No. 8 seed UCLA softball (50-8, 20-4 Big Ten) will face UCF (41-17-1, 14-9-1 Big 12) in the NCAA tournament super regional at Easton Stadium from Friday to Sunday. The Bruins are coming off an undefeated Los Angeles regional outing, outsourcing their opponents 34-14. The Knights come in after going 3-1, falling to No. 9 seed Florida State once.

The teams are competing for a spot in the Women’s College World Series, which will take place from May 28 to June 5 in Oklahoma City.

UCF Personnel:

Position Player to Watch: Sierra Humphreys

Pitcher to Watch: Isabella Vega

X-Factor: Beth Damon

UCF Stat Profile:

Batting Average: .322

Runs: 378

Earned Run Average: 2.96

Nine UCF pitchers have stepped into the circle so far this season, but only two have started at least 10 games.

Isabella Vega, who has started 22 games and appeared in 39, leads the Knights’ pitching staff. She boasts a 2.81 ERA and has given up 109 hits and 22 home runs. Vega has recorded a team-high 105 of the Knights’ 215 strikeouts throughout the season.

The second player to watch out of the bullpen is Ava Stuewe, who – excluding Vega – is the only player to reach double-digit starts, recording 13 on the season. She has a 3.38 ERA and given up 48 hits across 60 innings pitched.

The Bruins have struggled against some top pitchers this season, but the heavy-hitting team should be able to take advantage of the Knights’ pitching staff. Nine Bruins boast a .322-plus batting average, and the team frequents a .385 clip.

Seniors utility Megan Grant and infielder Jordan Woolery have recorded 40 and 34 home runs, respectively, and six other Bruins have double-digit four-baggers as well. The squad has hit a nation-leading 193 this season.

Offensively, the Knights are a more imposing threat.

Five UCF players are batting at least .315 and have at least 10 home runs each. Infielder Sierra Humphreys leads the pack with a .378 batting average.

The First-Team NFCA All-Region selection has recorded 65 hits and 13 four-baggers throughout the season. She struck out just twice in the Tallahassee regional, and she will likely prove vital against the Bruins.

Catcher Beth Damon is the team’s top slugger, recording 16 home runs throughout the season on a .333 hitting clip. She knocked one out of the park in the final game of its regional, helping the squad secure its 4-2 victory against Florida State.

UCLA has struggled to find consistent circle success.

Senior pitcher Taylor Tinsley has carried a heavy load throughout the season, recording 30 wins across her 43 appearances. She boasts the lowest ERA on the squad with a 3.03 mark but has displayed inconsistency recently.

After pitching in every game of the Big Ten tournament, Tinsley allowed seven runs in the championship game. She also allowed 11 runs – 10 coming in one inning – in the Bruins’ first game of the Los Angeles regional.

This could be due to her hefty usage, but UCLA’s other options out of the bullpen have yet to prove themselves.

All three other pitchers who have appeared this season have 5.74-plus ERAs. Freshman pitcher Natalie Cable – who has the second most starts behind Tinsley – has a team-high 6.72 ERA, and she has allowed 16 home runs.

If Tinsley’s arm gets tired, UCLA could struggle against UCF’s consistent lineup. But the Bruins’ heavy-hitting prowess may provide enough of a buffer for the squad to take down the Knights and advance to the Women’s College World Series.