The UCLA softball players were instructed last month to bring two water bottles for their two-game series against Iowa — one for water and one for hot chicken broth.
“We’ve had a lot of different suggestions about what to do (about the cold),” Bruins head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “And oh, I took that to heart.”
The temperature didn’t surpass 51 degrees in either game against the Hawkeyes, giving the No. 8 Bruins (34-5 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) a frigid, wintry welcome to the Big Ten Conference. Players sipped broth in heated dugouts in Iowa and kept the feeling in their hands with electric hand warmers and pouches, similar to what quarterbacks use, when in the field.
The weather has been the most noticeable difference after UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, but there are other underlying changes that the Bruins have had to adjust to as they make a name for themselves in their new conference.
“Any team could beat anyone on any given day,” senior right fielder Savannah Pola said. “It’s not trying to think too much about the competition level and just trying to play our game and be who we are because our biggest competitor is ourselves.”
The Bruins went through a gauntlet of a preseason and faced eight teams that are currently ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball polls, including No. 6 Tennessee and No. 7 LSU.
They’ll see only two more ranked teams in the remainder of the Big Ten conference – No. 5 Oregon in a couple weeks in Eugene and No. 22 Ohio State (30-7-1, 6-2) on Friday and Saturday at Easton Stadium.
When a tougher schedule can translate to a higher RPI ranking – which can help secure a home site when it’s time for the opening rounds of the NCAA Regional tournament – winning big against lower-ranked opponents can be critical.
But that’s not what Inouye-Perez is impressing upon her team.
“If you want to take what’s in your control and take it seriously, then you’re going to understand that every game matters,” she said.
“That’s the challenge of our sport. No matter where we are, no matter what the weather, no matter what the team is – we’ve got to figure out how to be able to lock on to every pitch from here until the end. Whether we’re playing the No. 1 team in the country or we’re playing a non-ranked team, it’s the game that we’re facing, not the opponent.”
If there’s one characteristic about Big Ten softball teams that the Bruins have identified, it’s that they like to go big.
Ohio State is first in the nation in home runs with 91, followed by Nebraska, which has hit 69. UCLA is tied with Oregon for ninth with 59 homers. Sophomore Jasmyn Burns has hit 15 home runs for the Buckeyes in 38 games.
“As of right now, we’re just attacking each hitter with our strengths,” sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Terry said, “because this is the first time we’ve seen hitters like this that come out swinging big. So I think just having confidence in ourselves and our defense behind us just get the out and throw good pitches.”
The Bruins have a selection of arms to choose from in left-handed Terry (13-3, 1.44 ERA) and right-handers Addisen Fisher (11-0, 2.16) and Taylor Tinsley (8-2, 1.98).
The defense is also adjusting accordingly. Inouye-Perez creates a defensive chart for every opponent that lists details about each hitter and how the defense can best position itself.
“The pitchers have a plan, the catchers have a plan,” Inouye-Perez said. “For me, the game is completely strategic. That’s my job, to know where they would hit it if we pitch it in a certain location. And then if we pitch really well, we can get him to miss.”
The two-game series against Ohio State will be the Bruins’ second home Big Ten series of the season after returning home last weekend from a weeklong road trip that included games at Iowa, Howard and Maryland.
The cross-country trip allowed UCLA to not just get accustomed to drastic weather changes but also to have cultural experiences.
Petals from cherry blossom trees floated onto the field at Nationals Youth Academy in Washington, D.C. The Bruins used an off day to explore Capitol Hill and have a social with UCLA alumni in the area through the University of California Washington Center.
“Those types of things are why it’s special to be a Bruin,” Inouye-Perez said. “The Big Ten and Pac-12, they have the same philosophy of academics and athletics, and that’s something that I’m proud to be a part of, too.
“They are so much more than softball players. This is a game that we play. We’re striving to be at the top, but along the way, the lessons they learn and who they become is why I was proud.”
No. 22 OHIO STATE at No. 8 UCLA
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Easton Stadium
TV: Big Ten Plus
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