The UCLA Bruins enter the College World Series as the number one overall seed and are the perceived favorite to win the championship.In the Los Angeles Regional, the Bruins will host Saint Mary’s, Virginia Tech, and Cal Poly, with a matchup against the Gaels on Friday. Before the game between the Bruins and the Gaels takes center stage, let's take a look at the starting pitching as well as the batting lineup in the opening weekend of the College World Series.Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach John Savage walks off the field before the game against the LSU Tigers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn ImagesPitching RotationUCLA has had one of the best pitching rotations in college baseball. Led by Logan Reddemann as the ace, he has gotten some help from others in the rotation, including Wylann Moss, Michael Barnett, and Angel Cervantes.Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins starting pitcher Michael Barnett (55) throws against the Murray State Racers during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn ImagesReddemann has been out since April due to arm fatigue, which has put more of the starting pitching in the spotlight. Before going down with an injury, Reddemann was shutting down the Big Ten with a 2.87 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched this season. Reddemann missed the Big Ten tournament, but the team is hopeful that he will be available for the College World Series.With Reddemann out, the starting rotation has taken a hit in production, but has still played well enough to win the Big Ten Championship. With Reddemann hopeful to return, the pitching rotation is getting a much-needed boost and is once again a dangerous unit.Statement from HC John Savage on the status of RHP Logan Reddemann:“Logan Reddemann is currently managing arm fatigue. He has begun ramping up and plans on pitching again this season.”#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/tKwkB8qPDa— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) April 30, 2026With the pitching unit getting healthier, it takes some of the pressure off of the bats as they wont need to score runs for every inning.Batting LineupJun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) bunts in a run against the Murray State Racers during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn ImagesUCLA has been one of the best offenses in the country this season. While there have been lineup changes, no one has dropped in production, as the lineup has been dominant all season.Although during the Big Ten Tournament the bats were quieter than usual during the early innings, when the Bruins needed to get on base and score, they did just that in the biggest moments, as they would win each game in the Big Ten Tournament with a walk-off and would win the program's first Big Ten title. Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) fields a ground ball against the Murray State Racers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn ImagesLed by the number one MLB Draft prospect Roch Cholowsky, he, along with Will Gasparino, Mulivai Levu, and Roman Martin, were all First Team All-Big Ten selections, with Cholowsky being named Big Ten Player of the Year for the second year in a row.Jun 17, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins first baseman Mulivai Levu (39) hits a triple against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn ImagesUCLA's bats are a well-rounded unit with power, speed, and contact hitting throughout the lineup. After seeing them in the Big Ten tournament, they might not miss a beat.BatterPositionDean WestLeft FieldRoch CholowskyShortstopMulivai LevuFirst BaseRoman MartinThird BasePayton BrennanRight Field Will GasparinoCenter FieldCashel DuggerCatcherDominic CadizDesignated HitterAidan AguayoSecond BaseAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow