Friday, May 18
Los Angeles, CA
8:00 PM
UCLA
vs
Sacramento State
Junior Taylor Pack is 5-for-11 (.455) with a pair of RBI in her last four starts.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Third-Seeded UCLA Hosts Sacramento State Friday
May 16, 2018 | Softball
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NCAA Los Angeles Regional • Friday, May 18 - Sunday, May 20 • Easton Stadium
Friday, May 18
Game 1 - Cal State Fullerton vs. Texas State - 5:30 p.m. - ESPN3
Game 2 - Sacramento State at No. 3-seed UCLA - 8 p.m. - ESPN2
Saturday, May 19
Game 3 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 2 p.m.
Game 4 - Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser - 4:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner - 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 20
Game 6 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner - 4 p.m.
Game 7 - Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary) - 6:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Regional Central Page (Live Stats/Audio Links/Ticket Information)
All Games Televised on ESPN Family of Networks
All Games at Easton Stadium
THIRD-SEEDED BRUINS HOST LOS ANGELES REGIONAL
The third-seeded Bruins will host the Los Angeles Regional this weekend at Easton Stadium, opening up against Sacramento State on Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. The game will also feature free live audio on UCLABruins.com. Cal State Fullerton and Texas State will play in Friday's first game at 5:30 p.m. Regional action continues on Saturday (three games) and Sunday (one or two games).
WHAT'S NEXT?
The winner of the Los Angeles Regional will advance to next weekend's Super Regional, facing the winner of the Tucson Regional, which features #14-seed Arizona, Mississippi State, North Dakota State and Saint Francis.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
The Bruins concluded the regular season ranked second in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, earning 765 points and 10 first-place votes, while placing third in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Poll, receiving 464 points and two first-place votes.
BRUINS IN NCAA REGIONAL PLAY
UCLA is making its tournament-record 34th appearance in the NCAA Softball Championship and holds a record of 201-55 (.785). During the Regional round, the Bruins are 93-14 (.869) and have gone undefeated 23 times, including each of the last four seasons. Since Regional play moved to a four-team format in 2005, the Bruins are 35-9 (.795), advancing to the Supers in '05-'06, '08-'10 and '14-'17. UCLA is hosting a Regional for the 23rd time and is 59-5 (.922) in 22 previous Regionals at Easton and 73-10 (.880) overall during postseason games in Westwood. UCLA's past performances in the NCAA Tournament are available on page 41 of this release.
BRUINS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS (THROUGH 5/13)
TEAM
Batting Average 2nd (.340)
On Base Percentage 4th (.412)
Runs Per Game 4th (6.54)
Slugging Percentage 5th (.526)
Earned Run Average 13th (1.74)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio 22nd (3.26)
Doubles T-23rd (78)
Triples T-28th (14)
Home Runs T-29th (54)
Fielding Percentage 38th (.971)
INDIVIDUAL
RACHEL GARCIA
Hits Allowed Per Seven Innings 2nd (3.04)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings 3rd (10.7)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio 6th (8.07)
Earned Run Average 10th (1.08)
Sacrifice Flies T-13th (5)
Shutouts T-33rd (7)
Wins T-33rd (21)
Walks Allowed Per Seven Innings 45th (1.32)
AALIYAH JORDAN
Runs Batted In T-6th (63)
Batting Average T-13th (.444)
Sacrifice Flies T-13th (5)
Runs Scored T-19th (53)
Hits T-24th (72)
Slugging Percentage 29th (.759)
Total Bases T-35th (123)
On Base Percentage 42nd (.497)
KYLEE PEREZ
Runs Scored T-15th (55)
BRIANA PEREZ
Runs Scored T-17th (54)
NEWS AND NOTES
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia has allowed just four earned runs in her last 59 innings (0.47 earned run average), striking out 95 and limiting opponents to a .111 batting average ... over her last five games, senior Madeline Jelenicki is 8-for-17 (.471) with eight runs batted in and three home runs ... freshman Briana Perez has hits in 24 of her last 26 games, batting .356 (32-for-90) with 24 runs, carrying a 12-game hitting streak into this weekend ... sophomore Bubba Nickles had a 15-game hitting streak from April 13-May 10, batting .442 (19-for-43) with 18 RBI during that stretch ... redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan has hits in 21 of her last 26 games (.407, 5 HR, 27 RBI) ... in her last four starts, junior Taylor Pack is 5-for-11 (.455) with a pair of RBI and three runs ... freshman Holly Azevedo has given up two earned runs or fewer in 13 of her last 14 starts, going 7-0 with a 2.23 ERA, five complete games and 51 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings ... senior Selina Ta'amilo has given up just one run in her last 9 1/3 innings (0.78 ERA) ... the Bruins, who had 13 comeback victories last season, posted their 10th of the year on April 21 against Washington ... UCLA has won 93 in a row when ahead after five innings (31 times this season) ... the Bruins have lost just once (47-1) when scoring at least three runs and are 33-0 when giving up two runs or less ... all four of UCLA's losses this year have come when the opponent scores first (8-4 record, 42-0 when scoring first) ... of the 321 runs batted in for Bruin hitters, 122 have come with two outs for a 38.0 percentage. Jordan, Nickles and Briana Perez all have 19 two-out RBI, senior Kylee Perez has 12 and redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia has 11 ... the Bruins, who are tied with Florida and Oklahoma with an NCAA-best 50 wins, were the final remaining undefeated team in college softball this season, entering their March 17 game with a 25-0 record. UCLA's start was tied for the fifth best in program history. In three of the other five seasons where the Bruins started a year with at least 25 consecutive wins, they won the NCAA Championship (1992, 1999, 2004) ... with the Feb. 25 win against Missouri, head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez earned the 500th victory of her career.
SCOUTING THE SACRAMENTO STATE HORNETS
Sacramento State (31-18, 14-7 Big Sky) closed the regular season with four wins in a row, including two in the Big Sky Conference Tournament against Montana and Northern Colorado to earn the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship, its first trip since 2008 and fourth overall. The Hornets are hitting .286 as a team with 29 home runs and 40 stolen bases, averaging 4.39 runs per game. Four players are hitting .300 or better, led by senior Zamari Hinton's .405 average. Sophomore Suzy Brookshire is second at .379 and first with 17 homers and 50 RBI, while junior Nene Alas is third at .345 and tied for first with 10 steals. Senior Celina Matthias leads the pitchers with a 20-9 record, a 1.95 earned run average and 203 strikeouts in 204 1/3 innings, while junior Savanna Corr is 7-8 with a 3.36 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 102 innings.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. HORNETS
The Bruins lead the all-time series with Sacramento State 21-5 and have won the last two. The most recent meeting between the two teams came on March 11, 2011 in Lakewood, Calif., as UCLA won 5-3. The Bruins are 9-1 at home versus the Hornets.
SCOUTING THE TEXAS STATE BOBCATS
Texas State (42-14, 18-5 Sun Belt) came through the loser's bracket to beat Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship game to earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAAs, its ninth all-time appearance and third in a row. The Bobcats are hitting .282 as a team with 33 home runs and 52 stolen bases, averaging 4.18 runs per game. Five players are hitting .300 or better, led by sophomore Hailey McKay, who is first with a .341 average, 11 homers and 38 runs batted in. Sophomore Haleigh Davis is second (.324), while senior Ariel Ortiz is third (.323), with each player tied for second with six homers. Senior Randi Rupp has pitched 2/3 of the team's innings and is 27-10 with a 1.15 earned run average and 302 strikeouts in 262 innings. Freshman Meagan King is 7-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings, while freshman McKenna Fryar is 5-2 with a 2.55 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 55 innings.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. BOBCATS
The Bruins have won all four matchups against Texas State, but the last meeting came on Feb. 10, 2002, with UCLA winning 4-0. Texas State will be making its first trip to Easton Stadium.
SCOUTING THE CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS
Cal State Fullerton (33-23, 18-3 Big West) clinched the conference regular-season title and league's automatic NCAA bid with a victory on Saturday against UC Riverside. The Titans are making their 28th trip to the NCAA Regionals and third in a row to Easton Stadium. Fullerton is batting .296 as a team with 17 home runs and 80 stolen bases, averaging 4.41 runs per game. Five players are hitting at least .300, led by freshman Deshea Hill's .377 average. Senior Bryanna Ybarra is second at .336 and 30 runs batted in and first with four steals, while senior Brooke Clemetson is hitting .291 with a team-best 33 steals. Sophomore Sophie Frost is 14-8 with a 2.17 earned run average and 80 strikeouts in 148 2/3 innings, redshirt junior Trish Parks is 10-2 with a 2.39 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 85 innings and freshman Taylor Dockins is 7-4 with a 3.31 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. TITANS
The Bruins and Titans are very familiar with each other, with UCLA holding a 48-33-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Bruins have won nine in a row following a 5-3 victory in Fullerton on May 1. Rachel Garcia had three hits and struck out eight in 3 2/3 innings of relief for the win, while Kylee Perez also had three hits (box score available on page 14 of this release). The Bruins have won five in a row at Easton against the Titans and are 24-14-1 all-time in Westwood. UCLA has won four straight matchups in the postseason against Cal State Fullerton (9-1 in 2017; 3-2 and 5-4 in 2016; 8-3 in 2008). The Bruins are 15-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament against the Titans.
Players Mentioned
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Saturday, May 31
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Thursday, May 29
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