Rivalry Renewed: Bruins Host Arizona in Supers

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Los Angeles Super Regional (Best 2-of-3 Series)
No. 14-seed Arizona at No. 3-seed UCLA

Game 1 - Thursday, May 24
6 p.m.
TV: ESPN

Game 2 - Friday, May 25
6 p.m.
TV: ESPN2

Game 3 - Saturday, May 26 (if necessary)
4 p.m.
TV: ESPN

All Games at Easton Stadium
Free Live Audio
Live Stats
Tickets

PAC-12 RIVALS UCLA & ARIZONA BATTLE FOR WCWS BERTH
The biggest rivalry in the history of college softball will be renewed this week at Easton Stadium, as third-seeded UCLA hosts No. 14 Arizona with a trip to the Women's College World Series on the line. The best 2-of-3 series begins on Thursday at 6 p.m. and continues on Friday at 6 p.m., with the if necessary game three taking place on Saturday at 4 p.m. The first and third contests of the series will be televised on ESPN, while the second game will be on ESPN2. Free live audio and live stats will also be available at UCLABruins.com.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The winner of the Los Angeles Super Regional advances to the Women's College World Series next week in Oklahoma City. The WCWS begins on Thursday, May 31. The UCLA-Arizona winner will play the winner of Florida State and LSU in the opening round next Thursday.

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 SUPER REGIONAL PLAY
In the 14th year of the Super Regional format, the Bruins are making their 10th appearance (2005-06, '08-'10, '14-'18). UCLA has a 16-6 (.727) record in Super Regional play, advancing to the WCWS in '05 (2-1 over Georgia), '06 (2-0 over USF), '08 (2-0 over Georgia), '10 (2-0 over Louisiana), '15 (2-0 over Missouri), '16 (2-1 over Oregon) and '17 (2-0 over Ole Miss). The Bruins' two Super Regional losses have come to Missouri ('09) and Kentucky ('14), both 2-1 setbacks. UCLA, making its tournament-record 34th appearance in the NCAA Softball Championship, is 205-56 (.785) following last weekend's Regional victory. The Bruins are now 97-15 (.866) in Regional play. The entire UCLA NCAA postseason history is available on the penultimate page of this release.

GARCIA NAMED TOP 4 FINALIST FOR USA SB NPOY
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia was named a Top 4 finalist for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, as announced on Wednesday.

Joining Garcia as finalists are Oklahoma senior pitcher Paige Parker, Florida junior pitcher Kelly Barnhill and Florida junior outfielder Amanda Lorenz. The winner will be announced next Tuesday, May 29 at the team banquet at the Women's College World Series.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award enters its 17th 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). This season, redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan was a Top 10 finalist.

Garcia leads the Bruins' pitching staff with a 1.01 earned run average, a 25-3 record and 255 strikeouts in 173 innings, while adding a .357 batting average, 10 home runs and 51 runs batted in, the latter two categories ranking second on the team.

This season, Garcia has earned a plethora of awards: two-time NFCA National Pitcher of the Week (April 17 and 24), two-time USA Softball National Player of the Week (Feb. 27 and April 17), one-time NFCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 27), four-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (April 16, April 23, May 7 and May 14) and one-time Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 16).

Garcia has pitched 17 complete games and has been a part of 11 shutouts, including nine solo blankings, adding two saves and limiting opponents to a .130 batting average. At the plate, she is tied for third with 20 walks and first with six sacrifice flies.

Garcia pitched in all five Regional games last weekend, going 4-1 with a 0.69 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. She pitched all but four innings, giving up 15 hits and three earned runs, while throwing 501 pitches in three days. At the plate, Garcia went 6-for-16 (.375) with a homer and seven RBI, including a three-run homer in the Regional final over Cal State Fullerton.

SEVEN BRUINS EARN NFCA ALL-REGION ACCOLADES
Seven Bruins were named to the NFCA All-Region Teams, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on May 17, as senior Kylee Perez (second base), junior Brianna Tautalafua (third base), redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia (utility/pitcher), sophomore Bubba Nickles (outfield) and redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan (outfield) were named to the First Team, while freshmen Holly Azevedo (pitcher) and Briana Perez (shortstop) earned Second Team honors.

The seven All-Region awards tied a school record for the Bruins, who also accomplished the feat in 2015. UCLA tied for the third-most All-Region awards in the nation, while the five First Team accolades tied for the most in the country.

Kylee Perez is the 12th Bruin ever to earn four All-Region honors, picking up Third Team as a freshman and First Team each of the last three seasons. Garcia (Second Team in 2017) and Tautalafua (Second Team in 2016) both received their second All-Region awards, while it was the first for Azevedo, Jordan, Nickles and Briana Perez.

GARCIA PAC-12 POY, JORDAN FOY, EIGHT HONORED
A total of eight Bruins were honored on the All-Pac-12 Conference Teams, as announced on May 12, including redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia, who was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, and Aaliyah Jordan, who was recognized as Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and the league Batting Champion.

Garcia's conference POY award is the 15th in Bruin history, joining Ally Carda (2014 and 2015), Megan Langenfeld (2010), Andrea Duran (2006), Natasha Watley (2003), Stacey Nuveman (1999, 2001, 2002), Lisa Fernandez (1991, 1992, 1993) and Lisa Longaker (1987, 1988, 1990).

Jordan is the seventh Bruin to earn Pac-10/12 Newcomer or Freshman of the Year honors, joining Tanya Harding (1995), Julie Adams (1996), Stacey Nuveman (1997), Anjelica Selden (2005), Stephany LaRosa (2012) and Garcia (2017). In the fourth year that the Pac-12 has bestowed the Batting Champion award, the Bruins have won three of four (Allexis Bennett in 2015 and 2016).

Garcia and Jordan were also named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, as were senior Kylee Perez and freshman Briana Perez. Sophomore Bubba Nickles earned All-Pac-12 Second Team accolades and senior Madeline Jelenicki was recognized on the Third Team. Jordan, Briana Perez, Holly Azevedo and Kinsley Washington were honored on the All-Freshman Team, while the Perez sisters each earned All-Defensive Team nods.

Kylee Perez becomes the 29th Bruin to earn four All-Pac-10/12 awards, going from Honorable Mention in 2015 to First Team the last three seasons. Jelenicki picked up her third All-Pac-12 nod (Second Team in 2016, First Team in 2017), Garcia earned her second-straight, All-Pac-12 First Team plaudit and Nickles was recognized on the Second Team for the second year in a row.

GARCIA, BRIANA PEREZ EARN PAC-12 WEEKLY AWARDS
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia was named Pac-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week for the fourth time in five weeks, while Briana Perez book-ended her season with Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards, as announced on May 14.

Garcia earned both Bruin victories against then-No. 6 Arizona State, striking out 21 in 17 1/3 innings. She had a 1.62 earned run average, limiting opponents to a .091 batting average, four runs and five hits.

Perez had hits in all three games, going 5-for-9 (.556) with three runs and a solo home run. Perez went 3-for-3 with two runs in game two, including her fifth homer of the season. She added a single, a walk and a run in the regular-season finale.

Garcia picked up her seventh career Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award, also earning the honor this April 16, April 23 and May 7, as well as last Feb. 21, April 11 and April 25. Perez's other Pac-12 FOW was on Feb. 13. The Bruins earned 14 conference weekly honors this season. Garcia was the Pac-12 Player of the Week on April 16 and redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan was a six-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March 13, April 2, April 23 and April 30) and one-time Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 23).

BRUINS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS (THROUGH 5/20)
TEAM
Batting Average   2nd (.338)
Runs Per Game   4th (6.46)
Slugging Percentage   6th (.519)
On Base Percentage   8th (.409)
Earned Run Average   12th (1.66)
Doubles   T-13th (83)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio   21st (3.29)
Home Runs   T-21st (58)
Triples   T-29th (14)
Fielding Percentage   42nd (.970)

INDIVIDUAL
AALIYAH JORDAN
Runs Batted In   T-8th (64)
Hits   T-12th (77)
Sacrifice Flies   T-15th (5)
Batting Average   T-19th (.435)
Runs Scored   T-19th (55)
Total Bases   T-23rd (131)
Slugging Percentage   39th (.740)
On Base Percentage   46th (.493)

RACHEL GARCIA
Hits Allowed Per Seven Innings   2nd (3.12)
Sacrifice Flies   T-5th (6)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings   6th (10.3)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio   9th (6.89)
Earned Run Average   11th (1.01)
Shutouts   T-16th (9)
Wins   T-19th (25)

KYLEE PEREZ
Runs Scored   T-15th (58)
Hits   T-26th (74)

BRIANA PEREZ
Runs Scored   T-17th (57)
Hits   T-26th (74)

NEWS AND NOTES
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia has allowed just seven earned runs in her last 89 1/3 innings (0.55 earned run average), striking out 132 with only 18 walks during that stretch. Garcia also had hits in each of the last four games of the L.A. Regional (6-for-13, 7 RBI) ... freshman Briana Perez carries a 17-game hitting streak into the L.A. Super Regional. She is batting .400 (24-for-60) with eight RBI and 17 runs scored during the streak. The 17-game hitting streak is tied for the seventh-longest in UCLA history (T-5 - 18, Amanda Freed and Christie Ambrosi; 4th - 19, Natasha Watley) ... sophomore Bubba Nickles, who had a 15-game hitting streak from April 13-May 10 (.442, 19-for-43, 18 RBI), had hits in all five games last weekend, going 6-for-12 (.500) with a pair of homers and seven RBI ... redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jordan has hits in 25 of her last 31 games (.396, 6 HR, 28 RBI) ... senior Kylee Perez has hits in six in a row, including all five games of the L.A. Super Regional, where she hit .421 (8-for-19) with three RBI ... over her last 10 games, senior Madeline Jelenicki is 11-for-33 (.333) with eight runs batted in and three home runs ... in her last six starts, junior Taylor Pack is 7-for-17 (.412) with three RBI and three runs ... freshman Holly Azevedo has given up two earned runs or fewer in 15 of her last 16 appearances, going 7-0 with a 2.20 ERA, five complete games and 53 strikeouts in 63 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 11th of the year in the Regional final game against Cal State Fullerton, coming back from a 2-1 deficit ... UCLA has won 96 in a row when ahead after five innings (34 times this season) ... the Bruins have lost just once (51-1) when scoring at least three runs and are 36-0 when giving up two runs or less ... all five of UCLA's losses this year have come when the opponent scores first (8-5 record, 46-0 when scoring first) ... of the 348 runs batted in for Bruin hitters, 126 have come with two outs for a 36.2 percentage. Nickles leads the way with 21 two-out RBI, Briana Perez has 20 and Jordan holds 19 ... the Bruins, who lead the nation with 54 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 ARIZONA WILDCATS
Arizona (43-14, 13-11 Pac-12) went 3-0 at the Tucson Regional last weekend, defeating Saint Francis (1-0), North Dakota State (6-0) and Mississippi State (4-3). The Wildcats hit .272 as a team with one home run. Overall on the season, Arizona is batting .299 with 74 homers and 31 stolen bases, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Five players are hitting at least .300, led by redshirt sophomore Alyssa Palomino, who is first with a .370 average, tied for first with 18 homers and second with 40 runs batted in. Sophomore Jessie Harper (.330) also has 18 home runs with a team-high 51 RBI, while sophomore Dejah Mulipola (.323) is third with 12 homers and 36 RBI. Junior Taylor McQuillin, who tossed 19 2/3 shutout innings with 22 strikeouts last weekend, is 28-10 with a 1.45 earned run average and 277 strikeouts in 231 innings, while sophomore Alyssa Denham is 11-3 with a 1.88 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 104 innings.

SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. WILDCATS
The Bruins lead the all-time series with Arizona 88-57, sweeping the Wildcats in Tucson this season (April 13-15). UCLA claimed 7-6, 7-3 and 10-3 victories. UCLA cumulative stats and box scores from that series are available on pages 17-20 of this release. The Bruins have won seven straight Pac-12 series' against the Wildcats (2012-2018). UCLA swept Arizona at home in 2014 and 2015, won 2-1 at home in 2012 and 2017 and 2-1 in Tucson in 2013 and 2016. The Bruins are 46-22 all-time at Easton Stadium against Arizona, winning eight of the last nine.

BRUINS AND WILDCATS IN THE POSTSEASON
In the storied history of the UCLA-Arizona rivalry, the two teams have met in the postseason 14 times, with the Wildcats holding an 8-6 edge. But this year's matchup will be the first time the two teams have met in the NCAA Tournament anywhere other than the Women's College World Series.

*June 8, 2010 - UCLA 15, Arizona 9
*June 7, 2010 - UCLA 6, Arizona 5 (8 innings)
May 29, 2008 - UCLA 1, Arizona 0
*May 28, 2001 - Arizona 1, UCLA 0
May 26, 1997 - Arizona 10, UCLA 2 (5 innings)
*May 23, 1997 - Arizona 2, UCLA 0 (14 innings)
May 24, 1996 - Arizona 4, UCLA 0
May 29, 1994 - Arizona 5, UCLA 2
*May 31, 1993 - Arizona 1, UCLA 0
*May 25, 1992 - UCLA 2, Arizona 0
*May 26, 1991 - Arizona 5, UCLA 1
May 24, 1991 - Arizona 1, UCLA 0 (9 innings)
May 27, 1989 - UCLA 3, Arizona 0
May 28, 1988 - UCLA 5, Arizona 0

* - Championship Game or Championship Series

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Rivalry Renewed: Bruins Host Arizona in Supers

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Holly Azevedo

Allexis Bennett

Rachel Garcia

Madeline Jelenicki

Aaliyah Jordan

Bubba Nickles

Taylor Pack

Briana Perez

Kylee Perez

Selina Ta'amilo

Brianna Tautalafua

Kinsley Washington

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Rivalry Renewed: Bruins Host Arizona in Supers

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Players Mentioned

Holly Azevedo

Allexis Bennett

Rachel Garcia

Madeline Jelenicki

Aaliyah Jordan

Bubba Nickles

Taylor Pack

Briana Perez

Kylee Perez

Selina Ta'amilo

Brianna Tautalafua

Kinsley Washington

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