No. 6 UCLA softball (44-5, 19-2 Big Ten) will face its second ranked opponent in as many weeks, playing No. 15 Oregon (38-10, 18-3) from May 1 to May 3 at Easton Stadium. The matchup is the Bruins’ final regular season series, with the Big Ten tournament beginning May 6.

The Bruins and the Ducks are neck and neck in Big Ten standings, sitting in second and third place, respectively. UCLA enters the matchup on a 15-game win streak, while Oregon is riding a two-game win streak.

Oregon Personnel:

Position Player to Watch: Elon Butler

Pitcher to Watch: Lyndsey Grein

X-Factor: Taryn Ho

Oregon Stat Profile:

Batting Average: .328

Runs: 323

Earned Run Average: 3.13

UCLA has set itself apart with its batting average, hitting at a .387 clip, which ranks third in the nation. The squad has recorded 163 home runs this season, the second-highest mark in the country.

But Oregon may challenge the Westwood squad.

Standout pitcher Lyndsey Grein, who boasts a 2.15 ERA and has allowed just 17 four-baggers this season, leads the Ducks. She will face a Bruin lineup that features three athletes who have recorded more than 17 home runs this season, however.

Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez’s squad has struggled against top pitchers, as Tennessee’s Erin Nuwer – who boasts a 1.04 ERA – shut the team out Feb. 14. The Bruins also lost two games to Nebraska pitchers that have 1.30 and 2.57 ERAs, respectively.

Oregon has allowed teams to plate double-digit runs only four times this season, but UCLA has recorded 29 double-digit scoring outings. With five players batting over .400 and eight hammering at least 10 four-baggers this season, the Bruins’ heavy-hitting offense will likely combat the Ducks’ top pitcher in a marquee matchup.

Although Oregon does not hold as many home runs as UCLA, recording only 58 in 2026, it still consistently shows up at the plate. The Ducks hit at a .328 clip, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Ten.

Utilities Elon Butler and Amari Harper lead the squad’s offense, boasting .407 and .394 batting averages, respectively. They have also recorded over half of the Ducks’ home runs, combining for 30 four-baggers, as well as 100 out of the team’s 295 total RBIs.

Butler, who won Big Ten Player of the Week and Softball America National Player of the Week on April 7, has demonstrated consistency. She has hit plus-.400 in every game since Feb. 27 and has recorded 14 home runs across the same span.

Infielder Taryn Ho is another key player for the Ducks. Ho was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week in early April, and she has not posted a sub-.354 batting average since April 3. The squad boasts seven players that are hitting at least .325. Washington, a squad UCLA just swept, had the same amount.

When Oregon faced Washington, the former walked away with a sweep and forfeited just nine runs across the three games. The Bruins also went undefeated against the Huskies, limiting their lineup to eight runs throughout the series.

The former Pac-12 adversaries are well-accustomed to playing one another, having faced off in a series every season since 2001. The most recent matchup between the two rivals favored the Westwood bunch, who won 4-2 in the 2025 Women’s College World Series after losing two games in the regular season series against Oregon.

The series will likely come down to if Grein and the rest of the Ducks’ bullpen can stifle the Bruin hitters. With Big Ten tournament seeding in jeopardy, this matchup is pivotal.