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Kelly Inouye-Perez, Through the Years as Head Coach
Kelly Inouye-Perez, Through the Years as Head Coach
Entering her 20th season in 2026
Record as Head Coach: 873-222-1 (.797)
Inouye-Perez guided UCLA to a second straight Women’s College World Series and the program’s ninth appearance in the last 10 years in 2025. The Bruins registered a 55-13 overall record and finished runner-up in both the Big Ten regular season title race and Big Ten Tournament Championship in the school’s inaugural year as a member of the conference. With the finish, Inouye-Perez has now guided UCLA to a top-2 regular-season conference finish in 10 straight seasons leading the program.
UCLA was led by one of the most high-powered offenses in the country, ranking top 10 nationally in runs scored (485), home runs (101) and slugging percentage (.591). The Bruins totaled 101 home runs, marking just the second time in program history a UCLA team had eclipsed the century mark. UCLA set a program record with 28 mercy-rule victories and ranked second in the country with a plus-312 run differential. The Bruins’ pitching staff was equally effective, ranking third in the country in WHIP, fifth in shutouts and 10th in earned run average.
The stars of the UCLA lineup were the Bruin Bombers – Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery – who made up one of the most lethal slugging duos in the country. Grant set the Big Ten single-season record and ranked second in UCLA single-season history with 26 home runs. Woolery joined Grant in the 20-homer club with 23 blasts, signaling just the second time a UCLA duo had each homered 20 times in the same year. Woolery finished the season with a nation-leading 86 runs batted in.
Four Bruins were named NFCA All-Americans in 2025. Grant and Woolery were both First Team selections for the first time in their collegiate careers. Savannah Pola and Taylor Tinsley received All-America status for the first team, each being named Third Team. UCLA had two finalists in Woolery, who made the Top 10, and Megan Grant, who made the Top 25. Additionally on the conference awards circuit, Addisen Fisher and Rylee Slimp were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
UCLA was recognized as the NFCA West Regional Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season and eighth total time under Inouye-Perez. The Bruins ended the year with a No. 6 ranking in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
Inouye-Perez and UCLA returned the Women’s College World Series stage for the 10th time in her head coaching career in 2024. The Bruins posted a 43-12 record and a 17-4 mark in conference play, taking home both the Pac-12 regular season title and Pac-12 Tournament championship in their final year as a member of the flagship softball conference. After starting the year with a 3-4 record, UCLA closed out the final five weeks of the regular season convincingly with a 15-1 mark which helped earn a No. 6 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA’s impressive turnaround was signaled by a three-game sweep at then-Pac-12-leader Stanford in mid-April. UCLA cruised through the Regional and Super Regional rounds undefeated to enter the WCWS on a 13-game winning streak. That winning streak was sparked by the largest comeback victory in program history when UCLA rallied from a 7-0 deficit to score 11 unanswered runs against rival Arizona at Easton Stadium on Senior Day on April 28. UCLA rode that momentum through the Pac-12 Tournament, defeating Arizona for a third time in another comeback victory in the semifinals and exacting revenge over Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship. Inouye-Perez was awarded the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season and the NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the seventh time in her career. Inouye-Perez called the season “the greatest year of coaching (she’s) experienced” in her 18 years as head coach and 12 as an assistant. She picked up the 800th win of her career on April 19 in a win at Stanford.
Maya Brady repeated as Pac-12 Player of the Year, was a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist for a second straight year and named three-time NFCA First Team All-American. Brady finished the year leading the team with a .418 batting average, 68 RBIs, 59 runs scored and a .500 on-base percentage. She completed her career as one of UCLA’s all-time greats, ranking second in program history with 71 home runs, 246 RBIs and a .757 slugging percentage. UCLA’s late-season surge was highlighted by the performance of NFCA Second Team All-American catcher Sharlize Palacios. In addition to managing UCLA’s young pitching core, Palacios bashed for a team-leading .828 slugging percentage and 20 home runs, including five in the postseason. Palacios’ home runs came at the most clutch moments; six of her last 11 homers of the season either gave UCLA the lead or tied the game. Kaitlyn Terry won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award in 2024, securing UCLA’s fifth such honor in the last seven full seasons.
Together, Taylor Tinsley and Terry tag-teamed the majority the innings and broke out as rising stars in the circle during UCLA’s run to the WCWS. Seven total Bruins earned All-Pac-12 honors, including six tabbed to the First Team. Joining Brady, Palacios, Terry and Tinsley on the First Team were Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant. Graduate outfielder Jadelyn Allchin proved to be one of the most valuable transfer additions in the country, being named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team for the first conference recognition of her career. UCLA ended the year ranked fifth in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2023, Inouye-Perez won her third Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bruins to their 17th total conference banner and 12th as a member of the Pac-12. UCLA posted a 52-7 record and a 21-3 mark in conference play, earning a No. 2 national seed in the NCAA Tournament to make it 16 straight postseason appearances for Inouye-Perez. UCLA ended the season with a 17-game conference winning streak which was the longest for the team since 2002. With their fifth consecutive conference sweep against Utah, the Bruins concluded the Pac-12 schedule with 21 wins for their most in a season since 1999. In total, UCLA defeated 20 ranked opponents in 2023. The Bruins nearly swept the Pac-12 major postseason awards. Maya Brady was named the Player of the Year, Megan Faraimo Pitcher of the Year and Jordan Woolery Freshman of the Year. Brady was one of the top players in the country, being named a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist. Brady won the Pac-12 Regular Season Batting Crown with a .456 average and recorded UCLA's highest single-season batting average since Allexis Bennett in 2015 (.448) and slugging percentage since Megan Langenfeld in 2010 (.866). Brady finished first in the Pac-12 batting average (.448), slugging percentage (.866), extra-base hits (33) and total bases (149) and was second in RBIs (59) and home runs (18). Faraimo, who became the first player in UCLA history to win Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons, ranked second in the NCAA with 29 wins and led the Pac-12 with 232 strikeouts. Both Brady and Faraimo earned NFCA First Team All-America honors while UCLA's star freshman duo of Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery earned Second Team and Third Team All-America acclaim, respectively. Grant and Woolery set a UCLA freshman duo record with 104 combined RBIs. With the help of All-Pac-12 Second Team selections pitcher Brooke Yanez and catcher Sharlize Palacios, UCLA ranked second in the conference with a 1.64 ERA and 416 strikeouts. UCLA ended the year ranked No. 13 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2022, Inouye-Perez led the Bruins to a seventh straight Women's College World Series appearance. The Bruins posted a 51-10 record and 19-5 record in conference play, finishing runner-up behind Arizona State. UCLA opened its Pac-12 schedule to the tune of a 10-0 record for the best conference start in program history. UCLA's pitching staff was once again the story of the team, leading the conference in every significant statistical category (1.73 ERA, 292 strikeouts and 21 shutouts). Megan Faraimo and Holly Azevedo dazzled with a combined 45-8 record to become the Bruins' first pitching duo in 20 years to each record 20-plus wins. Faraimo went on to secure Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors while Azevedo was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team. The Bruins tossed five no-hitters, ranking second nationally, for the program's most since 2002. Three of those no-no's were perfect games, all coming within eight days of each other in March. Faraimo, Delanie Wisz and Briana Perez each earned NFCA All-American nods. Wisz performed her best in her final year in Westwood, boasting the Bruins' top batting average (.405), RBI total (63), home run total (16) and slugging percentage (.767). Perez became the first Bruin to win the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to her fourth All-Pac-12 Defensive Team. Joining Azevedo, Faraimo, Perez and Wisz with All-Pac-12 accolades were Maya Brady, Savannah Pola and Kinsley Washington, who were named to the Third Team. Inouye-Perez earned the 700th win of her head coaching career on March 28 with a victory at Washington. UCLA finished at No. 3 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2021, Inouye-Perez earned the second Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year award of her career after guiding the Bruins to their sixth consecutive Women’s College World Series and their 11th Pac-12 Championship in program history with a 47-7 record. The Bruins’ pitching staff ranked first in the country with 23 shutouts and a 6.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio as well as third with a 1.43 ERA. Maya Brady, Delanie Wisz, Briana Perez and Rachel Garcia all ranked top 10 in the conference in home runs. Garcia was named the NFCA National Player of the Year as well as the back-to-back winner of the prestigious Honda Cup. Inouye-Perez’s staff was honored as the 2021 NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Perez, Garcia, Brady, Megan Faraimo and Aaliyah Jordan were all named NFCA All-Americans, tied for the most of any school. UCLA was tabbed at No. 5 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
During the abbreviated 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins posted a 25-1 record, with the .962 winning percentage ranking first in the nation. The Bruins were voted the No. 1 team in the nation in the final NFCA Coaches Poll. As a team, UCLA was first nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.52), second in batting average (.368) and ERA (1.20), fourth in runs per game (7.69), sixth in slugging percentage (.594) and tied for ninth in doubles (45). Megan Faraimo led the country with a 29.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio, ranked second with 149 strikeouts and was tied for second with 13 victories, earning Softball America Pitcher of the Year honors. In addition, Brady was named Softball America Freshman Player of the Year. No NFCA All-American, NFCA All-Region or All-Pac-12 awards were given.
In 2019, Inouye-Perez guided the Bruins to their 13th national championship and 12th NCAA title. The Bruins never trailed at the Women’s College World Series, as Inouye-Perez won her 600th career game in the title-clinching victory over Oklahoma. During its 5-0 run in Oklahoma City, UCLA led the WCWS field in batting average (.310), ERA (1.84), home runs (12), on base percentage (.392), runs scored (37) and slugging (.574). The Bruins also led the entire NCAA Tournament in average (.317), runs (79), slugging (.548) and homers (18).
Rachel Garcia was named the Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Aaliyah Jordan, Bubba Nickles and Kinsley Washington. Garcia was also selected as the winner of the Honda Cup, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA National Pitcher of the Year, the ESPNW Player of the Year and Pac-12 Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year. Six Bruins earned NFCA All-America status and seven players were also honored on the NFCA All-Region and All-Pac-12 teams.
The Bruins went 56-6 and tied for first in the Pac-12 with a 20-4 mark, UCLA’s first league title since 2009. Nationally, the Bruins finished the season ranked second in ERA (1.43), third in average (.339) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.52), fourth in runs per game (7.03), seventh in on base (.416), eighth in slugging (.547), tied for eighth in shutouts (20), 11th in homers (78), 20th in fielding percentage (.974) and tied for 20th in doubles (90).
Inouye-Perez and her staff were named the 2019 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year, the second time in a decade they earned the award (2010), and NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year (fifth time).
In 2018, the Bruins again advanced to the WCWS, going 58-7 and placing second in the Pac-12 with a 20-4 record. The 58 victories, tied for the most in the nation in 2018, were the most for a Bruin team since 2001. UCLA won the first 25 games of the season, was the last undefeated team in the country and had 14 comeback wins. UCLA finished second in the nation in batting (.335), fifth in runs per game (6.32), sixth in slugging (.520), ninth in on-base percentage (.404), 10th in homers (68), tied for 10th in doubles (88) and 12th in ERA (1.83).
Rachel Garcia was named the Honda Sport Award winner for softball, as well as NFCA National Player of the Year, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and ESPNW Player of the Year. Garcia was an NFCA First Team All-American, along with Aaliyah Jordan, while Kylee Perez was named Second Team All-American. Seven Bruins were named NFCA All-Region to tie a school record, and six were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, with Garcia earning Player of the Year honors and Jordan picking up Freshman of the Year and Batting Champion accolades. On Feb. 25, 2018, Inouye-Perez won the 500th game of her head coaching career with a victory over Missouri. UCLA ended the year slotted at No. 3 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2017, the Bruins went 48-15 and tied for third in the Pac-12 with a 16-8 mark. UCLA finished third in the nation in homers (78) and doubles (97) and seventh in slugging (.521). Garcia, the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, was also an NFCA Second Team All-American, with five Bruins earning NFCA All-West Region First Team accolades, as well as All-Pac-12 nods. The Bruins were tabbed No. 5 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2016, the Bruins advanced to the WCWS after winning the final two games of the Eugene Super Regional to oust Oregon. UCLA went 40-16-1 and placed second in the Pac-12 with a 16-5-1 record. The Bruins led the nation in double plays turned with 45. Three Bruins earned NFCA All-America honors, with Mysha Sataraka and Delaney Spaulding receiving Second Team accolades and Allexis Bennett picking up Third Team plaudits. In addition, six players earned All-Region honors and five were named to the All-Pac-12 Teams. On Feb. 13, 2016, Inouye-Perez won her 400th career game against Wichita State. Inouye-Perez and her staff were named the NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the third season in a row and fourth time during Inouye-Perez’s head coaching tenure. UCLA finished the year ranked No. 9 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2015, the Bruins went 51-12, finishing second in the Pac-12 with a 19-5 record. The Bruins, who led all NCAA Tournament teams in homers during the postseason with 17, were tops in the country in batting (.367), second in on-base percentage (.467), tied for second in doubles (107), fourth in runs per game (7.92) and slugging percentage (.608) and 11th in homers (89). The Bruins set single-season school records in average, slugging, on-base, runs, RBIs and walks. Four Bruins were named NFCA All-Americans, with Allexis Bennett and Ally Carda earning First Team honors and Delaney Spaulding and Stephany LaRosa being named Second Team. Seven Bruins were named NFCA West All-Region, while seven were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, including Carda, the back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year. UCLA ended the season ranked fifth in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2014, the Bruins recorded the nation’s best winning percentage (.867) with a 52-8 record. Inouye-Perez picked up her 300th career coaching victory at Hawai’i on Feb. 8. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-12 with a 19-5 mark and tied for ninth nationally, reaching the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA ranked fourth in the country in slugging percentage (.548) and ninth in batting average (.326) and homers per game (1.28). Ally Carda and Stephany LaRosa each earned NFCA First Team All-America accolades, with Carda also being named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist. Six Bruins were named All-Region and seven were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams. UCLA was ranked No. 9 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll
The Bruins posted a 40-20 record in 2013, tying for fifth in the Pac-12 with a 10-14 mark and reaching the championship game of the NCAA Louisville Regional. B.B. Bates was named an NFCA Second Team All-American, four were honored on the All-Region squad and six earned All-Pac-12 accolades. UCLA capped the season at No. 21 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2012, UCLA went 36-20 and tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with a 12-12 record. Four Bruins earned NFCA All-America honors, tied for the most in the nation, as Stephany LaRosa was named First Team, Andrea Harrison and Katie Schroeder Second Team and Samantha Camuso Third Team. Seven were named to the All-Pac-12 Teams, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year LaRosa, while six were All-Region winners. UCLA completed the season ranked No. 20 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2011, UCLA recorded a 36-19 mark and tied for sixth in the Pac-10 with a 9-12 record. Six Bruins were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, while Andrea Harrison was named an NFCA First Team All-American. Inouye-Perez earned her 200th career victory on March 11 against Sacramento State. UCLA was ranked 19th in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
Inouye-Perez led the UCLA softball program to its 12th national title and 11th NCAA Championship in 2010. The Bruins (50-11) went a perfect 10-0 in the postseason, including 5-0 at the Women’s College World Series. UCLA set numerous WCWS records, including the most home runs in one tournament with 14. Megan Langenfeld was named the WCWS Most Outstanding Player, while Samantha Camuso and Andrea Harrison each earned WCWS All-Tournament honors. Following the season, Inouye-Perez and her staff were honored as the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year. UCLA set a single-season school record for home runs with 108. Langenfeld and GiOnna DiSalvatore were each named to the NFCA All-America First Team. The Bruins also had three players named to the NFCA All-Region Team and eight honored by the Pac-10.
In 2009, Inouye-Perez led the Bruins to her first Pac-10 Championship as head coach, as UCLA went 45-11 overall and 16-5 in league play. She earned her first Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor and her 100th career victory on Feb. 22 against Maryland.
Inouye-Perez led UCLA to a 51-9 record in 2008 and a trip to the Women’s College World Series. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-10 with a 17-4 record and were ranked fifth in the final NFCA Coaches Poll. The Bruins had a 19-game winning streak from Feb. 16 to March 9 and also won 29 of 30 contests at one point. More than half of the Bruins’ victories (26) were against ranked foes, including wins over WCWS teams Virginia Tech and Arizona. UCLA was one of only two teams to shut out eventual NCAA Champion Arizona State. The Bruins hauled in four NFCA All-America accolades in 2008, the most for the program since 2003. GiOnna DiSalvatore and Anjelica Selden were named NFCA First Team All-Americans, while Amanda Kamekona and Megan Langenfeld earned Third Team honors.
In her first season as head coach at UCLA in 2007, Inouye-Perez posted a 37-18 guided the Bruins to a 37-18 record and a tie for third in the Pac-10 standings with a 12-9 mark. Krista Colburn and Lisa Dodd were Inouye-Perez’s first two NFCA All-Americans of her head coaching career, each receiving Second Team accolades. Four Bruins made All-Region and nine received All-Pac-10 nods.
Entering her 20th season in 2026
Record as Head Coach: 873-222-1 (.797)
Inouye-Perez guided UCLA to a second straight Women’s College World Series and the program’s ninth appearance in the last 10 years in 2025. The Bruins registered a 55-13 overall record and finished runner-up in both the Big Ten regular season title race and Big Ten Tournament Championship in the school’s inaugural year as a member of the conference. With the finish, Inouye-Perez has now guided UCLA to a top-2 regular-season conference finish in 10 straight seasons leading the program.
UCLA was led by one of the most high-powered offenses in the country, ranking top 10 nationally in runs scored (485), home runs (101) and slugging percentage (.591). The Bruins totaled 101 home runs, marking just the second time in program history a UCLA team had eclipsed the century mark. UCLA set a program record with 28 mercy-rule victories and ranked second in the country with a plus-312 run differential. The Bruins’ pitching staff was equally effective, ranking third in the country in WHIP, fifth in shutouts and 10th in earned run average.
The stars of the UCLA lineup were the Bruin Bombers – Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery – who made up one of the most lethal slugging duos in the country. Grant set the Big Ten single-season record and ranked second in UCLA single-season history with 26 home runs. Woolery joined Grant in the 20-homer club with 23 blasts, signaling just the second time a UCLA duo had each homered 20 times in the same year. Woolery finished the season with a nation-leading 86 runs batted in.
Four Bruins were named NFCA All-Americans in 2025. Grant and Woolery were both First Team selections for the first time in their collegiate careers. Savannah Pola and Taylor Tinsley received All-America status for the first team, each being named Third Team. UCLA had two finalists in Woolery, who made the Top 10, and Megan Grant, who made the Top 25. Additionally on the conference awards circuit, Addisen Fisher and Rylee Slimp were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
UCLA was recognized as the NFCA West Regional Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season and eighth total time under Inouye-Perez. The Bruins ended the year with a No. 6 ranking in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
Inouye-Perez and UCLA returned the Women’s College World Series stage for the 10th time in her head coaching career in 2024. The Bruins posted a 43-12 record and a 17-4 mark in conference play, taking home both the Pac-12 regular season title and Pac-12 Tournament championship in their final year as a member of the flagship softball conference. After starting the year with a 3-4 record, UCLA closed out the final five weeks of the regular season convincingly with a 15-1 mark which helped earn a No. 6 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA’s impressive turnaround was signaled by a three-game sweep at then-Pac-12-leader Stanford in mid-April. UCLA cruised through the Regional and Super Regional rounds undefeated to enter the WCWS on a 13-game winning streak. That winning streak was sparked by the largest comeback victory in program history when UCLA rallied from a 7-0 deficit to score 11 unanswered runs against rival Arizona at Easton Stadium on Senior Day on April 28. UCLA rode that momentum through the Pac-12 Tournament, defeating Arizona for a third time in another comeback victory in the semifinals and exacting revenge over Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship. Inouye-Perez was awarded the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season and the NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the seventh time in her career. Inouye-Perez called the season “the greatest year of coaching (she’s) experienced” in her 18 years as head coach and 12 as an assistant. She picked up the 800th win of her career on April 19 in a win at Stanford.
Maya Brady repeated as Pac-12 Player of the Year, was a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist for a second straight year and named three-time NFCA First Team All-American. Brady finished the year leading the team with a .418 batting average, 68 RBIs, 59 runs scored and a .500 on-base percentage. She completed her career as one of UCLA’s all-time greats, ranking second in program history with 71 home runs, 246 RBIs and a .757 slugging percentage. UCLA’s late-season surge was highlighted by the performance of NFCA Second Team All-American catcher Sharlize Palacios. In addition to managing UCLA’s young pitching core, Palacios bashed for a team-leading .828 slugging percentage and 20 home runs, including five in the postseason. Palacios’ home runs came at the most clutch moments; six of her last 11 homers of the season either gave UCLA the lead or tied the game. Kaitlyn Terry won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award in 2024, securing UCLA’s fifth such honor in the last seven full seasons.
Together, Taylor Tinsley and Terry tag-teamed the majority the innings and broke out as rising stars in the circle during UCLA’s run to the WCWS. Seven total Bruins earned All-Pac-12 honors, including six tabbed to the First Team. Joining Brady, Palacios, Terry and Tinsley on the First Team were Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant. Graduate outfielder Jadelyn Allchin proved to be one of the most valuable transfer additions in the country, being named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team for the first conference recognition of her career. UCLA ended the year ranked fifth in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2023, Inouye-Perez won her third Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bruins to their 17th total conference banner and 12th as a member of the Pac-12. UCLA posted a 52-7 record and a 21-3 mark in conference play, earning a No. 2 national seed in the NCAA Tournament to make it 16 straight postseason appearances for Inouye-Perez. UCLA ended the season with a 17-game conference winning streak which was the longest for the team since 2002. With their fifth consecutive conference sweep against Utah, the Bruins concluded the Pac-12 schedule with 21 wins for their most in a season since 1999. In total, UCLA defeated 20 ranked opponents in 2023. The Bruins nearly swept the Pac-12 major postseason awards. Maya Brady was named the Player of the Year, Megan Faraimo Pitcher of the Year and Jordan Woolery Freshman of the Year. Brady was one of the top players in the country, being named a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist. Brady won the Pac-12 Regular Season Batting Crown with a .456 average and recorded UCLA's highest single-season batting average since Allexis Bennett in 2015 (.448) and slugging percentage since Megan Langenfeld in 2010 (.866). Brady finished first in the Pac-12 batting average (.448), slugging percentage (.866), extra-base hits (33) and total bases (149) and was second in RBIs (59) and home runs (18). Faraimo, who became the first player in UCLA history to win Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year in back-to-back seasons, ranked second in the NCAA with 29 wins and led the Pac-12 with 232 strikeouts. Both Brady and Faraimo earned NFCA First Team All-America honors while UCLA's star freshman duo of Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery earned Second Team and Third Team All-America acclaim, respectively. Grant and Woolery set a UCLA freshman duo record with 104 combined RBIs. With the help of All-Pac-12 Second Team selections pitcher Brooke Yanez and catcher Sharlize Palacios, UCLA ranked second in the conference with a 1.64 ERA and 416 strikeouts. UCLA ended the year ranked No. 13 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2022, Inouye-Perez led the Bruins to a seventh straight Women's College World Series appearance. The Bruins posted a 51-10 record and 19-5 record in conference play, finishing runner-up behind Arizona State. UCLA opened its Pac-12 schedule to the tune of a 10-0 record for the best conference start in program history. UCLA's pitching staff was once again the story of the team, leading the conference in every significant statistical category (1.73 ERA, 292 strikeouts and 21 shutouts). Megan Faraimo and Holly Azevedo dazzled with a combined 45-8 record to become the Bruins' first pitching duo in 20 years to each record 20-plus wins. Faraimo went on to secure Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors while Azevedo was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team. The Bruins tossed five no-hitters, ranking second nationally, for the program's most since 2002. Three of those no-no's were perfect games, all coming within eight days of each other in March. Faraimo, Delanie Wisz and Briana Perez each earned NFCA All-American nods. Wisz performed her best in her final year in Westwood, boasting the Bruins' top batting average (.405), RBI total (63), home run total (16) and slugging percentage (.767). Perez became the first Bruin to win the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to her fourth All-Pac-12 Defensive Team. Joining Azevedo, Faraimo, Perez and Wisz with All-Pac-12 accolades were Maya Brady, Savannah Pola and Kinsley Washington, who were named to the Third Team. Inouye-Perez earned the 700th win of her head coaching career on March 28 with a victory at Washington. UCLA finished at No. 3 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2021, Inouye-Perez earned the second Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year award of her career after guiding the Bruins to their sixth consecutive Women’s College World Series and their 11th Pac-12 Championship in program history with a 47-7 record. The Bruins’ pitching staff ranked first in the country with 23 shutouts and a 6.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio as well as third with a 1.43 ERA. Maya Brady, Delanie Wisz, Briana Perez and Rachel Garcia all ranked top 10 in the conference in home runs. Garcia was named the NFCA National Player of the Year as well as the back-to-back winner of the prestigious Honda Cup. Inouye-Perez’s staff was honored as the 2021 NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Perez, Garcia, Brady, Megan Faraimo and Aaliyah Jordan were all named NFCA All-Americans, tied for the most of any school. UCLA was tabbed at No. 5 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
During the abbreviated 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins posted a 25-1 record, with the .962 winning percentage ranking first in the nation. The Bruins were voted the No. 1 team in the nation in the final NFCA Coaches Poll. As a team, UCLA was first nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.52), second in batting average (.368) and ERA (1.20), fourth in runs per game (7.69), sixth in slugging percentage (.594) and tied for ninth in doubles (45). Megan Faraimo led the country with a 29.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio, ranked second with 149 strikeouts and was tied for second with 13 victories, earning Softball America Pitcher of the Year honors. In addition, Brady was named Softball America Freshman Player of the Year. No NFCA All-American, NFCA All-Region or All-Pac-12 awards were given.
In 2019, Inouye-Perez guided the Bruins to their 13th national championship and 12th NCAA title. The Bruins never trailed at the Women’s College World Series, as Inouye-Perez won her 600th career game in the title-clinching victory over Oklahoma. During its 5-0 run in Oklahoma City, UCLA led the WCWS field in batting average (.310), ERA (1.84), home runs (12), on base percentage (.392), runs scored (37) and slugging (.574). The Bruins also led the entire NCAA Tournament in average (.317), runs (79), slugging (.548) and homers (18).
Rachel Garcia was named the Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Aaliyah Jordan, Bubba Nickles and Kinsley Washington. Garcia was also selected as the winner of the Honda Cup, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA National Pitcher of the Year, the ESPNW Player of the Year and Pac-12 Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year. Six Bruins earned NFCA All-America status and seven players were also honored on the NFCA All-Region and All-Pac-12 teams.
The Bruins went 56-6 and tied for first in the Pac-12 with a 20-4 mark, UCLA’s first league title since 2009. Nationally, the Bruins finished the season ranked second in ERA (1.43), third in average (.339) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.52), fourth in runs per game (7.03), seventh in on base (.416), eighth in slugging (.547), tied for eighth in shutouts (20), 11th in homers (78), 20th in fielding percentage (.974) and tied for 20th in doubles (90).
Inouye-Perez and her staff were named the 2019 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year, the second time in a decade they earned the award (2010), and NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year (fifth time).
In 2018, the Bruins again advanced to the WCWS, going 58-7 and placing second in the Pac-12 with a 20-4 record. The 58 victories, tied for the most in the nation in 2018, were the most for a Bruin team since 2001. UCLA won the first 25 games of the season, was the last undefeated team in the country and had 14 comeback wins. UCLA finished second in the nation in batting (.335), fifth in runs per game (6.32), sixth in slugging (.520), ninth in on-base percentage (.404), 10th in homers (68), tied for 10th in doubles (88) and 12th in ERA (1.83).
Rachel Garcia was named the Honda Sport Award winner for softball, as well as NFCA National Player of the Year, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and ESPNW Player of the Year. Garcia was an NFCA First Team All-American, along with Aaliyah Jordan, while Kylee Perez was named Second Team All-American. Seven Bruins were named NFCA All-Region to tie a school record, and six were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, with Garcia earning Player of the Year honors and Jordan picking up Freshman of the Year and Batting Champion accolades. On Feb. 25, 2018, Inouye-Perez won the 500th game of her head coaching career with a victory over Missouri. UCLA ended the year slotted at No. 3 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2017, the Bruins went 48-15 and tied for third in the Pac-12 with a 16-8 mark. UCLA finished third in the nation in homers (78) and doubles (97) and seventh in slugging (.521). Garcia, the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, was also an NFCA Second Team All-American, with five Bruins earning NFCA All-West Region First Team accolades, as well as All-Pac-12 nods. The Bruins were tabbed No. 5 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2016, the Bruins advanced to the WCWS after winning the final two games of the Eugene Super Regional to oust Oregon. UCLA went 40-16-1 and placed second in the Pac-12 with a 16-5-1 record. The Bruins led the nation in double plays turned with 45. Three Bruins earned NFCA All-America honors, with Mysha Sataraka and Delaney Spaulding receiving Second Team accolades and Allexis Bennett picking up Third Team plaudits. In addition, six players earned All-Region honors and five were named to the All-Pac-12 Teams. On Feb. 13, 2016, Inouye-Perez won her 400th career game against Wichita State. Inouye-Perez and her staff were named the NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the third season in a row and fourth time during Inouye-Perez’s head coaching tenure. UCLA finished the year ranked No. 9 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2015, the Bruins went 51-12, finishing second in the Pac-12 with a 19-5 record. The Bruins, who led all NCAA Tournament teams in homers during the postseason with 17, were tops in the country in batting (.367), second in on-base percentage (.467), tied for second in doubles (107), fourth in runs per game (7.92) and slugging percentage (.608) and 11th in homers (89). The Bruins set single-season school records in average, slugging, on-base, runs, RBIs and walks. Four Bruins were named NFCA All-Americans, with Allexis Bennett and Ally Carda earning First Team honors and Delaney Spaulding and Stephany LaRosa being named Second Team. Seven Bruins were named NFCA West All-Region, while seven were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, including Carda, the back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year. UCLA ended the season ranked fifth in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2014, the Bruins recorded the nation’s best winning percentage (.867) with a 52-8 record. Inouye-Perez picked up her 300th career coaching victory at Hawai’i on Feb. 8. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-12 with a 19-5 mark and tied for ninth nationally, reaching the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA ranked fourth in the country in slugging percentage (.548) and ninth in batting average (.326) and homers per game (1.28). Ally Carda and Stephany LaRosa each earned NFCA First Team All-America accolades, with Carda also being named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist. Six Bruins were named All-Region and seven were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams. UCLA was ranked No. 9 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll
The Bruins posted a 40-20 record in 2013, tying for fifth in the Pac-12 with a 10-14 mark and reaching the championship game of the NCAA Louisville Regional. B.B. Bates was named an NFCA Second Team All-American, four were honored on the All-Region squad and six earned All-Pac-12 accolades. UCLA capped the season at No. 21 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2012, UCLA went 36-20 and tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with a 12-12 record. Four Bruins earned NFCA All-America honors, tied for the most in the nation, as Stephany LaRosa was named First Team, Andrea Harrison and Katie Schroeder Second Team and Samantha Camuso Third Team. Seven were named to the All-Pac-12 Teams, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year LaRosa, while six were All-Region winners. UCLA completed the season ranked No. 20 in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
In 2011, UCLA recorded a 36-19 mark and tied for sixth in the Pac-10 with a 9-12 record. Six Bruins were honored on the All-Pac-12 Teams, while Andrea Harrison was named an NFCA First Team All-American. Inouye-Perez earned her 200th career victory on March 11 against Sacramento State. UCLA was ranked 19th in the final NFCA Coaches Poll.
Inouye-Perez led the UCLA softball program to its 12th national title and 11th NCAA Championship in 2010. The Bruins (50-11) went a perfect 10-0 in the postseason, including 5-0 at the Women’s College World Series. UCLA set numerous WCWS records, including the most home runs in one tournament with 14. Megan Langenfeld was named the WCWS Most Outstanding Player, while Samantha Camuso and Andrea Harrison each earned WCWS All-Tournament honors. Following the season, Inouye-Perez and her staff were honored as the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year. UCLA set a single-season school record for home runs with 108. Langenfeld and GiOnna DiSalvatore were each named to the NFCA All-America First Team. The Bruins also had three players named to the NFCA All-Region Team and eight honored by the Pac-10.
In 2009, Inouye-Perez led the Bruins to her first Pac-10 Championship as head coach, as UCLA went 45-11 overall and 16-5 in league play. She earned her first Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor and her 100th career victory on Feb. 22 against Maryland.
Inouye-Perez led UCLA to a 51-9 record in 2008 and a trip to the Women’s College World Series. The Bruins finished second in the Pac-10 with a 17-4 record and were ranked fifth in the final NFCA Coaches Poll. The Bruins had a 19-game winning streak from Feb. 16 to March 9 and also won 29 of 30 contests at one point. More than half of the Bruins’ victories (26) were against ranked foes, including wins over WCWS teams Virginia Tech and Arizona. UCLA was one of only two teams to shut out eventual NCAA Champion Arizona State. The Bruins hauled in four NFCA All-America accolades in 2008, the most for the program since 2003. GiOnna DiSalvatore and Anjelica Selden were named NFCA First Team All-Americans, while Amanda Kamekona and Megan Langenfeld earned Third Team honors.
In her first season as head coach at UCLA in 2007, Inouye-Perez posted a 37-18 guided the Bruins to a 37-18 record and a tie for third in the Pac-10 standings with a 12-9 mark. Krista Colburn and Lisa Dodd were Inouye-Perez’s first two NFCA All-Americans of her head coaching career, each receiving Second Team accolades. Four Bruins made All-Region and nine received All-Pac-10 nods.