Softball looks to strength, depth of lineup in series against Cal

Sophomore shortstop Delaney Spaulding and senior catcher Stephany LaRosa bat back-to-back in the UCLA softball batting order. They are also back-to-back on the team’s home run leaderboard as they are tied for the lead with eight home runs on the year.

This power duo will go toe-to-toe with one of the best power hitters in the country this weekend, as No. 8 UCLA (35-8, 9-3 Pac-12) faces No. 18 California (32-9, 5-7) and its home run hitting infielder Cheyenne Cordes. Cordes currently ranks No. 35 in the nation with 13 home runs on the year.

Over the course of a 55-game softball regular season, team-specific and series-specific storylines such as these inevitably pop up. However, it is up to the players themselves to make sure that they do not get caught up in the individual aspects and lose sight of the primary goal: winning games.

Heading into the Cal series, UCLA seemingly has nothing to worry about in this matter, as Spaulding and LaRosa both said they are not focused on individual accolades, but team ones.

“I think more (in terms of) team landmarks, (such as) not leaving as many runners in scoring position on (base). But even as a personal goal, not really,” LaRosa said. “It is not an individual sport, so I think I was more focused on the goals of the team and trying to produce those runs to get those (wins).”

The mindset of putting the team ahead of the individual has been working well for the Bruins, who are fresh off a dominant three-game sweep of the Stanford Cardinal. Going into the series against Cal, assistant coach Lisa Fernandez said that the basic fundamentals are the keys to ensuring another successful weekend.

“More importantly than those external factors, it is important to internally play the best we can be,” Fernandez said. “That means each kid will focus on the task at hand. Whether they get a hit or don’t get a hit, whether they make the play or don’t make the play, were they focused and were they present in the moment?”

The team knows its offense cannot just be limited to the home-run hitting prowess of Spaulding and LaRosa – the rest of the offense needs to hold its weight as well. So far this season, the Bruins have done just that, as they hold the No. 4 team batting average in the country at .364. Of the Bruins who are currently in the everyday lineup, four players are at or above the cumulative team average, and eight of the nine players are batting over .300.

“(Depth) gives a sense of comfort for everyone else. It just shows to the rest of the lineup that we are going to get the job done and one through nine that we have the capability of doing that,” Spaulding said. “I think everyone in our lineup, including our slapper Chip (junior outfielder Allexis Bennett) – she can hit the ball over the fence as well. With Steph and (me) and Ally and the power we have at the top of the lineup, it provides a sense of comfort for the rest of the lineup.”