The conference tournament is often just a stepping stone to prepare for the true postseason campaign.

And after losing the Big Ten championship to Nebraska on May 9, No. 2 seed UCLA softball (47-8, 20-4 Big Ten) will host the NCAA tournament’s Los Angeles Regional, where the Westwood squad will compete against a pool that consists of No. 7 seed South Carolina (30-26, 7-17 SEC), Cal State Fullerton (40-13, 24-3 Big West) and Cal Baptist (43-17, 15-3 WAC). The Bruins will first face the Lancers on Friday night at Easton Stadium in the team’s 27th-straight NCAA tournament appearance. UCLA bested all three of its potential LA Regional opponents this season, although the squad defeated South Carolina and Fullerton by just one- and two-point margins, respectively. The Daily Bruin softball beat predicts how the Bruins will fare in the LA Regional.

Storied programs are often defeated by teams they should beat.

UCLA softball has prevailed in the NCAA tournament’s regional round in back-to-back seasons after being eliminated in the LA Regional three years ago.

Every pitcher on that 2023 team boasted a sub-2.50 ERA.

Not one UCLA pitcher has achieved this feat in 2026.

And it doesn’t help that the Bruins have been handed one of the hardest regionals in the NCAA tournament, particularly on the offensive end.

Fullerton just won the Big West Championship on May 9 with a shutout victory against UC Santa Barbara. The squad also bested ranked teams such as then-No. 24 Ole Miss and then-No. 16 Oregon this season.

The Titans gave the Bruins a run for their money April 7, when the Bruins battled out of a two-run deficit in the last two innings to steal a victory on the road.

Pitchers freshman Natalie Cable, sophomore Brynne Nally and redshirt junior Sydney Somerndike forfeited nine combined runs against Fullerton, and senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley was the sole pitcher to stifle the Titan lineup across 3.1 innings pitched.

Tinsley’s success did not carry over into her first outing against Cal Baptist. Despite pitching a complete game, the ace allowed six earned runs, which let the Lancers take an early lead they eventually squandered in the bottom of the fourth. The Bruins then plated seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to achieve an ostensibly dominant victory.

Even if the Bruins seemingly need to rely on Tinsley to secure wins, she has proven that she does not automatically guarantee a Bruin triumph from the circle alone.

Still, the Lawrenceville, Georgia, local will likely help UCLA thwart Cal Baptist to open the regional competition.

But that may pit the Westwood squad with a tired Tinsley on the mound – after she pitched every inning in the Bruins’ Big Ten tournament outing last weekend – against South Carolina, a squad that narrowly lost to UCLA 5-4 Feb. 21.

The pressure is on the Bruins, especially with utility Megan Grant spotlighting the program when she set the NCAA single-season home run record last Saturday. Meanwhile, their three opponents are playing with house money.

And even if UCLA gets past its mid-major foes in Cal Baptist and Fullerton, the Gamecocks will bring the Bruins down to earth despite the latter’s groundbreaking campaign.

Kate Bergfeld
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Wins regional

Momentum is a great thing.

Winning streaks can add confidence and intimidate other teams when a squad seems unbeatable.

But sometimes, a team must break a streak to reignite a fire.

UCLA softball was undefeated at home heading into its Oregon series. But after falling to the Ducks in the first two games, the Bruins bounced back and won the last game by a series-high eight runs.

And after sustaining a loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament, the thought of the Oregon series gave me comfort, because the Bruins will be back at Easton Stadium with a vengeance.

The squad has boasted a dominant offense all year – spearheaded by seniors utility Megan Grant and infielder Jordan Woolery – totaling a nation-high 182 home runs this season and averaging 3.31 blasts per game.

And we will see those numbers go up this weekend.

I believe UCLA will blow by its first matchup against Cal Baptist, having previously beat it at home 13-6, where the Bruins hammered six home runs divided between five players.

But South Carolina poses the biggest threat.

During the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, UCLA came from behind after giving up four runs in the top of the sixth, plating five in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win. While the Bruins pulled ahead then, they may not be able to come back if they fall into a larger deficit this weekend.

Still, the postseason is a fresh start.

And the Bruins will bounce back with power from the Nebraska loss, taking the regional by storm.

Sinclair Richman
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: UCLA advances

Defense wins championships.

Although it may be true most of the time, few teams have figured out how to stop the Bruins’ offense.

Led by seniors infielder Jordan Woolery and utility Megan Grant – the “Bruin Bombers” – UCLA leads the nation in home runs and ranks third in batting average, boasting 182 and .386 marks, respectively.

Woolery ranks fourth in the country with a .515 batting average, and she has blasted 33 four-baggers, the third-highest tally in the nation. Grant, who set the NCAA single-season record for home runs May 9 in the Big Ten Championship, has sent 38 out of the park and has notched six multi-home-run outings.

But the team is not reliant on just Woolery and Grant.

UCLA’s plate consistency has contributed to the squad’s success throughout the season.

And this will carry through the regional games.

In fact, six Bruins boast .364-plus batting averages, and eight Bruins have recorded double-digit home runs in 2026, which makes the Westwood squad one of the most well-rounded offensive teams in the nation.

UCLA’s heavy hitters do not take breaks. The Bruins have recorded at least one home run in all but two games this season and have hit at least four in 24 games.

Defense is important, do not get me wrong. But when the Bruins step up to the plate, there is not much defenses can do.