softball

Past the halfway mark of the Olympic quadrennial, LA28 has passed its own halfway point for ticket sales.

LA28 announced Friday it sold more than 6 million tickets during its first two drops, accounting for more than half of the expected Olympic ticket availability.

The remainder of an estimated 10.5 million Olympic tickets will move to first-come, first-served sales beginning in 2027. Additional inventory across every sport will be added during the next stage and ticket limits will be lifted, but LA28 did not announce the opening date.

“Overall the level of enthusiasm, the interest in the Games, the excitement to commit this far out from the Games has all been really affirming for how LA28 is coming together and the excitement everyone’s feeling about it,” said Allison Katz-Mayfield, LA28’s senior vice president of Games delivery revenue.

More than 700,000 of one million $28 tickets were sold during the first two drops. While fans have clamored for tickets, many were disappointed and frustrated with high prices and limited availability that seemed to sell out almost instantaneously. Each LA28 ticket drop came with the fine-print condition of “subject to availability.”

LA28 wanted to be “conservative” with the initial inventory available during the first two drops, Katz-Mayfield said, because organizers didn’t want to sell tickets only to discover later that fans might be stuck with limited visibility of an event. For example, Crypto.com Arena’s footprint will be changed to accommodate artistic gymnastics, with up to six apparatuses on the floor along with areas for judges, broadcast positions and media. The seating plan, which will be different than ones used for Lakers games or concerts, is still being developed. The same goes for the planning of temporary venues.

“It’s a fan-focused approach from my perspective,” Katz-Mayfield said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we sell something that doesn’t equate to the experience that someone is expecting to have.”

LA28 said more tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for every sport next year as organizers refine venue layouts. Tickets that appear unavailable one day could go on the market weeks later as organizers gain a clearer picture of setups. With first-come, first-serve purchasing, the ticketing platform will remain open continuously through the Games.

“If you’re one of those people that has a very, very specific idea of what they want and they don’t want to move off that at all … then continue to check back because we’ll have tickets on sale through Games time,” Katz-Mayfield said. “So you can check on that first day. But you could also check two months later, and it could be different.”

New sports remained a hit for fans, who scooped up all available tickets to softball, lacrosse, flag football and squash during the second drop, LA28 reported. All tickets available for Oklahoma City’s softball and canoe slalom events were sold through for both drops. More tickets for those events will be added in 2027.

Although many fans have their hearts set on a single, high-demand Olympic event, others might be open to discovering different sports during the Paralympics. Tickets for the Paralympics will also go on sale in 2027, beginning with a lottery for assigned time slots, similar to the first Olympic ticket drops. About 25% of the total 14 million tickets between the Games are earmarked for the Paralympics, which will be in L.A. for the first time.

The Paralympics are typically priced at much lower prices than the Olympics. The Paris Olympics had single tickets as high as $1,065 (980 euros in July 2024) for swimming and track and field and as low as $26 across all sports. Half a million tickets for the Paris Paralympics were $16 and half of all tickets were priced less than $27. There were also Paralympic ticket packages for multiple sports and families. The strategy paid off with approximately 2.5 million tickets sold, the second-most ever for a Paralympic Games, and a record 12 million total tickets sold between the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

Despite starting earlier than previous Games, LA28 said it is already on pace to surpass Paris’ sales record after the 2024 Games sold 5.39 million tickets through their second drop in May 2023. Paris sold 9.5 million Olympic tickets total.

Fans who registered for Olympics tickets will already be registered for the Paralympic lotteries and LA28 is working to open registration specifically for the Paralympics.

“[Don’t] forget how great the Paralympics are,” Katz-Mayfield said, “and how much opportunity there’s going to be there to see different sports, new sports, be a part of the Games, and see world-class athletes compete, maybe in a way that you haven’t seen before if you’ve only seen the Olympics.”

Selling millions of tickets before schedules or matchups are even set has “given [LA28] a lot of confidence in where we’re at today,” Katz-Mayfield said. The early ticket sales have given the private organizing committee a strong foundation for one of its largest revenue drivers.

Ticketing and hospitality are expected to cover almost $2.5 billion of LA28’s total $7.1-billion budget for the Games. It is the second-largest source of expected revenue to help cover what LA28 has promised will be a privately funded Games.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The first day all the members of the Women’s Professional Baseball League were at the same field, it rained.

That didn’t dampen the smiles around Robin Roberts Field the day before the league opens play Saturday, marking the first professional women’s baseball games in 72 years.

“Getting to be together for six whole weeks or around two whole months with them [if we make the playoffs] is honestly going to be a game changer,” said third baseman Ashton Lansdell, who stars for the USA national team. “I think we’re going to build a really unique and exciting culture that is going to last a very long time, especially with the inaugural season at WPBL. Like we’re starting from the ground up, so we get to build all of these things from the very beginning.”

The Los Angeles Queens, managed by former Dodgers second baseman Eric Young, have arguably the most star-studded roster, behind Savannah Bananas third baseman Lansdell, former Little League star Mo’ne Davis and Japanese ace pitcher Ayami Sato.

The Los Angeles Queens’ Ayami Sato pitches during a Women’s Pro Baseball League exhibition game in March 19 in Fort Myers, Fla.

(Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

“I pretty much have an idea who I want to lead off and who’s my starter,” Young said. “Those two things I do know. But the rest of the lineup, I’m looking forward to making it. The first one will be very special, just like everything else.”

Women’s baseball has been long fractured with few opportunities for the best to gather in one spot. The only consistent tournament has been the Women’s Baseball World Cup, with the U.S. going undefeated in group play this week in Rockford ahead of the WPBL’s quick week of preseason practices.

The WPBL will be the first women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which operated from 1943 until 1954 to offset the loss of male baseball players called into action during World War II. The league gained popularity and notoriety when it was dramatized in the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.”

While women’s baseball didn’t boom and girls were mostly limited to playing softball, some women sought a chance to play the sport they loved.

The WPBL, even with a limited six-week season at one location, is helping many players realize seemingly impossible dreams and honoring the first recorded women’s game with a paid crowd and the home of the single-season Springfield Sallies.

Games will span seven innings and the league will use aluminum bats featured in college baseball and softball, while outfield dimensions were altered to be closer to the Women’s World Cup field dimensions. Salaries range from $300-$500 per game for the 15-player rosters.

“It’s just what we’ve all dreamed of our whole lives,” Lansdell said. “The coolest thing out of all of it is that we’re starting this league this year, but in the next five to 10 years, even two years down the road, I’m so excited to see just the growth of women’s baseball and the amount of hope and inspiration that we have.”

Like many women’s baseball players, Lansdell had a history in softball, contributing to the Women’s College World Series season in 2025 at Ole Miss. More recently, she went 11-for-13 with two doubles and two home runs in five games during the U.S. World Cup group stage for a historic .846 batting average.

Players warm up before a game on the fourth day of tryouts for the Women’s Professional Baseball League in August 2025 at Nationals Park in Washington.

(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)

She will be the core of the Queens’ lineup, surrounded by some of the biggest name in the sport. Brittany Apgar grew up playing in all-boys baseball tournaments before playing college softball at Greensboro College.

“I think this is really when the quote that baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical kicks in because that game’s going to be a lot,” Apgar said of the Saturday opener. “Like we have the honor of doing the first game. That will be a lot of pressure on everyone.”

The Queens flaunt one of the best right sides of the infield in the league with Lansdell at third and Curacan 19-year-old shortstop Thaima Maximiliana.

Australian shortstop Caitlin Eynon hit .375 in the World Cup and could contribute to the Queens’ lineup, too.

Davis highlights an outfield that includes Apgar and Japanese center fielder Suzu Narasaki. Amira Hondras, 18, played for the U.S. after spending time with MLB Develops and the Chicago White Sox youth league and is one of the best young women’s baseball prospects in the nation.

Sato leads a staff of pitchers from several backgrounds. Canadian 19-year-old right-hander Michelle Roche plays college baseball in British Columbia while 38-year-old veteran Meggie Meidlinger has been a bullpen stopper for the U.S.

“More than anything, I’m excited for the opportunity to play with talented players from around the world,” Sato said through her translator, Mayo Hiran. “That’s something that I’ve been working for for a long time.”

The Queens face the New York Heights to begin their season and will play 30 games through the start of September before a two-week playoff period.

By this time next year, they may get a chance to play home games in the Los Angeles area. The league hasn’t announced its plans for shifting games outside of Illinois other than to confirm they aspire to do so.

But for a few moments this weekend, in Springfield alone, dreams will come true and a sport will be reborn.

“It’s going to be a lot of people’s first time for a lot of things,” Apgar said. “Some of the people didn’t actually get to make it to tryouts, so there’s some people that are drafted that I haven’t even seen in person before. It’s all exciting.”

Natasha Watley grew up dreaming about playing for the Atlanta Braves.

Sharlize Palacios wanted to suit up for her hometown San Diego Padres.

Megan Grant and Maya Brady thought softball would end after graduation.

The 2003 Honda Award winner. A 2024 second-team All-American. The single-season NCAA home run record holder. And a freshman of the year honoree.

The Portland Cascade’s Megan Grant fields the ball during a game against the Oklahoma City Spark on July 4 in Edmond, Okla.

(Courtesy of AUSL)

All of whom never dreamed of being a professional softball player. Not because their love for the sport dwindled. Nor because professional routes were not an option. Pro softball leagues have existed since 1976, but they have lacked the visibility and accessibility imperative to flourishing and gaining popularity.

“From my experience growing up, and it’s the same amongst a lot of athletes that are my age, we didn’t have a lot of role models to look up to,” said Chicago Bandits outfielder Jessica Clements, who spent her senior season at UCLA in 2025. “We had Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley, Monica Abbott, but the odds of playing professionally were slim. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity, and a lot of younger kids were unsure of what the environment would look like in many years.”

That’s changing with AUSL, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

The AUSL — which launched in 2025 and builds off previous iterations of professional softball — saw a 181% increase in average viewership across ESPN platforms in one year, including a record-high 404,000 viewers for a June 21 game between the Portland Cascade and Texas Volts.

Among the 96 active players in the AUSL, 13 are former UCLA softball players — omitting two general managers, a head coach and an assistant coach that are a part of the AUSL and hail from the Westwood program — making UCLA the most well-represented school in the league. That pipeline was on full display this weekend at Texas A&M’s Davis Diamond, where the Utah Talons — who boast a roster with five former Bruins, including UCLA softball associate head coach Lisa Fernandez as the general manager — clinched their second straight AUSL title over the Chicago Bandits on Sunday. UCLA alum Jadelyn Allchin was named the AUSL championship MVP.

And UCLA softball’s presence in all facets of AUSL is no coincidence.

The Bruins feature 12 NCAA championships and 119 All-American honorees, both of which rank first all time, and that’s not including an AIAW title and one All-American before the NCAA era. But while the program is known for its accolades, the influence UCLA and its players have made on the sport stretches far beyond any banners or trophies.

“When you look at the history of softball in the last 40 years, you can’t see a U.S. national team, any pro venture or excellence at any level of softball without having an influence of UCLA in it,” said Oklahoma City Sparks general manager Kirk Walker, who spent 24 years coaching as an assistant coach in Westwood.

There have been only three coaches — Sharron Backus, Sue Enquist and Kelly Inouye-Perez — in UCLA history, all of whom created unparalleled success and a program built on a standard of excellence and a familial culture. But no aspect of the UCLA culture may be more significant than the “Bruin Bubble” — a concept at the very heart of the program centered on alumni involvement.

“It comes from the women who were there from the beginning, paving the way for players like us and players that are to come,” said Sparks infielder Delanie Wisz, who competed at UCLA from 2020 to 2022. “The idea of the ‘Bruin Bubble’ and buying into something bigger than yourself, coach Sue Enquist, coach Sharron Backus and coach Inouye-Perez have done a really good job of keeping that at the forefront, and making sure that we’re playing for something much bigger than any individual award.”

While the childhood aspirations of the Bruins in the AUSL never reached the height of professional softball, a common goal connected them all — playing for their dream school in Westwood and learning from individuals who have achieved immeasurable success greater than any record or championship.

Utah Talons General Manager Lisa Fernandez shows off her 2025 AUSL championship ring in Salt Lake City, Utah.

(Courtesy of AUSL)

Backus and Enquist set the foundation for what softball is today, paving the way for new opportunities by sacrificing for the greater good of softball’s future.

While the duo set the trail ablaze, they have passed the baton to a trio of coaches — Inouye-Perez, Walker and Fernandez, who have spent a combined 72 years in Westwood.

And the group has not stopped running since.

The Bruins are not only responsible for creating the next generation of pro softball players through the UCLA program, but also furthering the message and mission of Backus and Enquist.

“From when I was in college to now, there’s been a big shift in how things go,” said Rachel Garcia, two-time Honda Cup winner at UCLA and a Volts pitcher in the AUSL, “but at the end of the day, Lisa Fernandez, Kelly Inouye-Perez, Kirk Walker, that would be who I’d want to play for every single day, because I know that they are able to give the girls what they need in order to perform at the best that they can be.”

While Inouye-Perez continues to steer the Bruin ship, Walker and Fernandez serve in general manager roles for the Sparks and Talons, respectively.

The Utah Talons’ Jordan Woolery fields the ball during a July 11 AUSL game against the Oklahoma City Spark in Edmond, Okla.

(Morgan Givens / AUSL)

Grant emphasized that all three coaches could easily walk away because of the imprint they left and the resume they built. Yet, Inouye-Perez and Fernandez not only chose to stick around the game, but to reinvest their time in furthering the league and sport altogether.

“I accept the responsibility to help carry the torch and move it forward, and hand it off to the Jennie Finches and the Cat Ostermans,” Fernandez said. “They’re going to hand it off to the next generation that are going to continue to build this game and hopefully it’ll become something where little girls can go, ‘I’m going to be a professional softball player, and be a role model for those who have the opportunity to watch me.’ And at the end of the day that’s the true value.”

Integral to pushing the game forward is taking advantage of the traction and momentum gained by the 2028 Summer Olympics, where softball will return to the stage for the first time since 2021.

Fernandez highlighted that when softball was added to the Olympics in 1996, it was the pinnacle of the sport. But when it was removed following 2008 because the IOC didn’t see enough global competition for the gold medal, she felt that she failed. It was a setback that inspired her push to get the sport to a place where it did not have to rely on the host country to include it among Olympic events.

“A mission that’s close to my heart is the growth of the sport globally because it is so important for it to be in the Olympics, not just in 2028 but in 2032,” said Talons pitcher Megan Faraimo, who competed at UCLA from 2019 to 2023. “I don’t want to be the last generation to make it into the Olympics. I want to protect the future of everyone coming after me, and that means capitalizing on it being in L.A. We can use that to then push the sport into 2032 and hopefully get back on that Olympic rhythm.”

There’s no crying in baseball, but Kim Ng works in softball now. And as commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the former Dodgers assistant general manager has been fielding lots of tearful feedback from fans overcome by the fact that softball players finally, finally have a big league of their own.

“I can’t even tell you the number of people that have approached me, just openly sobbing with happiness,” she said. “It’s been incredible, experiencing all of that and understanding how long people have been waiting for something like this.”

It really is like that. Ask Lisa Fernandez, softball pioneer and total boss: “I’ll be watching and get emotional, just looking at how far this game has come.”

With MLB backing the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, or AUSL, for a second season and Ng back to steer it, sustainable professional softball is starting to feel real.

Former UCLA pitcher Rachel Garcia plays for Athletes Unlimited Team McQuillin.

(Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

Fernandez remembers when it was a huge deal to get one softball game on TV, and now ESPN will broadcast 50 AUSL games and ABC will carry the championship. And after last year’s four-team 10-city barnstorming tour, the league will add two teams and anchor itself to locations in North Carolina, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

The ball gets rolling on Tuesday, just days after the conclusion of the Women’s College World Series — which last season averaged a record 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, including pulling 3.9 million for UCLA’s thriller against Tennessee.

Big steps, baby steps. All going the right direction.

“I would hope that we are the major league baseball of softball,” Ng, 57, said in a phone conversation. “That is a good number of teams, spread out across the country, with a huge following, all of our games televised.

“That’s the goal. To be the MLB of softball.”

Ng spent more than 30 years in the MLB, including a decade-long stint with the Dodgers. She was also the first woman to serve as a big-league general manager, leading the Miami Marlins from 2020 through the 2023 season. She declined her option after the team made its first full-season playoff appearance in two decades and then announced plans to introduce a president of baseball operations position that would’ve siphoned away some of her say-so.

Miami Marlins general manger Kim Ng, left, sits in a golf cart and talks with manager Marlins Skip Schumaker during a 2023 spring training workout.

(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

“Breaking that glass ceiling, that’s special to me,” Ng said. “But I think in a different way, this [work with the AUSL] is for sure one of the more meaningful things I’ve done.”

She said a former MLB colleague recently asked her about the AUSL: “I said, ‘I’m working for the women now.’”

The former co-worker corrected her: “You were always working for the women.’”

Before that, as a kid, she was a softball infielder in Long Island and then at the University of Chicago. “I was scrappy,” Ng said, “which is definitely how I describe my personality and the way I approach most things in life.”

It’s served her well. And now it’s serving softball, a sport that for decades has been among the most popular for girls in America, even without long-term playing prospects or pro players to strive to emulate.

Compare it with basketball: About three-quarters of the WNBA’s current players have never even lived in a world without an established professional women’s basketball league in America.

UCLA star hitter Megan Grant will play in the Athletes Unlimited softball league after wrapping up her record-setting college career.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

The NBA-backed WNBA is celebrating its 30th season this summer with a lucrative new CBA and 15 teams, two of them expansion franchises, including one in Canada, and the Bay Area-based Golden State Valkyries valued at $850 million.

The AUSL is about to embark on Year 2.

There have been attempts to start up professional softball leagues before. Those weren’t just long shots, more like Megan Grant moonshots.

But now we have Bryanna Lopez, a 12-year-old catcher from Alhambra, sitting in the Easton Stadium stands at UCLA, watching her heroes play and telling me, without hesitation: “I want to play professional softball. It’s a really big dream.”

And a really big deal.

For players and a growing audience of folks like Kaitlyn Laabs, the superfan in a chef’s hat at UCLA games, who want to watch the home run queen Grant continue to mash. To see her teammates Jordan Woolery keep flaunting her flashy slash line and Taylor Tinsley sharpening her wicked arsenal of pitches.

UCLA starting pitcher Taylor Tinsley and first baseman Jordan Woolery are poised to start their professional softball careers this week.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“A lot of times, seniors come in their last year thinking it’s the end of their career, and that puts a lot more pressure,” UCLA’s Woolery said earlier this month, before the Bruins advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the third straight season. “So, for me, Megan, Tins, [the AUSL] opens us up a little bit to play free, knowing it’s not the end of the road.”

Ng’s presence, first as an adviser and starting last season as commissioner, is helping legitimize the new league.

“She’s the right person at the right time,” said Fernandez, the UCLA associate head coach, who is also the general manager of the defending champion Utah Talons. “Knowing Kim’s background in baseball, having her know the business of how to run a league, a no-brainer for me.”

Ng’s team-building acumen is helping her coach up first-time general managers. Her experience at MLB’s league office, working to grow the game internationally, ensures she’ll be patient, methodical — which is to say, the AUSL is not rushing to join the Sparks and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC in the complicated, competitive L.A. market until it’s good and ready.

“Softball just has had its ups and downs in terms of creating a solid foundation,” Ng said. “Why has it taken so long? It’s hard to say, but obviously the revenue is a huge piece of it. Now, with MLB as a major investor, they’re understanding of the idea that we’re complementary.”

MLB has invested a reported $10 million in the AUSL — in addition to offering its massive promotional platform. So after Grant hit an NCAA record-extending 39th home run, the No. 4 overall pick was interviewed by Harold Reynolds on “MLB Tonight.”

Beside Grant, who is bound for the Portland Cascade, there will be 12 other former Bruins sprinkled among the league’s six rosters. Woolery and Tinsley will team up with a few other former Bruins on the Talons.

“You’d lose a generation of players if the growth is capped,” said Laabs, the softball fan. “But right now, softball is on a rocket ship. Let’s keep on cooking, let’s keep on flying, let’s show that if you build it, they will come.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It’s awards time for baseball and softball as school ends and summer workouts begin.

And the winner is . . .

Shortstop James Tronstein went four for four on Tuesday in Harvard-Westlake’s 8-0 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Craig Weston)

When the high school baseball season began, James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake was focused and eager to show what he learned after not being selected for the U18 national baseball team in the fall. He proceeded to bat .531 with 52 hits and 10 home runs. Here’s his story as The Times’ player of the year.

St. John Boscoo pitcher Julian Garcia (right) celebrates with shortstop James Clark after throwing a one-hit shutout to beat Norco 2-0 in the Division 1 final.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

The baseball all-star team is loaded with major league prospects and future top college players. Here’s a look at Southern California’s best this season.

The Birmingham co-coaching duo of Gus Rico (left) and Matt Mowry guided the Patriots to league and City titles for the first time in Mowry’s 20 seasons of coaching.

(Birmingham HS)

This season, Birmingham coach Matt Mowry added co-coach duties to pitching coach Gus Rico. The two guided the Patriots to their first West Valley League title in 20 years, followed by a sixth City Open Division title. Here’s a look at why they are the coaches of the year.

St. John Bosco is No. 1 in The Times’ final top 25 rankings. Here’s a look.

Liliana Escobar is The Times’ softball player of the year.

(Dylan Stewart)

Liliana Escobar was the pitcher to watch all season, and she helped JSerra win their first Southern Section Division 1 softball championship. She is The Times’ player of the year. Here’s a look at what she accomplished.

Softball coach Katie Stith of JSerra is The Times’ coach of the year for 2026.

(JSerra)

When it comes to future college softball players, The Times’ all-star team is filled to capacity. Here’s a look at the All-Star team.

The coach of the year is JSerra’s Katie Stith. Here’s a look how she built the Lions into a champion.

Here are the final rankings for The Times produced by CalHiSports.com.

Regional champs

Jared Grindlinger, center, stands with his older brothers Trent, left, and Bradley after Huntington Beach’s 5-3 win over San Diego Cathedral in the Southern California Regional Division I final on June 6, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

It’s the end of an era at Huntington Beach, where three Grindlingers made an impact on and off the baseball diamond and the final one, Jared, saved the best for last, delivering a two-run home run and getting the final out so the Oilers could win the Southern California Division I regional title over Cathedral Catholic 5-3. Here’s the report.

The example Jared set, ignoring that he’s going to be a first-round draft pick next month and deciding to play with his best friends to the very last game, will be long remembered by Oiler faithful.

Another Sunset League team, Newport Harbor, won the Division II regional title with UC Santa Barbara-bound Gavin Guy leading the way on the mound.

Then there was Glendora rallying to win the Division III championship over Kaiser. North Torrance won Division IV with Sei Nagashima going four for four in the final.

Verdugo Hills appeared headed to the Division V final with a 5-1 lead over Roosevelt in the bottom of the sixth. That’s when a rundown play happened, and both benches emptied. Both schools were disqualified from playing in the final. Under CIF rules, players are not allowed to leave the bench. They faced a one-game suspension. Coast Academy in Oceanside was awarded the title.

In softball, San Bernardino won Division V over Arroyo Valley. Riverside Prep took Division II.

Steve Baik is back

Steve Baik coaching Chino Hills in 2015.

(Los Angeles Times)

Steve Baik, who guided Chino Hills to an unbeaten basketball season in 2015-16 when the Ball brothers were playing, is returning to high school basketball as the new head coach at Calabasas.

Here’s the report.

Quarterback Ford Green of Westlake.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Let the summer football action begin, and one player to watch is sophomore quarterback Ford Green of Westlake. Here’s a profile of a rising inquarterback who earned an Ohio State scholarship offer this spring.

There will be extensive passing tournaments in June and July. Saugus is hosting its annual tournament at Central Park on June 20 beginning at 4 p.m.. Simi Valley has its tournament on June 27. The Edison Battle at the Beach is July 11. Ocean View has its own tournament on that day. The Mission Viejo tournament is July 18.

Gardena Serra is hosting weekly seven-on-seven competitions on Wednesdays beginning June 17 with some great teams dropping by.

Chaminade won the Western tournament last weekend.

Nike has relaunched The Opening, which will be held June 24-26 in Oregon.

Basketball

The Section 7 boys and girls tournaments will be in Mesa, Ariz. The boys tournament is June 20-22 and the girls June 13-14.

The Boys Cal Live tournament is June 26-28 in Rocklin. The Girls Cal Live tournament is June 18-20 in Ladera.

The annual Fairfax tournament will be June 15-20 at Fairfax High.

Prep talk

The final week of the 2025-26 sports season offers a look at people making a difference.

City Section hurdles champion Jayden Rendon with his mother, Denise.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Here’s Carson hurdler Jayden Rendon leaving for USC as a hometown hero.

The Rams donated equipment and other football materials to LAUSD, which sent them to 69 high schools in the district.

(Angelo HS)

Here’s a look at the Rams donating football equipment to 69 Los Angeles Unified School District teams.

Here’s a look at the Clausen brothers creating youth flag football league for boys and girs.

Notes . . .

The Bonita and Murrieta Mesa softball teams are facing sanctions from the CIF after pulling out of the regional softball playoffs and having to forfeit their opening games. Each had the option of opting out but didn’t and are especially in trouble for not pulling out before seedings were made. Doubtful either will be invited to next year’s state playoffs when the first state championship in softball will be held…

David Armendariz is the new baseball coach at Sierra Canyon. He’s been an assistant the last three years and was a standout player at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and played briefly in MLB with Cleveland….

Warren Snyder is the new boys water polo coach at Agoura…

John Gabriel is the new girls lacrosse coach at St. Margaret’s….

James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake has been named the Gatorade state player of the year in baseball….

Offensive lineman Amaziah Siale of Mission Viejo has committed to Cal….

Point guard Earl Bryson is leaving JSerra for Crean Lutheran, which returns two top guards….

Mater Dei’s basketball team has added two large transfers, 6-9 Ryan Doane from JSerra and 6-11 Ender Berg from Legacy Christian….

The Southern Section has decided not to move from its office in Los Alamitos and will remodel to handle its additional employees approved by membership….

Corona Santiago pitcher Striker Pence announced he has reclassified to become part of the class of 2027….

Justin Torres is out as baseball coach at West Covina….

Joe Wyatt, who coached El Camino Real and Sun Valley Poly to City Section basketball championships, has resigned at Poly to become head coach at rival North Hollywood….

Bob Hart, Burbank’s longtime baseball coach, is no longer head coach….

Girls point guard Madison McDonald from Westlake has committed to Arizona Western….

Sierra Canyon has hired Camarillo coach Michaeltore Smith to be its first flag football coach. He had great success coaching quarterbacks, and he’ll have the best this season in Orange Lutheran transfer Makena Cook….

The high school football transfer portal is about to gain more steam with school out and players switching before the fall semester. Here’s the list that keeps growing…

Nick Hernandez is the new baseball coach at Glendale….

Infielder Justin Lopez from Villa Park has committed to Cal State Fullerton.

From the archives: Nate Castellon

Nate Castellon, a former Calabasas shortstop, helped Cal Poly reach the Super Regionals. He entered this week as the team’s second-leading hitter with a .328 batting average, including 14 doubles.

The sophomore has been as consistent as he was at Calabasas, where he hit .500 his senior year. He was a freshman All-American for the Mustangs.

Here’s a story from 2023 when he hit a grand slam.

Recommendations

From The562.org, a story on Anthony Razo, the new Lakewood baseball coach who’s agreed to replace the legendary Spud O’Neil.

From Yahoo, a story on New Mexico nearing a final decision to allow one free transfer for high school athletes.

From Ouresquina.com, a story on former Cypress and current USC shortstop Abbrie Covarrubias and his Latino background.

From Texashsfootball, a story on a school district spending $6 million to cover a sports facility to help with hot weather.

Summer vacation

Prep Rally will be taking the next couple of weeks off. Everyone enjoy your break — if you get one. And if you don’t, please find a way for a day off or two to refresh, regroup and prepare for 2026-27.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Katie Stith, the softball coach at JSerra High, can finally take a bow and become the most famous Stith in the family — at least for a couple weeks.

Imagine being the daughter of legendary club softball coach Mike Stith (OC Batbusters), then going into coaching. Katie did just that and has earned the spotlight after guiding JSerra to its first Southern Section Division 1 championship.

She has been selected The Times’ coach of the year for 2026.

It was her eighth season, and if you want to play in Division 1 in Southern California, you have to go through the gauntlet of powerhouses, from Norco to Orange Lutheran to Murrieta Mesa.

JSerra navigated a difficult regular-season schedule, then avoided upsets in the playoffs. The team finished 25-8 and had wins over Norco, La Mirada, Oaks Christian, Orange Lutheran and Garden Grove Pacifica — all prominent programs.

She was able to rely on pitcher Liliana Escobar and catcher Annabel Raftery in those pressure-packed moments from the first game to the last.

When her team needed her the most, JSerra High pitcher Liliana Escobar delivered a gritty 12-strikeout effort in the Southern Section Division 1 finals against La Mirada, leading the Lions to a 3-2 win and their first CIF title.

Her ability to rise to the occasion time and again while playing in the highest division is why Escobar is The Times’ high school softball player of the year, and no one is more proud of the senior than JSerra head coach Katie Stith.

“Liliana’s one of the best players I’ve ever coached,” Stith said. “She’s talented, of course, but what stands out is the type of teammate she is. She’s so wise for her age and always made it a point to look out for the team. She wanted to win for them.”

Escobar did her fair share of winning in her prep career. She had 14 victories as a junior was selected the Division 2 player of the year after posting a 1.20 earned-run average while striking out 239 batters in 140 innings. This spring she improved to 18-5 and gave up only 26 earned runs with 264 strikeouts and 47 walks in 153 innings pitched. She signed with the University of Florida on Nov. 12, one month after committing to one of the most successful SEC programs.

“What she’s accomplished the last two years is just incredible,” Stith said of Escobar, who plays travel ball for the OC Batbusters. “After battling an injury and having to sit out her sophomore season she could’ve let that defeat her, but she fought hard to be at her best.”

Escobar recorded 10 or more strikeouts 15 times this season and outdueled Orange Lutheran ace Rylee Silva twice in Trinity League action, but perhaps her most impressive performance was a three-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals against defending champion Norco — her second win in three outings versus the Cougars this spring.

She threw a five-hitter in the Lions’ playoff opener against Yucaipa and lasted all eight innings with 10 strikeouts in a 5-4 triumph over Ayala in the second round. She struck out 10 again and gave up only three hits in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Garden Grove Pacifica.

“Liliana becomes so courageous and competitive when she gets in the circle,” Stith added. “She believes in herself and executes every pitch, trusting the coaches every step of the way. I’m grateful for the time I got to spend coaching her and the example she set for those to follow. This is just the beginning for her. … I think she’ll do great things for the Gators.”

OKLAHOMA CITY — Teagan Kavan struck out five in the final two innings to back a strong start from Citlaly Gutierrez, and Kayden Henry homered to lead Texas to a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech on Thursday night at the Women’s College World Series for a second straight national championship.

Texas trailed 1-0 after four innings, but a bases-loaded throwing error by shortstop Hailey Toney allowed two unearned runs to score in the fifth for a 2-1 lead.

Henry homered off Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady — in her final collegiate game — to begin the seventh and Leighann Goode singled to drive in the final run.

Gutierrez (11-3) allowed one run on three hits in 4⅓ innings. Kavan notched her fifth save.

Canady (29-7) went the distance and allowed four runs — two earned — on eight hits with three walks.

Lauren Allred had an RBI single in the third to put Texas Tech up 1-0.

Coach Mike White led Texas to the school’s second title in his eighth season.

Second-year coach Gerry Glasgo has led the Red Raiders to their only two WCWS appearances. Texas Tech fell 7-3 in the opener.

Texas won the rubber game of the three-game series against Texas Tech last season to claim its first title.

CIF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BASEBALL REGIONALS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Semifinals

DIVISION I

#8 San Diego Cathedral at #5 La Mirada, Friday at 4 p.m.

#7 Huntington Beach 11, #3 Corona 3

DIVISION II

#4 Bakersfield Christian 5, #8 Arroyo Grande 0

#2 Newport Harbor 11, #3 Point Loma 6

DIVISION III

#8 Kaiser 7, #4 Helix 4

#6 Westview at #2 Glendora, Friday at 4 p.m.

DIVISION IV

#8 South El Monte at #5 Francis Parker, Friday at 4 p.m.

#7 North Torrance 7, #3 Central Valley Christian 0

DIVISION V

#5 LA Roosevelt at #1 Verdugo Hills (double forfeit)

#2 Coastal Academy 5, #3 Schurr 2

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Finals

DIVISION I

#7 Huntington Beach vs. #8 San Diego Cathedral or #5 La Mirada

DIVISION II

#4 Bakersfield Christian at #2 Newport Harbor, 2 p.m.

DIVISION III

#8 Kaiser at #6 Westview or #2 Glendora

DIVISION IV

#7 North Torrance vs. #5 Francis Parker or #8 South El Monte

DIVISION V

#2 Coastal Academy wins by forfeit

CIF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SOFTBALL REGIONALS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Semifinals

DIVISION I

#1 Chula Vista Mater Dei 7, #5 Point Loma 4

#2 La Habra 8, #6 St. Paul 7

DIVISION II

#1 Riverside Prep 4, #5 Redwood 3

#6 Garces Memorial at #2 Great Oak, Friday at 4 p.m.

DIVISION III

#4 Hanford West 5, #8 Mission College Prep 4

#3 Grace at #2 Helix, Friday at 12 p.m.

DIVISION IV

#5 Grossmont at #1 San Diego Madison, Friday at 4 p.m.

#2 Woodlake 13, #3 Irvine 0

DIVISION V

#1 Arroyo Valley 12, #5 La Jolla 8

#6 San Bernardino 18, #2 South East 2

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Finals

DIVISION I

#2 La Habra at #1 Chula Vista Mater Dei

DIVISION II

#6 Garces Memorial or #2 Great Oak at #1 Riverside Prep

DIVISION III

#4 Hanford at #3 Grace or #2 Helix

DIVISION IV

#2 Woodlake vs. #1 Madison or #5 Grossmont

DIVISION V

#6 San Bernardino at #1 Arroyo Valley

CIF SOCAL SOFTBALL REGIONALS
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
First Round

DIVISION I
#1 Chula Vista Mater Dei, bye
#5 Point Loma 10, #4 Whittier Christian 1
#6 St. Paul def. #3 Murrieta Mesa, forfeit
#2 La Habra def. #7 Bonita, forfeit

DIVISION II
#2 Riverside Prep 1, #8 Del Norte 0
#5 Redwood at #4 Birmingham, Wednesday at 3 p.m.
#6 Garces Memorial 3, #3 Oxnard 0
#2 Great Oak 9, #7 El Capitan 4

DIVISION III
#8 Mission College Prep 4, #1 Venice 2
#4 Hanford West 19, #5 Eagle Rock 1
#3 Grace 9, #6 Brawley 3
#2 Helix 14, #7 Covina 7

DIVISION IV
#1 San Diego Madison 10, #9 Arleta 4
#5 Grossmont 7, #4 Arroyo 4
#3 Irvine 8, #6 Avenal 7
#2 Woodlake 8, #7 Edgewood 4

DIVISION V
#1 Arroyo Valley, bye
#5 La Jolla 16, #4 Franklin 3
#6 San Bernardino 9, #3 Monte Vista 6
#2 South East, bye

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)
Semifinals

DIVISION I
#5 Point Loma at #1 Chula Vista Mater Dei
#6 St. Paul at #2 La Habra

DIVISION II
#5 Redwood / #4 Birmingham at #1 Riverside Prep
#6 Garces Memorial at #2 Great Oak

DIVISION III
#8 Mission College Prep at #4 Hanford West
#3 Grace at #2 Helix

DIVISION IV
#5 Grossmont at #1 San Diego Madison
#3 Irvine at #2 Woodlake

DIVISION V
#5 La Jolla vs. #1 Arroyo Valley, Wednesday at San Gorgonio
#6 San Bernardino at #2 South East

Note: Finals in all divisions Saturday, June 6 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds.

UCLA’s Megan Grant is just like every other college senior her age.

Sure, it might not seem like it from the outside looking in. After all, how can someone who has hit 89 home runs across her college career — one short of the Bruins’ record — and helped one of softball’s most dynamic offensive teams check off a list of new NCAA and program records relate to the other sociology majors in her classes at UCLA?

Grant disappears into her head sometimes, something she readily acknowledges. But her solution might not be as accessible to all the other “Twilight”-binging, video-game-loving UCLA students. She has coach Kelly Inouye-Perez keep her, the Division I home run queen, from getting caught up in the moment.

“She does a really great job with just keeping me neutral,” Grant said. “Sometimes I may get in a little crazy headspace, but she does a really great job helping me get out of those feelings that I’m stuck in, and she pulls me out and makes me realize, ‘Hey, as long as I can be who I am, that’s enough.’”

UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, left, confers with associate head coach Lisa Fernandez next to infielder Jordan Woolery during NCAA reigonal game on May 15.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Inouye-Perez and assistant coach Lisa Fernandez are some of the Bruins’ biggest keys to success as the team prepares for the start of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. The Bruins will face Texas Tech at 4 p.m. PDT Sunday in a game airing on ESPN.

UCLA closed its super regional with a single-season home run record (200) and a record for WCWS appearances (34).

Grant is no stranger to the work necessary to see that level of success. But even in her rare bad at-bats and struggles, Inouye-Perez and Fernandez allow her the space to fail. After all, there are nine places in the lineup. One person alone isn’t indicative of UCLA’s wins or losses, Inouye-Perez says.

“We really focus on succeeding and learning how to fail, so they can just get to the next pitch,” Inouye-Perez said. “We talk about the ability to slow the game down, to take deep breaths, to be able to enjoy the moment. It’s not on any one Bruin.”

That mentality doesn’t exist in a void. Inouye-Perez and Fernandez worked in tandem to create the powerhouse team, which is in the midst of one of the best offensive seasons in D1 softball history.

Inouye-Perez is in her 20th year coaching the Bruins and is the only NCAA softball player to win a championship as a player and a coach. She led the 2010 and 2019 teams to those titles. Meanwhile, Fernandez, in her 28th year coaching at UCLA and her fourth as associate coach, has taken primary responsibility for hitting — one of the Bruins’ biggest keys to success. The team leads the nation in batting average (.385), RBIs per game (10.38) and on-base percentage (.496).

“Me and her, we’re workhorses,” Grant said of Fernandez. “We work all day after practice hours together, and it just means the world. You can tell that she loves the game and her little nuggets that she teaches me.”

The Bruins’ success in the batter’s box also has helped raise the tide of a team that could’ve fallen into many pitfalls. The team has only one main pitcher, Taylor Tinsley, who’s spent the most time in the circle in the NCAA tournament with 29-1/3 innings pitched. The Bruins are also young. Of the 21 players on the roster, only eight are seniors, redshirt juniors or juniors.

Seniors Jordan Woolery and Grant are one pace to break NCAA records, but the underclassmen aren’t far behind. Redshirt freshman Aleena Garcia set a single-game RBI record (7) when she hit two three-run homers in UCLA’s 14-4 win over Central Florida in the Super Regional.

Much like Inouye-Perez, Fernandez’s best attribute is her ability to be a sounding board for Grant.

“You get her enthusiasm too,” Grant said. “If you mess up, she’s always there to have your back. She celebrates your wins as well, and she gets very ecstatic about it. It almost makes me laugh, because it makes things so much more fun. She just brings that out of people.”

Even when teams lose to UCLA and Fernandez, it’s still a positive experience for some.

UCLA associate head coach Lisa Fernandez huddles near the mound with starting pitcher Taylor Tinsley (23) during the fifth inning of a comeback win over California Baptist. The Lancers scored 10 runs in the fifth, but Tinsley bounced back from outing.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Central Florida coach Cindy Ball-Malone considered Fernandez one of the best softball players ever, calling her the Michael Jordan of the sport. But what makes her truly impressive, Ball-Malone said, is that Fernandez is an even better coach.

“She’s just a winner,” Ball-Malone said. “I kind of just want to rub up on her or something to get that mojo because she’s got it. Her attention to detail, her belief in the smallest things, that’s why she is so good at what she does.”

It’s no wonder then why so many people, regardless of team affiliation, want to see UCLA’s coaches in person.

If you’re a part of the Bruins, you get to learn from people who have brought the school championships. And, if you’re trying to beat UCLA, there’s no better accomplishment than saying you beat Inouye-Perez and Fernandez’s record-breaking team.

“[Fernandez is] going to push you, and it might be uncomfortable, but dang it, you have no choice but to get better,” Ball-Malone said. “If you can get through her, you can get through anybody, and I’m going to learn from that so I can bring that to this program.”

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jordan Woolery nearly saved UCLA’s season Sunday night at the Women’s College World Series. She lined a single up the middle in the ninth inning off former teammate Kaitlyn Terry to score Rylee Slimp from second base and pull the Bruins within a run of Texas Tech.

But Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady replaced Terry in the circle and retired the final two batters, stranding Megan Grant at second in UCLA’s 8-7 season-ending loss.

Woolery, the nation’s RBIs leader, homered twice and drove in five runs for UCLA (53-10), which got nine innings and 181 pitches from workhorse Taylor Tinsley.

The Bruins struggled to gain traction against Terry, who joined Texas Tech following last season’s exit from the WCWS. Terry replaced Canady in the third inning and retired 10 of the first 11 batters she faced.

But in the seventh, UCLA scored three runs to force extra innings. Pinch-hitter Ramsey Suarez ignited the rally with a 270-foot home run to left field off Terry. Facing Canady, pinch-hitter Jazmine Leyva singled down the right-field line. Two batters later, Woolery blasted a 267-foot homer over the center-field wall to tie the score.

Despite the late heroics, it wasn’t enough to keep UCLA’s season alive. Texas Tech (59-8) will play Alabama (56-7) Monday at 4 p.m. PT.

Pitcher Violet Ascencio struck out 13 to lead Venice High to a 7-2 win over Eagle Rock in the City Section Division I softball championship game on Saturday.

Abilgail Ascencio had two doubles and finished with three hits.

Players held up a photo of the late Angelo Gasca, Venice’s football coach who also helped coach softball.

Division II

Arleta 11, Marshall 0: Naomi Tachin struck out four, walked none and led Arleta to the Division II title. Adriana Vasquez went four for four and Brenda Aguilar hit two doubles and finished with three RBIs.

Division IV

Franklin 17, Huntington Park 5: The Panthers, seeded No. 14, used their bats to become Division IV champions. Kamila Sanchez had three hits and five RBIs, including two doubles and a triple.

Southern Section

Division 4

Oxnard 3, Mission Viejo 1: Rachel Godoy hit a dramatic three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead Oxnard. Destinee Herrera threw a complete game.

Division 5

Irvine Northwood 11, Grace Brethren 1: Freshman Olivia Chen threw a two-hitter for Northwood, which went from missing the playoffs last season to Division 5 champions.

Division 3

Riverside Prep 4, Great Oak 3: Lila Morris threw a complete game, and Riverside Prep took advantage of two errors in the fifth inning to win the Division 3 title. Graclyn Necochea struck out 10 for Great Oak.

Division 8

Arroyo Valley 8, San Bernardino 5: Jaylin Casillas contributed three hits and two RBIs for Arroyo Valley. Aylssa Arredondo had four RBIs for San Bernardino.

CITY SECTION SOFTBALL FiNALS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

At Legacy

OPEN DIVISION

#2 Carson 12, #1 Granada Hills 1

DIVISION III

#5 South East 13, #15 Reseda 2

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Birmingham

DIVISION I

#1 Venice vs. #6 Eagle Rock, 2 p.m.

DIVISION II

#1 LA Marshall vs. #6 Arleta, 11 a.m.

DIVISION IV

#4 Huntington Park vs. #14 Franklin, 11:30 a.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL FINALS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

At Cal State Fullerton

DIVISION 1

St. John Bosco 2, Norco 0

DIVISION 9

Webb 12, Rolling Hills Prep 6

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Cal State Fullerton

DIVISION 4

Glendora vs. Laguna Beach, 7:30 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Brentwood vs. Covina, 4 p.m.

DIVISION 3

Mira Costa vs. Agoura, 1 p.m.

DIVISION 7

North Torrance vs. South El Monte

At Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter

DIVISION 2

Ganesha vs. Loyola, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION 8

Rancho Alamitos vs. Schurr, 2 p.m.

DIVISION 5

Kaiser vs. Culver City, 11 a.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

At Bill Barber Park, Irvine

Thursday’s Results

DIVISION 7

Edgewood 4, Ramona Convent 1

DIVISION 6

Irvine 15, Arroyo 2

Friday’s Schedule

DIVISION 1

La Mirada vs. JSerra, 7 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Whittier Christian vs. Mater Dei, 4 p.m.

Saturday’s Schedule

DIVISION 3

Riverside Prep vs. Great Oak, 7 p.m.

DIVISION 4

Mission Viejo at Oxnard, 4 p.m.

DIVISION 5

Grace vs. Northwood, 10 a.m.

DIVISION 8

Arroyo Valley vs. San Bernardino, 1 p.m.

CITY SECTION FINALS

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Legacy

OPEN DIVISION

#1 Granada Hills vs. #2 Carson, 6:30 p.m.

DIVISION III

#5 South East vs. #15 Reseda, 4 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Birmingham

DIVISION I

#1 Venice vs. #6 Eagle Rock, 2 p.m.

DIVISION II

#1 L.A. Marshall vs. #6 Arleta, 11 a.m.

DIVISION IV

#4 Huntington Park vs. #14 Franklin, 11:30 a.m.

CITY SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
Wednesday’s Results
SEMIFINALS

OPEN DIVISION
#1 Granada Hills 12, #4 San Pedro 9
#2 Carson 12, #3 Birmingham 2

DIVISION I
#1 Venice 7, #4 Chatsworth 2
#6 Eagle Rock 5, #10 Verdugo Hills 4

DIVISION II
#1 LA Marshall 5, #5 Sylmar 4
#6 Arleta 8, #18 Taft 5

DIVISION III
#5 South East 16, #9 Palisades 8
#15 Reseda 20, #11 Westchester 9

DIVISION IV
#4 Huntington Park 23, #16 Vaughn 2
#14 Franklin 5, #18 Diego Rivera 3

Note: Finals in all divisions May 29-30 (sites and times TBA).

The Granada Hills and Carson softball programs know each other so well they might as well put on their MaxPreps schedule before the season a date for their annual game to decide the City Section Open Division championship.

It’s happening for a fourth consecutive season Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Legacy High in South Gate. Last season, Granada Hills ended a three-game losing streak to the Colts.

On Wednesday, both teams won their semifinal games. Granada Hills’ No. 1 and No. 2 batters in the lineup, Elysse Diaz and Zoe Justman, had big games in a 12-9 win over San Pedro. They combined to go five for eight with five RBIs. Justman had a home run. Gina Evangelista hit an inside-the-park grand slam.

San Pedro scored five runs in the seventh to give the Highlanders a little scare.

At Carson, the Colts came away with a 12-2 semifinal win over Birmingham. Sophomore Anaiyah Popoalii had a home run, double and three RBIs. Olivia Lomeli went three for four with three RBIs. Pitcher Isabella Campos threw a complete game.

UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez expected sophomore Rylee Slimp to deliver under pressure.

Slimp earned first-team all-Big Ten honors as the leadoff hitter for a Bruins team that features slugging stars Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery. She leads a group of underclassmen who helped send UCLA to the Women’s College World Series.

“I have seen Rylee Slimp just play big from travel ball to big moments in high school, and she came here to play on this big stage,” Inouye-Perez said. “I think her biggest asset, besides the fact that she can hit a home run, is that she can hit to all areas of the field, and she has such a good eye.

“I think she wanted to be in this position this year. She wanted to be the leadoff and be an impact player.”

The Austin, Texas, native is hitting .428 with 16 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 94 runs. Slimp broke Natasha Watley’s UCLA single-season runs record of 75, set in 2001, with 94 runs so far this season.

The following interview with Slimp ahead of the Bruins’ WCWS opener against No. 1 seed Alabama on Thursday has been edited for length and clarity.

How do you feel about being recognized by national media, including ESPN, for your role in UCLA’s a lineup?

Slimp: It’s surreal. We’ve broken records and accomplished so much as an offense this year. I’m grateful to be the leadoff and for all of the publicity we’re receiving.

How did you get started playing softball?

Slimp: I played T-ball. My dad gave me lessons and stuff on hitting when I was four. My dad was the one who taught me everything from a young age and kind of grew with me through the sport, and as I got older.

What inspired you to continue to work at softball so that you can compete at UCLA?

Slimp: It was this dream I had when I was a little girl, just starting off playing. I always looked up to the girls playing in the College World Series, and I knew that was a dream of mine very early on.

What was your first contact with the UCLA coaching staff while you were in high school and how did that impact your decision to join the Bruins?

Slimp: Coach Lisa [Fernandez] saw me play at a tournament the summer of my sophomore year. It was right before Sept. 1st and all of that big recruiting stuff. So it happened pretty late in the process with UCLA for me. Coach Lisa saw me play a tournament, and then a few days later, I was out of camp and it kind of took off after that. … I canceled all the other [visits] that I had, and I was like, ‘Oh, I know that this is the place for me, like, I don’t want to be anywhere else.’

What has helped the younger players on this year’s team stay calm under pressure?

Slimp: We do have a new team. We have 10 returners and 10 new Bruins. So we are pretty young as a team. … I think the upperclassmen like Taylor [Tinsley] and Megan [Grant], the seniors, do a good job of sharing their wisdom and helping us grow.

What is something they have taught you?

Slimp: I think, honestly, that the game isn’t as deep as we make it. I think sometimes, as underclassmen, we can make it the end of the world if we go 0 for 3 in a game or we have a bad outing. … The game is meant to be fun, and you’re supposed to enjoy it.

What’s the story behind the Michael Jackson glove the team has been passing around the dugout and featuring on social media?

Slimp: We went and saw the [Michael Jackson] movie as a team. I think 12 of us went, something like that, and since then we’ve just been obsessed with all things Michael Jackson. … We got the gloves. We are doing the second base [celebrations.] We are all things Michael Jackson right now after that movie.

Who bought the glove?

Slimp: That’s a good question because I actually don’t know the answer. I think most of our props and stuff just pop up. I think the [stress ball in the shape of] butter started with [Tinsley] because she’s really into stress balls. … But the home run boxing gloves came from Coach Lisa [Fernandez] and her boxing analogy.

We have a team motto that we’re like boxers. … That’s been the vibe and motto of this team this year to symbolize that. … One of the girl’s sisters bedazzled them, so they are wearing bedazzled boxing gloves that we put around our necks, whoever hits a home run.

Being from Texas, do you have an opinion on what’s better — Whataburger or In-n-Out?

Slimp: I need to be careful how I answer this question because I need to know my audience here, but y’all take your In-N-Out very seriously. I do have to say, I do like In-N-Out more.

What about Texas tacos versus Los Angeles tacos?

Slimp: Oh, yeah, I can talk tacos. The tacos in Texas are definitely better because we have flour tortillas, and apparently, flour tortillas aren’t a thing in California.

What is your go-to taco?

Slimp: I love steak fajita with flour tortilla, of course, cheese, and guac. And honestly, that’s it. I’m pretty simple.

The number of high school baseball and softball teams in Southern California not wanting to participate in the regional playoffs next week continues to grow. The question is: Next season, when there are state championships held in the two sports, will there be fewer opt outs?

“I would think so,” said Brian Seymour, associate executive director of the CIF.

The City Section Open Division baseball champion, Birmingham, and runner-up, El Camino Real, both passed on the regional playoffs. Three of the four Division 1 semifinalists — Norco, Harvard-Westlake and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame — also opted out. In Southern Section softball, the two Division 1 finalists, JSerra and La Mirada, are ending their seasons on Friday.

Travel ball begins in June, and that’s the big roadblock for softball, with many coaches and players participating. Next season, the state championships would be held the first weekend of June, the same dates as this year’s regional finals, so solving the softball dilemma remains uncertain.

“We’ve heard the comment from a number of different coaches [that] once we go to a state tournament, they were more inclined to make it work,” Seymour said. “Softball may take a little longer to come around. The power of representing your community and school is a little bit more than playing for your fifth travel team.”

But players invest thousands of dollars in club softball and coaches make good summer money in travel ball.

Seymour said multiple sites are under consideration in Southern California and Northern California to host the state championships.

He’s hopeful both will catch on like swimming did when the CIF first had state championships.

“We have everybody in swimming now, where the first year was hit and miss,” he said.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.