Softball Adds Transfer Pitchers Lauppe, SalmonSoftball Adds Transfer Pitchers Lauppe, Salmon

Meika Lauppe (left) and Cambria Salmon

Softball Adds Transfer Pitchers Lauppe, Salmon

Softball

UCLA has signed two transfer arms with postseason experience.

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA softball program has received two signed grant-in-aid agreements from transfer pitchers Meika Lauppe and Cambria Salmon, as announced Wednesday by Kelly Inouye-Perez, The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach.

"We are thrilled to welcome Meika and Cambria into our Bruin Family," Inouye-Perez said. "They each bring unique strengths to our pitching staff while sharing the same competitive edge and commitment to excellence. Meika has proven she can carry a significant workload against elite competition and thrive in big moments, while Cambria has already gained invaluable experience on the biggest stage in our sport, contributing to two national championship teams. Together, they add depth, experience and a championship pedigree that will elevate our program."

Lauppe joins the Bruins after three seasons at Arizona State where she helped the Sun Devils make two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Super Regional berth in 2026. Lauppe will be a senior on UCLA’s 2027 roster.

“I chose UCLA for the standard of excellence, incredible coaching staff and joyous culture the girls have created and maintained,” Lauppe said. “I could not be more excited to be back in California, joining the Bruin Bubble and competing for a championship.”

Lauppe owns a career 3.64 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 25-14 record with 160 strikeouts in 273.0 innings over three seasons. She has appeared in 94 games, including 45 starts.

Lauppe ranked second on Arizona State's pitching staff in innings pitched in each of the last two seasons. As a junior in 2026, she posted a 3.59 ERA over 121.0 innings. She recorded a 3.31 ERA across 112.0 innings as a sophomore in 2025.

Lauppe played a key role in Arizona State's NCAA Super Regional run last season. She tossed a complete-game shutout against McNeese State in the Sun Devils' NCAA Tournament opener before logging 2.0 innings in the Regional final victory over Texas A&M.

Lauppe started Game 2 of Arizona State's Super Regional against eventual NCAA champion Texas. She allowed one unearned run on two hits and exited the game after 4.0 innings with the lead intact.

Lauppe’s other standout performance of last season came in a 5-4 victory against Oklahoma State in which she threw a complete game.

Salmon arrives at UCLA after helping Texas capture back-to-back NCAA Championships during her first two collegiate seasons in 2025 and 2026. Salmon will be a junior on UCLA’s 2027 roster.

“I chose UCLA because of the incredible culture and tradition, and the people who make it such a special place,” Salmon said. “From the conversations I’ve had with the staff and from the feeling I got on campus, UCLA felt like home, and I knew it was where I wanted to continue growing as both a student and an athlete. I'm beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity to wear the Four Letters, be a Bruin and compete with an amazing group of girls around me.”

Salmon owns a career 2.34 ERA and a 12-2 record with 97 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched. She has appeared in 38 games and made 15 starts over two seasons.

Last season, Salmon went 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 39.2 innings. She appeared in five Southeastern Conference games, logging 6.2 innings and allowing three earned runs. Her top outing of the year came in February 2026 when she threw 4.0 hitless innings with three strikeouts against a Nebraska squad that won the Big Ten Championship.

As a freshman in 2025, Salmon threw 62.0 innings and ranked third on Texas’ national championship team with 66 strikeouts. She appeared in two NCAA Tournament contests, including an elimination game start in the Super Regionals against Clemson in which she tossed 3.2 innings. Salmon also provided 3.0 innings of relief in Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series against Texas Tech.

A five-star recruit out of Beaumont High School in Beaumont, Calif., and the Athletics Mercado travel ball program, Salmon earned the designation from Softball America. She was a three-time All-CIF Southern Section selection, receiving Division I honors as a sophomore and junior and Division II recognition as a senior.

Salmon was named the 2024 Citrus Belt League Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Pitcher after posting an 18-7 record, a 0.86 ERA and 304 strikeouts in 170.1 innings. She concluded her prep career with 1,006 strikeouts.

As a sophomore in 2022, Salmon was selected Inland Empire Player of the Year after compiling a 19-4 record with a 0.54 ERA and 309 strikeouts in 160.1 innings. A three-time All-Citrus Belt League honoree, she finished her career at Beaumont High School as one of the most dominant pitchers in program history.