UCLA Official Athletic Site - Softball


Bruin softball set an
NCAA single season
record with 63 wins
this season, breaking the
mark set by the
1990 Bruin team.

 
A Look Back at the Bruin Softball Championship Season

Bruins bring ninth title to Westwood.

June 21, 1999

Bruins Bring Ninth National Championship to Westwood . . .
The top-ranked and top-seeded UCLA softball team claimed its ninth national championship on May 31, knocking off No. 3 Washington 3-2, before 4,472 at Don Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. UCLA third baseman Julie Adams headlined a total of four Bruins named to the All-CWS Team, as she was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Her two RBI single in the top of the first, along with a third-inning solo home run by Courtney Dale, helped UCLA to the 3-2 victory.

Championship Game Victory Sets New School Record . . .
UCLA's 3-2 victory over Washington on May 31 in the championship game of the CWS, marked UCLA's 63rd of the season, setting a new school record for wins. The previous record was 62 victories set by UCLA's 1990 NCAA Championship team.

Adams Enjoys OUTSTANDING Postseason . . .
Third baseman Julie Adams recently capped off one of the finest postseasons ever by a UCLA player. In eight postseason games, she batted .565 (13-for-23), with 15 RBI, four home runs, a double and six runs scored. For her efforts, she was named the Most Outstanding Player at both UCLA's regional in Los Angeles and at the College World Series. All this, despite suffering a dislocated shoulder in the Bruins' opening game of the CWS against DePaul.

Dale Joins Fernandez in Single-Season Victories . . .
With her victory in the championship game of the College World Series, sophomore pitcher Courtney Dale picked up her 33rd win of the season, tying her with former Bruin great Lisa Fernandez for the UCLA single-season record. Dale finished the season with a remarkable 33-1 overall mark and 0.98 ERA. Her only loss was a 6-4, extra-inning defeat to No. 3 Arizona on May 7. Fernandez notched her 33 wins back in 1990. She finished that season 33-3.

Bruins Place Six Players on NFCA All-America Teams . . . The top-ranked UCLA softball team led all schools, placing a total of six players on the Louisville Slugger All-America first and second teams, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Bruins' first-team selections included Christie Ambrosi (at-large/outfield), Courtney Dale (pitcher), Amanda Freed (utility) and Stacey Nuveman (catcher). Julie Adams (third base) and Julie Marshall (first base) were UCLA's second-team honorees. It is the second first-team honor for Nuveman as she won the award as a freshman back in 1997. Both Adams and Ambrosi have earned third-team honors before, while it marks the first such honor for Dale, Freed and Marshall.

Six Bruins Named First-Team All-Pacific Region . . .
For the first time since 1991 (and only the second time ever) UCLA had six players earn first-team All-Region honors. Among the players are third baseman Julie Adams, outfielder Christie Ambrosi, pitcher Courtney Dale, utility player Amanda Freed, first baseman Julie Marshall and catcher Stacey Nuveman. It is the second All-Region award for Ambrosi, as she was a first-team selection at shortstop in 1997. Both Nuveman and Marshall were named second-team All-Pacific Region in 1996, while Adams was a second-team honoree. It is the first All- Region honor for both Dale and Freed.

All-Pac-10 Honors Announced . . .
UCLA had a conference-best eight players earn All-Pac-10 Conference honors. Headlining the group were Player of the Year Stacey Nuveman, Pitcher of the Year Courtney Dale and Co-Coach of the Year Sue Enquist. It is the second Pac-10 honor for Nuveman, who was a first-team selection and Newcomer of the Year in 1997. Dale, who earned honorable mention honors also as a freshman in 1997, is the first-ever Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, as 1999 marks the first season the conference has recognized this award. Center fielder Christie Ambrosi and first baseman Julie Marshall were UCLA's other selections to the first team. Third baseman Julie Adams, econd baseman Lyndsey Klein and pitcher Amanda Freed were second team honorees, while right fielder Lupe Brambila rounds out the list as an honorable mention selection.

UCLA Dominates Top-Seeded Regional. . .
The No. 1 ranked UCLA softball team posted four victories (three shutouts) to win its regional in Los Angeles. UCLA opened the tournament with a decisive 7-0 win over No. 6 seeded Alabama on May 20, mostly in part to a one-hit shutout by Bruin starter Courtney Dale and two home runs by third baseman Julie Adams. Then, on May 21, UCLA exploded for 14 runs on 21 hits, including two more home runs by Adams, to defeat No. 4 seeded Creighton 14-0. In a battle of unbeatens on May 22, Bruin catcher Stacey Nuveman provided the power, blasting two home runs in a 5-0 UCLA victory over No. 3 seeded Minnesota. Needing only one win to advance to Oklahoma City, the Bruins took it to No. 2 seeded Missouri on May 23, recording 12 runs on 14 hits, to defeat the Tigers 12-5.

Adams Named Regional's Most Outstanding Player . . .
Third baseman Julie Adams, following a four home run, 13 RBI performance in the NCAA Regional at UCLA, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Adams, who was 7-for-14 (.500) in UCLA's four games on the week, blasted two home runs in the opener against Alabama and then did it again in a showdown with Creighton the following day. In addition to Adams, Stacey Nuveman, Lyndsey Klein, Courtney Dale and Amanda Freed, each earned all-tournament honors.

Speed Demon . . .
With her 24th career stolen base in UCLA's game with Creighton on May 21, Christie Ambrosi became the Bruins' career stolen base leader with 30. She finished the season 25-for-28 in the stolen base department. She already broke the UCLA single-season record of 13 earlier in the season.

Nuveman Wins Triple Crown . . .
Bruin slugger Stacey Nuveman finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 in home runs (31), RBI (91) and batting (.446). She becomes the first player to lead the Pac-10 in those three categories since Arizona's Jenny Dalton achieved the feat back in 1996 (.469BA, 25HR, 109RBI).

Top-Ranked Bruins Claim Sixth Pac-10 Championship !
With its 7-1 game-one win over Arizona State on May 8, UCLA clinched the 1999 Pac-10 title. It is the sixth Pac-10 championship for the Bruins and first since 1993, having won the title in 1988, '89, '90, '91, '93 and '99. The Bruins' six titles is the most by a Pac-10 school as, prior to this season, UCLA was tied with Arizona at five apiece.

UCLA Dominates Pac-10 Statistics . . .
UCLA finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 in team batting (.339), home runs (95), hits (633), RBI (396), doubles (108), runs (429) total bases (1042), slugging percentage (.558), on base percentage (.409) and fewest strikeouts (202). On the defensive side, the Bruins led the conference in pitching victories (63), runs allowed (97), opposing batting average (.182), fielding percentage (.974), fewest errors (53), fewest home runs allowed (9), doubles allowed (32), triples allowed (2) and fewest stolen bases against (18).

Nuveman Named Finalist For Honda Award . . .
Catcher Stacey Nuveman was selected as one of four finalists for the Honda Award, given annually to the top collegiate softball player in the country. Danielle Henderson from the University of Massachusetts won the award.

Team Records Broken in 1999 

 

            Previous Record   1999 Total

Victories        62 (1990)        63

Runs Scored     342 (1995)       420

Total Bases     824 (1997)       999

Home Runs        54 (1997)        91

RBI             316 (1997)       388

Doubles          84 (1995)       105

Hits            575 (1996)       607

Base on Balls   164 (1995)       196

Stolen Bases     52 (1988)        63

Season Superlatives 


                W   L   T   

Total           63  6   0   

Conf.           22  6   0   

Non-Conf.       37  0   0   

Home            21  3   0   

Away            16  3   0   

Neutral         41  0   0   

Day             56  5   0   

Nite             7  1   0   

vs. Left         4  1   0   

vs. Right       59  5   0   

1-Run Games     13  1   0   

2-Run Games      3  3   0   

5+Run Games     36  0   0   

Extra Inns       3  1   0   

Shutouts        28  1   0   

1st Game of DH  18  3   0   

2nd Game of DH  18  3   0

1999 USA Today/NFCA Final Poll 


 1. UCLA (25)                63-6

 2. Washington              51-18

 3. DePaul                  54-14

 4. Cal                     51-22

 5. Fresno State            65-10

 6. Arizona                 53-16

 7. Arizona State           41-29

 8. Southern Mississippi     52-9

 9. USL                     54-11

10. Oregon State            47-25

11. Louisiana St.           55-10

12. Maryland                50-22

13. Illinois-Chicago        67-17

14. Michigan State          41-23

15. Missouri                41-21

16. Michigan              51-13-1

17. Massachusetts           43-10

18. Texas                   45-17

19. South Carolina          49-21

20. Nebraska                35-21

21. Hawaii                  35-23

22. Minnesota               46-20

23. Oklahoma                39-15

24. Texas Tech              35-31

25. Oregon                  40-29

Final Pac-10 Standings 


                Pac-10  Overall

1. UCLA          22-6    63-6

2. Arizona       19-9   47-13

3. Washington   15-12   44-17

4. Oregon St.   14-14   44-23

5. California   13-14   44-19

6. Oregon       10-18   39-27

   Stanford     10-18   40-23

8. Arizona St.   8-20   37-25