Thursday, May 8
West Lafayette, IN
10:30 AM (PT)
UCLA
vs
Indiana
Redshirt sophomore Alexis Ramirez
Photo by: Mac Brown
No. 2 Seed UCLA to Play in First Big Ten Tournament
May 07, 2025 | Softball
LOS ANGELES โ ย The No. 2 seed UCLA softball team will play in its first Big Ten Tournament this week at Bittinger Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. on the campus of Purdue from May 8-10. The Bruins (47-9, 17-5 Big Ten) received a first-round bye and will matchup with the winner between (7) Washington and (10) Indiana in the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 8 at 10:30 a.m. (PT). Every game of the tournament will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
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This marks the third straight year UCLA has competed in a conference tournament (last two as a member of the Pac-12). The Bruins won the final Pac-12 Tournament title last season and owns an all-time record of 5-1 in conference tournament play.
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No. 2 Seed UCLA (47-9, 17-5) vs. (7) Washington or (10) Indiana
Thursday, May 8 โ 10:30 a.m. (PT) โ Big Ten Network
Location: West Lafayette, Ind. (Bittinger Stadium)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
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KEY NOTES ABOUT THE BRUINS
โข UCLA has now finished first or second in conference play in each of the last 10 seasons under head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
โข UCLA ranks second in NCAA DI with a +284 run differential and ranks third with 424 runs scored entering the Big Ten Tournament.
โข UCLA has set a new single-season program record with 25 mercy-rule wins. The previous mark was 21 set in 2010 and 2015.
โข UCLA is averaging 1.48 homers per game, which is on pace for the program's best mark since its 2010 NCAA title season (1.77).
โข UCLA ranks 10th in the nation with a .979 fielding percentage (30 E, 1,436 TC).
โข Juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery were named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists on April 30.
โข RHP Addisen Fisher (16-1, 2.43 ERA, 93 SO) was named to the NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List on April 25.
โข Grant ranks fourth in NCAA DI with 73 runs batted in and fifth with 23 home runs and a 1.000 slugging percentage.
โข Grant's 23 home runs rank fourth-most in UCLA single-season history while her 73 runs batted in rank third.
โข Grant tied UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Stacey Nuveman as the fastest Bruin to hit 20 homers in a single season, both reaching the benchmark in 42 games played. Nuveman set the program record for homers in a season with 31 that year in 1999.
โข Grant (5th, 23 HR) and Woolery (15th, 19 HR) both rank top 15 in NCAA DI in home runs.
โข Grant and Woolery have combined for 145 RBIs which is good for third-most by a UCLA duo in program history.
โข Senior UTIL Savannah Pola ranks fifth in the country in both base hits (81) and runs scored (64).
โข Pola eclipsed the 200 hits mark versus Ohio State, becoming the 37th Bruin in program history to join the 200 Hits Club.
โข Three Bruins are currently hitting above .400: Pola (.433), Woolery (.412) and freshman Rylee Slimp (.403).
โข UCLA's lineup boasts two of the top five RBI leaders in the country in Grant (3rd, 72 RBI) and Woolery (5th, 70 RBI).
โข UCLA's pitching staff ranks top 5 nationally in K/BB ratio (3rd, 4.35), strikeouts (5th, 405) and WHIP (6th, 1.07).
โข UCLA has thrown three no-hitters this year: Tinsley at San Diego State, Fisher at Howard and Cecil vs. Long Beach State.
โข UCLA plays its 51st softball season in 2025, the 19th year with head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez at the helm.
โข UCLA's two All-Pac-12 First Team pitchers from last season, sophomore Kaitlyn Terry and junior Taylor Tinsley, return in 2025.
โข The Bruins' batting lineup is anchored by two 2023 NFCA All-Americans, juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery.
โข UCLA has won five of the last seven Pac-12 Freshman of the Year awards, two of which are on the 2025 roster: Terry and Woolery.
โข The Bruins added seven incoming players this season in the form of six freshmen and one graduate transfer student.
โข UCLA made its 32nd WCWS appearance and won its 18th conference regular season title in 2024.
โข UCLA has moved into the Big Ten Conference, along with former Pac-12 softball programs Oregon and Washington.
โข UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided the Bruins to a 865-218-1 record (.798) over 19 seasons as head coach.
โข Inouye-Perez has reached the WCWS 10 times and won two NCAA titles in 2010 and 2019 as head coach.
โข Entering 2025, Inouye-Perez ranks seventh all-time and second among active head coaches with a 79.6 winning percentage.
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THE BRUIN BOMBERS
โข Juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery make up one of the most lethal hitting combos in the country. The two Bay Area natives have combined for 145 runs batted in, which leads all duos in the country and ranks third-most by a UCLA duo in single-season history. Grant's 73 runs batted in rank fourth in UCLA single-season history; she needs just two more to move into second all-time.
โข Grant and Woolery rank second among all duos in the country (Virginia Tech) in home runs, ranking fifth and 15th nationally with 23 and 19 home runs, respectively. The two are on pace to become just the second UCLA duo to each hit 20 home runs in a single season, first being accomplished in 2015 by Stephany LaRosa (20 HR) and Delaney Spaulding (20 HR). This would not be the first time the two made UCLA history together; as All-Americans in 2023, Grant and Woolery combined for 104 runs batted in which were the most all-time by a Bruin freshman duo.
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USA SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR TOP 25 FINALISTS
Juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery were named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists, the organization announced Wednesday, April 30. This marks the first time in Grant and Woolery's careers that the two Bay Area natives have been named as Finalists. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female players across the country.
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The Top 25 Finalists will be narrowed to 10 athletes on May 14, followed be the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 19. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the start of the Women's College World Series. Two Bruins have taken home the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award a total of three times. Rachel Garcia (2017-21) was honored in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019 and Stacey Nuveman (1997, 1999, 2001-02) won UCLA's first award in 2002.
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LET HER COOK
โข Junior Megan Grant ranks fifth in the nation with 23 home runs entering the Big Ten Tournament and trails the nation's leader by six (Cori McMillan, Virginia Tech). The last Bruin to finish a season as the national leader in home runs was Caitlin Benyi with 24 blasts in 2004. Grant ranks fourth in UCLA single-season history in that category and needs three more to move into second behind Stacey Nuveman's program record of 31 set in 1999.
โข Thirty-four of Grant's 51 base hits this season have been for extra bases (66.7%).
โข Grant tied Stacey Nuveman (1992) as the fastest Bruin to reach 20 home runs in a single season, both needing only 42 games.
โข Grant's home runs have come in bunches this season, recording two separate stretches of five straight games with a homer (March 1-8) and four straight games (April 8-13).
โข Grant had a four-game stretch with three grand slams from April 4-11; she has six total in her career, which leads the active roster.
โข Grant notched the fourth multi-homer game of her career and third of the season versus Washington on Friday, April 11.
โข Grant currently boasts the best batting average of her career with a .389 mark (51-for-131).
โข Perhaps most impressive, Grant has only struck out five times in 180 plate appearances this season (2.8% strikeout rate). For reference, Grant struck out 30-plus times in each of her freshman and sophomore seasons.
โข Grant has been intentionally walked five times in 2025 which is the highest season total by any Bruin from each of the last four years.
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BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Junior UTIL Megan Grant was named National Player of the Week by both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and D1Softball in back-to-back weeks on April 8 and 15. Grant joined Stacey Nuveman (April-May 2002) and Amanda Freed (April-May 2000) as one of three Bruins to repeat in back-to-back weeks.
โข In week 10 (April 8-13), Grant led UCLA to a perfect 4-0 record with a team-best .667 batting average (6-for-9), five home runs, two of which were grand slams, 11 runs batted in, six runs scored and 3.083 OPS. Grant homered in all four games and hit grand slams in back-to-back contests against Cal Baptist on April 8 and in game one versus Washington on Friday, April 11. Grant took over as the NCAA leader in home runs (22) and RBI (68) after her dominant week.
โข The week prior (April 1-5), Grantย recorded team-best .727 batting average (8-for-11), two home runs, nine runs batted in and 1.455 slugging percentage to help the Bruins to four wins, including a top-25 sweep of then-No. 21 Ohio State. Grant played the hero in game one versus the Buckeyes on Friday, April 4, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and a career-high seven RBI. Grant's second homer of the night was a walk-off grand slam to secure a mercy-rule victory, 14-6, in five innings.
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SHOWING NO MERCY
UCLA has set a new single-season program record with 25 mercy-rule wins in 2025. The Bruins broke the record their 40th game into the season with a 14-6 decision in five innings versus Ohio State on April 4. The Bruins surpassed the previous mark of 21 set twice in the 2010 and 2015 seasons. Additionally, UCLA has shut out its opponent 16 times, which is good for fifth-best in the country and leads the Big Ten. On the year, UCLA is averaging 7.66 runs per game, which ranks 12th in NCAA DI.
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ELITE OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
โข UCLA ranks second in the nation with a +284 run differential, scoring 424 runs while allowing 140. Leading the country in run differential is Oregon (+303). The Bruins' +284 run differential mark is currently better than the full-season totals from each of the last five years. The last time UCLA had a run differential of +284 or better for a season was in 2019 when it won the program's 12th NCAA title (+336). The program record for run differential is +341 set in 2001 (418/77).
โข UCLA ranks eighth in the nation with a .602 slugging percentage and ninth with 83 home runs. The Bruins bested the home run totals from each of the last three seasons just 42 games into 2025. The Bruins rank third in NCAA DI and Big Ten with 186 extra-base hits (83 HR, 11 3B, 92 2B).
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PLATE DISCIPLINE
โข UCLA has drawn 222 walks and 49 hit-by-pitches this season for a total of 271 free passes. The Bruins' 222 walks rank 11th in the nation, and their average of 3.97 walks per game is fifth-best in program single-season history. Leading UCLA in walks are juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery with 41 and 36, respectively.
โข UCLA's .445 on-base percentage also ranks eighth in NCAA DI and currently sits at fourth-best all-time for a Bruins team.
โข 117 of UCLA's 271 free passes have come around to score, accounting for 27.6 percent of the team's run production.
โข UCLA's offense is averaging 2.97 strikeouts per game (166 SO), marking its lowest rate since the 2002 season (2.46 SO/GM).
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ALEXIS "LEFTY" RAMIREZ
Redshirt sophomore Alexis Ramirez, affectionately nicknamed "Lefty" for being a left-handed-throwing catcher, has been effective since returning to the lineup on March 22 versus Iowa after sustaining a season-ending knee injury during week one of 2024. Over UCLA's last 10 games, Ramirez leads UCLA with a .538 batting average (14-for-26), 11 runs batted in, two homers and two doubles. In game two of last week's series versus Northwestern, Ramirez logged the first two-homer game of her career and recorded a career-high six RBIs to lead the Bruins to a 15-8 win. The next day, Ramirez made her first start behind the dish since week one of the 2024 season. She has made 24 other starts as the team's designated player since her return. Ramirez opened 2024 hitting a blistering .455 (5-for-11) with a homer and double before going down with the injury.
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THE SUCCESS PHASE
Head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided UCLA to a 118-21 (.849) record in the months of April and May over the last seven years (2019-pres.), priming her squads for deep postseason runs. Inouye-Perez and the Bruins have reached the Women's College World Series in eight of the last nine possible seasons (excl. 2020).
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BRUINS DIG THE LONGBALL
UCLA has totaled 83 home runs through 56 games from 10 different players this season. The Bruins are averaging 1.48 home runs per game, which is their best mark since UCLA's 2010 NCAA title season (1.77 HR/G). That year, the Bruins set the program record for most home runs in a season with 108 over 61 games. UCLA's lineup boasts two of the top 10 home run hitters in the country in juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery with 23 and 19, respectively.
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PICK YOUR POISON
UCLA is led in the circle by a trio of aces in freshman Addisen Fisher, sophomore Kaitlyn Terry and junior Taylor Tinsley. Each pitcher has started at least 15 games and worked 100.0-plus innings for the Bruins this season. Tinsley leads the staff with 12 quality starts, a 0.88 WHIP, 9.5 K/7 and 0.89 BB/7 in addition to registering a 2.45 earned run average, 11-4 record and 139 strikeouts over 102.2 innings. Tinsley's 0.88 WHIP ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big Ten.
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FISHER: FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR TOP 25
RHP Addisen Fisher was named to the NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List, the organization announced Friday, April 25. Fisher has started her collegiate career with a perfect 16-0 record in addition to posting a team-leading 2.33 earned run average over 99.0 innings pitched. Fisher is the 10th Bruins' student-athlete to be recognized on the Top 25 in the award's 12-year history (since 2014). UCLA ranks second among NCAA DI programs in terms of all-time representation, trailing only Oklahoma with 11 selections to the Top 25. Fisher, from Bend, Ore., arrived at UCLA as the 2024 Gatorade Softball National Player of the Year and the consensus No. 1-ranked recruit in her class. Fisher is also the first player in program history to hail from the state of Oregon
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FISHER'S BEST OUTING OF THE YEAR
Freshman RHP Addisen Fisher pitched a complete-game shutout to lead UCLA to an 8-0 victory in six innings at then-No. 5 Oregon in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,517 fans at Jane Sanders Stadium on Saturday, April 19. Fisher, a native of Bend, Ore., was masterful her return to her home state with three strikeouts and allowing only three hits and one walk. Fisher threw 60 of her 86 total pitches for strikes for a 72.3 percent strike rate, marking her best in a start in a season.
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HOME SWEET HOME
โข The Bruins own a 19-2 record at Easton Stadium this season, outscoring their opponents 165-55 inside their friendly confines. Ten of UCLA's 25 mercy-rule wins have come at home. UCLA holds a 626-132 home record (.826) since Easton Stadium opened its doors in March 1994. Since taking over as UCLA's head coach, Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided the Bruins to a 388-81 record in 469 home games (.827). UCLA's 24-game home winning streak dating back to April 2024 was snapped by Northwestern on May 2.
โข UCLA went 17-4 in Easton Stadium last season and enters its 32nd campaign in the longtime UCLA home venue. UCLA has surpassed 20 home wins in six of the last seven full seasons dating back to 2017 (excl. 2020). In 2022, the Bruins set a new benchmark for winning percentage at home, going 26-1 (.963). The year prior, UCLA reached the 30-win plateau for just the second time in stadium history.
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POLA'S BREAKOUT SEASON
Senior UTIL Savannah Pola has shown drastic improvement compared to last season. Pola, who has recorded two 10-plus-game hitting streaks this season, leads UCLA with a .433 batting average (81-for-187) and 28 multi-hit games. The Santa Ana, Calif. product ranks fifth in the country and leads the Big Ten with 81 base hits and 64 runs scored. She entered conference play a year ago with a .190 batting average (8-for-42) with one extra-base hit through 17 games. Pola, who is enjoying season highs in every offensive category, has yet to commit and error on the defensive side of the ball thanks to her stellar play at second base (121 TC).
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DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
UCLA ranks 10th in NCAA DI with a .979 fielding percentage, committing 30 errors in 1,436 total chances. UCLA last finished the year ranked top 10 nationally in fielding percentage and with a .980-plus rate in the 2013 season (.980, 2nd).
This performance is amidst a reshuffling of infield positions due to freshman SS Aleena Garcia's season-ending injury. Beginning March 1, junior Jordan Woolery moved from first base to third base, freshman Kaniya Bragg from third base to shortstop and junior Megan Grant from right field/designated player to first base as a result of the loss of Garcia.
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.400's UP
Three players are currently hitting above .400 entering week eight of the 2025 season: UTIL Savannah Pola (.433), INF Jordan Woolery (.412) and OF Rylee Slimp (.403). UCLA has had two or more players hit above .400 for an entire season in 10 campaigns, last occurring in 2020 when Aaliyah Jordan and Briana Perez reached the benchmark. Only once have the Bruins had three players hit above .400, happening in 1995 thanks to Jennifer Brundage, Tanya Harding and Kelly Howard.
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TINSLEY'S BEST OUTING OF THE YEAR
Junior RHP Taylor Tinsley was named as one of five "Stars of the Week" by media outlet Softball America on April 7 following her dominant performance versus then-No. 21 Ohio State on April 5. Tinsley tossed a one-hit, complete game shutout and struck out 10 against the Buckeyes. Her gem marked the first time Ohio State, the nation's home runs leader, had been shut out in a game this season. The one hit allowed was also the Buckeyes' fewest in a game. Additionally, Tinsley snapped Ohio State's 14-game streak with multiple home runs. Her performance signaled the first 7.0-inning shutout by a Bruin pitcher against a top-25 foe since her 9.0-inning masterpiece at No. 5 Stanford last April.
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TWO-WAY TERRY
โข Sophomore LHP Kaitlyn Terry has been a five-tool player for the Bruins this season. Terry, who has started 27 games in right field and made 26 appearances in the circle, has used her bat and speed on the basepaths to generate runs. The slap hitter is a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts while hitting for a .293 batting average (29-for-99) in the No. 9 spot of UCLA's lineup.
โข Terry leads UCLA's pitching staff with 114.0 innings pitched this season. Her standout performance of 2025 thus far came against No. 22 Missouri on Feb. 20 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic when she struck out a career-high 14 batters and allowed just one run in a complete-game victory. She has three career double-digit strikeout performances.
โข Last year, Terry was named the 2024 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while operating solely as a pitcher, clinching UCLA's fifth such honor over the past seven seasons. Terry became the seventh freshman in UCLA history to win 20-plus games (21-3) in her debut season and first since Garcia in 2017. Terry led last season's staff with 182.0 innings pitched and recorded a 2.38 ERA, 161 strikeouts and .232 opponent batting average.
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BRUIN NO-HITTERS THIS SEASON
UCLA has tossed three no-hitters this season with one apiece from junior RHP Taylor Tinsley, freshman RHP Addisen Fisher and senior RHP Jada Cecil. The three no-hitters bring the program's total to 126, including 118 of the solo variety.
April 22, vs. Long Beach State: Jada Cecil tossed the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and UCLA's third of the season earlier this week against Long Beach State on Tuesday, April 22 at Easton Stadium. The Temecula, Calif. native totaled eight strikeouts โ her second-most in a game this season โ and issued two walks and two hit-by-pitches in her outing.
March 8, at San Diego State: Taylor Tinsley recorded the second no-hitter of her career โ and her first in seven innings โ versus San Diego State at SDSU Softball Stadium on March 8. Tinsley struck out nine batters and allowed just two baserunners โ one walk and one via fielding error โ in her spectacular outing. Tinsley's first career no-hitter came in her collegiate debut versus CSU Bakersfield at Easton Stadium her freshman season in 2023. Her no-hitter versus the Aztecs came against a San Diego State program that has made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won the last three Mountain West Conference championships.
March 26, at Howard: Addisen Fisher threw the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and UCLA's second no-no of the season at Howard on March 26, going 5.0 innings while striking out six and allowing only two baserunners (one walk and one fielding error). Fisher did not let a ball leave the infield, recording six strikeouts and nine groundouts.
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NOT TO BRAGG, BUT...
Freshman INF Kaniya Bragg set the UCLA single-season record for hit-by-pitches with 18 after wearing a pitch against Ohio State on April 4. Bragg needed just 40 games to break Crissy Buck's original mark which was set in the Bruins' 64th and final game of the 2002 season. She currently leads the country with 20 hit-by-pitches this season.
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CLEMENTS KEEPS CLIMBING
Graduate transfer outfielder Jessica Clements ranks ninth among active NCAA DI players in career hits (251) and 15th in career batting average (.398) with a minimum of 100 games played. Clements, who has bat in the leadoff spot for 53 of 56 games, ranks third on the team and 59th in the country with 66 base hits this season. Additionally, the Bruins' table setter ranks second on the team with 19 multi-hit games in 2025 and leads UCLA career-wise with 71 such performances over her four years.ย
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Clements recorded the 200th hit of her career with a bunt single versus Virginia at the Clearwater Invitational on Feb. 16. She leads UCLA with two three-hit performances and ranks second with six total multi-hit games. Clements was a two-time Big West Batting Champion in 2022 and 2024 while at Cal Poly for three seasons. She finished her Mustang career as the leading hitter in program history with a .411 batting average (185-for-450).
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THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN
UCLA has drawn record crowds or sold-out crowds during each of its four Big Ten Conference road trips in the team's first year in the new league. In game one of their series at Iowa on March 22, the Bruins performed in front of a max-capacity Bob Pearl Softball Field with 1,375 fans. One week later at Maryland, UCLA earned two wins with 1,000-plus fans in attendance for each of the last two games the series, ushering in crowds of 1,200 and 1,004, respectively. For a top-10 series at Oregon from April 18-20, the Bruins and Ducks averaged 2,300-plus fans for all three games. In games one and two at Michigan on April 26-27, the Bruins clinched wins in front of crowds of 2,432 and 2,443, respectively.
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UCLA'S POSTSEASON RÉSUMÉ
โข UCLA owns the third-best winning percentage in the country against opponents in the top 50 RPI this season, going 20-8 (.714). The Bruins trail only Oregon (.850, 17-3) and Oklahoma (.724, 21-8) in that category. The Bruins' best wins include: vs. Arkansas (7 RPI), vs. Tennessee (10 RPI), vs. Alabama (17 RPI), vs. Oklahoma State (19 RPI), vs. Ohio State (24 RPI), at Oregon (13 RPI).
โข UCLA completed its tournament season schedule with an 18-4 record while going 7-3 against top-25 opponents. The Bruins' seven top-25 wins were the most in the country through the first month of the season, defeating No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 23 Kentucky, No. 14 Alabama, No. 22 Missouri, No. 16 Nebraska, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 10 Arkansas. All four of the Bruins' losses in the first month were by one run, and three of those losses were decided in the seventh inning or later.
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This marks the third straight year UCLA has competed in a conference tournament (last two as a member of the Pac-12). The Bruins won the final Pac-12 Tournament title last season and owns an all-time record of 5-1 in conference tournament play.
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No. 2 Seed UCLA (47-9, 17-5) vs. (7) Washington or (10) Indiana
Thursday, May 8 โ 10:30 a.m. (PT) โ Big Ten Network
Location: West Lafayette, Ind. (Bittinger Stadium)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
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KEY NOTES ABOUT THE BRUINS
โข UCLA has now finished first or second in conference play in each of the last 10 seasons under head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
โข UCLA ranks second in NCAA DI with a +284 run differential and ranks third with 424 runs scored entering the Big Ten Tournament.
โข UCLA has set a new single-season program record with 25 mercy-rule wins. The previous mark was 21 set in 2010 and 2015.
โข UCLA is averaging 1.48 homers per game, which is on pace for the program's best mark since its 2010 NCAA title season (1.77).
โข UCLA ranks 10th in the nation with a .979 fielding percentage (30 E, 1,436 TC).
โข Juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery were named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists on April 30.
โข RHP Addisen Fisher (16-1, 2.43 ERA, 93 SO) was named to the NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List on April 25.
โข Grant ranks fourth in NCAA DI with 73 runs batted in and fifth with 23 home runs and a 1.000 slugging percentage.
โข Grant's 23 home runs rank fourth-most in UCLA single-season history while her 73 runs batted in rank third.
โข Grant tied UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Stacey Nuveman as the fastest Bruin to hit 20 homers in a single season, both reaching the benchmark in 42 games played. Nuveman set the program record for homers in a season with 31 that year in 1999.
โข Grant (5th, 23 HR) and Woolery (15th, 19 HR) both rank top 15 in NCAA DI in home runs.
โข Grant and Woolery have combined for 145 RBIs which is good for third-most by a UCLA duo in program history.
โข Senior UTIL Savannah Pola ranks fifth in the country in both base hits (81) and runs scored (64).
โข Pola eclipsed the 200 hits mark versus Ohio State, becoming the 37th Bruin in program history to join the 200 Hits Club.
โข Three Bruins are currently hitting above .400: Pola (.433), Woolery (.412) and freshman Rylee Slimp (.403).
โข UCLA's lineup boasts two of the top five RBI leaders in the country in Grant (3rd, 72 RBI) and Woolery (5th, 70 RBI).
โข UCLA's pitching staff ranks top 5 nationally in K/BB ratio (3rd, 4.35), strikeouts (5th, 405) and WHIP (6th, 1.07).
โข UCLA has thrown three no-hitters this year: Tinsley at San Diego State, Fisher at Howard and Cecil vs. Long Beach State.
โข UCLA plays its 51st softball season in 2025, the 19th year with head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez at the helm.
โข UCLA's two All-Pac-12 First Team pitchers from last season, sophomore Kaitlyn Terry and junior Taylor Tinsley, return in 2025.
โข The Bruins' batting lineup is anchored by two 2023 NFCA All-Americans, juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery.
โข UCLA has won five of the last seven Pac-12 Freshman of the Year awards, two of which are on the 2025 roster: Terry and Woolery.
โข The Bruins added seven incoming players this season in the form of six freshmen and one graduate transfer student.
โข UCLA made its 32nd WCWS appearance and won its 18th conference regular season title in 2024.
โข UCLA has moved into the Big Ten Conference, along with former Pac-12 softball programs Oregon and Washington.
โข UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided the Bruins to a 865-218-1 record (.798) over 19 seasons as head coach.
โข Inouye-Perez has reached the WCWS 10 times and won two NCAA titles in 2010 and 2019 as head coach.
โข Entering 2025, Inouye-Perez ranks seventh all-time and second among active head coaches with a 79.6 winning percentage.
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THE BRUIN BOMBERS
โข Juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery make up one of the most lethal hitting combos in the country. The two Bay Area natives have combined for 145 runs batted in, which leads all duos in the country and ranks third-most by a UCLA duo in single-season history. Grant's 73 runs batted in rank fourth in UCLA single-season history; she needs just two more to move into second all-time.
โข Grant and Woolery rank second among all duos in the country (Virginia Tech) in home runs, ranking fifth and 15th nationally with 23 and 19 home runs, respectively. The two are on pace to become just the second UCLA duo to each hit 20 home runs in a single season, first being accomplished in 2015 by Stephany LaRosa (20 HR) and Delaney Spaulding (20 HR). This would not be the first time the two made UCLA history together; as All-Americans in 2023, Grant and Woolery combined for 104 runs batted in which were the most all-time by a Bruin freshman duo.
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USA SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR TOP 25 FINALISTS
Juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery were named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists, the organization announced Wednesday, April 30. This marks the first time in Grant and Woolery's careers that the two Bay Area natives have been named as Finalists. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female players across the country.
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The Top 25 Finalists will be narrowed to 10 athletes on May 14, followed be the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 19. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the start of the Women's College World Series. Two Bruins have taken home the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award a total of three times. Rachel Garcia (2017-21) was honored in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019 and Stacey Nuveman (1997, 1999, 2001-02) won UCLA's first award in 2002.
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LET HER COOK
โข Junior Megan Grant ranks fifth in the nation with 23 home runs entering the Big Ten Tournament and trails the nation's leader by six (Cori McMillan, Virginia Tech). The last Bruin to finish a season as the national leader in home runs was Caitlin Benyi with 24 blasts in 2004. Grant ranks fourth in UCLA single-season history in that category and needs three more to move into second behind Stacey Nuveman's program record of 31 set in 1999.
โข Thirty-four of Grant's 51 base hits this season have been for extra bases (66.7%).
โข Grant tied Stacey Nuveman (1992) as the fastest Bruin to reach 20 home runs in a single season, both needing only 42 games.
โข Grant's home runs have come in bunches this season, recording two separate stretches of five straight games with a homer (March 1-8) and four straight games (April 8-13).
โข Grant had a four-game stretch with three grand slams from April 4-11; she has six total in her career, which leads the active roster.
โข Grant notched the fourth multi-homer game of her career and third of the season versus Washington on Friday, April 11.
โข Grant currently boasts the best batting average of her career with a .389 mark (51-for-131).
โข Perhaps most impressive, Grant has only struck out five times in 180 plate appearances this season (2.8% strikeout rate). For reference, Grant struck out 30-plus times in each of her freshman and sophomore seasons.
โข Grant has been intentionally walked five times in 2025 which is the highest season total by any Bruin from each of the last four years.
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BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Junior UTIL Megan Grant was named National Player of the Week by both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and D1Softball in back-to-back weeks on April 8 and 15. Grant joined Stacey Nuveman (April-May 2002) and Amanda Freed (April-May 2000) as one of three Bruins to repeat in back-to-back weeks.
โข In week 10 (April 8-13), Grant led UCLA to a perfect 4-0 record with a team-best .667 batting average (6-for-9), five home runs, two of which were grand slams, 11 runs batted in, six runs scored and 3.083 OPS. Grant homered in all four games and hit grand slams in back-to-back contests against Cal Baptist on April 8 and in game one versus Washington on Friday, April 11. Grant took over as the NCAA leader in home runs (22) and RBI (68) after her dominant week.
โข The week prior (April 1-5), Grantย recorded team-best .727 batting average (8-for-11), two home runs, nine runs batted in and 1.455 slugging percentage to help the Bruins to four wins, including a top-25 sweep of then-No. 21 Ohio State. Grant played the hero in game one versus the Buckeyes on Friday, April 4, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and a career-high seven RBI. Grant's second homer of the night was a walk-off grand slam to secure a mercy-rule victory, 14-6, in five innings.
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SHOWING NO MERCY
UCLA has set a new single-season program record with 25 mercy-rule wins in 2025. The Bruins broke the record their 40th game into the season with a 14-6 decision in five innings versus Ohio State on April 4. The Bruins surpassed the previous mark of 21 set twice in the 2010 and 2015 seasons. Additionally, UCLA has shut out its opponent 16 times, which is good for fifth-best in the country and leads the Big Ten. On the year, UCLA is averaging 7.66 runs per game, which ranks 12th in NCAA DI.
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ELITE OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
โข UCLA ranks second in the nation with a +284 run differential, scoring 424 runs while allowing 140. Leading the country in run differential is Oregon (+303). The Bruins' +284 run differential mark is currently better than the full-season totals from each of the last five years. The last time UCLA had a run differential of +284 or better for a season was in 2019 when it won the program's 12th NCAA title (+336). The program record for run differential is +341 set in 2001 (418/77).
โข UCLA ranks eighth in the nation with a .602 slugging percentage and ninth with 83 home runs. The Bruins bested the home run totals from each of the last three seasons just 42 games into 2025. The Bruins rank third in NCAA DI and Big Ten with 186 extra-base hits (83 HR, 11 3B, 92 2B).
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PLATE DISCIPLINE
โข UCLA has drawn 222 walks and 49 hit-by-pitches this season for a total of 271 free passes. The Bruins' 222 walks rank 11th in the nation, and their average of 3.97 walks per game is fifth-best in program single-season history. Leading UCLA in walks are juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery with 41 and 36, respectively.
โข UCLA's .445 on-base percentage also ranks eighth in NCAA DI and currently sits at fourth-best all-time for a Bruins team.
โข 117 of UCLA's 271 free passes have come around to score, accounting for 27.6 percent of the team's run production.
โข UCLA's offense is averaging 2.97 strikeouts per game (166 SO), marking its lowest rate since the 2002 season (2.46 SO/GM).
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ALEXIS "LEFTY" RAMIREZ
Redshirt sophomore Alexis Ramirez, affectionately nicknamed "Lefty" for being a left-handed-throwing catcher, has been effective since returning to the lineup on March 22 versus Iowa after sustaining a season-ending knee injury during week one of 2024. Over UCLA's last 10 games, Ramirez leads UCLA with a .538 batting average (14-for-26), 11 runs batted in, two homers and two doubles. In game two of last week's series versus Northwestern, Ramirez logged the first two-homer game of her career and recorded a career-high six RBIs to lead the Bruins to a 15-8 win. The next day, Ramirez made her first start behind the dish since week one of the 2024 season. She has made 24 other starts as the team's designated player since her return. Ramirez opened 2024 hitting a blistering .455 (5-for-11) with a homer and double before going down with the injury.
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THE SUCCESS PHASE
Head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided UCLA to a 118-21 (.849) record in the months of April and May over the last seven years (2019-pres.), priming her squads for deep postseason runs. Inouye-Perez and the Bruins have reached the Women's College World Series in eight of the last nine possible seasons (excl. 2020).
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BRUINS DIG THE LONGBALL
UCLA has totaled 83 home runs through 56 games from 10 different players this season. The Bruins are averaging 1.48 home runs per game, which is their best mark since UCLA's 2010 NCAA title season (1.77 HR/G). That year, the Bruins set the program record for most home runs in a season with 108 over 61 games. UCLA's lineup boasts two of the top 10 home run hitters in the country in juniors Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery with 23 and 19, respectively.
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PICK YOUR POISON
UCLA is led in the circle by a trio of aces in freshman Addisen Fisher, sophomore Kaitlyn Terry and junior Taylor Tinsley. Each pitcher has started at least 15 games and worked 100.0-plus innings for the Bruins this season. Tinsley leads the staff with 12 quality starts, a 0.88 WHIP, 9.5 K/7 and 0.89 BB/7 in addition to registering a 2.45 earned run average, 11-4 record and 139 strikeouts over 102.2 innings. Tinsley's 0.88 WHIP ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big Ten.
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FISHER: FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR TOP 25
RHP Addisen Fisher was named to the NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List, the organization announced Friday, April 25. Fisher has started her collegiate career with a perfect 16-0 record in addition to posting a team-leading 2.33 earned run average over 99.0 innings pitched. Fisher is the 10th Bruins' student-athlete to be recognized on the Top 25 in the award's 12-year history (since 2014). UCLA ranks second among NCAA DI programs in terms of all-time representation, trailing only Oklahoma with 11 selections to the Top 25. Fisher, from Bend, Ore., arrived at UCLA as the 2024 Gatorade Softball National Player of the Year and the consensus No. 1-ranked recruit in her class. Fisher is also the first player in program history to hail from the state of Oregon
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FISHER'S BEST OUTING OF THE YEAR
Freshman RHP Addisen Fisher pitched a complete-game shutout to lead UCLA to an 8-0 victory in six innings at then-No. 5 Oregon in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,517 fans at Jane Sanders Stadium on Saturday, April 19. Fisher, a native of Bend, Ore., was masterful her return to her home state with three strikeouts and allowing only three hits and one walk. Fisher threw 60 of her 86 total pitches for strikes for a 72.3 percent strike rate, marking her best in a start in a season.
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HOME SWEET HOME
โข The Bruins own a 19-2 record at Easton Stadium this season, outscoring their opponents 165-55 inside their friendly confines. Ten of UCLA's 25 mercy-rule wins have come at home. UCLA holds a 626-132 home record (.826) since Easton Stadium opened its doors in March 1994. Since taking over as UCLA's head coach, Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided the Bruins to a 388-81 record in 469 home games (.827). UCLA's 24-game home winning streak dating back to April 2024 was snapped by Northwestern on May 2.
โข UCLA went 17-4 in Easton Stadium last season and enters its 32nd campaign in the longtime UCLA home venue. UCLA has surpassed 20 home wins in six of the last seven full seasons dating back to 2017 (excl. 2020). In 2022, the Bruins set a new benchmark for winning percentage at home, going 26-1 (.963). The year prior, UCLA reached the 30-win plateau for just the second time in stadium history.
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POLA'S BREAKOUT SEASON
Senior UTIL Savannah Pola has shown drastic improvement compared to last season. Pola, who has recorded two 10-plus-game hitting streaks this season, leads UCLA with a .433 batting average (81-for-187) and 28 multi-hit games. The Santa Ana, Calif. product ranks fifth in the country and leads the Big Ten with 81 base hits and 64 runs scored. She entered conference play a year ago with a .190 batting average (8-for-42) with one extra-base hit through 17 games. Pola, who is enjoying season highs in every offensive category, has yet to commit and error on the defensive side of the ball thanks to her stellar play at second base (121 TC).
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DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
UCLA ranks 10th in NCAA DI with a .979 fielding percentage, committing 30 errors in 1,436 total chances. UCLA last finished the year ranked top 10 nationally in fielding percentage and with a .980-plus rate in the 2013 season (.980, 2nd).
This performance is amidst a reshuffling of infield positions due to freshman SS Aleena Garcia's season-ending injury. Beginning March 1, junior Jordan Woolery moved from first base to third base, freshman Kaniya Bragg from third base to shortstop and junior Megan Grant from right field/designated player to first base as a result of the loss of Garcia.
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.400's UP
Three players are currently hitting above .400 entering week eight of the 2025 season: UTIL Savannah Pola (.433), INF Jordan Woolery (.412) and OF Rylee Slimp (.403). UCLA has had two or more players hit above .400 for an entire season in 10 campaigns, last occurring in 2020 when Aaliyah Jordan and Briana Perez reached the benchmark. Only once have the Bruins had three players hit above .400, happening in 1995 thanks to Jennifer Brundage, Tanya Harding and Kelly Howard.
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TINSLEY'S BEST OUTING OF THE YEAR
Junior RHP Taylor Tinsley was named as one of five "Stars of the Week" by media outlet Softball America on April 7 following her dominant performance versus then-No. 21 Ohio State on April 5. Tinsley tossed a one-hit, complete game shutout and struck out 10 against the Buckeyes. Her gem marked the first time Ohio State, the nation's home runs leader, had been shut out in a game this season. The one hit allowed was also the Buckeyes' fewest in a game. Additionally, Tinsley snapped Ohio State's 14-game streak with multiple home runs. Her performance signaled the first 7.0-inning shutout by a Bruin pitcher against a top-25 foe since her 9.0-inning masterpiece at No. 5 Stanford last April.
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TWO-WAY TERRY
โข Sophomore LHP Kaitlyn Terry has been a five-tool player for the Bruins this season. Terry, who has started 27 games in right field and made 26 appearances in the circle, has used her bat and speed on the basepaths to generate runs. The slap hitter is a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts while hitting for a .293 batting average (29-for-99) in the No. 9 spot of UCLA's lineup.
โข Terry leads UCLA's pitching staff with 114.0 innings pitched this season. Her standout performance of 2025 thus far came against No. 22 Missouri on Feb. 20 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic when she struck out a career-high 14 batters and allowed just one run in a complete-game victory. She has three career double-digit strikeout performances.
โข Last year, Terry was named the 2024 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while operating solely as a pitcher, clinching UCLA's fifth such honor over the past seven seasons. Terry became the seventh freshman in UCLA history to win 20-plus games (21-3) in her debut season and first since Garcia in 2017. Terry led last season's staff with 182.0 innings pitched and recorded a 2.38 ERA, 161 strikeouts and .232 opponent batting average.
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BRUIN NO-HITTERS THIS SEASON
UCLA has tossed three no-hitters this season with one apiece from junior RHP Taylor Tinsley, freshman RHP Addisen Fisher and senior RHP Jada Cecil. The three no-hitters bring the program's total to 126, including 118 of the solo variety.
April 22, vs. Long Beach State: Jada Cecil tossed the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and UCLA's third of the season earlier this week against Long Beach State on Tuesday, April 22 at Easton Stadium. The Temecula, Calif. native totaled eight strikeouts โ her second-most in a game this season โ and issued two walks and two hit-by-pitches in her outing.
March 8, at San Diego State: Taylor Tinsley recorded the second no-hitter of her career โ and her first in seven innings โ versus San Diego State at SDSU Softball Stadium on March 8. Tinsley struck out nine batters and allowed just two baserunners โ one walk and one via fielding error โ in her spectacular outing. Tinsley's first career no-hitter came in her collegiate debut versus CSU Bakersfield at Easton Stadium her freshman season in 2023. Her no-hitter versus the Aztecs came against a San Diego State program that has made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won the last three Mountain West Conference championships.
March 26, at Howard: Addisen Fisher threw the first no-hitter of her collegiate career and UCLA's second no-no of the season at Howard on March 26, going 5.0 innings while striking out six and allowing only two baserunners (one walk and one fielding error). Fisher did not let a ball leave the infield, recording six strikeouts and nine groundouts.
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NOT TO BRAGG, BUT...
Freshman INF Kaniya Bragg set the UCLA single-season record for hit-by-pitches with 18 after wearing a pitch against Ohio State on April 4. Bragg needed just 40 games to break Crissy Buck's original mark which was set in the Bruins' 64th and final game of the 2002 season. She currently leads the country with 20 hit-by-pitches this season.
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CLEMENTS KEEPS CLIMBING
Graduate transfer outfielder Jessica Clements ranks ninth among active NCAA DI players in career hits (251) and 15th in career batting average (.398) with a minimum of 100 games played. Clements, who has bat in the leadoff spot for 53 of 56 games, ranks third on the team and 59th in the country with 66 base hits this season. Additionally, the Bruins' table setter ranks second on the team with 19 multi-hit games in 2025 and leads UCLA career-wise with 71 such performances over her four years.ย
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Clements recorded the 200th hit of her career with a bunt single versus Virginia at the Clearwater Invitational on Feb. 16. She leads UCLA with two three-hit performances and ranks second with six total multi-hit games. Clements was a two-time Big West Batting Champion in 2022 and 2024 while at Cal Poly for three seasons. She finished her Mustang career as the leading hitter in program history with a .411 batting average (185-for-450).
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THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN
UCLA has drawn record crowds or sold-out crowds during each of its four Big Ten Conference road trips in the team's first year in the new league. In game one of their series at Iowa on March 22, the Bruins performed in front of a max-capacity Bob Pearl Softball Field with 1,375 fans. One week later at Maryland, UCLA earned two wins with 1,000-plus fans in attendance for each of the last two games the series, ushering in crowds of 1,200 and 1,004, respectively. For a top-10 series at Oregon from April 18-20, the Bruins and Ducks averaged 2,300-plus fans for all three games. In games one and two at Michigan on April 26-27, the Bruins clinched wins in front of crowds of 2,432 and 2,443, respectively.
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UCLA'S POSTSEASON RÉSUMÉ
โข UCLA owns the third-best winning percentage in the country against opponents in the top 50 RPI this season, going 20-8 (.714). The Bruins trail only Oregon (.850, 17-3) and Oklahoma (.724, 21-8) in that category. The Bruins' best wins include: vs. Arkansas (7 RPI), vs. Tennessee (10 RPI), vs. Alabama (17 RPI), vs. Oklahoma State (19 RPI), vs. Ohio State (24 RPI), at Oregon (13 RPI).
โข UCLA completed its tournament season schedule with an 18-4 record while going 7-3 against top-25 opponents. The Bruins' seven top-25 wins were the most in the country through the first month of the season, defeating No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 23 Kentucky, No. 14 Alabama, No. 22 Missouri, No. 16 Nebraska, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 10 Arkansas. All four of the Bruins' losses in the first month were by one run, and three of those losses were decided in the seventh inning or later.
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Players Mentioned
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/ SoftballUCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Tennessee (June 1, 2025)
Sunday, June 01
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Texas Tech (May 31, 2025)
Saturday, May 31
Highlights - UCLA Softball vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29