Thursday, May 23
Los Angeles, CA
6:30 PM
UCLA
vs
Georgia
Thessa Malau'ulu
Photo by: Marie Goldfarb
No. 6 Softball Set for Supers Against No. 11 Georgia
May 22, 2024 | Softball
LOS ANGELES – The No. 6 seed UCLA softball team hosts its 14th NCAA Super Regional versus No. 11 seed Georgia at Easton Stadium this week from May 23-25. Game one of the best-of-three series between the Bruins (40-10, 17-4 Pac-12) and Bulldogs (43-17, 12-12 SEC) is on Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. (PT).
The contest will be televised on ESPN2 with Courtney Lyle (PxP) and Danielle Lawrie (analyst) on the call. This marks the third time the two programs have met in the Super Regional round.
UCLA is led by back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team catcher Sharlize Palacios. Brady leads the team with a .418 batting average and has recorded a league-high 65 runs batted in and 53 runs scored. Palacios is tops in the Pac-12 in both home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.841), and has totaled nine homers in her last 16 games.
Super Regional Schedule
Thursday, May 23
Game 1: UCLA vs. Georgia at 6:30 p.m. (PT) – ESPN2
Friday, May 24
Game 3: Georgia vs. UCLA at 7 p.m. (PT) – Broadcast TBD
Saturday, May 25
Game 3 (if necessary): UCLA vs. Georgia at (Time TBD) – Broadcast TBD
Quick Hits
· UCLA has gone 33-5 in its last 38 games since March 1.
· UCLA has won five games when trailing by 4+ runs this year.
· UCLA has recorded 11 wins when tied or trailing in the fifth inning or later this season.
· UCLA is riding an 11-game winning streak which began with its seven-run comeback victory over Arizona on April 28.
· UCLA hit for a collective .417 average in NCAA Regionals play for its best single-week batting average this season.
· UCLA enters the week ranking second in the NCAA Tournament with a .417 average and 8.33 runs per game.
· UCLA won both the Pac-12 regular-season title and Pac-12 Tournament Championship in its final season as a member of the flagship softball conference.
· The Bruins claimed their second consecutive Pac-12 regular-season title with a 17-4 conference record in 2024.
· UCLA has won 18 total regular-season conference championships and a record 13 titles as a member of the Pac-12.
· UCLA has finished 1st or 2nd in the Pac-12 in each of the last nine seasons under head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
· UCLA boasts the top two slugging percentage leaders in the Pac-12: Sharlize Palacios (.841) and Maya Brady (.804).
· RS Sr. Maya Brady ranks second in program history in home runs (69), runs batted in (243) and multi-HR games (9).
· RS Sr. Sharlize Palacios has blasted nine home runs over the last 16 games.
· Palacios homered three times and recorded nine RBI during NCAA Regionals last week.
· UCLA's underclassmen duo of So. Taylor Tinsley and Fr. Kaitlyn Terry have pitched 297.1 of 323.0 total innings this season.
· Inouye-Perez secured her 800th career win as head coach in game one of the Stanford series on April 19.
UCLA Postseason History
· The Bruins are making their 39th NCAA Tournament appearance, and their 25 straight appearance since 1999.
· UCLA is making its 14th NCAA Super Regional appearance (the Super Regional stage was added prior to the start of the 2005 season).
· UCLA is the winningest program in the history of the sport with 12 NCAA Championships.
· The Bruins' 31 Women's College World Series (WCWS) appearances are also an NCAA record.
· UCLA holds the distinction as the only program to win a championship in every decade, including its 1978 AIAW title.
· UCLA owns an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 236-66 (.781).
· UCLA was the first program to repeat NCAA Championships (1984-85) and three-peat NCAA Championships (1988-90).
· UCLA saw its streak of seven consecutive Women's College World Series (WCWS) appearances snapped last season.
· The Bruins won the first-ever title under the umbrella of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1982.
Back-to-Back Pac-12 Player of the Year
Senior shortstop Maya Brady (.418 avg., 15 HR, 65 RBI) earned the prestigious Pac-12 Player of the Year Award for the second straight season in 2024. She collected UCLA's record 19th Pac-12 Player of the Year honor and became the fifth Bruin and ninth total player in conference history to repeat the award. UCLA has won the Pac-12 Player of the Year Award in five of the last six full seasons (excludes pandemic-shortened 2020 season). Brady joins Rachel Garcia, Ally Carda, Stacey Nuveman and Lisa Fernandez as UCLA players to have won Pac-12 Player of the Year multiple times. One of 10 candidates for this season's USA Softball Player of the Year Award, Brady has secured All-Pac-12 honors all four full seasons of her UCLA career (she was a first-team selection in 2024, 2023 and 2021 and third-team in 2022).
NCAA Regionals Recap
UCLA went 3-0 with a pair of run-rule wins over Grand Canyon and a walk-off victory against Virginia Tech last week. The Bruins erased a four-run deficit against the Hokies to match the largest comeback victory in UCLA postseason history. Palacios provided the firepower for the Bruins with three homers, nine runs batted in and a 1.444 slugging percentage over the three games. Maya Brady went 6-for-9 at the plate with five runs scored. As a team, UCLA hit for a .417 average and .718 slugging for its best marks in a single week all season.
vs. Grand Canyon (W, 9-0 in 5 inn.): Palacios recorded the fifth multi-homer performance of her career and her second of the season in game one versus the Lopes. Palacios' two homers also marked the 21st multi-homer performance by a Bruin in postseason history. Brady and Jadelyn Allchin each doubled in runs in the game. In the circle, freshman Kaitlyn Terry twirled her Pac-12-leading seventh complete-game shutout of the season and struck out seven batters.
vs. No. 15 Virginia Tech (W 7-6): For the fifth time this season, UCLA rallied from four runs down to topple its opponent. Megan Grant's leadoff walk in the seventh started the rally for the Bruins who were in need of one run to tie the game, trailing 6-5. Pinch runner Taylor Stephens scored the tying run on a triple by Jordan Woolery – the first of her career – that was inches shy of being a home run. Savannah Pola chopped a single to the left side that scored pinch runner Liesl Osteen for the walk-off run. UCLA now has four walk-off wins in the seventh inning this season. Terry held the Hokies, who rank second in the NCAA in home runs, to just two runs in her 5.2 innings of relief to pick up her 20th win of the year. The game marked the Hokies' first loss of the season when scoring 6+ runs.
vs. Grand Canyon (W, 9-1 in 5 inn.): UCLA wasted no time setting the tone in the Regional final. A hit-by-pitch to Brady and bunt hit by Allchin brought up Palacios. The senior slugger unloaded on just the fifth pitch of the game to give the Bruins and early 3-0 lead. Allchin finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs scored and her first home run since April 6.
It's Only Appropriate
UCLA won the final game in Pac-12 Conference history with a 2-1 victory over Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship game in Stanford, Calif. on May 11. The Bruins were also crowned Pac-12 regular-season champions for the second consecutive season with a 17-4 record. The Bruins exit as the winningest school in Pac-12 history with 13 regular-season titles and a 650-219 (.750) record in conference games. The Arizona program ranks second in both categories.
· UCLA won the season series against five of its conference foes, including three-game sweeps over Stanford and Arizona State.
· UCLA seized first place of the Pac-12 standings following a sweep at then-No. 5 Stanford (April 19-21), who was the conference leader at that time. The Bruins never relinquished their hold of first place.
That's What We Call Bruin Magic
UCLA has a knack for the comeback victory and pulling out wins late in games in 2024. UCLA has climbed from four runs down to win five games this season as well as won 11 games in which it was trailing or tied in the fifth inning or later. UCLA has four walk-off wins this season.
· This season, UCLA recorded the largest comeback victory in program history (trailed Arizona 7-0 on April 28) and matched the largest comeback victory in UCLA postseason history (trailed Virginia Tech 4-0 on May 18). The Virginia Tech comeback matched its 2018 Women's College World Series comebacks versus Florida State and Florida and its 2005 Super Regional comeback versus Georgia.
Largest Comeback Victory in Program History
The final game between UCLA and Arizona as members of the Pac-12 was a memorable one. On April 28, 2024, the Bruins erased a seven-run deficit and scored 11 unanswered runs to defeat their rivals on Senior Day at Easton Stadium. UCLA has won 11 straight games since the comeback, which was the largest in program history. Ten of UCLA's 11 runs were scored with two outs.
Sharlize Palacios stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded, trailing 7-3 in the fifth inning against her former team. With one swing of the bat, Palacios tied up the game on a grand slam over the left-center field wall to cap the miracle comeback. UCLA was being perfect gamed by Arizona starting pitcher Aissa Silva up until the fifth inning of the game. Megan Grant sparked the seven-run fifth with a leadoff home run to center field. The Bruins' seniors strung together five consecutive hits in a four-run bottom of the sixth to secure the win.
Palacios' heroics earned her D1Softball National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. In the Arizona series and in a midweek at Long Beach State, Palacios led the Bruins with a .600 average (6-for-10), 1.500 slugging percentage, 11 RBI and three homers. All three of Palacios' homers either tied the game or gave the Bruins the lead. In her last five games against the Wildcats, Palacios has recorded 15 RBI and four run home runs (dates back to the 2023 regular-season series).
"Leveling Up"
UCLA owned a 3-4 record with losses to four top-10 programs, including Georgia, through the first two weeks of the season. The 3-4 record was the Bruins' worst start to a year overall since 1986. As is the norm with the UCLA softball program, the Bruins scheduled a rigorous non-conference slate with eight games versus top-25 opponents. UCLA has turned around from its 3-4 start to go 37-6 since week two with 13 wins over top-25 foes. The early tests have paid dividends for the team as it builds steam for a deep postseason run. Notable wins include a sweep at then-No. 5 Stanford from April 19-21 and the largest comeback victory in program history versus then-No. 19 Arizona on April 28.
USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist
Brady was named a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for the second straight season. The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native made the cut for the Top 3 in her redshirt junior season in 2023. Brady has been the anchor of the Bruins' lineup the last two years. Again in 2024, Brady is leading UCLA in batting average, runs batted in and total bases. The Top 10 Finalists will be narrowed to 3 athletes on May 20. Two Bruins have been honored as USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year a total of three times (Rachel Garcia in 2019 and 2018 and Stacey Nuveman in 2002).
Notes On Brady's Season
Maya Brady is on pace to become the sixth player in UCLA history to hit for a .400+ average in back-to-back seasons, joining Allexis Bennett, Natasha Watley, Stacey Nuveman, Jennifer Brundage and Lisa Fernandez.
· Brady has caught fire the last month with a .533 average (24-for-45), 26 RBI, five home runs and a .956 slugging percentage over 14 games (since April 23 at Long Beach State).
· With runners in scoring position, Brady leads the NCAA with a .725 average (29-for-40), 1.325 slugging percentage and 51 RBI. Brady hit for a .431 average with runners in scoring position last season.
· With runners in scoring position and two outs, Brady owns an .875 average (14-for-16), 1.688 slugging percentage with 25 RBI and three homers.
· With the bases loaded, Brady is 7-for-8 with 19 RBI and two grand slams.
· During Pac-12 play, Brady led the conference in batting average (.419), runs batted in (29), slugging (.935), on-base percentage (.532) and runs scored (22). She ranked second with nine home runs behind Oregon's Ariel Carlson (10 HR).
· Brady notched her third two-homer game of the season and ninth of her career in game two at Arizona State on May 4. Her other two-homer games this year occurred at then-No. 8 Washington on March 24 and versus then-No. 7 Florida State at the Clearwater Invitational on Feb. 16.
· Brady is the first UCLA player since Delaney Spaulding (2014-17) with 15+ home runs in three consecutive seasons. Brady belted 15 bombs in 2022 and a career-high 18 in 2023.
· The shortstop has shored up on the defensive side of the ball as well. Since March 1, Brady's fielding percentage has improved 109 points from .813 to .922. This season marks Brady's second campaign as UCLA's starting shortstop. She took over the role full-time on March 3, 2023 after Seneca Curo sustained a season-ending injury. She has started at shortstop in 98 career games.
· Brady was a three-time Pac-12 Player of the Week recipient this season and has earned the award seven times in her career, which ranks second-most in UCLA history.
· In 2023, Brady was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist in addition to being a consensus First Team All-American. Brady led UCLA with a .448 average, 18 home runs, 59 RBI, 63 runs scored, 33 extra-base hits and 149 total bases last season.
Back-to-Back Pac-12 Coach of the Year
UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Inouye-Perez was named the 2024 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, marking the second straight season and fourth time in her career she has earned the award (2024, 2023, 2021 and 2010). UCLA has now won the Coach of the Year award 11 times in the conference's 37-year history.
Inouye-Perez earned her 800th career win earlier this season in game one at Stanford on April 19. She joined UCLA Athletic Hall of Famers and her two predecessors Sharron Backus and Sue Enquist in the 800 Win Club. Enquist leads UCLA's triad of head coaches with 887 career head coaching wins while Backus owns 854 such wins. Inouye-Perez was coached by both Backus and Enquist in her time as a catcher on the Bruins' roster from 1989-93. She coached alongside Backus and Enquist as an assistant upon graduating. Inouye-Perez joins Washington's Heather Tarr as the only two active Pac-12 head coaches with 800 career wins.
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year; Terry's Impressive Season
Left-handed pitcher Kaitlyn Terry (20-1, 2.45 ERA, 146 SO) was named the 2024 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. UCLA has now won back-to-back Pac-12 Freshman of the Year awards (Jordan Woolery in 2023) and earned the honor five times in the last seven full seasons. The Bruins' roster now totes three Pac-12 Freshman of the Year recipients in Terry, Woolery (2023) and Janelle Meoño (2021).
· Terry's mother, Kristy (Hull) Terry, was the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year in 1995 as a catcher for the Florida State Seminoles (1995-98). The former Hull was a two-time All-ACC Team selection and named to the NFCA All-Region Team all four years of her career. Kristy ranks second in Florida State program history in games played (281) and eighth in hits (275).
· The Bruins have relied heavily on Terry the last month. The freshman had a stretch of seven consecutive starts which was snapped during NCAA Regionals.
· Her first loss of the year came 11 weeks and 26 appearances into the year versus Arizona on April 27.
· Terry leads all Pac-12 freshmen with 20 wins, a 2.45 earned run average, 146 strikeouts and 165.2 innings pitched. She currently leads UCLA's pitching staff in both appearances (36) and innings pitched.
· With her win versus Virginia Tech on May 18, Terry became the seventh UCLA freshman in program history to win 20 games in a season. Terry is the first UCLA freshman to win 20 games since Rachel Garcia who recorded a 23-9 record in 2017. Terry's 165.2 innings are also the most by a UCLA freshman since Garcia's 202.2 innings in 2017.
· Terry ranks seventh among all NCAA freshmen with her 20 wins.
· Terry leads the Pac-12 with seven shutouts this season (Stanford's NiJaree Canady ranks second with six) and ranks third with 15 complete games. Terry has gone the distance in seven of her last nine outings.
· Terry has five outings this season in which she has faced just four or fewer batters above the minimum.
· Terry was named the D1Softball National Freshman of the Week on May 7 after picking up three straight complete-game victories at Arizona State from May 3-5. She proceeded to throw a complete-game shutout against the Sun Devils in UCLA's next game in the Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinals on May 9.
· Terry was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks (March 18 & 25). The southpaw put forth her most dominant outing of the season with a complete-game shutout in game three at Washington on March 24. She needed just 81 pitches, limiting the Huskies to two hits and a walk. Terry's performance marked the first shutout by a UCLA freshman versus a top-10 opponent since April 7, 2017, when Rachel Garcia shutout then-No. 1 Oregon. Terry retired the last 11 Huskies of the game and flashed the leather in the fourth inning, starting a 1-6-3 double play.
· Terry struck out a career-high 12 batters in her complete-game shutout over Weber State at the Judi Garman Classic on March 2. The 12 strikeouts are tied with Megan Faraimo (2019) and Rachel Garcia (2017) for the most by a Bruins' freshman over the last 15 years. Donna Kerr was the last UCLA freshman to rack up 12+ strikeouts, recording 15 in a win over Northwestern on March 9, 2008.
Year-End Pac-12 Awards
UCLA led all programs with six selections to the All-Pac-12 First Team and seven total All-Pac-12 honorees. The six First Team honorees are the program's most since the Bruins' 2019 NCAA Championship season.
FIRST TEAM: Maya Brady, Megan Grant, Sharlize Palacios, Kaitlyn Terry, Taylor Tinsley and Jordan Woolery were selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team. Grant and Woolery have been named to the First Team in the first two seasons of their careers.
SECOND TEAM: The Bruins' lone All-Pac-12 Second Team member was Jadelyn Allchin who picks up the first All-Pac-12 Team honor in her five-year career. Allchin spent the previous four seasons at Washington from 2020-23.
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM: Palacios was also named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the third straight year. The senior backstop has thrown out eight runners attempting to steal and has yet to record an error in all 44 games played.
Top Two Sluggers in the Pac-12
UCLA's lineup boasts the top two slugging percentage leaders in the Pac-12 in Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios. Palacios' three home runs in NCAA Regionals improved her slugging mark to .841. Brady ranks second behind her former travel ball teammate with an .804 slugging percentage. Brady led the Pac-12 in slugging last season with an .866 mark. Palacios ranks first in the Pac-12 with 18 home runs while Brady is tied for fifth with 15. The duo has been particularly hot the last month with a combined 1.049 slugging and 1.619 OPS over the last 14 games (since April 23 at Long Beach State).
She's a SuperShar
Sharlize Palacios has had a flair for the dramatic over the last month. Palacios has homered nine times of her last 16 games and leads the team in that category with 18 longballs this season. Six of Palacios' last nine home runs either tied up the game or gave UCLA the lead.
Palacios Pointers
· Palacios' nine total bases versus Grand Canyon (3-for-3, 2 HR) on May 17 rank third-most by a Bruin in a single postseason game. Her two homers versus the Lopes marked the 21st multi-homer performance by a Bruin in the postseason.
· Defensively, Palacios has yet to commit an error in 293 total chances and has thrown out nine runners attempting to steal.
· Palacios recorded both her 200th career hit and 200th career RBI earlier this season. Her grand slam in game three against Arizona on April 28 brought home her 200th RBI. And her first hit of game one at Arizona State on May 3 tallied hit No. 200. Palacios belted the 50th homer of her career with the first of her two home runs versus then-No. 5 Tennessee at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 25.
· Palacios leads all Bruins on the active roster with seven career grand slams and ranks second behind Brady with five career multi-homer games.
· Palacios earned the first two Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in her career this season. She was awarded for the first time on March 11 after going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with a grand slam during UCLA's bye week contests versus Rutgers and LMU. Palacios was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for a second time on April 29 after homering three times over four games versus Long Beach State and rival Arizona.
· Palacios has been named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team all three years as a first-string catcher (2024 and 2023 with UCLA and 2022 with Arizona). She spent her freshman 2020 and 2021 seasons primarily as the designated player at Arizona.
Brady Makes History
Maya Brady hit the 67th home run of her career in game two at Arizona State on May 4, moving her out of a tie with Stephany LaRosa (2012-15) and into sole possession of second place in UCLA's record books. In typical Brady fashion, she homered again in her next at-bat of the game for the ninth multi-homer performance of her career, which also ranks second in UCLA history. Brady currently sits at 69 career home runs and trails Stacey Nuveman's program record of 90 longballs. When Brady's career is done, she will rank second among UCLA student-athletes in several significant statistical categories.
Career Two-Homer Games: Brady is tied with Andrea Harrison (2009-12) with nine career multi-homer games. Nuveman also holds that program record with 12 such performances. Brady's four multi-homer games in 2023 are tied for second most by a Bruin in a single season (B.B. Bates - 2013; Megan Langenfeld - 2010; Andrea Harrison - 2010).
Career RBI: Brady also moved into second place on UCLA's career RBI list during the Arizona State series. Her career total currently rests at 243. Nuveman owns the program RBI record (299). Seven Bruins have recorded 200+ career RBI.
Career Slugging Percentage: Brady's career slugging percentage keeps ballooning every week. Her current career mark of .755 ranks third all-time in UCLA history.
Career Runs Scored: Brady currently ranks fourth in UCLA's annals with 223 runs scored.
Career Hits: Brady's 272 career hits are tied for 10th in program history.
The Allchin Addition
Jadelyn Allchin has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the country. The graduate transfer from Washington (2020-23) received the first All-Pac-12 Team recognition of her career this season, being named to the Second Team. Allchin has started a career-high 50 games in 2024 and is enjoying career bests in batting average (.318), runs batted in (31), runs scored (38) and stolen bases (10-10). Most recently, Allchin homered in the Regional final versus Grand Canyon for her first home run since April 6. Allchin went 5-for-10, including a double and homer, with four runs scored in NCAA Regionals.
· Allchin, a graduate transfer from Washington (2020-23), has provided clutch hits for the Bruins. In the fifth inning or later this season, Allchin is batting for a .453 average (24-for-53) with 16 RBI and 19 runs scored.
· Allchin has converted on 13 of her 16 RBI opportunities with a runner on third base and less than two outs.
· On March 12 versus Rutgers, Allchin delivered a walk-off single. Three days prior to that, Allchin played the hero in game two of UCLA's home series with Utah by knocking in the game-tying run with two outs in the seventh inning. At the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Allchin doubled in a run to spark a five-run seventh inning to help UCLA walk-off on Nebraska on Feb. 23.
· Allchin has been a mainstay in the top half of the Bruins' lineup, hitting in the top 3 of the order in 40 of the last 43 games.
· Allchin has swiped two bases in a game twice this season (Oregon on March 29 and Stanford on April 19). She leads the Bruins in stolen bases and is 10-for-10 on her attempts.
· Defensively, Allchin has recorded two outfield assists this season: one from left field in the Bruins' 6-2 win over Tennessee on Feb. 25 and one from center field against Oklahoma State on Feb. 11. She has totaled five outfield assists in her career.
UCLA in Pinch-Hitting Situations
The Bruins are batting .429 (24-for-56) in pinch-hitting situations this season. Nine different players have been called upon to pinch hit. UCLA's pinch hitters have reached base in nine of the last 12 games when Inouye-Perez utilizes someone off the bench (dates back to April 20 at Stanford). Two Bruins have hit a total of three pinch-hit home runs this season; the last to do so was Taylor Stephens at Arizona State on May 4. Stephens owns two of UCLA's pinch-hit home runs this season.
· Ramsey Suarez leads the Bruins with nine pinch hits and seven RBI when coming off the bench. Suarez has reached base in six of her last nine pinch-hit opportunities (5-for-8, 1 BB). Suarez saw her streak of four straight pinch hits in each of her last four opportunities at Easton Stadium snapped last week. Most recently, Suarez knocked in the game-tying run in the fourth inning versus No. 15 Virginia Tech in NCAA Regionals to erase a four-run deficit and help UCLA match its largest postseason comeback victory in program history. She also delivered a key pinch-hit single in the bottom of the fifth inning in game three versus Arizona on April 28 which played a key part in erasing a seven-run deficit for the largest comeback victory in program history. Suarez reached twice during the Oregon series at Easton Stadium on two pinch-hit singles (March 28-29). Her two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth in game one versus the Ducks on March 28 proved to be the difference in a 5-3 win.
Savi Stepping Up
Junior Savannah Pola, who has been in and out of the lineup this season, has made the most of her opportunities lately. Pola is playing her best ball the last month (14 games) with a .324 batting average (11-for-34), nine runs scored and five doubles. The Santa Ana, Calif. product broke out of her slump in game two at Stanford on April 20 with two-RBI pinch-hit double that found the left field foul line. In her start at Long Beach State on April 23, Pola doubled and recorded her first multi-hit performance in 11 games. She has started each of the last eight games, including seven as the designated player.
Rapid Development; Notes On The Pitching Staff
UCLA has relied predominantly on Taylor Tinsley and Kaitlyn Terry in the circle since March 1 with the two underclassmen pitching 233.1 innings of the possible 245.0 over this 38-game stretch. Tinsley and Terry also pitched the entirety of conference play. Together, they owned a 2.46 ERA in Pac-12 conference games which ranked second in the Pac-12 behind Stanford.
· The Bruins' pitching staff battled through injuries in the first month of the season. But since March 1, UCLA's Terry and Tinsley have shown rapid improvement with a combined 31-5 record and 1.97 earned run average over the last 38 games. Since March 1, Terry owns a 18-1 record with a 2.33 ERA while Tinsley is 13-4 with a 1.63 ERA.
· On the season, Tinsley (2.02 ERA) and Terry (2.45 ERA) rank second and fourth in the conference in ERA, respectively.
· The two hurlers were highly-touted recruits coming out of their respective states; Terry (Arizona) was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year while Tinsley (Georgia) was the No. 1-ranked pitcher in her the 2021 recruiting class.
· The 2024 season marks the first time since 1998 and second time ever in which UCLA does not have a pitcher on staff with postseason experience (must have pitched in a postseason game). Additionally, the 2024 season marks the first time since 2015 in which UCLA does not have a pitcher on staff with Women's College World Series experience entering the year.
Notes on Tinsley
Sophomore Taylor Tinsley has shown consistent improvement since week one of the season. In 2024, she ranks second in the Pac-12 with a 2.02 ERA and third with 155 strikeouts over 131.2 innings pitched after totaling just 57.1 innings of work all of last season in her All-Pac-12 Freshman Team campaign. Tinsley, the first UCLA softball player from the state of Georgia, has been named the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week twice this season.
close losses: Four of Tinsley's eight losses this season have come in one-run ballgames. Tinsley allowed one earned run or less in all four of those losses.
at the Mary Nutter: Tinsley allowed just two earned runs across three complete-game performances and 22.0 total innings pitched at the Mary Nutter. Among all the pitchers competing at the Mary Nutter (30 teams participating), Tinsley ranked first in innings pitched (22.0) and strikeouts looking (10) and tied for first in strikeouts (30).
vs. Utah: Tinsley picked up two wins, struck out 16 batters and did not allow an earned run over 10.2 innings to help the Bruins to a series sweep of Utah (March 8-10). In her game one victory, Tinsley threw 6.2 innings of shutout ball and allowed only one base runner into scoring position. She finished her outing with nine strikeouts and surrendered just two hits. She limited the Pac-12 batting average leader entering the series, Haley Denning, to 0-for-6 with two Ks.
vs. Oregon: Tinsley allowed just one earned run and was the winning pitcher in both of UCLA's two games versus then-No. 20 Oregon (March 28-29). In game one of the series, Tinsley entered in relief and got the Bruins out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with a strikeout. She retired the Ducks in order in the seventh on just six pitches to close the game. Tinsley turned in 4.0 solid innings in her game two start, allowing just one run.
at Stanford: Tinsley earned NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors after limiting Stanford to just seven hits and striking out 20 batters over 15.2 scoreless innings across her three outings. In game one of the series, Tinsley struck out a career-high 15 batters over 9.0 innings to outduel Stanford ace NiJaree Canady in a 1-0 affair.
at the Pac-12 Tournament: Tinsley made her first appearance since April 26 in the Pac-12 Tournament Semifinals versus Arizona on May 10. Tinsley was credited with the win after throwing 4.0 innings of relief with just two hits given up. She was called upon the next day for save situation in the championship game versus Utah. Tinsley sealed the championship with a three-up, three-down seventh inning featuring two strikeouts.
Tinsley Awarded National Pitcher of the Week
Sophomore Taylor Tinsley was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Pitcher of the Week on April 23. Tinsley was the winning pitcher in all three games of UCLA's sweep at then-No. 5 Stanford which catapulted the Bruins ahead of the Cardinal to the top of the conference standings. Tinsley limited Stanford to just seven hits and struck out 20 batters over 15.2 scoreless innings across her three outings. In game one of the series, Tinsley struck out a career-high 15 batters over 9.0 innings to outduel Stanford ace NiJaree Canady in a 1-0 affair. In addition to her game one masterpiece, Tinsley entered the final two games in intense relief situations with runners in scoring position. Tinsley thrived in high-leverage situations all weekend, holding Stanford to 0-for-17 with runner in scoring position.
She is the fourth UCLA hurler to be recognized as the NFCA Pitcher of the Week (others: Megan Faraimo, Rachel Garcia and Ally Carda) and the first since Faraimo in February 2020. Tinsley was also named D1Softball Pitcher of the Week earlier Tuesday morning and Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week.
Series History: Georgia
UCLA leads the all-time series versus Georgia, 15-3, dating back to 2002 when the teams met in the Women's College World Series. Head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez owns an 8-2 record in her 10 games versus the Bulldogs dating back to 2008. The two programs have met in the NCAA Tournament seven times with UCLA having a 6-1 advantage in those contests. UCLA and Georgia met in Oklahoma City in UCLA's 2010 NCAA title run and in the 2008 and 2005 NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional. The Bruins went 5-1 in those games.
earlier this season: UCLA and Georgia met in week two earlier this season resulting in a 7-2 Bulldogs' win. Tinsley started in the circle for the Bruins and surrendered six earned runs on five base hits and four walks.
Super Regional reunion: This marks the third time since 2005 that UCLA and Georgia will be meeting in the NCAA Super Regional round at Easton Stadium. The Bulldogs traveled West in 2008 and 2005, losing both series.
Brady, Palacios Drafted By Athletes Unlimited
Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios were selected second and 13th overall in the Athletes Unlimited Softball Draft Tuesday afternoon. There 15 total collegiate softball players in the draft. UCLA has now had six student-athletes drafted by the league: Rachel Garcia, Bubba Nickles, Megan Faraimo, Brooke Yanez, Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios.
Five Bruins Selected to Compete for Team USA
Five current and former members of the UCLA softball program have been selected to the U.S. Women's National Softball Team rosters for the 2024 Japan All-Star Series and World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's World Cup. Sophomore Megan Grant will compete with Team USA at the Japan All-Star Series across three Japanese cities from July 4-8 while redshirt senior Maya Brady, Megan Faraimo (2019-23), Rachel Garcia (2016-19, 2021) and Ally Carda (2012-15) will compete at the WBSC World Cup Final in Castions de Strada, Italy slated for July 15-21.
· UCLA is tied with Oklahoma in terms of most athletes represented on the two rosters.
· Garcia is one of four 2020 Olympians on the WBSC World Cup roster.
· Brady, Faraimo and Carda all competed at the WBSC World Cup Group Stage in Dublin, Ireland last summer. Brady started all four games at first base and tallied five runs batted in and scored four runs to help Team USA punch its ticket to the XVII WBSC World Cup Final.
· Grant will be making her second straight appearance at the Japan All-Star Series. In game one of last year's event, Grant went 4-for-6 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored in Team USA's 12-11 extra-i
The contest will be televised on ESPN2 with Courtney Lyle (PxP) and Danielle Lawrie (analyst) on the call. This marks the third time the two programs have met in the Super Regional round.
UCLA is led by back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team catcher Sharlize Palacios. Brady leads the team with a .418 batting average and has recorded a league-high 65 runs batted in and 53 runs scored. Palacios is tops in the Pac-12 in both home runs (18) and slugging percentage (.841), and has totaled nine homers in her last 16 games.
Super Regional Schedule
Thursday, May 23
Game 1: UCLA vs. Georgia at 6:30 p.m. (PT) – ESPN2
Friday, May 24
Game 3: Georgia vs. UCLA at 7 p.m. (PT) – Broadcast TBD
Saturday, May 25
Game 3 (if necessary): UCLA vs. Georgia at (Time TBD) – Broadcast TBD
Quick Hits
· UCLA has gone 33-5 in its last 38 games since March 1.
· UCLA has won five games when trailing by 4+ runs this year.
· UCLA has recorded 11 wins when tied or trailing in the fifth inning or later this season.
· UCLA is riding an 11-game winning streak which began with its seven-run comeback victory over Arizona on April 28.
· UCLA hit for a collective .417 average in NCAA Regionals play for its best single-week batting average this season.
· UCLA enters the week ranking second in the NCAA Tournament with a .417 average and 8.33 runs per game.
· UCLA won both the Pac-12 regular-season title and Pac-12 Tournament Championship in its final season as a member of the flagship softball conference.
· The Bruins claimed their second consecutive Pac-12 regular-season title with a 17-4 conference record in 2024.
· UCLA has won 18 total regular-season conference championships and a record 13 titles as a member of the Pac-12.
· UCLA has finished 1st or 2nd in the Pac-12 in each of the last nine seasons under head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez.
· UCLA boasts the top two slugging percentage leaders in the Pac-12: Sharlize Palacios (.841) and Maya Brady (.804).
· RS Sr. Maya Brady ranks second in program history in home runs (69), runs batted in (243) and multi-HR games (9).
· RS Sr. Sharlize Palacios has blasted nine home runs over the last 16 games.
· Palacios homered three times and recorded nine RBI during NCAA Regionals last week.
· UCLA's underclassmen duo of So. Taylor Tinsley and Fr. Kaitlyn Terry have pitched 297.1 of 323.0 total innings this season.
· Inouye-Perez secured her 800th career win as head coach in game one of the Stanford series on April 19.
UCLA Postseason History
· The Bruins are making their 39th NCAA Tournament appearance, and their 25 straight appearance since 1999.
· UCLA is making its 14th NCAA Super Regional appearance (the Super Regional stage was added prior to the start of the 2005 season).
· UCLA is the winningest program in the history of the sport with 12 NCAA Championships.
· The Bruins' 31 Women's College World Series (WCWS) appearances are also an NCAA record.
· UCLA holds the distinction as the only program to win a championship in every decade, including its 1978 AIAW title.
· UCLA owns an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 236-66 (.781).
· UCLA was the first program to repeat NCAA Championships (1984-85) and three-peat NCAA Championships (1988-90).
· UCLA saw its streak of seven consecutive Women's College World Series (WCWS) appearances snapped last season.
· The Bruins won the first-ever title under the umbrella of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1982.
Back-to-Back Pac-12 Player of the Year
Senior shortstop Maya Brady (.418 avg., 15 HR, 65 RBI) earned the prestigious Pac-12 Player of the Year Award for the second straight season in 2024. She collected UCLA's record 19th Pac-12 Player of the Year honor and became the fifth Bruin and ninth total player in conference history to repeat the award. UCLA has won the Pac-12 Player of the Year Award in five of the last six full seasons (excludes pandemic-shortened 2020 season). Brady joins Rachel Garcia, Ally Carda, Stacey Nuveman and Lisa Fernandez as UCLA players to have won Pac-12 Player of the Year multiple times. One of 10 candidates for this season's USA Softball Player of the Year Award, Brady has secured All-Pac-12 honors all four full seasons of her UCLA career (she was a first-team selection in 2024, 2023 and 2021 and third-team in 2022).
NCAA Regionals Recap
UCLA went 3-0 with a pair of run-rule wins over Grand Canyon and a walk-off victory against Virginia Tech last week. The Bruins erased a four-run deficit against the Hokies to match the largest comeback victory in UCLA postseason history. Palacios provided the firepower for the Bruins with three homers, nine runs batted in and a 1.444 slugging percentage over the three games. Maya Brady went 6-for-9 at the plate with five runs scored. As a team, UCLA hit for a .417 average and .718 slugging for its best marks in a single week all season.
vs. Grand Canyon (W, 9-0 in 5 inn.): Palacios recorded the fifth multi-homer performance of her career and her second of the season in game one versus the Lopes. Palacios' two homers also marked the 21st multi-homer performance by a Bruin in postseason history. Brady and Jadelyn Allchin each doubled in runs in the game. In the circle, freshman Kaitlyn Terry twirled her Pac-12-leading seventh complete-game shutout of the season and struck out seven batters.
vs. No. 15 Virginia Tech (W 7-6): For the fifth time this season, UCLA rallied from four runs down to topple its opponent. Megan Grant's leadoff walk in the seventh started the rally for the Bruins who were in need of one run to tie the game, trailing 6-5. Pinch runner Taylor Stephens scored the tying run on a triple by Jordan Woolery – the first of her career – that was inches shy of being a home run. Savannah Pola chopped a single to the left side that scored pinch runner Liesl Osteen for the walk-off run. UCLA now has four walk-off wins in the seventh inning this season. Terry held the Hokies, who rank second in the NCAA in home runs, to just two runs in her 5.2 innings of relief to pick up her 20th win of the year. The game marked the Hokies' first loss of the season when scoring 6+ runs.
vs. Grand Canyon (W, 9-1 in 5 inn.): UCLA wasted no time setting the tone in the Regional final. A hit-by-pitch to Brady and bunt hit by Allchin brought up Palacios. The senior slugger unloaded on just the fifth pitch of the game to give the Bruins and early 3-0 lead. Allchin finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs scored and her first home run since April 6.
It's Only Appropriate
UCLA won the final game in Pac-12 Conference history with a 2-1 victory over Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship game in Stanford, Calif. on May 11. The Bruins were also crowned Pac-12 regular-season champions for the second consecutive season with a 17-4 record. The Bruins exit as the winningest school in Pac-12 history with 13 regular-season titles and a 650-219 (.750) record in conference games. The Arizona program ranks second in both categories.
· UCLA won the season series against five of its conference foes, including three-game sweeps over Stanford and Arizona State.
· UCLA seized first place of the Pac-12 standings following a sweep at then-No. 5 Stanford (April 19-21), who was the conference leader at that time. The Bruins never relinquished their hold of first place.
That's What We Call Bruin Magic
UCLA has a knack for the comeback victory and pulling out wins late in games in 2024. UCLA has climbed from four runs down to win five games this season as well as won 11 games in which it was trailing or tied in the fifth inning or later. UCLA has four walk-off wins this season.
· This season, UCLA recorded the largest comeback victory in program history (trailed Arizona 7-0 on April 28) and matched the largest comeback victory in UCLA postseason history (trailed Virginia Tech 4-0 on May 18). The Virginia Tech comeback matched its 2018 Women's College World Series comebacks versus Florida State and Florida and its 2005 Super Regional comeback versus Georgia.
Largest Comeback Victory in Program History
The final game between UCLA and Arizona as members of the Pac-12 was a memorable one. On April 28, 2024, the Bruins erased a seven-run deficit and scored 11 unanswered runs to defeat their rivals on Senior Day at Easton Stadium. UCLA has won 11 straight games since the comeback, which was the largest in program history. Ten of UCLA's 11 runs were scored with two outs.
Sharlize Palacios stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded, trailing 7-3 in the fifth inning against her former team. With one swing of the bat, Palacios tied up the game on a grand slam over the left-center field wall to cap the miracle comeback. UCLA was being perfect gamed by Arizona starting pitcher Aissa Silva up until the fifth inning of the game. Megan Grant sparked the seven-run fifth with a leadoff home run to center field. The Bruins' seniors strung together five consecutive hits in a four-run bottom of the sixth to secure the win.
Palacios' heroics earned her D1Softball National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. In the Arizona series and in a midweek at Long Beach State, Palacios led the Bruins with a .600 average (6-for-10), 1.500 slugging percentage, 11 RBI and three homers. All three of Palacios' homers either tied the game or gave the Bruins the lead. In her last five games against the Wildcats, Palacios has recorded 15 RBI and four run home runs (dates back to the 2023 regular-season series).
"Leveling Up"
UCLA owned a 3-4 record with losses to four top-10 programs, including Georgia, through the first two weeks of the season. The 3-4 record was the Bruins' worst start to a year overall since 1986. As is the norm with the UCLA softball program, the Bruins scheduled a rigorous non-conference slate with eight games versus top-25 opponents. UCLA has turned around from its 3-4 start to go 37-6 since week two with 13 wins over top-25 foes. The early tests have paid dividends for the team as it builds steam for a deep postseason run. Notable wins include a sweep at then-No. 5 Stanford from April 19-21 and the largest comeback victory in program history versus then-No. 19 Arizona on April 28.
USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist
Brady was named a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for the second straight season. The Thousand Oaks, Calif. native made the cut for the Top 3 in her redshirt junior season in 2023. Brady has been the anchor of the Bruins' lineup the last two years. Again in 2024, Brady is leading UCLA in batting average, runs batted in and total bases. The Top 10 Finalists will be narrowed to 3 athletes on May 20. Two Bruins have been honored as USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year a total of three times (Rachel Garcia in 2019 and 2018 and Stacey Nuveman in 2002).
Notes On Brady's Season
Maya Brady is on pace to become the sixth player in UCLA history to hit for a .400+ average in back-to-back seasons, joining Allexis Bennett, Natasha Watley, Stacey Nuveman, Jennifer Brundage and Lisa Fernandez.
· Brady has caught fire the last month with a .533 average (24-for-45), 26 RBI, five home runs and a .956 slugging percentage over 14 games (since April 23 at Long Beach State).
· With runners in scoring position, Brady leads the NCAA with a .725 average (29-for-40), 1.325 slugging percentage and 51 RBI. Brady hit for a .431 average with runners in scoring position last season.
· With runners in scoring position and two outs, Brady owns an .875 average (14-for-16), 1.688 slugging percentage with 25 RBI and three homers.
· With the bases loaded, Brady is 7-for-8 with 19 RBI and two grand slams.
· During Pac-12 play, Brady led the conference in batting average (.419), runs batted in (29), slugging (.935), on-base percentage (.532) and runs scored (22). She ranked second with nine home runs behind Oregon's Ariel Carlson (10 HR).
· Brady notched her third two-homer game of the season and ninth of her career in game two at Arizona State on May 4. Her other two-homer games this year occurred at then-No. 8 Washington on March 24 and versus then-No. 7 Florida State at the Clearwater Invitational on Feb. 16.
· Brady is the first UCLA player since Delaney Spaulding (2014-17) with 15+ home runs in three consecutive seasons. Brady belted 15 bombs in 2022 and a career-high 18 in 2023.
· The shortstop has shored up on the defensive side of the ball as well. Since March 1, Brady's fielding percentage has improved 109 points from .813 to .922. This season marks Brady's second campaign as UCLA's starting shortstop. She took over the role full-time on March 3, 2023 after Seneca Curo sustained a season-ending injury. She has started at shortstop in 98 career games.
· Brady was a three-time Pac-12 Player of the Week recipient this season and has earned the award seven times in her career, which ranks second-most in UCLA history.
· In 2023, Brady was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 3 Finalist in addition to being a consensus First Team All-American. Brady led UCLA with a .448 average, 18 home runs, 59 RBI, 63 runs scored, 33 extra-base hits and 149 total bases last season.
Back-to-Back Pac-12 Coach of the Year
UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Inouye-Perez was named the 2024 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, marking the second straight season and fourth time in her career she has earned the award (2024, 2023, 2021 and 2010). UCLA has now won the Coach of the Year award 11 times in the conference's 37-year history.
Inouye-Perez earned her 800th career win earlier this season in game one at Stanford on April 19. She joined UCLA Athletic Hall of Famers and her two predecessors Sharron Backus and Sue Enquist in the 800 Win Club. Enquist leads UCLA's triad of head coaches with 887 career head coaching wins while Backus owns 854 such wins. Inouye-Perez was coached by both Backus and Enquist in her time as a catcher on the Bruins' roster from 1989-93. She coached alongside Backus and Enquist as an assistant upon graduating. Inouye-Perez joins Washington's Heather Tarr as the only two active Pac-12 head coaches with 800 career wins.
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year; Terry's Impressive Season
Left-handed pitcher Kaitlyn Terry (20-1, 2.45 ERA, 146 SO) was named the 2024 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. UCLA has now won back-to-back Pac-12 Freshman of the Year awards (Jordan Woolery in 2023) and earned the honor five times in the last seven full seasons. The Bruins' roster now totes three Pac-12 Freshman of the Year recipients in Terry, Woolery (2023) and Janelle Meoño (2021).
· Terry's mother, Kristy (Hull) Terry, was the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year in 1995 as a catcher for the Florida State Seminoles (1995-98). The former Hull was a two-time All-ACC Team selection and named to the NFCA All-Region Team all four years of her career. Kristy ranks second in Florida State program history in games played (281) and eighth in hits (275).
· The Bruins have relied heavily on Terry the last month. The freshman had a stretch of seven consecutive starts which was snapped during NCAA Regionals.
· Her first loss of the year came 11 weeks and 26 appearances into the year versus Arizona on April 27.
· Terry leads all Pac-12 freshmen with 20 wins, a 2.45 earned run average, 146 strikeouts and 165.2 innings pitched. She currently leads UCLA's pitching staff in both appearances (36) and innings pitched.
· With her win versus Virginia Tech on May 18, Terry became the seventh UCLA freshman in program history to win 20 games in a season. Terry is the first UCLA freshman to win 20 games since Rachel Garcia who recorded a 23-9 record in 2017. Terry's 165.2 innings are also the most by a UCLA freshman since Garcia's 202.2 innings in 2017.
· Terry ranks seventh among all NCAA freshmen with her 20 wins.
· Terry leads the Pac-12 with seven shutouts this season (Stanford's NiJaree Canady ranks second with six) and ranks third with 15 complete games. Terry has gone the distance in seven of her last nine outings.
· Terry has five outings this season in which she has faced just four or fewer batters above the minimum.
· Terry was named the D1Softball National Freshman of the Week on May 7 after picking up three straight complete-game victories at Arizona State from May 3-5. She proceeded to throw a complete-game shutout against the Sun Devils in UCLA's next game in the Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinals on May 9.
· Terry was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks (March 18 & 25). The southpaw put forth her most dominant outing of the season with a complete-game shutout in game three at Washington on March 24. She needed just 81 pitches, limiting the Huskies to two hits and a walk. Terry's performance marked the first shutout by a UCLA freshman versus a top-10 opponent since April 7, 2017, when Rachel Garcia shutout then-No. 1 Oregon. Terry retired the last 11 Huskies of the game and flashed the leather in the fourth inning, starting a 1-6-3 double play.
· Terry struck out a career-high 12 batters in her complete-game shutout over Weber State at the Judi Garman Classic on March 2. The 12 strikeouts are tied with Megan Faraimo (2019) and Rachel Garcia (2017) for the most by a Bruins' freshman over the last 15 years. Donna Kerr was the last UCLA freshman to rack up 12+ strikeouts, recording 15 in a win over Northwestern on March 9, 2008.
Year-End Pac-12 Awards
UCLA led all programs with six selections to the All-Pac-12 First Team and seven total All-Pac-12 honorees. The six First Team honorees are the program's most since the Bruins' 2019 NCAA Championship season.
FIRST TEAM: Maya Brady, Megan Grant, Sharlize Palacios, Kaitlyn Terry, Taylor Tinsley and Jordan Woolery were selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team. Grant and Woolery have been named to the First Team in the first two seasons of their careers.
SECOND TEAM: The Bruins' lone All-Pac-12 Second Team member was Jadelyn Allchin who picks up the first All-Pac-12 Team honor in her five-year career. Allchin spent the previous four seasons at Washington from 2020-23.
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM: Palacios was also named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the third straight year. The senior backstop has thrown out eight runners attempting to steal and has yet to record an error in all 44 games played.
Top Two Sluggers in the Pac-12
UCLA's lineup boasts the top two slugging percentage leaders in the Pac-12 in Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios. Palacios' three home runs in NCAA Regionals improved her slugging mark to .841. Brady ranks second behind her former travel ball teammate with an .804 slugging percentage. Brady led the Pac-12 in slugging last season with an .866 mark. Palacios ranks first in the Pac-12 with 18 home runs while Brady is tied for fifth with 15. The duo has been particularly hot the last month with a combined 1.049 slugging and 1.619 OPS over the last 14 games (since April 23 at Long Beach State).
She's a SuperShar
Sharlize Palacios has had a flair for the dramatic over the last month. Palacios has homered nine times of her last 16 games and leads the team in that category with 18 longballs this season. Six of Palacios' last nine home runs either tied up the game or gave UCLA the lead.
Palacios Pointers
· Palacios' nine total bases versus Grand Canyon (3-for-3, 2 HR) on May 17 rank third-most by a Bruin in a single postseason game. Her two homers versus the Lopes marked the 21st multi-homer performance by a Bruin in the postseason.
· Defensively, Palacios has yet to commit an error in 293 total chances and has thrown out nine runners attempting to steal.
· Palacios recorded both her 200th career hit and 200th career RBI earlier this season. Her grand slam in game three against Arizona on April 28 brought home her 200th RBI. And her first hit of game one at Arizona State on May 3 tallied hit No. 200. Palacios belted the 50th homer of her career with the first of her two home runs versus then-No. 5 Tennessee at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 25.
· Palacios leads all Bruins on the active roster with seven career grand slams and ranks second behind Brady with five career multi-homer games.
· Palacios earned the first two Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in her career this season. She was awarded for the first time on March 11 after going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with a grand slam during UCLA's bye week contests versus Rutgers and LMU. Palacios was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for a second time on April 29 after homering three times over four games versus Long Beach State and rival Arizona.
· Palacios has been named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team all three years as a first-string catcher (2024 and 2023 with UCLA and 2022 with Arizona). She spent her freshman 2020 and 2021 seasons primarily as the designated player at Arizona.
Brady Makes History
Maya Brady hit the 67th home run of her career in game two at Arizona State on May 4, moving her out of a tie with Stephany LaRosa (2012-15) and into sole possession of second place in UCLA's record books. In typical Brady fashion, she homered again in her next at-bat of the game for the ninth multi-homer performance of her career, which also ranks second in UCLA history. Brady currently sits at 69 career home runs and trails Stacey Nuveman's program record of 90 longballs. When Brady's career is done, she will rank second among UCLA student-athletes in several significant statistical categories.
Career Two-Homer Games: Brady is tied with Andrea Harrison (2009-12) with nine career multi-homer games. Nuveman also holds that program record with 12 such performances. Brady's four multi-homer games in 2023 are tied for second most by a Bruin in a single season (B.B. Bates - 2013; Megan Langenfeld - 2010; Andrea Harrison - 2010).
Career RBI: Brady also moved into second place on UCLA's career RBI list during the Arizona State series. Her career total currently rests at 243. Nuveman owns the program RBI record (299). Seven Bruins have recorded 200+ career RBI.
Career Slugging Percentage: Brady's career slugging percentage keeps ballooning every week. Her current career mark of .755 ranks third all-time in UCLA history.
Career Runs Scored: Brady currently ranks fourth in UCLA's annals with 223 runs scored.
Career Hits: Brady's 272 career hits are tied for 10th in program history.
The Allchin Addition
Jadelyn Allchin has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the country. The graduate transfer from Washington (2020-23) received the first All-Pac-12 Team recognition of her career this season, being named to the Second Team. Allchin has started a career-high 50 games in 2024 and is enjoying career bests in batting average (.318), runs batted in (31), runs scored (38) and stolen bases (10-10). Most recently, Allchin homered in the Regional final versus Grand Canyon for her first home run since April 6. Allchin went 5-for-10, including a double and homer, with four runs scored in NCAA Regionals.
· Allchin, a graduate transfer from Washington (2020-23), has provided clutch hits for the Bruins. In the fifth inning or later this season, Allchin is batting for a .453 average (24-for-53) with 16 RBI and 19 runs scored.
· Allchin has converted on 13 of her 16 RBI opportunities with a runner on third base and less than two outs.
· On March 12 versus Rutgers, Allchin delivered a walk-off single. Three days prior to that, Allchin played the hero in game two of UCLA's home series with Utah by knocking in the game-tying run with two outs in the seventh inning. At the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Allchin doubled in a run to spark a five-run seventh inning to help UCLA walk-off on Nebraska on Feb. 23.
· Allchin has been a mainstay in the top half of the Bruins' lineup, hitting in the top 3 of the order in 40 of the last 43 games.
· Allchin has swiped two bases in a game twice this season (Oregon on March 29 and Stanford on April 19). She leads the Bruins in stolen bases and is 10-for-10 on her attempts.
· Defensively, Allchin has recorded two outfield assists this season: one from left field in the Bruins' 6-2 win over Tennessee on Feb. 25 and one from center field against Oklahoma State on Feb. 11. She has totaled five outfield assists in her career.
UCLA in Pinch-Hitting Situations
The Bruins are batting .429 (24-for-56) in pinch-hitting situations this season. Nine different players have been called upon to pinch hit. UCLA's pinch hitters have reached base in nine of the last 12 games when Inouye-Perez utilizes someone off the bench (dates back to April 20 at Stanford). Two Bruins have hit a total of three pinch-hit home runs this season; the last to do so was Taylor Stephens at Arizona State on May 4. Stephens owns two of UCLA's pinch-hit home runs this season.
· Ramsey Suarez leads the Bruins with nine pinch hits and seven RBI when coming off the bench. Suarez has reached base in six of her last nine pinch-hit opportunities (5-for-8, 1 BB). Suarez saw her streak of four straight pinch hits in each of her last four opportunities at Easton Stadium snapped last week. Most recently, Suarez knocked in the game-tying run in the fourth inning versus No. 15 Virginia Tech in NCAA Regionals to erase a four-run deficit and help UCLA match its largest postseason comeback victory in program history. She also delivered a key pinch-hit single in the bottom of the fifth inning in game three versus Arizona on April 28 which played a key part in erasing a seven-run deficit for the largest comeback victory in program history. Suarez reached twice during the Oregon series at Easton Stadium on two pinch-hit singles (March 28-29). Her two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth in game one versus the Ducks on March 28 proved to be the difference in a 5-3 win.
Savi Stepping Up
Junior Savannah Pola, who has been in and out of the lineup this season, has made the most of her opportunities lately. Pola is playing her best ball the last month (14 games) with a .324 batting average (11-for-34), nine runs scored and five doubles. The Santa Ana, Calif. product broke out of her slump in game two at Stanford on April 20 with two-RBI pinch-hit double that found the left field foul line. In her start at Long Beach State on April 23, Pola doubled and recorded her first multi-hit performance in 11 games. She has started each of the last eight games, including seven as the designated player.
Rapid Development; Notes On The Pitching Staff
UCLA has relied predominantly on Taylor Tinsley and Kaitlyn Terry in the circle since March 1 with the two underclassmen pitching 233.1 innings of the possible 245.0 over this 38-game stretch. Tinsley and Terry also pitched the entirety of conference play. Together, they owned a 2.46 ERA in Pac-12 conference games which ranked second in the Pac-12 behind Stanford.
· The Bruins' pitching staff battled through injuries in the first month of the season. But since March 1, UCLA's Terry and Tinsley have shown rapid improvement with a combined 31-5 record and 1.97 earned run average over the last 38 games. Since March 1, Terry owns a 18-1 record with a 2.33 ERA while Tinsley is 13-4 with a 1.63 ERA.
· On the season, Tinsley (2.02 ERA) and Terry (2.45 ERA) rank second and fourth in the conference in ERA, respectively.
· The two hurlers were highly-touted recruits coming out of their respective states; Terry (Arizona) was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year while Tinsley (Georgia) was the No. 1-ranked pitcher in her the 2021 recruiting class.
· The 2024 season marks the first time since 1998 and second time ever in which UCLA does not have a pitcher on staff with postseason experience (must have pitched in a postseason game). Additionally, the 2024 season marks the first time since 2015 in which UCLA does not have a pitcher on staff with Women's College World Series experience entering the year.
Notes on Tinsley
Sophomore Taylor Tinsley has shown consistent improvement since week one of the season. In 2024, she ranks second in the Pac-12 with a 2.02 ERA and third with 155 strikeouts over 131.2 innings pitched after totaling just 57.1 innings of work all of last season in her All-Pac-12 Freshman Team campaign. Tinsley, the first UCLA softball player from the state of Georgia, has been named the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week twice this season.
close losses: Four of Tinsley's eight losses this season have come in one-run ballgames. Tinsley allowed one earned run or less in all four of those losses.
at the Mary Nutter: Tinsley allowed just two earned runs across three complete-game performances and 22.0 total innings pitched at the Mary Nutter. Among all the pitchers competing at the Mary Nutter (30 teams participating), Tinsley ranked first in innings pitched (22.0) and strikeouts looking (10) and tied for first in strikeouts (30).
vs. Utah: Tinsley picked up two wins, struck out 16 batters and did not allow an earned run over 10.2 innings to help the Bruins to a series sweep of Utah (March 8-10). In her game one victory, Tinsley threw 6.2 innings of shutout ball and allowed only one base runner into scoring position. She finished her outing with nine strikeouts and surrendered just two hits. She limited the Pac-12 batting average leader entering the series, Haley Denning, to 0-for-6 with two Ks.
vs. Oregon: Tinsley allowed just one earned run and was the winning pitcher in both of UCLA's two games versus then-No. 20 Oregon (March 28-29). In game one of the series, Tinsley entered in relief and got the Bruins out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with a strikeout. She retired the Ducks in order in the seventh on just six pitches to close the game. Tinsley turned in 4.0 solid innings in her game two start, allowing just one run.
at Stanford: Tinsley earned NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors after limiting Stanford to just seven hits and striking out 20 batters over 15.2 scoreless innings across her three outings. In game one of the series, Tinsley struck out a career-high 15 batters over 9.0 innings to outduel Stanford ace NiJaree Canady in a 1-0 affair.
at the Pac-12 Tournament: Tinsley made her first appearance since April 26 in the Pac-12 Tournament Semifinals versus Arizona on May 10. Tinsley was credited with the win after throwing 4.0 innings of relief with just two hits given up. She was called upon the next day for save situation in the championship game versus Utah. Tinsley sealed the championship with a three-up, three-down seventh inning featuring two strikeouts.
Tinsley Awarded National Pitcher of the Week
Sophomore Taylor Tinsley was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Pitcher of the Week on April 23. Tinsley was the winning pitcher in all three games of UCLA's sweep at then-No. 5 Stanford which catapulted the Bruins ahead of the Cardinal to the top of the conference standings. Tinsley limited Stanford to just seven hits and struck out 20 batters over 15.2 scoreless innings across her three outings. In game one of the series, Tinsley struck out a career-high 15 batters over 9.0 innings to outduel Stanford ace NiJaree Canady in a 1-0 affair. In addition to her game one masterpiece, Tinsley entered the final two games in intense relief situations with runners in scoring position. Tinsley thrived in high-leverage situations all weekend, holding Stanford to 0-for-17 with runner in scoring position.
She is the fourth UCLA hurler to be recognized as the NFCA Pitcher of the Week (others: Megan Faraimo, Rachel Garcia and Ally Carda) and the first since Faraimo in February 2020. Tinsley was also named D1Softball Pitcher of the Week earlier Tuesday morning and Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week.
Series History: Georgia
UCLA leads the all-time series versus Georgia, 15-3, dating back to 2002 when the teams met in the Women's College World Series. Head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez owns an 8-2 record in her 10 games versus the Bulldogs dating back to 2008. The two programs have met in the NCAA Tournament seven times with UCLA having a 6-1 advantage in those contests. UCLA and Georgia met in Oklahoma City in UCLA's 2010 NCAA title run and in the 2008 and 2005 NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional. The Bruins went 5-1 in those games.
earlier this season: UCLA and Georgia met in week two earlier this season resulting in a 7-2 Bulldogs' win. Tinsley started in the circle for the Bruins and surrendered six earned runs on five base hits and four walks.
Super Regional reunion: This marks the third time since 2005 that UCLA and Georgia will be meeting in the NCAA Super Regional round at Easton Stadium. The Bulldogs traveled West in 2008 and 2005, losing both series.
Brady, Palacios Drafted By Athletes Unlimited
Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios were selected second and 13th overall in the Athletes Unlimited Softball Draft Tuesday afternoon. There 15 total collegiate softball players in the draft. UCLA has now had six student-athletes drafted by the league: Rachel Garcia, Bubba Nickles, Megan Faraimo, Brooke Yanez, Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios.
Five Bruins Selected to Compete for Team USA
Five current and former members of the UCLA softball program have been selected to the U.S. Women's National Softball Team rosters for the 2024 Japan All-Star Series and World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women's World Cup. Sophomore Megan Grant will compete with Team USA at the Japan All-Star Series across three Japanese cities from July 4-8 while redshirt senior Maya Brady, Megan Faraimo (2019-23), Rachel Garcia (2016-19, 2021) and Ally Carda (2012-15) will compete at the WBSC World Cup Final in Castions de Strada, Italy slated for July 15-21.
· UCLA is tied with Oklahoma in terms of most athletes represented on the two rosters.
· Garcia is one of four 2020 Olympians on the WBSC World Cup roster.
· Brady, Faraimo and Carda all competed at the WBSC World Cup Group Stage in Dublin, Ireland last summer. Brady started all four games at first base and tallied five runs batted in and scored four runs to help Team USA punch its ticket to the XVII WBSC World Cup Final.
· Grant will be making her second straight appearance at the Japan All-Star Series. In game one of last year's event, Grant went 4-for-6 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored in Team USA's 12-11 extra-i
Players Mentioned
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SS
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INF
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P/1B
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
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OF
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C
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UTIL
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UTIL
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INF
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P/OF
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INF
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/ 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