UCLA Softball Begins their Quest for 128 Tonight
The Bruins are hosting the NCAA Los Angeles regional this weekend.
I’ve frequently written about the three seasons of UCLA sports: football season, basketball season, and championship season. To be sure, this year’s women’s basketball season served as the proper bridge between basketball season and championship season. So much so that only four weeks separate NC #126 and NC #127.
As a result of beach volleyball’s title a few weeks ago, the Bruin softball team will now be in search of NC #128 when they host Baptist tonight at Easton Stadium.
This season, the Bruins managed to put together a 47-8 overall record and a 20-4 conference record. One of those 47 wins came on April 14 when UCLA defeated CBU at home by a score of 13-6. While the final score doesn’t sound very close, the game really was until the bottom of the sixth inning.
In that game, the Lancers jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first. While the Bruins cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning, the top of the third saw CBU go back up by four, 6-2. Again, UCLA cut the lead again in the bottom half of the inning by scoring three and, in the fourth, the Bruins tied the game, 6-6.
It stayed tied until the bottom of the sixth when UCLA erupted for seven runs. Soo-Jin Berry led off the inning with a pinch-hit single. She then scored when Jolyna Lamar followed her with an RBI double down the left field line. While that was the game-winner, the Bruins tacked on six insurance runs in the inning. Taylor Tinsley had a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh to seal the win.
The Bruins earned the three seed in the Big Ten tournament where they beat Penn State, 6-1, in the quarterfinals. They beat seven seed Wisconsin in a five-inning run-rule shortened win, 16-5, to advance to the title game against top-seeded Nebraska. Unfortunately, they lost the title game, 7-2.
Los Angeles Regional
The four teams playing in the LA Regional this weekend are the Bruins, the Lancers, the South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Cal State Fullerton Titans. UCLA is the eighth overall seed and the number two seed in their quadrant. South Carolina is the seventh seed in the quadrant.
Of course, the regionals are a double elimination event. So, in order to advance, the Bruins will need to keep winning until each of the other teams has two losses.
If UCLA can win the LA Regional this weekend, they will host the Super Regionals next weekend.
Los Angeles Regional
Game #1
Teams: #7 seed South Carolina Gamecocks (30-26) vs. Cal State Fullerton Titans (43-17)
When: 4:30 pm PT, Friday, May 15, 2026
Where: Easton Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
TV: None
Live Stream: WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game #2
Teams: #2 seed UCLA Bruins (47-8) vs. California Baptist Lancers (43-17)
When: 7:00 pm PT, Friday, May 15, 2026
Where: Easton Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes
UCLA
Tournament Bracket
Regional Central
Official Preview
Go Bruins!!!
Thanks again for supporting The Mighty Bruin. Your paid subscriptions make this site possible. Questions, comments, story ideas, angry missives and more can be sent to to @TheMightyBruin on Twitter.