Alabama softball earned its Women’s College World Series berth with an NCAA Tournament Tuscaloosa Super Regional win against LSU. Now the Crimson Tide knows who it will be playing.
With a super regional sweep against UCF, UCLA earned a Women’s College World Series bid. The Bruins will face Alabama to start their WCWS run.
Here’s what you need to know about UCLA:
UCLA softball led the Big Ten in wins
UCLA softball may have finished tied for second in the Big Ten with a 20-4 record, but the Bruins finished with a conference-high 51 wins. UCLA is one of two teams in the Big Ten with at least 50 wins, joining Nebraska.
Megan Grant holds NCAA record for home runs in a single season
Megan Grant made history for UCLA in 2026, breaking the NCAA single-season record for home runs with her 38th against Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship game. But Grant is not done. Heading into the Women’s College World Series, Grant has 40 home runs along with 87 RBI.
Megan Grant is not the only player with power on UCLA roster
Grant is not the only power source for the Bruins. She is one of eight players on the UCLA roster with at least 13 home runs, while senior Jordan Woolery has 34 heading into the Women’s College World Series. UCLA leads all Division 1 teams with 200 home runs.
UCLA is a 13-time NCAA Tournament champion
UCLA has its share of history in the Women’s College World Series. The Bruins have won 13 NCAA Tournaments, most recently in 2019. UCLA finished its 2025 season in the Women’s College World Series, finishing fifth.
Alabama has only beaten UCLA once
Alabama has seen UCLA before, but the Crimson Tide hasn’t seen much success. Alabama is 1-6 against the Bruins, last facing UCLA Feb. 15, 2025 in a 6-3 loss. Alabama’s only win against UCLA came in the 2021 Women’s College World Series.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama softball to face UCLA in Women’s College World Series