On Wednesday afternoon, the UCLA softball team collectively pulled the tarp over the infield at Easton Stadium after practice.
The synchronized team effort to cover the field in anticipation of the upcoming rain showers is a microcosm of how the team has competed as a collective unit all year long, with no one player outshining the other on the offensive side of the ball.
This weekend, No. 5 UCLA (16-0) will travel to Lakewood to partake in the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invitational, its fourth tournament in as many weekends.
In its first three weekend tournaments, UCLA went undefeated, thanks to a collaborative effort from players at all different positions. The Bruins lead the Pac-12 with a .59 team ERA and a 98.2 team fielding percentage.
The offense, which currently ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in batting average, has disappeared at times, but has been present and effective when the team has needed it most – at the end of games.
“They got stronger towards the end of games,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “They got stronger towards the end of the tournament.”
Regardless of whether the game has been in the first or seventh inning, the offense has come from a committee. Unlike last year, when three players accounted for over half of the team’s RBIs, the team has a more balanced attack this year. In spite of the team’s subpar batting average, six of the eight players who have at least 40 at-bats have a batting average of .300 or higher. Seven different players have an individual RBI total ranging from eight to 14 so far.
“A sign of all great teams is being able to have success throughout the lineup,” Inouye-Perez said.
Junior outfielder Tara Mueller epitomizes the notion that UCLA has a comparable talent level across the board, from the reserves to the perennial starters. Mueller had all of seven at-bats last season, but this year she has stepped in and batted .375 in her 24 at-bats. One of her hits was a one-out single that sparked the Bruins’ seventh-inning rally against then-No.13 Oklahoma last weekend.
“I think just by the third go around (against an opposing pitcher), there’s a certain mentality, like there’s no way that she’s going to beat me again,” Mueller said.
Mueller’s words have rung true on the stat sheet so far this season, as the Bruins have excelled from the plate in numerous late-inning situations. On four separate occasions, UCLA has turned a sixth- or seventh-inning deficit into a victory.
“This team is really resilient, and we just have a lot of versatility on the field,” said junior second baseman Gracie Goulder. “If anything happens, we’re ready for it, and we adjust quickly.”
The Bruins will need to keep adjusting this weekend, as they face an even higher level of competition. No. 4 Michigan (12-2) will be the highest-ranked team to face UCLA so far this season. UCLA will also play two other teams – Northwestern and Louisville – that are not ranked, but received votes in the latest ESPN.com/USA Today Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll.