As well as the Bruins have played so far this season, the weekend figures to feature nothing short of a trio of heavyweight bouts.
The No. 5 UCLA softball team (26-6, 1-2 Pac-10) will host three games over the weekend, starting with a matchup against No. 4 Arizona State today at 1 p.m. at Easton Stadium. The Bruins will then face off against No. 9 Arizona on Saturday and Sunday.
Of course, UCLA is all too familiar with the two teams. Last season, Arizona State won its first ever NCAA softball championship, while Arizona has won six titles in the last 15 years.
“Because USC doesn’t have a softball team, Arizona is our USC in terms of rivalries, and Arizona State is a good team as well,” said sophomore outfielder Katie Schroeder. “These are basically the games that we enjoy competing in.”
Despite the rivalry and rankings, the Bruins remain confident that no matter who the opponent may be, their best bet for success is to play to their potential.
“Everyone knows that we’ve got Arizona and Arizona State this week, so there is a bit more of a fight (in these games),” said junior catcher Kaila Shull. “But for us … as long as we give everything that we have, that’s all we can ask, win, lose or draw.”
Arizona State (31-5, 3-0) comes in looking to extend a seven-game winning streak. Senior outfielder Kaitlin Cochran leads the Sun Devils’ offense with a .475 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 48 runs batted in. In the circle, Arizona State boasts a phenom in freshman pitcher Hillary Bach, who is 17-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 115 innings.
Last season, UCLA lost three of the four games it played against Arizona State, none more crushing than the 4-0 loss on May 30 at the Women’s College World Series.
Arizona (31-7, 3-0) figures to provide just as much of a challenge, as it is second only to Arizona State in the Pac-10 standings. The Wildcats have been particularly effective with their bats. Seven players are batting over .300, including junior catcher Stacie Chambers, who is batting .422 with 22 home runs and 71 RBI. Just as formidable is the pitching staff led by junior pitcher Sarah Akamine, who is 13-4 with a 2.57 earned run average and 53 strikeouts in 92.2 innings.
UCLA won three of the four games it played against Arizona last year, including a 1-0 victory in the first game of the Women’s College World Series on May 29.