Every season is a fresh start, but this spring is an especially momentous occasion for No. 8 UCLA softball to start anew. A mental refresh and internal changes have rebuilt this season’s young team after a disappointing end to last season.
The Bruins went 52-7 overall and dropped only three games in Pac-12 play, but lost to Grand Canyon University and then Liberty University in the NCAA Regionals for an early postseason exit.
“It definitely fueled the fire,” said sophomore Megan Grant, who hit .333 with 15 home runs last year. “There were a lot of things that I felt during that time and a lot of things I had to get through in order to say, ‘I’m OK now.’ It was a long process, but I think now is the right time like to say, ‘I’m ready to go.’”
UCLA, picked second in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, has added pitching coach Rob Schweyer and volunteer director of player development and data analytics Will Oldham. Bubba Nickles, who won a national championship with UCLA in 2019, is back as a graduate assistant coach.
In addition to having longer practices that provide more individual attention, Inouye-Perez also brought in a mental performance coach to help the Bruins get back on track after last season’s premature ending.
“Being able to just take a deep breath and get ready for a new year after a year like last year is difficult,” Inouye-Perez said. “So we brought people in to train on how to level up, how to get past things that could be disappointing or traumatic, and kind of get ready to level up and compete again.”
Schweyer will oversee a pitching staff led by sophomore Taylor Tinsley, the only returning pitcher. UC San Diego junior transfer Jada Cecil, junior Mackenzie Ficke and freshman left-hander Kaitlyn “KT” Terry fill out the group.
Tinsley will likely be the Bruins’ ace this season after a freshman season in which she went 6-1 with a 1.47 earned run average, which earned her a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman…
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