In a year of firsts, the Bruins are checking yet another novel experience off their list.

In its penultimate weekend series of the regular season, No. 8 UCLA softball (42-7, 13-3 Big Ten) will make its program debut in Ann Arbor to face Michigan (32-15, 9-7) in a three-game series beginning Saturday and finishing Monday at the Carol Hutchins Stadium.

Throughout the season, utility Savannah Pola has steadily improved her batting average from last year’s career low – raising the clip by 203 points to her current 0.444. Heading into her last road series of the regular-season campaign, the senior’s 60 runs rank second in the nation.

“She’s playing like a professional, and she’s enjoying the game,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “I have a little saying: The goal is to arrive at your final destination as late as you can with a smile on your face, which means we made you enjoy the ride.”

But Pola isn’t the only batter reaping the results of improvement behind the plate. Across the diamond, Michigan infielder/outfielder Indiana Langford and outfielder Jenissa Conway have also seen marked spikes in batting efficiency, with the former’s career-high 0.422 figure outshining last season by 139 points and the latter leading the team in both runs and hits.

Pola – who is joined by junior duo utility Megan Grant and infielder Jordan Woolery in 0.400-plus batting averages – said approaching the season’s last cross-country trip requires perseverance in the face of adversity.

“We’re in the ‘never let up’ phase,” Pola said. “It’s hard, because end of season and our bodies are tired, but I feel like just keeping mentally sharp and physically sharp and doing everything we can – because at the end of the day, we don’t want to have any regrets.”

Grant’s home runs in the last two weeks earned her back-to-back NFCA National Player of the Week honors on April 8 and 15, respectively – including her recent four-game home run streak. The junior’s 22 home runs rank her second nationally – 20 spots ahead of Michigan’s top dog Conway, who went yard 16 times.

The Wolverines, who have capitalized on home-field advantage in their last seven games at Carol Hutchins Stadium, will be honoring their upperclassmen with a Senior Night celebration during Sunday’s affair.

But Inouye-Perez said the Bruins are far from ready to bid competition farewell – because conference series, at this point, are rehearsals for the big stage.

“The good news is we’re going to postseason,” Inouye-Perez said. “We know that, which means we get an opportunity to practice just how we start, how we finish, our ability to be able to do all those things.”

Most recently, UCLA showcased its dominance in the circle with a first-career no-hitter from senior pitcher Jada Cecil against Long Beach State.

Pitching dominance has pushed the Bruins over the top: Each of the team’s three no-hitters this season have been thrown by a different member of the pitching rotation. And despite Michigan ace Lauren Derkowski’s 13 combined strikeouts against Ohio State last weekend, neither she nor pitcher Erin Hoehn’s ERAs eclipse that of UCLA’s four hurlers.

“Today was a turning point, and I think we just need to stay locked in, play our game,” Cecil said after her win Tuesday. “We can only beat ourselves.”

First pitch against the Wolverines will be thrown Saturday at 3 p.m. in Ann Arbor.