UCLA: Bruin Softball Wins 11th NCAA Title, Baseball in Super Regionals
For the first time in six years, all is right in the college softball world.
And if he was watching (which I’m sure he was), John Wooden would have very pleased.
Led by an outburst of hitting that broke records for most runs and hits in a Women’s College World Series game, the UCLA Bruins won their 12th national championship over Arizona in Oklahoma City last night, 15-9.
Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, who won her first title as a head coach after winning six rings as a Bruin player and assistant, said, “This was about being able to bring back the pride, history, and tradition of a great softball program and what it feels like to be on top.”
Megan Langenfeld, after hitting four home runs in the series, including three in the two games with the Wildcats, was named the series’ Most Outstanding Player. Andrea Harrison, Julie Burney, and Samantha Camuso also slugged homers for the Bruins (50-11), with Harrison hitting a grand slam in the second inning after Arizona’s Kenzie Fowler intentionally walked Langenfeld to load the bases, staking UCLA to a 6-0 advantage and never being really threatened after that.
Wearing black wristbands with the letters “JW” on them in tribute to the late great coach during the series, this marks the nation-leading 106th NCAA title for UCLA, which continues to be the only school with triple digits in that category.
On the men’s side of the diamond, the Bruins have a chance at an invitation to the College World Series in Omaha as they host Cal State Fullerton in a best-of-three Super Regional this weekend, starting this Friday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Coach John Savage’s UCLA team was much impressive in winning their NCAA regional, blowing out Kent State and beating defending national champion LSU and U.C. Irvine to earn a spot in the Super Regional against a tough Titan squad from Fullerton, who beat the Bruins in both of their head-to-head contests this season.
However, with the pitching staff that UCLA has, led by Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole, the Bruins have a good chance of punching their first ticket to Omaha since the Troy Glaus-led 1997 team. If they and the rest of the Bruin pitchers perform on the mound like they do all year, Westwood may see both of their diamond programs reach their perspective College World Series, which is truly a rarity as I doubt that has happened before in the same season.
I certainly wish John Savage’s crew the best of luck.
And congratulations to Kelly Inouye’s band of Bruin sisters!
Related posts
Even UCLA fans know Nestor is a douche. 
Nice piece.
I didn't even read the Simers article far enough to see that he took credit for Pods' hit ...
So you're saying that UCLA's hopes rest in the performances of the offense and the defense. Well, we'll just ...