Thursday, February 7
Honolulu, HI
11:00 AM
UCLA
vs
UT Arlington
The Bruins begin the season as the top-ranked team in the country.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA Photography
Top-Ranked Bruins Open 2019 in Hawaii
February 06, 2019 | Softball
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Hawaii Paradise Classic โข Thursday, Feb. 7 - Saturday, Feb. 9 โข Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Thursday, February 7
9 a.m. HT/11 a.m. PT - UT Arlington (V) vs. No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (H)
11:30 a.m. HT/1:30 p.m. PT - No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (V) vs. NR/RV Fresno State (H)
Friday, February 8
7 p.m. HT/9 p.m. PT - No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (V) at Hawaii (H)
Saturday, February 9
11 a.m. HT/1 p.m. PT - Georgia State (V) vs. No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (H)
1 p.m. HT/3 p.m. PT - No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (V) vs. Saint Mary's (H)
Live Audio and Stats for All Games at UCLABruins.com
Twitter Updates: @UCLASoftballย ย ย (V) - Visitor; (H) - Home
BRUINS OPEN 2019 CAMPAIGN IN PARADISE
The top-ranked UCLA softball team begins the 2019 season this weekend in Honolulu at the Hawaii Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Action begins on Thursday with a doubleheader against UT Arlington (9 a.m. HT/11 a.m. PT) and Fresno State (11:30 a.m. HT/1:30 p.m. PT) followed by a single game on Friday versus the host team, Hawaii, at 7 p.m. HT/9 p.m. PT. The weekend concludes on Saturday when the Bruins face Georgia State (11 a.m. HT/1 p.m. PT) and Saint Mary's (1 p.m. HT/3 p.m. PT). Free live audio and live stats will be available for all Bruin games at UCLABruins.com.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bruins host the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at Easton Stadium next weekend. UCLA will play twice on Friday, Feb. 15 (Cal Poly and Boise State), twice on Saturday, Feb. 16 (Ole Miss and Fresno State) and twice on Sunday, Feb. 17 (UC Riverside and Loyola Marymount).
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
The Bruins are ranked first in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, receiving five first-place votes, second in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, earning six first-place votes and third in the Softball America rankings. UCLA is also first in the preseason Pac-12 Conference coaches poll.
NEWS AND NOTES
Last season, Aaliyah Jordan ranked sixth in the nation in hits (84), tied for seventh in runs batted in (67), tied for 15th in sacrifice flies (5), tied for 16th in total bases (141), 21st in runs scored (56), tied for 21st in batting average (.429), 46th in on base percentage (.491) and 47th in slugging (.719) ... Rachel Garcia ranked fourth nationally in strikeouts (315), tied for fourth in wins (29), eighth in hits allowed per seven innings (3.50), 12th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56), 16th in earned run average (1.31) and tied for 17th in solo shutouts (9) ... Bubba Nickles tied for 20th in the nation last season in hits (76), tied for 33rd in average (.413) and tied for 47th in total bases (124) ... Briana Perez tied for ninth nationally in hits (81) and tied for 10th in runs scored (61) ... UCLA finished second in the nation in 2018 in batting average (.335), fifth in runs per game (6.32), sixth in slugging (.520), ninth in on base percentage (.404), 10th in homers (68), tied for 10th in doubles (88) and 12th in ERA (1.83) ... the 58 wins for the Bruins last season were tied for the most in the nation with Florida State, and were the most for a UCLA team since 2001 ... UCLA won the first 25 games of 2018 and were the last undefeated team in the country ... the Bruins have had 27 comeback victories over the last two seasons, including 14 last year ... UCLA had won 99 games in a row when ahead after five innings before the streak was snapped last June 3 against Florida State (Game 1).
BRUINS VERSUS THE HAWAII PARADISE CLASSIC FIELD
The Bruins have faced UT Arlington just once before, defeating the Mavericks, 3-0, on Feb. 16, 1991 in Tucson, Ariz. ... UCLA is 45-11 all-time against Fresno State, having won the last two meetings, including a 7-3 triumph last Feb. 25 in Cathedral City, Calif. ... the Bruins have won six straight against Hawaii and lead the series, 17-4. The last meeting between the two teams came on Feb. 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, an 8-4 triumph for UCLA. The Bruins are 4-1 versus UH in Honolulu, including a pair of victories in UCLA's last trip to the islands in 2014 ... the lone previous meeting between the Bruins and Georgia State came on May 20, 1994 in the opening game of the NCAA Regional in Columbia, S.C., with UCLA prevailing by a score of 2-1 ... the Bruins have won all 12 meetings against Saint Mary's, with the last matchup coming in Lakewood, Calif. on March 13, 2011 (UCLA won 12-1 in five innings).
SEASON PREVIEW
The two best words to describe the 2019 Bruins are deep and versatile. UCLA will have plenty of depth in all areas of the field, with those pieces able to play in multiple places on the diamond.
It all starts with the return of the reigning Honda Sport Award winner for softball, and NFCA, USA Softball and ESPNW National Player of the Year, Rachel Garcia. The redshirt junior went 29-4 in the circle a year ago with a 1.31 earned run average and 315 strikeouts in 208 innings. She added a .339 batting average, 11 home runs and 54 runs batted in. In addition to her play in the circle, Garcia will also see time at first base when she isn't mowing down opposing batters.
Fellow NFCA First Team All-American Aaliyah Jordan also returns following a stellar campaign that saw the now-redshirt sophomore lead the team with a .429 batting average, 12 homers, 67 runs batted in, 84 hits, 15 doubles, 141 total bases, a .719 slugging, a .491 on base percentage and 27 walks last year.
The captain of the outfield will be junior Bubba Nickles, who will once again patrol center field. Nickles was an NFCA All-Region First Team and All-Pac-12 Second Team honoree in 2018 after ranking second on the team with a .413 batting average and third with 10 homers and 52 RBI.
Returning to her spot at shortstop will be now-sophomore Briana Perez. Her outstanding freshman campaign, which earned her NFCA All-Region Second Team, All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Pac-12 Defensive, saw her hit .386 with six homers and 41 RBI.
Fellow sophomore Kinsley Washington, an All-Pac-12 Freshman selection in 2018, will play some to Perez's left at second base, but she will also see time at first base and in the outfield.ย
Senior Brianna Tautalafua can play either third or first base and is coming off a season in which she was named NFCA All-Region First Team.ย
Senior Taylor Pack, coming off an outstanding postseason which saw her named to the All-Women's College World Series Team, will find herself both behind the plate at catcher and in right field.
Senior Paige Halstead will also add depth to the catcher position. Last season, she committed only four errors in 330 chances and threw out nine would-be base stealers.
Senior Zoe Shaw will also see time in right field. She is coming off a season in which she hit .309 in 60 games, committing just one error in the outfield.
Rounding out the returning depth for the Bruins will be junior Jacqui Prober and sophomore Julie Rodriguez, who both can play left field, sophomore Malia Quarles, who will be an important piece at the plate, seniors Danae Blodgett and Stevie Wisz, junior Maddie Skibitzki and sophomore Alana Snow.
The Bruins' three-headed attack in the circle will come from Garcia, sophomore Holly Azevedo and freshman Megan Faraimo. Azevedo, who was named NFCA All-Region Second Team and Pac-12 All-Freshman a year ago, went 15-0 a year ago. Faraimo, the reigning Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, was named to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women's National Training Team last month.
Freshman Kelli Godin, who was also named to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women's National Training Team, will add to the depth at both third base and in the outfield.
Additional members of the top-rated freshmen class include Anna Vines, who can play numerous positions, most notably second base, Colleen Sullivan, who can play catcher and first base, Shea Moreno, who can also see time behind the dish, and Kelly Flynn, who can play in the outfield.
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Hawaii Paradise Classic โข Thursday, Feb. 7 - Saturday, Feb. 9 โข Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Thursday, February 7
9 a.m. HT/11 a.m. PT - UT Arlington (V) vs. No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (H)
11:30 a.m. HT/1:30 p.m. PT - No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (V) vs. NR/RV Fresno State (H)
Friday, February 8
7 p.m. HT/9 p.m. PT - No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (V) at Hawaii (H)
Saturday, February 9
11 a.m. HT/1 p.m. PT - Georgia State (V) vs. No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (H)
1 p.m. HT/3 p.m. PT - No. 2/No. 1 UCLA (V) vs. Saint Mary's (H)
Live Audio and Stats for All Games at UCLABruins.com
Twitter Updates: @UCLASoftballย ย ย (V) - Visitor; (H) - Home
BRUINS OPEN 2019 CAMPAIGN IN PARADISE
The top-ranked UCLA softball team begins the 2019 season this weekend in Honolulu at the Hawaii Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Action begins on Thursday with a doubleheader against UT Arlington (9 a.m. HT/11 a.m. PT) and Fresno State (11:30 a.m. HT/1:30 p.m. PT) followed by a single game on Friday versus the host team, Hawaii, at 7 p.m. HT/9 p.m. PT. The weekend concludes on Saturday when the Bruins face Georgia State (11 a.m. HT/1 p.m. PT) and Saint Mary's (1 p.m. HT/3 p.m. PT). Free live audio and live stats will be available for all Bruin games at UCLABruins.com.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bruins host the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at Easton Stadium next weekend. UCLA will play twice on Friday, Feb. 15 (Cal Poly and Boise State), twice on Saturday, Feb. 16 (Ole Miss and Fresno State) and twice on Sunday, Feb. 17 (UC Riverside and Loyola Marymount).
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
The Bruins are ranked first in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, receiving five first-place votes, second in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll, earning six first-place votes and third in the Softball America rankings. UCLA is also first in the preseason Pac-12 Conference coaches poll.
NEWS AND NOTES
Last season, Aaliyah Jordan ranked sixth in the nation in hits (84), tied for seventh in runs batted in (67), tied for 15th in sacrifice flies (5), tied for 16th in total bases (141), 21st in runs scored (56), tied for 21st in batting average (.429), 46th in on base percentage (.491) and 47th in slugging (.719) ... Rachel Garcia ranked fourth nationally in strikeouts (315), tied for fourth in wins (29), eighth in hits allowed per seven innings (3.50), 12th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56), 16th in earned run average (1.31) and tied for 17th in solo shutouts (9) ... Bubba Nickles tied for 20th in the nation last season in hits (76), tied for 33rd in average (.413) and tied for 47th in total bases (124) ... Briana Perez tied for ninth nationally in hits (81) and tied for 10th in runs scored (61) ... UCLA finished second in the nation in 2018 in batting average (.335), fifth in runs per game (6.32), sixth in slugging (.520), ninth in on base percentage (.404), 10th in homers (68), tied for 10th in doubles (88) and 12th in ERA (1.83) ... the 58 wins for the Bruins last season were tied for the most in the nation with Florida State, and were the most for a UCLA team since 2001 ... UCLA won the first 25 games of 2018 and were the last undefeated team in the country ... the Bruins have had 27 comeback victories over the last two seasons, including 14 last year ... UCLA had won 99 games in a row when ahead after five innings before the streak was snapped last June 3 against Florida State (Game 1).
BRUINS VERSUS THE HAWAII PARADISE CLASSIC FIELD
The Bruins have faced UT Arlington just once before, defeating the Mavericks, 3-0, on Feb. 16, 1991 in Tucson, Ariz. ... UCLA is 45-11 all-time against Fresno State, having won the last two meetings, including a 7-3 triumph last Feb. 25 in Cathedral City, Calif. ... the Bruins have won six straight against Hawaii and lead the series, 17-4. The last meeting between the two teams came on Feb. 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, an 8-4 triumph for UCLA. The Bruins are 4-1 versus UH in Honolulu, including a pair of victories in UCLA's last trip to the islands in 2014 ... the lone previous meeting between the Bruins and Georgia State came on May 20, 1994 in the opening game of the NCAA Regional in Columbia, S.C., with UCLA prevailing by a score of 2-1 ... the Bruins have won all 12 meetings against Saint Mary's, with the last matchup coming in Lakewood, Calif. on March 13, 2011 (UCLA won 12-1 in five innings).
SEASON PREVIEW
The two best words to describe the 2019 Bruins are deep and versatile. UCLA will have plenty of depth in all areas of the field, with those pieces able to play in multiple places on the diamond.
It all starts with the return of the reigning Honda Sport Award winner for softball, and NFCA, USA Softball and ESPNW National Player of the Year, Rachel Garcia. The redshirt junior went 29-4 in the circle a year ago with a 1.31 earned run average and 315 strikeouts in 208 innings. She added a .339 batting average, 11 home runs and 54 runs batted in. In addition to her play in the circle, Garcia will also see time at first base when she isn't mowing down opposing batters.
Fellow NFCA First Team All-American Aaliyah Jordan also returns following a stellar campaign that saw the now-redshirt sophomore lead the team with a .429 batting average, 12 homers, 67 runs batted in, 84 hits, 15 doubles, 141 total bases, a .719 slugging, a .491 on base percentage and 27 walks last year.
The captain of the outfield will be junior Bubba Nickles, who will once again patrol center field. Nickles was an NFCA All-Region First Team and All-Pac-12 Second Team honoree in 2018 after ranking second on the team with a .413 batting average and third with 10 homers and 52 RBI.
Returning to her spot at shortstop will be now-sophomore Briana Perez. Her outstanding freshman campaign, which earned her NFCA All-Region Second Team, All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Pac-12 Defensive, saw her hit .386 with six homers and 41 RBI.
Fellow sophomore Kinsley Washington, an All-Pac-12 Freshman selection in 2018, will play some to Perez's left at second base, but she will also see time at first base and in the outfield.ย
Senior Brianna Tautalafua can play either third or first base and is coming off a season in which she was named NFCA All-Region First Team.ย
Senior Taylor Pack, coming off an outstanding postseason which saw her named to the All-Women's College World Series Team, will find herself both behind the plate at catcher and in right field.
Senior Paige Halstead will also add depth to the catcher position. Last season, she committed only four errors in 330 chances and threw out nine would-be base stealers.
Senior Zoe Shaw will also see time in right field. She is coming off a season in which she hit .309 in 60 games, committing just one error in the outfield.
Rounding out the returning depth for the Bruins will be junior Jacqui Prober and sophomore Julie Rodriguez, who both can play left field, sophomore Malia Quarles, who will be an important piece at the plate, seniors Danae Blodgett and Stevie Wisz, junior Maddie Skibitzki and sophomore Alana Snow.
The Bruins' three-headed attack in the circle will come from Garcia, sophomore Holly Azevedo and freshman Megan Faraimo. Azevedo, who was named NFCA All-Region Second Team and Pac-12 All-Freshman a year ago, went 15-0 a year ago. Faraimo, the reigning Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, was named to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women's National Training Team last month.
Freshman Kelli Godin, who was also named to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women's National Training Team, will add to the depth at both third base and in the outfield.
Additional members of the top-rated freshmen class include Anna Vines, who can play numerous positions, most notably second base, Colleen Sullivan, who can play catcher and first base, Shea Moreno, who can also see time behind the dish, and Kelly Flynn, who can play in the outfield.
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Players Mentioned
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