Thursday, February 23
Cathedral City, Calif.
5:30 PM
UCLA
vs
Georgia
Sophomore Brianna Tautalafua is tied for 30th in the nation with three home runs.
#4 Bruins Head Back to Cathedral City
February 21, 2017 | Softball
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Thursday, February 23 (Games at Big League Dreams)
5:30 p.m. - #6/#4 UCLA vs. #11/#12 Georgia
8 p.m. -ย #6/#4 UCLA vs. North Carolina State
Live Stats (vs. UGA)ย / Live Stats (vs. NCST) / FloSoftball Video (Fee Required)
Friday, February 24 (Game at Big League Dreams)
5:30 p.m. - #6/#4 UCLA vs. #4/#5 Oklahoma
Live Stats / OU Radioย / FloSoftball Video (Fee Required)
Saturday, February 25 (Game at Big League Dreams)
5:30 p.m. - #6/#4 UCLA vs. #7/#8 LSU
Live Stats / FloSoftball Video (Fee Required)
Sunday, February 26 (Game at Big League Dreams)
11:30 a.m. - #6/#4 UCLA vs. #1/#1 Florida State
Live Stats / FSU Radio / FloSoftball Video (Fee Required)
Twitter Updates
BRUINS BACK TO CATHEDRAL CITY FOR MARY NUTTER II
The fourth-ranked Bruins travel back to Cathedral City this week for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic II at Big League Dreams, facing a tough schedule that starts on Thursday with a doubleheader against #11 Georgia (5:30 p.m.) and North Carolina State (8 p.m.). UCLA also takes on #4 Oklahoma (5:30 p.m.) on Friday, #7 LSU (5:30 p.m.) on Saturday and #1 Florida State (11:30 a.m.) on Sunday. Live stats will be available for all games at UCLABruins.com, while live video for a fee will be available at FloSoftball.com.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
UCLA moved up one spot to fourth in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings and stayed at sixth for the second straight week in the latest USA Today/NFCA poll. Of the other eight teams in the top nine of both polls, seven of them are on the Bruins' schedule, including four over the next two weekends. UCLA was also first in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, earning three first-place votes and 59 points.
RACHEL GARCIA NAMED PAC-12 PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Redshirt freshman Rachel Garcia was named Pac-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week for the first time in her career on Tuesday after helping the Bruins to a pair of wins last week, including a victory over #22 Kentucky.
In four games, all in relief, Garcia struck out 22 in 20 innings, posting a 0.35 earned run average. She won twice and allowed just one run and seven hits with no walks, limiting opponents to a .106 batting average. At the plate, Garcia added six hits in 18 at-bats (.333 batting average) with five runs batted in.
Garcia threw 13 2/3 innings in last Wednesday's doubleheader versus Kentucky, striking out 16 and giving up just five hits and one run. In game one, the redshirt freshman struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings. She had four 1-2-3 frames in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh, striking out at least one in every inning, including the side in the fifth and a pair in the second. In the nightcap, Garcia fanned six in seven innings, posting 1-2-3 frames in the sixth, seventh and 10th. She had her consecutive scoreless streak to start her career snapped at 23 1/3 following an 11th-inning homer by UK, which is still the only run she has allowed this season.
On Friday in a win versus Cal Poly, Garcia tossed 5 1/3 more innings of scoreless relief. She retired the first 10 batters she faced after entering in the second inning. Following a leadoff single in the sixth, Garcia set down the last six hitters of the game, striking out the last two and four overall. In her final appearance of the week, Garcia struck out two in one shutout frame against Liberty on Sunday, giving up just one hit.
For the year, Garcia is 4-1 with a 0.23 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 30 innings, having allowed only 13 hits and two walks and holding hitters to a .129 batting average. At the plate, she is batting .433 with a home run and 11 RBI.
The award is the 64th Pac-10/12 Pitcher of the Week for UCLA.
SPAULDING NAMED TO USA SOFTBALL POY WATCH LIST
Senior shortstop Delaney Spaulding is one of 50 players who were named to the Watch List for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, as announced on Feb. 1.ย
The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award enters its 16th season and recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players across the country. Previous recipients of the award include the first honoree in 2002, UCLA's Stacey Nuveman. Four Bruins have been Top 3 finalists for the award (Nuveman, 2002; Natasha Watley, 2002-2003; Megan Langenfeld, 2010; Ally Carda, 2014).
The preseason Watch List includes 26 seniors, 18 juniors and six sophomores, with freshmen ineligible for consideration (freshmen can be considered for the award once they have competed at the collegiate level). The Top 25 finalists will be announced on April 12. An athlete does not have to be on the Watch List to be considered for the Top 25, but the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 finalists. The Top 10 finalists will be named on May 10, with the Top 3 announced on May 24. The POY will be revealed on May 30.
NEWS AND NOTES
The Bruins are 14 wins away from 1,800 as a program ... UCLA led the nation in double plays last season with 45 and is tied for sixth in twin killings in 2017 with six ... the Bruins had 17 comeback victories last season and already have four this year ... UCLA was 22-0 last year when leading after five innings and 23-0 when up after six. This year, the Bruins are 8-0 and 6-0 in those instances ... junior Kylee Perez leads UCLA in multiple-hit games with seven and multi-RBI contests with five. She has hits in 10 of 11 this season ... senior Delaney Spaulding is second on the team with six multiple-hit contests, with four of those coming in the first four games of the season ... redshirt freshman Rachel Garcia has allowed just one run in 30 innings this season. She has also not walked a batter since surrendering two in her debut at San Diego State ... freshman Bubba Nickles has reached base in all 11 games and has a nine-game hitting streak. She has four multiple-hit contests ... junior Johanna Grauer has at least six strikeouts in four of her five appearances. She set a career high with 10 against Weber State in just five innings ... sophomore Paige Halstead has hits in nine of 11 games and left the yard for the second time this season against UC Davis. She has not made an error in 41 chances ... junior Madeline Jelenicki has driven in one run each in her last four contests. She also has no error in 64 chances ... senior Gabrielle Maurice stole a pair of bases versus Liberty, the third time she has accomplished that feat ... junior Selina Ta'amilo has not walked a batter in 13 1/3 innings ... along with her three homers, which is tied for second on the team, sophomore Brianna Tautalafua has not made an error in 64 opportunities ... the Bruins have three players on their roster who have won Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year. The last two winners of the award are freshmen for UCLA this season, Nickles and Garcia (redshirted in 2016). Redshirt senior Paige McDuffee was the 2011 honoree for Gatorade POY ... freshman Jenna Crawford comes from a long lineage of UCLA alums and her, along with sister Amy (2008-2011), will become the ninth set of siblings to put on the Bruin uniform ... Jelly Felix (shoulder) will redshirt what would have been her senior season in 2017 and will be a redshirt senior in '18. Also out for the year with injuries are sophomore Taylor Pack (shoulder) and freshmen Aaliyah Jordan (ACL) and Maddie Skibitzki (compartment syndrome).
SCOUTING THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Georgia enters the week at 12-0, having outscored its competition 106-14. The Bulldogs are hitting .448 as a team with 10 home runs and 42 stolen bases. Junior Cortni Emanuel leads the way with a .568 batting average and is 18-for-18 in stolen bases. Sophomore Alyssa DiCarlo is tops with seven homers and 23 RBI, while senior Sydni Emanuel is third with a .526 average. In the circle, junior Brittany Gray is 7-0 with a 0.66 earned run average and 32 strikeouts in 32 innings, while sophomore Kylie Bass is 4-0 with a 0.76 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings. UCLA is 13-2 all-time against Georgia, which includes a 14-6, five-inning victory at this tournament last Feb. 26.ย
SCOUTING THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK
North Carolina State is 2-7 through the first two weekends, having lost all four matchups to ranked teams by a combined score of 43-1. The Wolfpack are hitting .232 as a team with one home run and five stolen bases, averaging 2.3 runs per game. Freshman Jade Caraway (.375), senior Molly Hutchison (.360) and sophomore Brittany Nimmo (.348) are all hitting over .300. In the circle, Nimmo has a team-best 4.67 earned run average, a 1-2 record and five strikeouts in 15 innings. The only matchup between UCLA and North Carolina State came in Cathedral City in 2009, as the Bruins won 12-1 in five innings.
SCOUTING THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Oklahoma is 6-2 entering this week's play, with both losses coming to ranked teams (Auburn and Washington). The Sooners are batting .322 as a team with four home runs and 10 stolen bases, averaging 6.1 runs per game. Three players, junior Nicole Pendley (.433), sophomore Shay Knighten (.417) and sophomore Caleigh Clifton (.400), are batting over .400, with Pendley tops on the team with three homers and 10 RBI. In the circle, freshman Mariah Lopez is 1-0 with a 2.25 earned run average and seven strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings, junior Paige Parker is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings and junior Paige Lowary is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings. The Bruins own a 9-3 lead in the all-time series with the Sooners, with Oklahoma winning 11-7 in Cathedral City last February.
SCOUTING THE LSU TIGERS
LSU is 9-1 through the first two weekends and is batting .385 as a team with three home runs, seven stolen bases and 7.3 runs per game. Senior Bailey Landry is hitting a team-best .600, followed in average by senior Sahvanna Jaquish (.483), junior Emily Griggs (.441) and freshman Sydney Springfield (.414). In the circle, junior Carley Hoover is 2-0 with a 1.18 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings, junior Allie Walljasper is 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings and sophomore Sydney Smith is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14 innings. The Bruins are 6-2 all-time against LSU, but the Tigers claimed a 10-5 victory in Cathedral City last February.
SCOUTING THE FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Florida State is 10-0 on the season, having outscored its opponents 67-5. The Seminoles are hitting .336 as a team with eight home runs and 22 stolen bases. Redshirt senior Alex Powers is batting .552 with six RBI, junior Jessica Warren is tops with four homers and 11 RBI to go with a .346 average and junior Morgan Klaevemann is third with a .345 average and first with eight steals. In the circle, redshirt sophomore Meghan King has not allowed an earned run in 24 2/3 innings and is 4-0 with 22 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings, freshman Cassidy Davis has not given up any runs in 11 innings with eight strikeouts and redshirt senior Jessica Burroughs is 5-0 with a 0.51 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. UCLA won the first eight meetings against Florida State, but the Seminoles have claimed the last five, including a pair last season. FSU won 3-0 at Easton Stadium last March and 8-4 at the Women's College World Series last June 4 to end UCLA's season.
Players Mentioned
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