Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia was all smiles after helping the Bruins sweep Washington.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Garcia Named NFCA and USA Softball National Player of the Week
March 19, 2019 | Softball
UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Vote for Rachel
LOUISVILLE/OKLAHOMA CITY - Along with her Pac-12 Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, redshirt junior Rachel Garcia on Tuesday was also named National Player of the Week by both the NFCA and USA Softball.
Garcia hit and pitched UCLA to a three-game sweep at No. 5 Washington last weekend, batting .600 (6-for-10) with two home runs, eight runs batted in and five runs scored, while tossing 12 shutout innings with 16 strikeouts and only eight hits and three walks allowed. On Friday (March 15), Garcia picked up the complete-game, shutout victory, limiting the Huskies to six baserunners on three hits, two walks and a hit by pitch, while striking out nine. She was a dual threat on Saturday (March 16), throwing five shutout innings of relief with seven strikeouts and only five hits and one walk allowed. At the plate, Garcia had two hits, but none bigger than her two-out, two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead, which would also be the final score. Garcia didn't need to pitch on Sunday (March 17), mainly because she used her bat to help the Bruins score 15 runs off Washington. She had hits in all four at-bats, starting with an RBI single in the first, a two-run double in the second, a three-run homer in the third and a leadoff single in the fifth. Garcia's six RBI set a new career high, while her four hits and three runs scored tied personal bests.
Garcia lowered her season earned run average to 0.54, as she is 12-0 with 128 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings. At the plate, she is batting .333 with five home runs and 26 runs batted in.
The redshirt junior has been named USA Softball National Player of the Week a school-record four times (April 11, 2017; Feb. 27, 2018; April 17, 2018). She also earned her second NFCA National Player of the Week award (Feb. 27, 2018).
The Bruins are off from Pac-12 play next week, but have a pair of non-conference games on Sunday, March 24 on the campus of CSUN. UCLA will face Saint Mary's at 11:15 a.m., followed by the host Matadors at 1:30 p.m.
Vote for Rachel
LOUISVILLE/OKLAHOMA CITY - Along with her Pac-12 Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, redshirt junior Rachel Garcia on Tuesday was also named National Player of the Week by both the NFCA and USA Softball.
Garcia hit and pitched UCLA to a three-game sweep at No. 5 Washington last weekend, batting .600 (6-for-10) with two home runs, eight runs batted in and five runs scored, while tossing 12 shutout innings with 16 strikeouts and only eight hits and three walks allowed. On Friday (March 15), Garcia picked up the complete-game, shutout victory, limiting the Huskies to six baserunners on three hits, two walks and a hit by pitch, while striking out nine. She was a dual threat on Saturday (March 16), throwing five shutout innings of relief with seven strikeouts and only five hits and one walk allowed. At the plate, Garcia had two hits, but none bigger than her two-out, two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to give the Bruins a 4-2 lead, which would also be the final score. Garcia didn't need to pitch on Sunday (March 17), mainly because she used her bat to help the Bruins score 15 runs off Washington. She had hits in all four at-bats, starting with an RBI single in the first, a two-run double in the second, a three-run homer in the third and a leadoff single in the fifth. Garcia's six RBI set a new career high, while her four hits and three runs scored tied personal bests.
Garcia lowered her season earned run average to 0.54, as she is 12-0 with 128 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings. At the plate, she is batting .333 with five home runs and 26 runs batted in.
The redshirt junior has been named USA Softball National Player of the Week a school-record four times (April 11, 2017; Feb. 27, 2018; April 17, 2018). She also earned her second NFCA National Player of the Week award (Feb. 27, 2018).
The Bruins are off from Pac-12 play next week, but have a pair of non-conference games on Sunday, March 24 on the campus of CSUN. UCLA will face Saint Mary's at 11:15 a.m., followed by the host Matadors at 1:30 p.m.