Performance against ranked opponents often defines a quality team.
And the Bruins have the chance to showcase their true prowess.
No. 7 UCLA softball (41-5, 16-2 Big Ten) will face No. 22 Washington (34-12, 15-3) in a series spanning Friday through Sunday. This marks UCLA’s first ranked matchup since its March 27-29 series against Nebraska.
UCLA is coming off a record-setting double-header against California, where the Westwood squad won by a combined score of 22-6. Senior infielder Jordan Woolery broke the program record for RBIs, reaching 100 on the season, and sophomore outfielder Rylee Slimp captured the program record for runs, scoring 78 times in 2026.
“No matter who we’re playing, who’s pitching, it’s all about touching first base,” Woolery said. “Making small goals like that makes it easier for the bigger picture because if you get a lot of people touching first base, … runs are going to come across the plate.”
The squad, which currently sits at No. 3 in the nation with a .393 batting average, continued to keep its bats hot. UCLA barreled nine home runs across last weekend’s doubleheader.
Woolery, whose .529 batting average ranks No. 4 in the country, accounted for four homers and earned Player of the Week honors from the Big Ten, D1Softball and Softball America. She has recorded 30 home runs throughout this season, the second-most on the squad and third-most in the nation.
Senior utility Megan Grant leads the squad with 31 home runs, the second-highest mark in the country. Grant and Woolery are the only teammates this season to record at least 30 four-baggers each.
Grant, Woolery and senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley – who allowed just three hits in her five innings pitched – all earned AUSL Golden Tickets on Saturday, which secured their professional league bids.
“I’ve seen them (Woolery and Grant) since our freshman year, how much they’ve grown and everything they’ve been through, and I’ve been through it all with them. They’ve been there for me through it all,” Tinsley said. “I was really so emotional for them, and especially since it was such a historic day, too, for all the records that they tied and broke. I was a mess all game today, crying after everything.”
But the upcoming series matchup could challenge the Bruins.
UCLA and Washington sit at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the Big Ten standings, and the series is all the more consequential with the Big Ten Tournament kicking off May 6.
Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez’s squad has dropped just two games throughout conference play, both to then-No. 6 Nebraska. UCLA has also struggled to defeat ranked opponents, falling to then-No. 23 Oklahoma State, then-No. 3 Tennessee and then-No. 6 Florida State at the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational.
Washington, though, is entering this series after suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of then-No. 18 Oregon, a rival that handed the Seattle squad its first conference losses of the season.
The Huskies have batted .333 and recorded 67 home runs this season, less than half of the Bruins’ 154 four-baggers. However, Washington’s top-two pitchers boast sub-three ERAs, whereas Tinsley is the only UCLA pitcher who has performed below this threshold with a 2.55 mark.
Aside from Tinsley, the Bruins’ bullpen has struggled this season. The three other UCLA pitchers have allowed a combined 169 hits across 133.1 innings pitched, compared to Tinsley’s respective 125 and 140 marks.
But the Bruins’ defense has stepped up. The team has combined for 820 putouts, while its opponents have recorded just 762. Washington has recorded 885 putouts in the same number of games as UCLA, adding more pressure to UCLA’s offense.
“It’s maintaining a standard of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable, because we are truly committed to the process,” Inouye-Perez said. “This game is a game of failure. The only thing you can control is the effort you put forth (and) some decisions that you decide to make.”
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