Coming off the program’s first College World Series berth since 2010, UCLA softball head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez was confident her team could return. The 10-year head coach and former Bruins catcher always believes a deep postseason is possible, but a particularly difficult nonconference stretch shook even her own confidence.
Injuries decimated the lineup in February as an inexperienced roster faced an onslaught of ranked opponents. Life without ace pitcher Ally Carda, a two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year who graduated last year, was rough as two inexperienced sophomores were left to step into the circle.
“At that point, we could truly believe that we were going to be a team that would not go to the postseason,” Inouye-Perez said.