The second half of the Pac-12 softball conference season begins Friday as the league looks to conclude a strong season with an exciting finish. 

Eight of the Pac-12's nine teams are receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, including six the in the top 25, while the Pac-12 as a whole ranks No. 2 in the country in RPI.

There are plenty of storylines to watch in the final weeks of the regular season, and here is one thing we have learned about each team so far.

No. 2 UCLA (36-4, 12-3 Pac-12) — The freshmen are fantastic

Star shortstop Maya Brady and ace Megan Faraimo continue to lead this UCLA team, but it's the Bruins' depth that makes it such a special group. Freshmen Megan Grant, Jordan Woolery, Kennedy Powell and Taylor Tinsley have all made an immediate impact in Westwood. Grant leads the Bruins with 42 RBI and is tied with Woolery for second in homers (8). Powell is hitting .373, the second-best mark on the team. Tinsley, UCLA's No. 3 pitcher, has a 1.59 ERA in 44 innings.

Altogether, the Bruins are one of the favorites to win the Women's College World Series and are in a prime position to secure their second straight Pac-12 regular-season championship, holding a two-game lead despite having already played Washington, Stanford, Cal and Oregon.

No. 9 Washington (29-8, 10-5 Pac-12) — Ruby Meylan is the next great Husky ace

Speaking of freshmen, Meylan has lived up to lofty expectations so far, going 14-3 with a 2.05 ERA, helping the Huskies replace the great Gabbie Plain. Meylan's 143 strikeouts (in 108 innings) are the second-most in the Pac-12 only behind Faraimo. In conference play, Meylan has picked up wins against tough lineups like UCLA, Arizona and Oregon. 

Her emergence has been paramount for a Washington team whose offense ranks third in the Pac-12 in scoring and features talented upperclassmen like reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Baylee Klingler and Sami Reynolds, making them one of the most dangerous teams in the country and potentially a top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 5 Stanford (31-6, 8-4 Pac-12) — The Card is more complete

The Cardinal continues to be elite defensively and in the circle, leading the Pac-12 in both fielding percentage (.982) and ERA (1.41), the main drivers behind its No. 5 national ranking. Alana Vawter once again is one of the top pitchers in the country. But the offense has quietly made a sizable improvement too, averaging 3.8 runs per game in Pac-12 play compared to just 2.4 last season.

Freshman second baseman River Mahler has had a lot to do with that, leading Stanford with a .432 batting average while driving in 17 runs.

No. 25 Utah (26-8, 8-4 Pac-12) — The Utes have taken the next step

The Utes set high expectations for themselves this season, declaring it to be a "World Series or bust" kind of year. Adding two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Abby Dayton to an experienced core that features all-conference players like Ellessa Bonstrom, Haley Denning and Mariah Lopez has given Utah an enviable mix of youth and experience.

The Utes narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament last year, but are currently tied for third place in the Pac-12 and boast an RPI of 35, easily good enough to earn their first postseason bid since 2017 if the season ended today. They can't get complacent, though, as they still have tough series against Stanford, Washington, UCLA and Oregon coming up.

California (25-12-1, 6-8-1 Pac-12) — An NCAA Tournament berth is within reach

The Golden Bears have continually improved under head coach Chelsea Spencer and appear on track to earn their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2018, ranking 27th in the country in RPI. Cal enters the second half of conference play in fifth place with series wins over Arizona State and Utah. It also run-ruled UCLA in its first win over the Bruins since 2013.

The Bears can thank a powerful offense that ranks second in the Pac-12 in homers (49) and doubles (54). Senior catcher Makenna Smith leads the way with 11 long balls, tied with Arizona's Devyn Netz for the third-most in the conference.

No. 19 Oregon (25-11, 5-7 Pac-12) — The Ducks can beat anyone

Oregon is in the lower half of the Pac-12 standings, but it cannot be taken lightly. In their three series against teams higher than them in the standings — at Washington, vs. Stanford, vs. UCLA — the Ducks managed to take one game. In the non-conference season, they beat two teams currently ranked in the NFCA Top 25 — Northwestern and Florida. The Ducks' Pac-12 schedule eases in the second half, giving them a real shot to earn a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and host a Regional.

Fifth-year infielder Allee Bunker has been a major reason for their success, batting a career-high .415 with seven homers.

Arizona State (21-13, 5-7 Pac-12) — Jordyn VanHook is a breakout star

The senior only hit five homers in her first three seasons with the Sun Devils, but has launched 15 long balls this year, the most in the Pac-12 and tied for third-most in the country. Her emergence has helped ASU, which was predicted to finish last in the Pac-12 by the conference's coaches, be tied with Oregon for sixth place and have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament in head coach Megan Bartlett's first season in Tempe.

The Sun Devils rank 40th in RPI but will be tested significantly in the second half of conference play, still having to face UCLA, Stanford and Oregon.

No. 24 Arizona (24-15, 3-9 Pac-12) — The young Cats can play

Despite sluggers like Izzy Pacho and Carlie Scupin missing time due to injury, the Wildcats lead the Pac-12 in scoring and rank third nationally in batting average (.346). Catcher/designated player Olivia DiNardo has hit her way into the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year discussion, hitting a team-high .454 with six homers, eight doubles and 26 RBI. Freshman outfielder Dakota Kennedy is hitting .350 with five homers and a team-high eight stolen bases. Freshman utility Tayler Biehl has six stolen bases while batting .333 and knocking in 11 runs.

The pitching needs to catch up to the hitting, but youth is shining in the circle too as freshmen Aissa Silva and Sydney Somerndike — both top-20 recruits — have seen significant action and have respectable ERAs hovering around 3.00.

Oregon State (11-23-1, 2-12-1 Pac-12) — Injuries are an issue

The Beavers' quest to return to Oklahoma City has been derailed by injuries. Key players from last year's Women's College World Series team like Kiki Escobar, Madison Simon, Sarah Haendiges, Savanah Whatley and Charity Sevaaetasi have all missed significant time. Escobar and Sevaaetasi haven't played at all.

Understandably, it's been a rough go of it for the shorthanded Beavers, who have been outscored 41-102 in Pac-12 play. There is no reason to give up, though, as the inaugural Pac-12 Softball Tournament in May still gives them a chance to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.