#3 UCLA vs. #14 Arizona
Los Angeles, CA
Broadcast information:
Beth Mowins, Michele Smith, and Jessica Mendoza
Thursday @ 9 pm ET, ESPN
Friday @ 9 pm ET, ESPN2
Saturday @ 7 pm ET, ESPN (if necessary)
How they got here:
UCLA finished the regular season 50-4 and in second place in the PAC-12 standings. The Bruins were 20-4 in conference play, a single game behind Oregon for the conference championship. Earning the NCAA tournament’s #3 overall seed, the Bruins were 4-1 in their hosted regional, fighting their way out of the loser’s bracket after losing to Cal State Fullerton on the second day of the regional. Taking two from the Titans in the regional final, the Bruins outscored their opposition 28-8 in the quintet of games, including the nine-inning, 3-2 loss to Fullerton.
The Wildcats of Arizona went 40-14 during the regular season, with a 13-11 conference record that left them in fifth place in the PAC-12. The Cats earned the #14 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, hosting a regional in Tucson and posting a 3-0 record against Saint Francis; North Dakota State; and Mississippi State. Mike Candrea’s team outscored their opponents just 11-3, but shut out the usually high-powered offense of Saint Francis and North Dakota State.
Who to watch
UCLA: Bubba Nickles, OF — Nickles reached base in each of her team’s five games in the regional round, and made a major difference for her team as some of her hottest hitting of the weekend came against Cal State Fullerton; in the first game of the regional final, Nickles went 1-3 with a double and two RBI. She followed up that effort in the winner-take-all game with a perfect 2-2 performance, including a home run and another pair of RBIs.
Arizona: Dejah Mulipola, C — Much like Nickles, Mulipola was one of her team’s most consistent hitters in the regional round, hitting .571 with three walks. in ten at-bats. She recorded multi-hit games against North Dakota State and Mississippi State, including a 2-3 performance with two RBI against NDSU in the winner’s bracket game. As the storied rivalry continues its latest chapter, Mulipola will need to continue her consistent hitting if her Wildcats are to emerge victorious
