No. 8 seed UCLA softball (52-8, 20-4 Big Ten) will face No. 1 seed Alabama (54-7, 19-5 SEC) at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Thursday afternoon to kickstart its Women’s College World Series campaign. The Bruins’ WCWS appearance marks the third-straight year they have secured a spot in the tournament, and their 34th WCWS berth in program history. UCLA has a nation-high 12 national championships, achieving its last title in 2019. The Westwood squad is riding a Los Angeles super regional sweep, where UCLA outscored UCF 23-5 across the two-game series. The Daily Bruin softball beat predicts how the Bruins will conclude their 2026 campaign in Oklahoma City.
Grant Walters
Assistant sports editor
Prediction: 13th national championship victory
Luck was not on my side for my first three postseason predictions.
I whiffed on my UCF pick – predicting victory for the squad UCLA trounced in two games at the super regionals.
I had a chance for redemption when I forecasted a loss to South Carolina in the regionals.
But I fumbled yet again, vastly underestimating South Carolina’s ability to keep things competitive against the Westwood squad. Maybe I was somewhat justified, as the Gamecocks lost by just one run in their Feb. 21 bout against the Bruins.
And my disastrous prediction streak began when I said Oregon, a team that fell in the NCAA regionals due to a pitcher’s unpredictable eye infection, would trump UCLA in the Big Ten tournament semifinal.
The Ducks lost to the lowly Badgers, whom the Bruins plated 19 runs against in the subsequent conference tournament contest.
In all seriousness, I needed an ego check. My takes were so bad that Bruin fans began reaching out to express their disgust.
It was humbling, especially as a student journalist who had just received direct criticism for the first time.
But there’s a first time for everything. The Bruins have changed my original conceited position.
What is the most important thing in softball?
Scoring runs.
And that’s one thing the Bruins do exceptionally well.
UCLA has scored more runs than any team – and by a wide margin. The squad’s 651 runs are 36 more than the next-closest team.
You can complain about the size of Easton Stadium all you want, but this team can hit.
Oklahoma is the squad in Cancún right now, after all.
Who could complain about UCLA’s pitching struggles when they look at how many earned runs senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley allowed across her last four starts?
Eight.
Tinsley just achieved a season-high 11 strikeouts to cap off UCLA’s 10-run victory against UCF on Saturday, and she appears to be reaching her peak at just the right time.
Tinsley’s drastic improvement and the lineup’s consistency are lethal.
And although 13 is an unlucky number, its ostensible voodoo won’t curse the Bruins.
Give me “UCLA to claim its 13th championship trophy.”
Sinclair Richman
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: Play three games
Defense wins championships.
The Bruins’ offense has spearheaded the team’s success throughout the season.
But it will not be enough at the highest stage.
The past five teams to win the WCWS had at least two pitchers who boasted sub-2.81 ERAs. UCLA’s ace, senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley, has a 3.03 ERA, with the next best bullpen option holding a 5.74 clip.
Tinsley’s coming off a season-high 11 strikeouts against UCF, but the ace may struggle to pitch against top talent game after game. In the Big Ten tournament, Tinsley threw 328 total pitches across just three games.
Anyone would get tired with that workload, and unfortunately for the Bruins, Tinsley may not be the exception.
UCLA’s hitting prowess will keep the Bruins in the WCWS for more than just two games.
With eight Bruins reaching double-digit home runs this season, everyone is a threat. Senior utilities Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant are the squad’s top-two hitters in batting average and home runs, but neither of them sent one out of the park in the super regionals.
Despite this, UCLA connected on seven four-baggers throughout their two-game sweep against the Knights, bringing its total to 200 this year. The other batters stepped up and produced when they needed to.
The Bruins’ historic heavy-hitting will continue to extend their season, but it will not be enough to counter their lack of circle depth.
The squad will not advance to the WCWS finals.
Kate Bergfeld
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Play three games
Powerhouse hitting.
It is undeniable that UCLA softball has one of the best lineups in the nation. Multiple double-digit home run holders, records being blasted out of the park and incredible stats have marked this season’s hitting campaign.
But the “Bruin Bombers” cannot carry the team alone.
Senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley has been on a hot streak, with 11 strikeouts in UCLA’s last game against UCF on Saturday in the Los Angeles super regional. But I worry that complete reliance on one arm to pitch the entire Women’s College World Series will not last.
Alabama will be a tough opponent, and although I think there is a slim possibility of a Cinderella run, my heart says UCLA will lose its first match.
The path will be difficult after that. In a win-or-go-home situation, the pressure will be on the Bruins to perform. Even though they have thrived in high stakes situations before, I do not know if they can outlast all the teams and climb back out from the loser’s bracket.
I predict the Bruins will win one more time this year in their second game of the WCWS, before ultimately ending their season in their third Oklahoma City contest.
The Bruins have had a remarkable season, and although I want to see it end with another national championship trophy in Westwood, the Bruins’ three seniors will leave empty-handed.
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