Softball to open season swinging for fences against Cal State Northridge

It’s a new season, but the end goal remains the same for Megan Faraimo.

“First and foremost is to win a natty,” said the redshirt junior pitcher/first baseman. “We all talk about having our arrows pointed the same way and that we don’t really think about individual goals – we all just try to focus on getting that ring.”

No. 3 UCLA softball will begin its 2022 campaign at home Thursday against California State University, Northridge, followed by games against UC San Diego and Nevada on Friday. The Bruins will then travel to Irvine for the Mark Campbell Invitational on Saturday, where they will face Mississippi State and the reigning NCAA champions, No. 1 Oklahoma.

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said the opening games of the season will play an important role in helping the team reach its end goal of winning a national championship.

“I hope we get to learn a lot about ourselves early in the season,” Inouye-Perez said. “Early rankings, early matchups, all those things provide opportunities for us to figure out what we need to work on and what our strengths are.”

The Bruins will have to adjust to playing without former pitcher/first baseman Rachel Garcia. Inouye-Perez said Garcia – a two-time Honda Cup winner and three-time Pac-12 Player of the Year – left big shoes to fill when she graduated last spring.

“One thing that is consistent in this program is there’s always greats that are going to graduate, and then it creates opportunities for others to be able to step up,” Inouye-Perez said. “I’m really looking forward to players like Megan Faraimo to be able to have the opportunity to shine and really put this team on their backs the way Rachel was able to.”

Last season, Faraimo posted a 19-3 record with a Pac-12-best 1.10 ERA in just over 133 innings pitched. Faraimo’s performance landed her NFCA All-American and All-Pac-12 First Team honors in addition to being named to the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.

Faraimo said this season is an opportunity to continue improving on the field.

“I really just want to push myself to be better than I was any season before,” Faraimo said. “I’m doing a lot of things to prepare for that like extra workouts, extra bullpens, things like that.”

Along with Faraimo, the majority of UCLA’s starting lineup from last season will return in 2022, as 10 of the 12 Bruins who played in at least 30 games last year will be back in Westwood this season.

Inouye-Perez said she is very fortunate to be coaching a veteran team.

“There’s a lot of Bruins that have been on that championship stage and have been able to win back-to-back conference championships,” Inouye-Perez said. “They just provide great leadership to teach the younger girls what this program is all about, which really makes the culture and the experience great for us as coaches and student-athletes.”

Six players on the roster are in their fifth or sixth year of NCAA eligibility, made possible by the extended eligibility granted to athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these Bruins are redshirt senior infielder Briana Perez and redshirt senior outfielder Aaliyah Jordan, both of whom join Faraimo on the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.

The experienced Bruins are also accompanied by younger players, including redshirt sophomore utility Maya Brady.

Brady, who tied for the team lead with 14 home runs in 2021, said she recognizes the value of playing on a veteran squad that includes players who won the national championship in 2019.

“The advantage to playing on such a veteran, experienced team is just the experience,” Brady said. “When you don’t have a lot of experience on your team, things can kind of be up in the air. Our veterans that have been on the biggest stage help keep us younger ones calm.”

Thursday’s season opener against CSUN will begin at 7 p.m. at Easton Stadium.