Coming off of a 3-1 homestand, No. 20 Cal is set to take the road against No. 12 UCLA.
Through 40 games, the Bears sit at a 29-11 record but have struggled in Pac-12 play, where they are 4-8. Additionally, Cal heads to Southern California winning just one of four possible conference series matchups this season.
In their dense history, the Bruins have always maintained the upper hand against the Bears, dominating the all-time series 43-11-1. The last Bears win came last season, which ended a 20-game winless streak to the Bruins.
The struggles can be attributed to the lack of offensive output. Since 2019 (nine games), Cal has only managed to score 15 runs in comparison to UCLA’s 47 runs.
The uphill battle continues as a trip to Easton Stadium will be a challenge in and of itself. The Bruins have defended their home field 11 times — losing just three contests — and have dominated Pac-12 play with an 8-3 conference record. On the flip side, Cal has not found its footing on the road with a 6-5 away record.
Despite a bleak history against UCLA, head coach Chelsea Spencer has continued to develop her program every year, and the team is playing some of its best softball since Spencer’s arrival. With veteran players such as Tatum Anzaldo and Haylei Archer posting career highs and young stars such as Elon Butler and Randi Roelling stepping up to the challenge, the Bears have a lot to offer.Â
Butler currently leads the Pac-12 with 12 home runs and finds herself top-10 in hits (41) and RBIs (31), as well as top-15 in runs (27), batting average (.373) and on-base percentage (.442). Career highs posted along the board put the potential future face of the program on track for another All-Pac-12 selection.
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Cal’s ace, Roelling, has been a star in the making all season. As a freshman, Roelling has served 100 innings and has notched 11 wins and 79 strikeouts on the mound — both of which rank fifth in the Pac-12.Â
Beside her is Cal’s senior pitcher, Archer, who has saved her best season for her last. Archer’s 2.50 ERA is fifth-best among the conference, and her 31 allowed runs is the second lowest among pitchers who have pitched a minimum of 70 innings.
Offensively, Anzaldo has returned to her former self — electric and loud. After being bounced around the field early in the season, the senior third baseman has settled into her new role and has been much more defensively sound. Furthermore, Anzaldo continues to lead the Bears off and a .395 batting average marks a new career-high. Being a high-volume threat in the box plays into her career-high 22 walks and near .500 on-base percentage.
If the Bears hope to leave Los Angeles with their second Pac-12 series win, containing reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year, Maya Brady will be crucial.
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The last time Brady faced the Bears in a series, she dominated with three runs, three hits, four RBIs, one home run, four walks and just one strikeout.Â
Though Cal has been more of an offensive juggernaut this season, ranking second in the conference in runs (219), hits (324) and RBIs (198), UCLA has been more fluid defensively, allowing 60 fewer hits, 30 fewer runs and 51 fewer walks to opposing batters.Â
The series will be gritty and might call for low-scoring games. If Cal can find an offensive rhythm early in the series and pass the bat with confidence, it could be in store for its first series win since the 2011-12 season.
