No. 2 Bruins Make First Pac-12 Road Trip to Cal
UCLA Softball Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Game 21
Friday, March 26
2 p.m.
No. 2 UCLA at California
Berkeley, Calif.
Levine-Fricke Field
Free Live Stream
Live Stats
Games 22/23
Saturday, March 27
12 p.m. Doubleheader
No. 2 UCLA at California
Berkeley, Calif.
Levine-Fricke Field
Free Live Stream
Live Stats Game 1
Live Stats Game 2
Game 24
Sunday, March 28
11:30 a.m.
No. 2 UCLA at California
Berkeley, Calif.
Levine-Fricke Field
Free Live Stream
Live Stats
NO. 2 BRUINS MAKE FIRST PAC-12 ROAD TRIP TO CALIFORNIA
The second-ranked Bruins travel to Berkeley this weekend for a four-game series at California. Friday's game will start at 2 p.m., Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m. and Sunday's contest will start at 11:30 a.m. All four games will be live streamed, with links on the softball schedule page.
2021 PAC-12 CONFERENCE SERIES FORMAT
This season, Pac-12 Conference series' will consist of four games over three days, single games on the first and last days and a doubleheader on the second day. Three of the four contests (both single games and the first game of the doubleheader) will count towards the Pac-12 standings, with the other game designated as a non-conference contest. In the event one of the four games is canceled due to weather or COVID concerns, the other three games played will be used for conference standings.
FAN ADVISORY
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans are unable to attend games at Easton Stadium.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bruins are on their Pac-12 bye week next week, traveling to Loyola Marymount and San Diego for a pair of doubleheaders. UCLA will take on the Mexican Olympic Team on Friday, April 2 at 11:30 a.m. before facing LMU at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, April 3, the Bruins head to USD for a twinbill beginning at 2 p.m.
BRUINS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS (THROUGH 3/23)
Team Rankings - Doubles (T-2nd, 48); Batting Average (4th, .373); Slugging (4th, .680); On Base Percentage (5th, .453); Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (5th, 6.42); Winning Percentage (7th, .950); ERA (8th, 1.09); Runs Per Game (8th, 7.75); Shutouts (10th, 9); Home Runs (T-16th, 33); Fielding Percentage (37th, .973); Triples (T-41st, 5); Stolen Bases (T-46th, 33).
Megan Faraimo - Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (4th, 12.86); Wins (T-10th, 10); Hits Allowed Per Seven Innings (12th, 2.90); Strikeouts (T-21st, 90); Earned Run Average (22nd, 0.70); Shutouts (T-25th, 3); Walks Allowed Per Seven Inn. (34th, 0.81).
Rachel Garcia - Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (1st, 16.33); Hits Allowed Per Seven Innings (T-4th, 2.33); Earned Run Average (8th, 0.29); Walks Allowed Per Seven Innings (T-39th, 0.88).
Briana Perez - Runs Scored (T-28th, 24); Slugging Percentage (T-41st, .869); Total Bases (T-44th, 53);
Bubba Nickles - Sacrifice Flies (T-5th, 3); Kinsley Washington - Doubles (T-7th, 9); Maya Brady - Slugging (T-44th, .868).
SCOUTING THE CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
California (12-7, 1-2 Pac-12) lost three of four in its Pac-12 opening series at Oregon State last weekend. The Golden Bears are hitting .276 as a team with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases, averaging 4.68 runs per game. Junior Lauren Espalin is tops on the team in batting average at .378, adding two homers and seven runs batted in, while sophomore Makena Smith is second at .375 and tied for first with 10 RBI to go with two home runs. Five different Bears have seen action in the circle, led by junior Chloe Romero, who is 6-1 with a 1.62 earned run average and 26 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings. Freshman Haylei Archer is 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings, while freshman Sona Halajian is 1-5 with a 3.57 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.
THE SERIES: UCLA VS. CALIFORNIA
The Bruins lead the all-time series with California 96-29-1 and are unbeaten in their last 17 against the Golden Bears, which includes 16 victories and one tie game due to rain. In 2019, UCLA posted 3-2 (eight innings), 1-0 and 6-0 victories in a series at Easton Stadium. The Bruins are 34-19-1 in Berkeley, going 7-0-1 in their last eight games.
BRUINS SWEEP PAC-12 WEEKLY AWARDS
Fresh off a four-game sweep of Arizona State last weekend, redshirt freshman Maya Brady was named Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Week, while redshirt senior Rachel Garcia was recognized as the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.
For Brady, it is the second time she has been named Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Week in the same week, as she also earned the accolade last Feb. 11. For Garcia, it is her 12th Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award, which breaks a tie with Keira Goerl (11) for the most conference Pitcher of the Week honors in school history.
Brady started off Pac-12 play with a bang, hitting home runs in each of the last three of the four-game series sweep of the sixth-ranked Sun Devils. She had six hits in eight at-bats during the weekend, driving in eight and walking four times. All three of her home runs went to the opposite field, including a Sunday grand slam in the first inning, as she had a career-high three hits and six runs batted in. Brady also made a diving catch in the top of the first inning on Sunday. Brady is third on the team with a .421 batting average and five home runs and tied for second with 19 runs batted in.
Garcia earned wins in both of her appearances in the ASU series, striking out 21 in 13 2/3 innings and allowing only one run, seven hits and one walk. Garcia tied a season high with 14 strikeouts in eight innings in Friday's series opener, striking out the side three times. She entered in relief in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, fanning seven in 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball, giving up just two hits. The Friday run was the only one she has allowed this season in 24 innings, as she has a 0.29 earned run average and 49 strikeouts. Garcia also went 4-for-10 with two homers and three RBI at the plate.