UCLA softball is headed back to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

This marks the Bruins’ 34th appearance in the WCWS, which is the most for any NCAA softball program in history. UCLA also has an NCAA-record 12 national championships, with Arizona and Oklahoma tied for the second-most with eight titles.

UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez contributed to eight of those national championships as both a player and coach. As the Bruins look to win their first NCAA title since 2019, Inouye-Perez said this season’s squad resembles previous UCLA championship teams.

“I still have visuals of how we went about [winning national championships,] that there’s a good magic feeling of really everyone committing to sticking to a plan on how we’re going to find a way to win,” Inouye-Perez said, per the Los Angeles Times. “And this team, you can feel it.”

UCLA Hits NCAA-Record 200 Home Runs

UCLA pulled off a sweep over Central Florida in the best-of-three super regional at Easton Stadium. On Friday, the Bruins run-ruled the Knights 9-1 in five innings. Then, on Saturday, UCLA defeated UCF 14-4 to clinch a spot in the WCWS.

The Bruins have one of the best offenses in NCAA history and proved that on Saturday when it became the first NCAA Division I softball team to hit 200 home runs in a season.

UCLA hit seven home runs across both super regional game to reach the mark. Redshirt freshman infielder Aleena Garcia hit two, three-run homers on Saturday, while freshman third baseman Bri Alejandre hit a home run on both nights.

Defensively, ace Taylor Tinsley pitched all 12 innings for UCLA in the super regional. The Third Team All-American senior pitcher struck out 13 batters while giving up 12 hits and five runs throughout the series.

“She’s a true competitor,” UCF coach Cindy Ball-Malone said of Tinsley, per the Los Angeles Times. “She’s good, and she got better as she kept going and her offense makes her really lethal, too.”

Who Will UCLA Play in WCWS?

UCLA will kick off the WCWS against Alabama on Thursday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. The Bruins and Crimson Tide will be part of Bracket 1.

Bracket 1 will also include the winner between Oklahoma and Mississippi State and the winner between Texas Tech and Florida. Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Florida all made appearances at the WCWS last season, while Mississippi State has never been to a WCWS.

In the other bracket, Arkansas, Tennessee and Nebraska have punched their tickets to the WCWS. The final team in that bracket will either be defending champions, Texas, or Arizona State.

Photo Credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times

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