After defeating Washington in the first round of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, Indiana softball faced then-No. 2 seed UCLA in the quarterfinal round. The Hoosiers fell to the Bruins 5-4 to end their tournament run.
Now, Indiana will travel to Los Angeles to compete against No. 9 UCLA for the first time since its Big Ten Tournament loss last season. The series will start at 10 p.m. Friday at Easton Stadium, continuing at 9 p.m. Saturday and concluding at 3 p.m. Sunday.
The two programs enter the matchup boasting top records in the Big Ten. UCLA (29-5) sits at No. 3 in the conference, and Indiana (27-7) controls the No. 4 spot.
UCLA possibly offers the Hoosiers their toughest test of the season. The Bruins’ No. 9 national ranking tops any opponent that Indiana has faced this season. The Cream and Crimson are currently 1-2 in ranked matchups, with a 12-3 win over then-No. 25 Ohio State, and losses to then-No. 22 Arizona State University and then-No. 16 Oregon.
The Hoosiers head into the meeting after sweeping a two-game set against the University of Detroit Mercy last weekend. Meanwhile, UCLA goes into the weekend after its first series loss of the season to Nebraska.
Following an 8-0 victory Friday, Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton said the team’s focus was only on the Titans. However, Stanton did admit the coaching staff had prepared for UCLA.
“Sure, you know, coaches, you’re always looking at film throughout the year,” Stanton said. “You watch a ton of games, and you’re always watching opponents that you have in the future, just so you’re familiar context with the names. But it’s 1-0 every single game and the only focus right now is Detroit Mercy.”
With Detroit Mercy now in the past, and an extra day of recovery last Sunday, Indiana has had the whole week to prepare for its clash with UCLA. Stanton said she would stress the importance of seizing opportunities defensively.
“We’re two of the best offenses around –– definitely in the Big Ten,” Stanton said. “And so you can’t give them extra added outs in an inning. When they give you an out, you gotta take it.”
The Bruins’ prolific offense ranks second in the nation with a .504 on-base percentage and 104 home runs. Senior utility player Megan Grant and senior infielder Jordan Woolery headline the Bruins’ lineup. Grant ranks second in the country with 23 home runs on the season, while Woolery claims the third spot with 20 home runs.
UCLA is led by head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. The 2026 season marks Inouye-Perez's 20th season at the helm, and she is the only person to have won an NCAA Division I Softball Championship as both a player and a coach. Under Inouye-Perez, UCLA has advanced to 11 NCAA Women’s College World Series.
While the Bruins boast a top offense, Indiana has generated strong offensive output of its own in 2026. The Hoosiers rank fourth in the country with a .477 on-base percentage, while their 304 total runs scored ranks seventh. Offense has been the key to success for Indiana throughout the season, and production will be critical against UCLA.
“So you gotta score runs,” Stanton said. “That’s how you beat UCLA, is you gotta go out, you gotta punch them.”
While Indiana’s pitching unit has posted a 3.32 ERA as a team, the Bruins present a different challenge –– one that may require the Hoosiers’ lineup to carry the load.
“And then our offense at the end of the day is what has to win you ballgames when you face a UCLA ‘cause they can hit, right?” Stanton said. “Yeah, they’re gonna get theirs, and we gotta get ours.”
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
