UCLA Softball and Baseball are playing well and here is why

UCLA's softball team is ranked in the top five and the baseball team is undefeated early in the 2025 season.

UCLA's softball team boasts an impressive legacy, holding one of the most impressive records in NCAA history. Along with Oklahoma and Arizona, UCLA is considered one of the top three softball programs in the country. They consistently compete against elite teams and have secured numerous national championships. The Bruins have, in total, won 12 national championships, beginning with their first in 1982 and their most recent being in 2019.

Veterans and true freshmen give this year's team a unique blend. Key players who have returned from last season and the newcomers who have already begun to impress. Jordan Woolery has been playing outstandingly with the highest batting average on the team and leads the Bruins in RBIs. On the mound, Kaitlyn Terry has six wins as a starter, with two being shutouts.

The Bruins baseball team has started the 2025 season with a fantastic start, winning their first four games. Their impressive record of victories highlights their exceptional ability to compete at the highest level and, hopefully, their return to where they were in 2019 when they were NCAA regional champions.

UCLA has officially joined the ranks of the Big Ten Conference, and it may propel them back into national prominence. Essentially, they will face new teams from the Midwest and out east with varying degrees of talent, potentially helping them become a top 15-ranked team this year.

A survey among Big Ten coaches before the season indicated the team was expected to secure a fourth-place finish in the conference. It was evident they had a solid squad, as they received votes despite not being featured in the major preseason top 25 polls.

Key players who returned for UCLA are Roch Cholowitz (shortstop), Phoenix Call (second base), and Cody Delvecchio (pitcher), who have received notable recognition in preseason rankings and narratives. In his twenty-first season, John Savage, as the head coach of the Bruins, his insights and direction will prove invaluable as the team navigates the hurdles of a new conference and the demands of an extended season.

Here is how each team has done so far this season.

The UCLA softball team won both games in the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament, defeating IU Indianapolis in both games by a total score of 17-0. They then dominated the Mark Campbell Invitational, defeating Nevada and Lehigh by a combined score of 17-0. Through their first four games, they outscored their opponents 34-0 and did not give up one run during this stretch. It wasn't until their game against UC Riverside in the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament that they allowed their first runs but still won by a final score of 10-2 to go to 5-0 to begin the season.

The Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational is where the Bruins were tested for the first time this season. UCLA first played No. 13 Oklahoma State, winning by two runs with the game score of 6-4. Then the Bruins, after that impressive victory, dismantled Charlotte 10-0 to go 7-0 on the season. Then UCLA played two SEC teams in Kentucky and No. 21 Alabama. The Bruins defeated the Wildcats in a low-scoring game, defeating them by a final score of 3-1. UCLA defeated the Crimson Tide in the next game to go to 9-0 in the season, beating Bama by a score of 6-3.

Unfortunately, to end the Clearwater Invitational, UCLA was losing 5-0 to Virginia and fought back but ended up losing late, 7-6, to get their first defeat of the year.

They quickly bounced back and defeated No. 22 Missouri in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic by a score of 4-1. UCLA continued to play well and beat No. 15 Nebraska 9-1 in sixth inning in arguably their most impressive win against a power four, ranked team this season.

UCLA next takes on No. 7 Tennessee in a top 10 showdown.