
• These two teams have played just once before, a 6-4 UCLA win in April of 1969. This will be the first weekend meeting against any of the new west coast programs.
The Hoosiers have won five-straight games heading into the weekend, their longest winning streak since February of 2024. A pair of clutch home runs from junior outfielder Devin Taylor and freshman third baseman Cooper Malamazian helped finish off a 7-4 win over Evansville on Tuesday (March 18).
IU has started to pitch the ball better over the past few weeks. Pitching coach Dustin Glant's crew has allowed seven-or-fewer earned runs in the past seven ballgames. In five of those games, IU's pitching staff gave up fewer than five runs. Redshirt junior reliever Pete Haas has been prolific in that stretch with one win, one save and 15 strikeouts to just two walks.
While Taylor is the big name in the lineup – and has produced as such – redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson continues to swing one of the hottest bats in the country. He narrowly missed another home run on Tuesday night but is tied for the Big Ten lead in home runs (10) and RBIs (37). He's the outright leader in hits (36).
This weekend provides IU a big opportunity at picking up resume-building wins. IU let games against Xavier slip away earlier in the year and will be eager to add an important victory to its postseason case. UCLA enters the weekend at No. 13 in the RPI, the highest-ranked Big Ten team.
All three contests in California will operate on Pacific time but will stick to the traditional weekend schedule. Friday's game in Westwood will have a first pitch of 9:00 p.m. ET. The Saturday and Sunday contests will begin at 5:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. ET respectively.
Gameday Info
vs. UCLA (Friday, March 21st – 9:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/4tPRD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/XdYoo
vs. UCLA (Saturday, March 22nd – 5:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/g0Fet
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: t.ly/Dd8CK
vs. UCLA (Sunday, March 23rd – 4:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/WTUJP
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: ln.run/gWN_V
Probable Starters
UCLA
• Friday: TBD
• Saturday: RHP Ben Grable, Gr. (3-0, 4.50 ERA)
• Sunday: TBD
Leading Off
OUT WEST: IU will have its last big trip for over a month when it goes to UCLA this week. The Hoosiers have already been to Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina this season. After starting the season 0-4, IU has won 12 of its past 17 games entering the weekend.
KEEPS HITTIN': Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley just keeps doing his thing at the plate. He is the Big Ten leader and is third in the NCAA among freshman in base hits (32). Hanley has hit safely in 19-of-21 games this season and hasn't made an error at first base.
Heading into the weekend, Hanley is tied for third in the Big Ten with 32 base hits. The Hoosiers hold the top three spots in the conference (Dickerson – 36, Taylor – 33, Hanley – 32).
WALKIN' AWAY: Junior outfielder Devin Taylor and sophomore outfielder Andrew Wiggins just know how to get on base. The IU duo is tied for the Big Ten lead in walks with 22 each. Having them at the top of the order has set it up for IU RBI leader Korbyn Dickerson (37) in the three hole.
Through 21 games last year, IU had 175 strikeouts to just 106 walks. Those numbers have improved greatly on each side through 21 games this season. The Hoosiers have 35 more walks at this point in the season and 21 fewer strikeouts. Seven different players have at least 11 walks this season.
KD THE MVP: Redshirt sophomore center fielder Korbyn Dickerson is having a breakout season for the Hoosiers. He's the only Big Ten player to reach 10 home runs, 30 runs scored and 30 RBIs this season. He also happens to lead the conference with 36 hits.
Dickerson is one of four players in the NCAA – and one of two in the Big Ten – with at least 10 home runs and 37 RBIs this season. The others are Justin Lebron of Alabama, Ryland Zaborowski of Georgia and Alex Calarco of Maryland.
THE RISE OF GILLEY: Graduate student pitcher Cole Gilley has been a revelation for IU's pitching staff and now will likely be used as a piece the Hoosiers call on to win games. His most impressive feat is his 27 strikeouts compared to just five walks.
The Hoosiers have opted towards a one-starter rotation going forward with a couple of injuries to its pitching staff. That will allow Gilley and redshirt senior Gavin Seebold to become high-leverage arms around starting pitcher Ben Grable. Redshirt junior pitcher Pete Haas has been another impressive arm out of the bullpen lately.
SERIES SWEEP: IU's weekend sweep of Ohio State was the first of the season and the ninth Big Ten sweep in the tenure of head coach Jeff Mercer. IU outscored the Buckeyes 34-12 while recording 33 hits, seven home runs and 18 free bases. The Hoosiers made zero errors on the weekend.
Scouting the Opponent
UCLA
• After a down season in 2024, UCLA has quickly flipped the script with a tremendous 20-game (16-4) start to the new campaign. Legendary head coach John Savage has over 690 wins as the UCLA skipper in his 21st year in Westwood. He won the 2013 College World Series – a World Series that also featured Indiana.
• As is a staple of Savage-coached teams, UCLA is prolific on the mound, especially in its bullpen. All four of UCLA's primary starters have thrown at least 20 innings this year. The Bruins have walked just 89 batters on the season and only allowed 80 earned runs.
• UCLA is led offensively by former Freshman All-American Roch Cholowsky. The sophomore infielder is hitting .338 on the season with seven home runs and 26 RBIs. Him and sophomore outfielder Dean West have each worked 20 walks this season.
• The Bruins' debut season in the Big Ten has begun with a series win at Maryland and a sweep of Nebraska in Los Angeles. UCLA has also picked up non-conference wins against USC, Michigan State and Michigan.
Inside the Series
UCLA
• These two teams have played just once before, a 6-4 UCLA win in April of 1969. This will be the first weekend meeting against any of the new west coast programs.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballBig Ten Tournament Press Conference - vs. Rutgers
Wednesday, May 21
NCAA Postgame Press Conference - Southern Miss - 2
Sunday, June 02
NCAA Postgame Press Conference - Tennessee
Sunday, June 02
NCAA Postgame Press Conference - Southern Miss
Friday, May 31