After what seemed like an endless winter, the college baseball season is upon us, and I was present in Westwood for the first two games of UC San Diego’s opening series against the number one team in the country, UCLA. Opening Day brings renewed hope and enthusiasm, but it also brings a chance to see how players have evolved since the year prior. Some are serving in new roles, some have spent months in the weight room, and some are fresh off of their first wood-bat experiences. It’s always fun to dig in and see how they’re developing.
For all the hype surrounding opening weekend, however, it’s important to remember that it’s just three (or, in my case, two) games. Bodies are not fully ready yet. Players are still learning game speed, and some of them are in new positions or roles. It’s also just February. Bodies aren’t fully stretched out, roles are still settling, and overreaction is a real risk this early in the calendar.
My goal in this series was to pay attention to the draft-eligible prospects – primarily from UCSD, but since we were at UCLA, I had my eye set on one other player, as well:
When the dust settled on the 2025 season and evaluators began looking ahead to 2026, UCLA junior shortstop Roch (pronounced “Rock”) Cholowsky found himself near the top of many boards. It isn’t hard to see why. At 6’2”, 200 pounds, he looks the part, and after slashing .353/.480/.710 as a sophomore, the offensive upside is obvious.
Cholowsky brings a physical presence to the box and shows advanced pitch recognition. The bat is quick through the zone with natural lift, and he drives the ball with authority to all fields — including a right-center home run and a double in game two. When he gets in trouble, it tends to come when he cheats pullside and drifts out in front, but when he stays through the middle of the field the impact is real.
Defensively, my evaluation is less settled. He charges the ball well and can change speeds effectively, but his focus wavered at times over the weekend, and his range to the right side did not stand out. The arm strength from the hole remains a question. Based on this look, the bat profiles comfortably; whether he remains at shortstop long term is less certain.
For the Tritons, Michael Crossland is a 6’0”, 210-pound junior center fielder with a taut, likely maxed-out frame. At the plate, he lets the ball travel deep and shows the ability to adjust when fooled, but quality changeups can get him out front and induce rollovers. His coverage on the outer third is limited, and while his bat path isn’t especially efficient — he tends to throw the barrel at the ball — his strength allows him to generate lift and impact when he squares it.
Defensively, the athleticism is evident but the range is stretched in center field. He gets a solid first step and generally runs clean routes, though he can overrun balls and struggles to decelerate efficiently. His speed plays better moving forward or laterally than dropping back, where he looks more rigid. The arm is accurate with average power, aided by clean footwork and weight transfer, but overall range limits the profile in center. Right now, he looks like a strong college player with a narrower margin for error at the next level.
UCSD’s Friday night guy, Steele Murdock, was a guy I thought could be one of the better bullpen arms in the country, but the Tritons are giving him a chance to start this season. He lasted just 2.1 innings in this look, but the raw stuff was sharp. He worked in the mid-90s with sink and showed both a quality curveball and a usable changeup, generating swings and misses over the top on all three offerings. When his delivery is synced — particularly when his hips stay aligned — the arsenal plays at a high level.
There are mechanical inconsistencies, however. His front hip has a tendency to fly open, leading to glove-side misses, and he would benefit from greater separation between his upper and lower halves to improve consistency and command. Conditioning also appeared to be a factor, as he began to labor in the third inning. After a defensive lapse behind him, the outing sped up on him and unraveled quickly.
The ingredients are there, but the profile currently carries significant reliever volatility.
Quick Looks
A few more guys who caught my attention during the series. None are full-profile evaluations yet, but each flashed something worth tracking:
- UCSD 1B Gabe Camacho is a physical, strong-bodied first baseman with present raw power and quick hands through the zone. He generates natural lift and showed in-game impact. Defensively, he displays better reflexes and twitch than expected for the body, with soft hands around the bag. Could be an upward mover this spring if the power production holds.
- UCLA RHP Logan Reddemann threw 90 pitches on opening night and maintained his velocity deep into the outing. Works with an uptempo delivery and showed the ability to carry his stuff through a starter’s workload.
- UCSD IF J.C. Allen does not profile as a natural third baseman long term. He comes in on the ball well and shows clean footwork with reliable hands, but lateral range is limited and the arm lacks carry despite accurate throws and good lower-half setup. The defensive skill set and body type suggest a likely move across the diamond.
- Tritons SS Anthony Potestio shows patience early in counts but can be fooled by quality offspeed and late-breaking spin. Defensively, he gets a good first step to either side and shows adequate lateral quickness, though the bat-to-ball quality against secondary stuff will determine how the profile plays.
Big West Dugout 