The UCLA softball team opens its NCAA-record 33rd Women’s College World Series appearance against a familiar opponent.
Oregon won their best-of-three Big Ten Conference series mid-April, even shutting out the Bruins 9-0 in five innings in the series finale.
“The whole season is a journey,” Bruins head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez told reporters after their Super Regional-clinching win over South Carolina. “There’s no easy path. Every opponent that you play can beat you, so you’ve gotta be able to step up and play your game.”
Redemption can begin in the first round of the WCWS at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City. If ninth-seeded UCLA beats 16th-seeded Oregon, the Bruins will move on to play the winner of 12th-seeded Texas Tech and Ole Miss on Saturday.
If they lose, they’ll still have another chance to advance but will have to play the next day Friday against either Texas Tech or Ole Miss.
UCLA – the Big Ten regular-season and tournament runner-up – advanced to the WCWS by beating host South Carolina in a rare Super Regional road trip. The Bruins dropped Game 1 before bouncing back to win two games, shutting out the Gamecocks 5-0 in the final contest.
“To be able to be a final eight is something that is a goal,” Inouye-Perez told reporters after the game, “and the ability to overcome Day One is because they were so committed to the process and it allowed them to be able to take a trip back to OKC.”
Jordan Woolery hit a walk-off two-run home run to keep UCLA’s season alive in Game 2 against South Carolina.
The hard-hitting junior infielder is a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 finalist and is No. 1 in the nation with 86 RBIs.
Next to her in the batting order is Megan Grant, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 finalist. Together, the juniors are the second duo to each hit more than 20 home runs in a single season. Grant has gone yard 25 times this year and is sixth in the nation with 79 RBI.
Outfielder Jessica Clements leads off for the Bruins and has stolen nine bases on 11 attempts this season in addition to owning a team-best .500 batting average. Savannah Pola bats second and is closing in on two UCLA single-season records.
Two more runs will tie the senior utility player with Natasha Watley’s program-best 75 runs and one double will tie her with Lyndsey Klein’s record of 21.
“A big part is when we’re facing adversity, we’re not separating and getting down on ourselves,” Pola told reporters after beating South Carolina. “We lean in and we have each other’s backs. If one person doesn’t get it done, then the next person will have their back.”
UCLA’s pitching staff is talented despite not having a veteran ace. Junior Taylor Tinsley, sophomore Kaitlyn Terry and freshman Addisen Fisher have appeared in 30 games each and combined for 110 innings. Alexis Ramirez provides guidance at catcher, mostly working with Tinsley.
The three have a collective 1.07 WHIP and Tinsley holds a team-best 0.92 WHIP and 8.26 K/BB ratio. Terry has increased her contributions as a two-way player this season, slashing .278/.385/.397.
UCLA made it three games into the WCWS last season, falling to then-Pac-12 rival Stanford in an elimination matchup.
“This team has gone through a lot,” Inouye-Perez said. “We’ve succeeded, we’ve failed, we’ve dealt with our own adversity and have come together and it’s what UCLA does.”
Women’s College World Series Game 1: UCLA vs. Oregon
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Devon Park, Oklahoma City
TV: ESPN2
Related Articles
Vanderbilt gets No. 1 seed in NCAA baseball tournament; UCLA regional includes UC Irvine UCLA, UC Irvine baseball teams lose conference title games, Bruins to host an NCAA regional UCLA softball shuts out South Carolina to return to Women’s College World Series UCLA softball stays alive on Jordan Woolery’s walk-off homer South Carolina tops UCLA softball in opening game of Super Regional Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( UCLA begins NCAA-record 33rd Women’s College World Series against Oregon )
Also on site :