Ucla Softball Duo Megan Grant And Jordan Woolery Smash Records And Chase A Title

If you’ve watched UCLA softball this year, chances are you’ve seen a small spot of history.

This Bruins squad has deed 173 location runs, nan astir by a UCLA squad and tied pinch No. 1 Oklahoma for astir successful nan nation, led by nan duo of Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery. Grant precocious collapsed nan program’s single-season grounds pinch her 34th and closed nan regular play pinch 35, while Woolery is nan 5th NCAA subordinate pinch 100 aliases much RBIs successful a season, racking up 106.

UCLA is 44-7 and ranks No. 7 successful nan nation. It’s imaginable Grant could beryllium portion of 2 nationalist title teams to decorativeness her profession astatine UCLA.

Behind it each are Woolery and Grant, combining for a legendary last season.

“The measurement that Jordan and Megan spell astir hitting is truthful focused and truthful master that it’s really bleeding into nan different players,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “They conscionable travel done large and they train pinch a superior focus. And we person a very young squad of Bruins, a batch of them haven’t moreover played assemblage ball. So erstwhile you get to play alongside 2 professionals, location is simply a calm.”

In early April, Grant flew from her crippled astatine UCLA to Phoenix to get a infinitesimal to observe pinch nan nationalist title hoops squad aft she played 14 games pinch them this winter. She scored six points pinch 4 rebounds successful 33 minutes.

But her existent stardom is connected nan diamond, and alongside Woolery they dress up 1 of nan champion middle-of-the-order duos successful nan country.

“I ever opportunity Jordan makes my life a batch easier,” Grant said. “She’s specified a awesome hitter and having her down maine benignant of frees maine up arsenic well. We really conscionable bounce disconnected of each different successful that way.”

Woolery and Grant, some finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of nan Year, are nan first UCLA duo to each deed 30-plus location runs successful a season, and pinch nan full postseason to go, they’re conscionable getting started.

Woolery is connected gait to go nan Division I subordinate to person 30-plus location runs, 100-plus RBIs and a batting mean complete .500. She is 4th successful nan nation, hitting .510, and 3rd successful nan state pinch 33 location runs.

“Just seeing amended pitches makes it easier for powerfulness erstwhile you’re making amended choices,” Woolery said. “But I deliberation complete nan past 4 years, I’ve been really processing my oculus and honing successful connected sitting astatine bully pitches early successful nan count versus trying to deed a pitcher’s pitch. So I deliberation conscionable honing successful connected that much truthful these past 2 years has helped maine a batch too.”

Grant’s 35 location runs, meanwhile, way only Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells’ 36. Grant leads nan state successful slugging percent (1.315).

The duo and ace Taylor Tinsley were honored connected April 18, earning 3 of nan coveted 17 Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s aureate tickets. UCLA is nan only schoolhouse to person 3 players selected by nan AUSL this season.

“It made it moreover amended to person Megan and Taylor to person that acquisition pinch maine too,” Woolery said. “I deliberation conscionable america being present for nan past 4 years together and past being capable to proceed our careers together too, conscionable makes it moreover much breathtaking and moreover much to look guardant to.”

The AUSL is announcing its drafted players by going crossed nan state and hand-delivering aureate tickets to players who were selected by nan league’s six teams up of nan adjacent play successful June. The UCLA players were awarded their tickets aft a doubleheader expanse of California astatine Easton Stadium.

Grant received her summons from Netflix sports anchor Elle Duncan, past UCLA softball fable and AUSL advisor Natasha Watley emerged done nan center-field gross and presented nan 2nd summons to Woolery. Then, UCLA softball alumna Jen Schroeder ran done nan left-field gross to springiness a summons to Tinsley.

UCLA dropped its last play bid to No. 11 Oregon, but an 11-3 triumph Sunday capped a saccharine Senior Day celebration. Grant, Woolery and Tinsley are nan only seniors for nan Bruins, who are nan No. 3 seed successful nan Big Ten tourney and will unfastened play Thursday astatine 4 p.m. PDT successful College Park, Md.

Grant and Woolery person 1 last goal: bringing an NCAA softball title backmost to UCLA for nan first clip since 2019. The brace will proceed to blend their varying activity styles arsenic they effort to widen UCLA women’s teams’ caller surge successful championships.

“Megan is very focused and serious, and Jordan, you know, has a grin connected her look and is very loose pinch really she plays,” Inouye-Perez said. “They’re very different, but their maturity from their freshman twelvemonth has travel together, and it’s been special.”

‘We’re back, baby!’

UCLA coach Bob Chesney pats moving backmost Anthony Woods connected nan helmet during nan Bruins’ outpouring crippled Saturday astatine nan Rose Bowl.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

New UCLA shot coach Bob Chesney tried to stoke his team’s pride, competitory occurrence and joyousness while winning complete fans during nan Bruins’ outpouring crippled Saturday astatine nan Rose Bowl.

You tin publication an extended recap of nan time here, but nan coach summarized nan energized vibes well.

“We’re back, baby,” Chesney said to fans correct earlier nan 4th quarter. “We’re back.”

Spring games people stay a beardown recruiting showcase. And of each nan areas Chesney and his unit person worked to improve, recruiting intelligibly made nan biggest contiguous jump. The Bruins rank No. 4 successful nan 247Sports.com composite nationalist recruiting rankings pinch 16 commitments for nan people of 2027.

UCLA added a bequest promise Sunday, pinch people of 2027 moving backmost Duece Jones-Drew, boy of erstwhile UCLA and NFL prima Maurice Jones-Drew, telling Rivals he committed to nan Bruins. Duece shared nan Rivals study connected his Instagram account pinch nan connection “Westwood I’m location 🐻!!!”

Make that 127 nationalist championships

UCLA formation volleyball players observe aft defeating Stanford to triumph nan NCAA title Sunday successful Gulf Shores, Ala.

(Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)

The UCLA formation volleyball squad added No. 127 to nan Bruins’ postulation of nationalist titles Sunday.

Sally Perez and Maggie Boyd won nan championship-clinching lucifer arsenic No. 3 UCLA swept No. 1 Stanford 3-0 successful Gulf Shores, Ala.

Perez and Boyd defeated nan Cardinal’s Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson 21-11, 21-19. Kaley Mathews and Ensley Alden opened nan title showdown pinch a 21-16, 21-11 triumph complete Brooke Rockwell and Ruby Sorra. And Ava Williamson and Jesse Dueck edged Indigo Clarke and Clara Stowell 21-17, 25-23.

It was UCLA coach Jenny Johnson Jordan’s first nationalist title aft taking complete successful 2023 and nan 3rd for nan program. Johnson Jordan, nan girl of UCLA fable Rafer Johnson, earned her 100th profession triumph erstwhile nan Bruins hit No. 2 Texas 3-2 successful their semifinal Saturday.

The Bruins honored an NCAA formation volleyball contented of celebrating their title by moving into nan ocean.

More UCLA hardware

The UCLA shot and play teams added to nan Bruins’ haul of Big Ten titles Sunday.

The No. 1 shot squad erased an eight-run shortage — a singular but perchance problematic shape for nan Bruins this play — to hit Michigan State 13-11 and gain a bid sweep. The triumph clinched back-to-back Big Ten titles for UCLA (43-4, 24-0).

The UCLA men’s play squad won nan squad title astatine nan Big Ten championships for nan 2nd consecutive season, and freshman Josh Kim won nan individual Big Ten title successful North Plains, Ore.

In lawsuit you missed it

UCLA sweeps Stanford to triumph 3rd formation volleyball championship

‘We’re back, baby!’ UCLA coach Bob Chesney restores Bruins’ festive outpouring crippled experience

Swanson: Nico Iamaleava was branded selfish. Now nan loyal UCLA QB is poised for a Heisman run

Playmakers look arsenic UCLA coach Bob Chesney dials up unit during outpouring practice

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Do you person a remark aliases thing you’d for illustration to spot successful a early UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell astatine houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter successful your inbox, click here.