If anyone at the beginning of the year said that freshman Megan Langenfeld would be the most consistent pitcher for the 2007 UCLA softball team, it would have been a laughable assertion.
Especially with junior ace Anjelica Selden on the roster.
But after Langenfeld came through with another dominant performance against No. 14 Oregon on Sunday, it’s not hard to make the argument that Langenfeld has indeed been the Bruins’ best pitcher so far this year.
In 60 innings pitched this season, Langenfeld leads all Bruin pitchers in ERA (1.28), her 8-1 record is the best winning percentage on the team (88.9%), and she has gotten better as the season has progressed. She also has the best walk-to-strikeout ratio on the team (7-43). After a poor outing back in early February against New Mexico in a 13-1 loss for the Bruins, Langenfeld has allowed a remarkably low five earned runs in her last 54 2/3 innings.
“She keeps hitters off balance and hits her spots like nobody I’ve ever seen,” senior P/1B/2B Lisa Dodd said. “It’s great for the defense to play behind someone that just goes right at them. I know Jelly (Selden) appreciates it because now she doesn’t have to throw every single game.”
Indeed, Langenfeld’s performance this year, combined with the innings that freshman Whitney Baker and Dodd have pitched, have kept Selden’s innings down from where they normally are at this point in the year. Selden has still shown the ability to completely take over games throughout the season, but she has had some shaky performances as well. Her 2.40 ERA is by far the highest she’s had in any of her three seasons so far.
While Langenfeld may not have the strikeout rate or dominating array of pitches that Selden has, her ability to spell Selden and consistently get outs has coach Kelly Inouye-Perez considering using her even more.
“She has a will about her that is fun to watch,” Inouye-Perez said. “Definitely, she’s earned (more innings).”
Langenfeld’s production this season has not been limited to the mound. She has also been one of the big reasons why UCLA’s offense has been able to thrive and even improve from last season. One of the top recruits in the nation coming into the season, Langenfeld has started every game this season as either the first baseman or pitcher, is hitting .324, and is third on the team in RBIs with 28.
But the stability that she brought to the mound over the weekend was perhaps the biggest contribution she’s made to the team in the most critical moments of the season. In a 7-0 loss to No. 13 Oregon State, Langenfeld came in for the final 3 innings and didn’t allow a run. Then against Oregon on Sunday, Langenfeld tossed a complete game gem, allowing no earned runs and picking up a critical victory that put the Bruins’ winning percentage back at .500 in conference play.
“I think it’s important for the team, just to give the other pitchers some innings of rest,” Langenfeld said of her pitching. “For me to just come out, do my job, get outs, and just do what I’m supposed to do, I think shows courage and heart.”