This post was updated April 8 at 12:39 a.m.

The Bruins are halfway through their Big Ten schedule.

And while No. 8 UCLA softball (36-5, 9-1 Big Ten) is still playing at full speed, it did take some time during its two-game sweep over No. 22 Ohio State to celebrate its past before hitting the road to face Cal Baptist (17-22, 5-7 WAC) on Tuesday. The Bruins hosted their Alumni Day at their 7-0 win over the Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon, honoring the program’s members across its 50-year history.

“Prior to the game, we had alumni from the ’70s all the way up to recently graduated,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, a 1993 UCLA graduate herself. “Everyone got to share their story of their best memory of UCLA. So there was a lot of Bruin bubble love and great memories and great energy.”

Inouye-Perez said her team played for the alumni Saturday, when the Bruins recorded six insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game away.

The UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer added that UCLA’s community is a large part of why she has remained at the school since she was first hired as an assistant coach in 1994 and then head coach in 2007.

“See them (alumni) now succeeding in the real world and working world – as mothers, as leaders in different professions – but still coming back and being around their former teammates and being in the Bruin bubble and feeling what we love about being a Bruin and sharing that energy,” Inouye-Perez said.

In addition to playing in front of alumni, the Bruins also played in front of their first home crowd for a conference series since March 16.

“Coming back from our 10-day road trip, that was (an) incredible experience – but being home is always a special feeling to us,” said junior utility Megan Grant. “Hearing our own voices echo off each other, we were like, ‘Oh, it’s so on.’ And that raised our energy even more through the roof. So it’s a special sense of being back at home, and that really helped us throughout our games.”

The bout in Riverside at Funk Stadium will be the Bruins’ final midweek road game of the regular season.

Following series against Purdue, Iowa, Maryland and Ohio State, UCLA is halfway through its eight Big Ten series – with Washington, No. 5 Oregon, Michigan and Northwestern remaining on the docket.

Junior pitcher Taylor Tinsley said adjusting to the new conference has been challenging.

“The Big Ten in general (is challenging) – not necessarily the traveling but just new teams, new faces. Being in the Pac-12 – obviously, we know everybody. We know all the coaches. We know how the stadiums work and everything,” Tinsley said. “I love it so far. I think all of our girls are really excited that we are in the Big Ten. It’s been really awesome so far.”

UCLA has one more month of play to adjust before the Big Ten conference tournament commences May 7.