2023 UCLA Bruins softball team explained

Sport:	softball
Year:	2023
Team:	UCLA Bruins
Logo Alt:	UCLA logo written in blue and gold script
Conference:	Pac-12 Conference
Short Conf:	Pac-12
Record:	52–7
Conf Record:	21–3
Head Coach:	Kelly Inouye-Perez
Hc Year:	17th
Stadium:	Easton Stadium
Champion:	Pac-12 regular season champion
Tourney:	NCAA Tournament
Tourney Result:	Los Angeles Regional

The 2023 UCLA Bruins softball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 2023 NCAA Division I softball season. The Bruins were coached by Kelly Inouye-Perez, in her seventeenth season. The Bruins played their home games at Easton Stadium and competed in the Pac-12 Conference.

Previous season

The Bruins finished the 2022 season 51–10 overall, and 19–5 in the Pac-12 Conference, finishing in second place in their conference. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Bruins received an at-large bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I softball tournament where they advanced to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series, before being eliminated by eventual tournament champion Oklahoma.^[1]

Offseason

In August 2022, assistant head coaches Lisa Fernandez and Kirk Walker were promoted to associate head coaches.^{[2] [3]}

Preseason

Award watch lists

USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year	Maya Brady	Utility	Redshirt Junior	^[4]
	Megan Faraimo	Pitcher	Redshirt Senior
	Sharlize Palacios	Catcher	Redshirt Junior

Roster and personnel

2023 UCLA Bruins roster
	Pitchers 8 – Megan Faraimo – Senior 21 – Brooke Yanez – Sixth year 32 – Taylor Tinsley – Freshman 88 – Lauren Shaw – Graduate Catchers 13 – Sharlize Palacios – Junior 18 – Sara Rusconi Vicinanza – Senior 19 – Alyssa Garcia – Junior 25 – Taylor Sullivan – Senior 26 – Jayla Castro – Sophomore Infielders 4 – Rylee Pinedo – Freshman 15 – Jordan Woolery – Freshman 24 – Thessa Malau'ulu – Junior 27 – Rachel Cid – Fifth year 28 – Alexis Ramirez – Freshman 31 – Ramsey Suarez – Freshman		Utility 5 – Savannah Pola – Sophomore 7 – Maya Brady – Junior 10 – Kennedy Powell – Freshman 11 – Seneca Curo – Junior 20 – Anna Vines – Senior 22 – Taylor Stephens – Sophomore 43 – Megan Grant – Freshman 44 – Kate Blunt – Sophomore Outfielders 3 – Janelle Meoño– Junior 14 – Kelli Godin – Senior 23 – Aaliyah Jordan – Graduate 30 – Lauren Hatch – Sophomore 94 – Lauryn Carter – Junior
Reference:^[5]

2023 UCLA Bruins coaching staff
Kelly Inouye-Perez – Head coach Lisa Fernandez – Associate head coach Kirk Walker – Associate head coach Will Oldham – Volunteer assistant coach
Reference:^[6]

Schedule

2023 UCLA Bruins softball game log
Regular season (50–4)
February (17–1) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Pac-12 Record February 9 Cal State Fullerton Stacy Winsberg Tournament No. 2 3–0 Faraimo (1–0) Rainey (0–1) — 673 1–0 – February 10 Cal State Bakersfield Stacy Winsberg Tournament No. 2 Easton Stadium 18–1 ^(5) Shaw (1–0) Kennedy (0–1) — 755 2–0 – February 11 Loyola Marymount Stacy Winsberg Tournament No. 2 Easton Stadium 11–0 ^(5) Yanez (1–0) Caymol (0–1) — 983 3–0 – February 11 Cal State Bakersfield Stacy Winsberg Tournament No. 2 Easton Stadium 8–0 ^(5) Tinsley (1–0) Martinez (0–1) — 1,075 4–0 – February 12 San Diego Stacy Winsberg Tournament No. 2 Easton Stadium 14–0 ^(5) Faraimo (2–0) Giaime (0–1) — 450 5–0 – February 12 San Diego Stacy Winsberg Tournament No. 2 Easton Stadium 5–2 Faraimo (3–0) Tadlock (0–1) — 517 6–0 – February 14 No. 2 Easton Stadium 3–2 Faraimo (4–0) Bachman (1–2) — 250 7–0 – February 16 vs. Nebraska TaxAct Clearwater Invitational No. 2 8–0 ^(6) Yanez (2–0) Harness (1–1) — 2,518 8–0 – February 17 vs. Alabama TaxAct Clearwater Invitational No. 2 Eddie C. Moore Complex 5–3 Faraimo (5–0) Fouts (2–1) — — 9–0 – February 18 vs. No. 6 Florida State TaxAct Clearwater Invitational No. 2 Eddie C. Moore Complex 6–4 Faraimo (6–0) Sandercock (2–1) — — 10–0 – February 18 vs. No. 8 Virginia Tech TaxAct Clearwater Invitational No. 2 Eddie C. Moore Complex 8–4 Yanez (3–0) Peck (1–1) — — 11–0 – February 19 vs. Louisiana TaxAct Clearwater Invitational No. 2 Eddie C. Moore Complex 4–3 Faraimo (7–0) Schorman (2–2) — 1,032 12–0 – February 23 vs. No. 3 Florida Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic No. 1 10–0 ^(6) Faraimo (8–0) Trlicek (4–1) — — 13–0 – February 24 vs. No. 18 Kentucky Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic No. 1 Big League Dreams Complex 6–3 Yanez (4–0) Harrison (1–1) Faraimo (1) — 14–0 – February 24 vs. Iowa Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic No. 1 Big League Dreams Complex 2–1 Faraimo (9–0) Adams (2–2) — — 15–0 – February 25 vs. No. 19 Northwestern Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic No. 1 Big League Dreams Complex 2–1 Yanez (5–0) Supple (1–2) — — 16–0 – February 25 vs. Texas A&M Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic No. 1 Big League Dreams Complex 3–0 Tinsley (2–0) Kennedy (3–1) — — 17–0 – February 26 vs. No. 2 Oklahoma Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic No. 1 Big League Dreams Complex 0–14 ^(5) Storako (4–0) Faraimo (9–1) — — 17–1 –
March (13–3) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Pac-12 Record March 3 vs. UCF Judi Garman Classic No. 2 2–1 Yanez (6–0) Jewell (2–2) — — 18–1 – March 3 vs. Fresno State Judi Garman Classic No. 2 Anderson Family Field 8–1 Faraimo (10–1) Neiss (1–3) — — 19–1 – March 4 vs. Cal Poly Judi Garman Classic No. 2 Anderson Family Field 16–0 ^(5) Tinsley (3–0) Ramuno (5–3) — — 20–1 – March 4 vs. Michigan Judi Garman Classic No. 2 Anderson Family Field 8–0 ^(5) Faraimo (11–1) LeBeau (5–5) — — 21–1 – March 5 at Cal State Fullerton Judi Garman Classic No. 2 Anderson Family Field 6–2 Yanez (7–0) Miranda (3–3) — — 22–1 – March 7 No. 2 Easton Stadium 4–0 Tinsley (4–0) Weber (1–4) Faraimo (2) 1,086 23–1 – March 10 No. 2 4–0 Yanez (8–0) Archer (5–2) — 693 24–1 1–0 March 11 at California No. 2 Levine-Fricke Field 0–8 ^(5) Halajian (2–1) Tinsley (4–1) — 832 24–2 1–1 March 12 at California No. 2 Levine-Fricke Field 10–1 ^(6) Yanez (9–0) Archer (6–3) — 849 25–2 2–1 March 14 No. 3 Easton Stadium Cancelled^[7] March 17 No. 3 Easton Stadium 3–4 Meylan (10–1) Yanez (9–1) — 1,085 25–3 2–2 March 18 No. 10 Washington No. 3 Easton Stadium 4–0 Faraimo (12–1) Lynch (5–2) — 1,117 26–3 3–2 March 19 No. 10 Washington No. 3 Easton Stadium 10–2 ^(6) Faraimo (13–1) Meylan (10–2) — 943 27–3 4–2 March 24 No. 3 0–3 Scott (5–3) Faraimo (13–2) — 1,655 27–4 4–3 March 25 at No. 19 Oregon No. 3 Jane Sanders Stadium 7–4 Faraimo (14–2) Hansen (12–4) — 1,989 28–4 5–3 March 26 at No. 19 Oregon No. 3 Jane Sanders Stadium 4–0 Faraimo (15–2) Scott (5–3) — 1,824 29–4 6–3 March 28 No. 3 Cancelled^[8] March 31 No. 3 Easton Stadium 4–0 Faraimo (16–2) Vawter (12–2) — 1,348 30–4 7–3
April (17–0) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Pac-12 Record April 1 No.6 Stanford No. 3 Easton Stadium 2–1 Faraimo (17–2) Krause (8–3) — 1,209 31–4 8–3 April 2 No. 6 Stanford No. 3 Easton Stadium 4–0 Tinsley (5–1) Vawter (12–3) Yanez (1) 1,132 32–4 9–3 April 4 No. 3 10–1 ^(6) Yanez (10–1) Thompson (2–5) — 503 33–4 – April 6 No. 3 Easton Stadium 6–2 Faraimo (18–2) Stepto (4–10) — 847 34–4 10–3 April 7 Oregon State No. 3 Easton Stadium 11–0 ^(5) Yanez (11–1) Garcia (3–7) — 868 35–4 11–3 April 8 Oregon State No. 3 Easton Stadium 6–0 Faraimo (19–2) Stepto (4–11) — 1,057 36–4 12–3 April 14 No. 2 8–0 Faraimo (20–2) Silva (2–2) — 2,970 37–4 13–3 April 15 at No. 24 Arizona No. 2 Hillenbrand Stadium 8–4 Faraimo (21–2) Silva (2–3) — 2,866 38–4 14–3 April 16 at No. 24 Arizona No. 2 Hillenbrand Stadium 14–5 ^(5) Faraimo (22–2) Netz (11–12) — 2,874 39–4 15–3 April 19 No. 2 10–0 ^(5) Tinsley (6–1) Haddad (9–8) — 772 40–4 – April 21 No. 2 Easton Stadium 7–3 Faraimo (23–2) Osborne (4–11) — 1,046 41–4 16–3 April 22 Arizona State No. 2 Easton Stadium 9–1 ^(6) Yanez (12–1) Schuld (2–4) — 1,156 42–4 17–3 April 23 Arizona State No. 2 Easton Stadium 4–1 Faraimo (24–2) Magee (3–3) — 1,325 43–4 18–3 April 25 No. 2 7–2 Yanez (13–1) Carranco (4–7) — 452 44–4 – April 28 No. 2 3–0 Faraimo (25–2) Lopez (14–3) — 1,100 45–4 19–3 April 29 at No. 23 Utah No. 2 Dumke Family Softball Stadium 10–1 ^(6) Yanez (14–1) Sandez (12–5) — 1,300 46–4 20–3 April 30 at No. 23 Utah No. 2 Dumke Family Softball Stadium 11–3 Faraimo (26–2) Lopez (14–5) — 1,914 47–4 21–3
May (3–0) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Pac-12 Record May 1 No. 2 7–2 Yanez (15–1) Korth (15–7) — 619 48–4 – May 5 Loyola Marymount No. 2 Easton Stadium 6–0 Faraimo (27–2) Perez (12–10) — 968 49–4 – May 5 San Diego State No. 2 Easton Stadium 4–3 Faraimo (28–2) Light (10–6) — 968 50–4 –
Post-Season (2–3)
(2–1) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Pac-12T Record May 11 Arizona No. 2 Hillenbrand Stadium 4–3 Faraimo (29–2) Netz (16–16) — 2,492 51–4 1–0 May 12 No. 7 Stanford No. 2 Hillenbrand Stadium 1–0 Yanez (16–1) Vawter (17–8) — 2,434 52–4 2–0 May 13 No. 21 Utah No. 2 Hillenbrand Stadium 4–7 Lopez (18–5) Yanez (16–2) — 2,548 52–5 2–1
(0–2) Date Opponent Rank Site/Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Regional Record May 19 No. 2 Easton Stadium 2–3 Darwin (9–3) Faraimo (29–3) Thompson (3) — 52–6 0–1 May 20 vs. Liberty No. 2 Easton Stadium 1–2 Keeney (26–11) Yanez (16–3) — — 52–7 0–2

Rankings

See main article: 2023 NCAA Division I softball rankings.

Notes and References

1. Web site: UCLA Advances to WCWS Semifinals Behind Azevedo Shutout . uclabruins.com . June 5, 2022 . February 9, 2023.
2. Web site: Lisa Fernandez Promoted to Associate Head Coach . uclabruins.com . August 10, 2022 . August 10, 2022.
3. Web site: Kirk Walker Promoted to Associate Head Coach . uclabruins.com . August 12, 2022 . August 12, 2022.
4. Web site: Trio of Bruins Named to USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List . uclabruins.com . January 25, 2023 . January 25, 2023.
5. Web site: 2023 Softball Roster. uclabruins.com . February 9, 2023.
6. Web site: 2023 Softball Coaching Staff . uclabruins.com . February 9, 2023.
7. Web site: Softball’s Tuesday Game Versus Syracuse Canceled . uclabruins.com . March 13, 2023 . March 13, 2023.
8. Web site: Softball’s Tuesday Game at Nevada Canceled . uclabruins.com . March 27, 2023 . March 27, 2023.