Pac-12 Softball Weekly Release - March 18, 2022

Schedule // Standings // Statistics // NCAA Statistics // Record Book

SAN FRANCISCO - 2022 Pac-12 softball hits its sixth week of action as conference play is set to begin.

THIS WEEK AHEAD: Only one tournament is set to take place, featuring Stanford at the Mizzou Classic, which begins Saturday, March 19 in Columbia, Mo. A total of 17 Pac-12 games will be played this week, with 12 games set to be available through Pac-12 Networks, ESPN+ and live stream outlets.  

IN THE RANKINGS: UCLA continues to lead five ranked Pac-12 teams in this week's USA Today/NFCA Top-25 Coaches Poll at No. 4, and is followed closely by No. 7 Washington and No. 9 Arizona. No. 11 Oregon and No. 22 Arizona State are also in the rankings, while Stanford and Oregon State are receiving votes.

Six teams are now ranked in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings: UCLA is No. 3, Washington is No. 7, Oregon is No. 13, Arizona is No. 16, Arizona State is No. 22, Oregon State is No. 24, and Stanford is receiving votes.

RPI REPORT: In the NCAA's most recent RPI report the Pac-12 has five programs in the top-25, which is the second most among all leagues (SEC). Oregon leads the conference at No. 6, UCLA is No. 10, Washington is No. 12, Oregon State is No. 24 and Arizona is No. 25. 

Oregon has 17 wins against RPI top-100 opponents which is the second-most in the country (Oklahoma - 19). 

UCLA is fourth in the country in RPI top-25 victories with five and is one of just four teams (Alabama, Virginia Tech and Florida State) with at least that many.

UCLA currently has the third-longest active winning streak in the nation (16), only behind Alabama (20) and Oklahoma (18). Oregon is tied for the fifth-longest active winning streak (11) with UCF and South Dakota State.

ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS: UCLA's Briana Perez is first among among active NCAA players in at bats (739) and runs scored (238). Perez ranks second in hits per game (0.383), fifth in total bases (462), seventh in games played (228), third in triples (16) and seventh in runs batted in (180). UCLA's Aaliyah Jordan is ranked second among active players in doubles (60), fourth in runs batted in (197), ninth in hits per game (0.389) and total bases (419). UCLA's Megan Faraimo ranks second in ERA (1.21) and third in strikeouts per seven innings (10.36). 

Washington's Olympian Gabbie Plain is first among active players in victory percentage (0.851), second in shutouts (41), second in games started (111), second in strikeouts (948), third in innings pitched (722.3), fourth in pitching appearances (146), fifth in ERA (1.41), and  fourth in completed games (74). Plain also ranks eighth in strikeouts per seven innings (9.19) and 15th in saves (9). 

Oregon State's Mariah Mazon ranks second in innings pitched (751.7), third in completed games (77), ninth in strikeouts (738), ninth in games started (98), eighth in saves (10), and 10th in pitching appearances (136). 

IN THE RANKINGS: Through six weeks of action, Arizona ranks third in the country in batting average (0.379), fifth in slugging percentage (0.648), and eighth in scoring (7.74) and ninth in home runs per game (0.30). Stanford is third in triples per game (0.55), eighth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.27) and eighth in ERA (1.37). Oregon State ranks first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (13.11) and second in ERA (1.06). while UCLA is second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.50), third in ERA (1.18), fourth in scoring (8.16), tied for sixth in win/loss percentage (0.880), seventh in batting average (0.360) and eighth in slugging percentage (0.622). follows closely in the same category at third (7.08). Washington ranks tied for fifth in the league in walks (105) and sixth in home runs per game (1.71).. 

NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Washington's Olivia Johnson claimed the first D1 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week honor of the season (Feb. 15) after bursting onto the scene during opening week in Mexico. 

She was named MVP of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge as she reached base safely in her first 14 plate appearances, going 7-for-7 with three home runs, eight RBIs and drawing seven walks (five intentional). The freshman marked the best start to a season or career by any Husky, as she was the first Husky freshman to hit back-to-back home runs in first two plate appearances, as well as the first to start a season or career going 7-for-7. Johnson finished the tournament with a .700 average, five runs scored, 1.800 slugging percentage and a .833 on-base percentage.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Defending Pac-12 Champion UCLA was voted by the Conference's softball head coaches as the league's preseason favorite for the second consecutive season as the Bruins collected a total of 63 points. The Bruins finished the 2021 season with a record of 47-7 (19-2 in Pac-12), a No. 5 ranking in the final USA Today/NFCA poll and made their sixth-straight appearance to the Women's College World Series. UCLA returns 10 student-athletes who appeared in at least 40 games and 17 total letterwinners who accounted for 63 percent of its hits and 82 percent of its runs from a season ago. 

Washington came in second (55), while Arizona (45) and Oregon (45) are tied for third. Arizona State totaled 37 points to finish fifth, and Stanford (31), Oregon State (25), California (12) and Utah (11) rounded out the poll. 

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS: Eight NFCA DI All-America team members are returning for the 2022 season, including Arizona’s 2021 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Batting Champion Janelle Meoño, Oregon’s fifth-year senior Brooke Yanez, UCLA’s Megan Faraimo, Maya Brady, Aaliyah Jordan and Briana Perez, and Washington's fifth-year senior Gabbie Plain and senior Baylee Klingler.

WATCH LISTS: Nine Pac-12 student-athletes appear on the USA Softball Top 50 Collegiate Player of the Year watch list. Arizona’s Janelle Meoño, Oregon’s Brooke Yanez, Stanford's Alana Vawter, UCLA’s Megan Faraimo and Aaliyah Jordan, Briana Perez, Utah’s Alyssa Barrera, Washington’s Baylee Klingler and Gabbie Plain.

OLYMPIANS MADE HERE: The Pac-12 boasted 20 Olympians on the rosters of five different countries at last summer’s Tokyo Games, including eight of the 15 on Team USA. Returning Olympians on campus this season include Arizona's Giulia Koutsoyanopulos (Italy), Washington's Gabbie Plain (Australia) and Oregon State's Tarni Stepto (Australia).

Oregon State head coach Laura Berg and Washington head coach Heather Tarr were Team USA assistants in Tokyo and in October, Tarr was named the new leader of the 2022 U.S. National Team. Since becoming UW's head coach in 2005, Tarr has become the winningest coach of any sport in Huskies' history.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Full Schedule) 

• (1) - Mizzou Classic, Columbia, MO.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings) 

PAC-12 SOFTBALL WEEKLY AWARDS