Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia leads the Bruins with a 1.02 ERA, a 27-3 record and 273 strikeouts in 185 innings.
Garcia Named USA Softball Player of the Year
May 29, 2018 | Softball
UCLA Softball Twitterย |ย Facebookย |ย Instagram
OKLAHOMA CITY - Redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia was named the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Tuesday, as announced at the Women's College World Series team banquet.
Garcia becomes the second Bruin to be named the USA Softball Player of the Year, joining Stacey Nuveman, who earned the award's first honor in 2002.
Garcia leads the Bruins' pitching staff with a 1.02 earned run average, a 27-3 record and 273 strikeouts in 185 innings, while adding a .356 batting average, 11 home runs and 53 runs batted in, the latter two categories ranking second on the team.ย
This season, Garcia has earned a plethora of awards: ESPNW National Player of the Year, NFCAย First Team All-Region, Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team, 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).ย
Garcia has pitched 18 complete games and has been a part of 11 shutouts, including nine solo blankings, adding two saves and limiting opponents to a .129 batting average. At the plate, she is tied for third with 21 walks and first with six sacrifice flies.
Garcia has pitched in all seven games of the NCAA Tournament, going 6-1 with a 0.83 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings. She has pitched all but six innings in the postseason, giving up 20 hits and five earned runs. At the plate, Garcia is 8-for-22 (.364) in the playoffs with two home runs and a team-best nine RBI.
The third-seeded Bruins open up the Women's College World Series on Thursday against No. 6 Florida State at 8:30 p.m. CT/6:30 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballUCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Tennessee (June 1, 2025)
Sunday, June 01
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Texas Tech (May 31, 2025)
Saturday, May 31
Highlights - UCLA Softball vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29