2026 UCLA Bruins Sweep the Minnesota Golden Gophers to Remain Perfect in Big Ten Play

The UCLA Bruins gutted out a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers today, in Game Three of the Big Ten Conference series at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. The win improved the Bruins to 36-3 overall and a perfect 21-0 in Big Ten Conference play. The three-game sweep of Minnesota didn’t go unnoticed, and the Bruins let everyone know not to question their perch at the top of college baseball. This game served as a reminder that the road to Omaha runs through Los Angeles, and many fans expect the Bruins not to hand out any easy victories. 

Landon Stump is Becoming the Ace This Team Needs Postseason

Today’s performance is exactly why I expect the junior right-hander, Landon Stump, to be a valuable asset in postseason baseball. In Game Three, he entered as the projected starter with a 2-0 record and a 3.55 ERA. Once again, he delivered flawlessly, keeping the Golden Gophers in check and giving the Bruins a quality start they needed from a reliable arm. What excites me the most about Stump is not just his current production but his trajectory in baseball. His six-inning, one-hit, 64-pitch gem against Rutgers earlier this season was the efficient outing fans dream of seeing in an NCAA Regional. If Stump continues on this path, UCLA will enter the postseason with three skilled rotation arms and a threat to any opponent. 

Roch Cholowsky Remains the Best Player in the Country

There’s no debate about how talented six-foot-two shortstop Roch Cholowsky is and his position as the best player in college baseball. This series against Minnesota was another chapter in what is shaping up to be one of the most decorated junior seasons in UCLA history. Cholowsky is slashing .338 with thirteen home runs and 41 RBIs through the Big Ten schedule. His impact on the lineup goes beyond his offensive power, and pitchers can’t avoid him without handing opportunities to the hitters around him, and this dynamic is making UCLA’s offense so difficult to plan against. In my opinion, Cholowsky has been an elite player from the beginning, and the way he is competing right now, no rival program has a chance. 

Mulivia Levu in the Power Lineup

If Cholowsky is the headliner, then Mulivai Levu is the reason offense can’t be shut down. The junior first baseman has been a dominant presence in the heart of the lineup all season, and against Minnesota this weekend, he delivered the production that fuels the Bruins' postseason hopes. Levu and Cholowsky last season combined for the second-most RBIs by a UCLA duo in program history, and the pair seem set on their way to challenging that record again this year. I believe Levu is a greatly underrated player in the country, and he plays a huge part in UCLA maintaining its grip at the top of the rankings. The deadly duo will have more to come and will continue their program's journey to Omaha. 

The Road to Omaha

The bottom line is more than UCLA sweeping Minnesota, and their statement wins are hints at how close they are to Omaha, and the Bruins are ready. From the beginning of the 2026 college baseball season, we’ve known their star players and dominant performance have been expected. Week after week, the program brought back 83 percent of their overall production from a team that already made the College World Series. With Stump developing a postseason-ready arm, and his teammates Cholowsky and Levu, I firmly believe the road to Omaha and the Men’s College World Series runs through Los Angeles. The rest of the country has been warned all season long, and this team is not slowing down.