UCF softball is two wins away from the first Women's College World Series berth in the program's 25-season history, but UCLA is the only thing standing between the Knights and Oklahoma City. The Los Angeles Super Regional opens Friday, May 22 at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPNU, with Game 2 set for Saturday, May 23 at 10 p.m. EDT on.
UCLA, the No. 2 seed in its bracket quadrant, is chasing its 34th trip to the Women's College World Series and brings the kind of lineup that can end a season in a hurry. Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant are two of the top three home run hitters in the nation, with Woolery posting 34 homers and earning Softball America's National Player of the Year honor, while Grant has 40 home runs to set a new single-season NCAA record. Woolery also ranks fifth in the nation in hits, and Grant leads the nation in on-base percentage.
That power plays at Easton Stadium, where the outfield stretches only 190 feet to left and right and 210 feet to center. Eric Lopez has described it as a hitter's park, and the setup matches a UCLA team built to punish mistakes. Kelly Inouye-Perez has guided the Bruins for years, with USA Softball Hall of Famer Lisa Fernandez helping on the staff, and the Bruins have again reached this point with the expectation that their postseason path should keep going.
The concern for UCLA is how much of the load falls on Taylor Tinsley. She has thrown 203 of the Bruins' 349.1 innings this season and ranks 33rd in the nation in strikeouts, while UCLA has used only three other pitchers. Brynne Nally is one of them, and she has been identified as a pitcher who needs to step up if UCLA is going to get through the super regional. That imbalance leaves the Bruins dangerous at the plate but less certain in the circle if the series turns into a grind.
UCF does not need to outslug UCLA to make history, but it does need to survive the moments when the Bruins' lineup tilts the field. Luke Joseph has said UCLA carries that 'it' factor, and that is exactly what the Knights are trying to erase over the next two nights. If UCF can take one of the first two games, the pressure shifts fast; if not, UCLA gets another clear shot at the Women's College World Series stage it has visited so often before.
