Feb. 21, 2013

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2013 UCLA Softball Media Guide
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Friday, February 22
3:30 p.m. - #16/#13 UCLA vs. #4/#4 Tennessee
Big League Dreams Sports Park (Wrigley Field) - 33-700 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates | Audio

Saturday, February 23
12 p.m. - #16/#13 UCLA vs. Maryland
Big League Dreams Sports Park (Wrigley Field) - 33-700 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates

2:30 p.m. - #16/#13 UCLA vs. Oklahoma State
Big League Dreams Sports Park (Wrigley Field) - 33-700 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates

Sunday, February 24
9 a.m. - #16/#13 UCLA vs. #11/#10 LSU
Big League Dreams Sports Park (Wrigley Field) - 33-700 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates

11:30 a.m. - #16/#13 UCLA vs. Nevada
Big League Dreams Sports Park (Wrigley Field) - 33-700 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates | Audio

#13 UCLA HEADS TO MARY NUTTER COLLEGIATE CLASSIC
The 13th-ranked Bruins travel to Cathedral City this weekend for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams Sports Park. UCLA faces #4 Tennessee on Friday (3:30 p.m.), Maryland (12 p.m.) and Oklahoma State (2:30 p.m.) on Saturday and #10 LSU (9 a.m.) and Nevada (11:30 a.m.) on Sunday. Gametracker will be available for all games at UCLABruins.com, as well as live updates at twitter.com/uclasoftball.

ON DECK
The Bruins host Cal State Fullerton in a mid-week game on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. at Easton Stadium. UCLA then travels south for the San Diego Classic I, hosted by San Diego State and San Diego. The Bruins take on Fresno State at SDSU on Friday, March 1 at 2 p.m., Boise State (11:30 a.m.) and San Diego (4:30 p.m.) at USD on Saturday and New Mexico (11:30 a.m.) and San Diego State (2 p.m.) at SDSU on Sunday.

BRUINS IN THE POLLS
The Bruins moved up five spots in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, from 18th to 13th, and also gained three positions, from 19th to 16th, in the USA Today/NFCA rankings. UCLA earned 66 additional points in the USA Softball poll following its undefeated weekend to move up to #13. In the NFCA rankings, the Bruins received 80 more points to jump up to #16. The Bruins received 28 points and were ranked seventh in the preseason Pac-12 Coaches poll.

BRUINS ON THE WEB
Gametracker will be available for all five games this weekend at UCLABruins.com. In addition, in-game updates will be available via twitter.com/uclasoftball.

BATES NAMED A TOP 30 FINALIST FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Senior B.B. Bates was named a Top 30 finalist for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award, given to the top senior student-athlete who excels both on and off the field. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2013 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City May 30 through June 5.

SCOUTING THE TENNESSEE LADY VOLUNTEERS
Tennessee is 10-0 and will play three times in Cathedral City before taking on the Bruins on Friday. Last weekend, the Lady Volunteers won all five games at the USF 4 Team Tournament in Tampa, Fla., defeating North Carolina State and Coastal Carolina twice and then-#12 South Florida by a combined score of 44-5. Tennessee is hitting .401 as a team with 10 homers and 22 stolen bases, averaging 9.7 runs per game. Ten players are hitting over .300, including senior Lauren Gibson and sophomore Cheyanne Tarango, who are each batting at least .500. Gibson is hitting .571 with two homers, seven RBI and four steals, while Tarango is batting .500 with a team-best three homers and 14 RBI. In the circle, four pitchers have seen action, most notably the Renfroe sisters, junior Ellen and senior Ivy. Ellen is 4-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 26 innings, while Ivy is 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. Ralph and Karen Weekly are in their 12th year as co-head coaches at Tennessee and have a record of 576-176-2. The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Lady Vols 6-4, but Tennessee won the last matchup, a 7-1 triumph in Cathedral City on Feb. 26, 2011.

SCOUTING THE MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Maryland began its 2013 season in Boca Raton, Fla. last weekend, going 3-1 at the Florida Atlantic Tournament, defeating LIU Brooklyn twice and Massachusetts, while also falling to then-#13 Michigan. The Terps play three times in the desert before facing the Bruins on Saturday. Maryland hit .277 last weekend with two homers and eight stolen bases, averaging 10.3 runs per game. Junior Sara Acosta led the way with a .500 average (5-for-10) and three RBI, while sophomore Shannon Bustillos hit .400 (4-for-10) with four RBI. In the circle, Maryland allowed 22 runs in four games. Freshman Maddie Martin saw the most action, going 2-1 with a 5.56 ERA and six strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings. Laura Watten is in her eighth season as Maryland's head coach and has a record of 241-168 in College Park. The Bruins have won all four meetings with the Terrapins, winning the last matchup in Cathedral City, a 5-0 victory on Feb. 22, 2009.

SCOUTING THE OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS
Oklahoma State was in Denton, Texas last weekend, going 3-2 with wins over North Texas and Dayton, a two-game split with Iowa and a loss to Nebraska-Omaha. The Cowgirls bring a 5-4 mark into this weekend and will play three times in Cathedral City prior to Saturday's matchup with UCLA. Oklahoma State is hitting .242 as a team with two homers and six stolen bases, averaging 2.9 runs per game. Three players are hitting over .300, led by junior Tarah Ettinger, who is batting .444 with six RBI. Junior Ari Morrison is second with a .412 average and two RBI. In the circle, senior Kat Espinosa and junior Simone Freeman have split the action. Espinosa is 1-2 with a 0.59 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings, while Freeman is 4-2 with a 2.12 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. Rich Wieligman is in his seventh year at OSU and has a record of 203-146. The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Cowgirls 9-5, but Oklahoma State has won the last two, including an 8-1 triumph in Las Vegas on Feb. 17, 2007.

SCOUTING THE LSU TIGERS
LSU carries a 10-1 record into this weekend's tournament after going 5-0 at its home tourney last week. The Tigers knocked off Virginia twice, North Dakota State, Memphis and Nicholls State. Sunday's UCLA-LSU tilt will be the fifth of six contests for the Tigers in Cathedral City. LSU is hitting .289 as a team with 10 homers and 17 stolen bases, averaging 5.0 runs per game. Freshman Bianka Bell leads the way with a .407 average, two homers and six RBI, while junior Allison Falcon is hitting .375 with a homer and six RBI. In the circle, senior Rachele Fico is 6-0 with a 0.38 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. Junior Meghan Patterson has also seen some action, going 3-1 with a 1.06 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 26 1/3 frames of work. Beth Torina is in her second year in Baton Rouge and has a record of 50-26. LSU won the first-ever matchup against the Bruins, but UCLA has claimed the last five, including a 3-1 triumph at this tournament on Feb. 24, 2006.

SCOUTING THE NEVADA WOLF PACK
Nevada (5-5) is coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Easton Desert Classic last weekend, falling to Idaho State, #8 California and Long Beach State before finishing the tournament with wins over Portland State and #20 Hawai'i. Like most of the Bruins' opponents this weekend, Nevada will play three times before taking on UCLA. The Wolf Pack are hitting .329 as a team with 12 homers and seven stolen bases, averaging 6.5 runs per game. Five players are hitting over .300, led by junior Karley Hopkins' .543 average with six RBI. Junior Erin Jones is batting .500 with a homer and 12 RBI. The Wolf Pack have struggled in the circle, posting a 6.44 team ERA. Junior Karlyn Jones has seen the most action, going 3-2 with a 4.14 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings. Matt Meuchel is in his fifth year at Nevada and has a record of 96-119 in Reno. After Nevada won the first three all-time meetings with UCLA, the Bruins have won the last 12, including a 4-3 triumph on May 18, 2008 in the Los Angeles Regional Championship game at Easton Stadium.