The Bruins have played the Cal State Northridge Matadors in four single-game matchups since 2015.
This year, No. 3 UCLA softball (31-2, 7-2 Pac-12) will take on CSUN (16-24, 1-2 Big West) for the fifth time in three years, and the Bruins haven’t lost a game to the Matadors in that time.
Senior pitcher Selina Ta’amilo said the midweek matchup is not to be overlooked because CSUN coach Tairia Flowers has a close history with UCLA.
“They’re a competitive team,” Ta’amilo said. “Even their coach, Tairia Flowers – she coached here and she’s an Olympian. (We know) how she is with her team, how she coaches.”
Flowers was a member of the Bruins’ softball team from 2000 to 2003. In her time with the Bruins, she helped them to four consecutive College World Series appearances.
“She’s done a great job of taking (CSUN) and bringing out some great softball,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “She plays aggressively. She’s someone that knows the game and I believe she can coach players up to be their best.”
Since her time with the Bruins, Flowers coached at Long Beach State for four years, and is now in her eighth year as coach of the Matadors. But the former UCLA player has yet to beat her old team as a member of the CSUN staff.
The likely explanation for Flower’s losing streak is the Bruins’ offense against her team – UCLA has outscored CSUN 26-5 in their four meetings to date.
And with four batters who are hitting over .400 on the season and have a combined 27 home runs on the year, the Bruins’ offense is just as potent in 2018 as it has been in the past.
CSUN, in comparison, has not one batter consistently hitting over .400 and has just two sitting just above the .300 mark. Furthermore, the Bruins have logged 11 shutout wins so far this year, four more than CSUN.
Going in, the stats favor the Bruins, but senior Kylee Perez said she thinks this game will be just another chance for UCLA to show their preparedness.
“As the year goes on we look at every game and day as more of a learning situation,” Perez said. “I don’t think we really focus on (our overall record), we just play day to day.”
Inouye-Perez said that freshman Holly Azevedo will be on the mound for the Bruins as the team tries to make up for losing their starter, redshirt sophomore Rachel Garcia, to a yet unspecified injury.
Game time is slated for 6 p.m. at Easton Stadium on Tuesday night.