Meet the sluggers behind UCLA’s historic home run barrage headed into the WCWS UCLA softball fans are well acquainted with watching the softball leave the ballpark. In fact, the Bruins have averaged a home run every 1.84 innings this season. The Bruin Bombers' record-breaking season has been defined by offensive firepower unlike any witnessed. UCLA is the first team in college softball history to hit 200 home runs in a single season, with Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy likening the Bruins' power to the 1927 New York Yankees' Murderers’ Row. UCLA plays Alabama in its Women’s College World Series opener on Thursday, May 28 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The Bruins begin their quest for a record 13th national title at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. UCLA won its last championship in 2019. “The old saying was, defense wins championship,” UCLA softball head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said ahead of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday. “But it has become a very offensive game. So the object of the game is to outscore your opponents, and that’s what we’re here to do.” UCLA has obliterated nearly every offensive category this season. The Bruins have set NCAA single-season records for runs scored (651), RBIs (623), total bases (1,355) and extra-base hits (323) in 60 games. The Bruins hit 18 home runs across its first five games in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and show no signs of slowing down as the Bruins prepare for its 37th WCWS appearance. “I never thought it was possible for a team to hit 200 home runs,” Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco marveled. “The power that they’ve had and shown this year. ... The things they’ve done are just incredible.” The records don’t stop there.#ucla #alabama #megan_grant #patrick_murphy #kelly_inouyeperez
