The No. 6 seed UCLA Bruins softball team (42-10) makes its NCAA-record 32nd Women's College World Series appearance this week, beginning with a matchup against No. 14 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (38-18) on Thursday.
The Crimson Tide have had a fair share of struggles through the regular season, finishing under .500 in SEC play for the first time in program history. They rediscovered momentum in the NCAA tournament, though, sweeping the winners bracket of the Tuscaloosa Regional before smashing out No. 3 seed Tennessee in the Knoxville Super Regional to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City for a second straight season.
Alabama are up against a UCLA team who are the reigning Pac-12 champions and are currently riding high off the back a 13-game winning streak. In the NCAA regional round, they swept the winners bracket of the Los Angeles regional, which included Virginia Tech, Grand Canyon, and San Diego State.
Below, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the upcoming UCLA vs Alabama game.
UCLA vs. Alabama: Date and First-Pitch Time
The UCLA Bruins and the Alabama Crimson Tide will face in a high-voltage NCAA Softball match on Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 12 p.m. ET/ 9 a.m. PT, at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
| Date | Thursday, May 30, 2024 |
| Time | 12 p.m. ET/ 9 a.m. PT |
| Venue | Devon Park |
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
How to watch UCLA vs. Alabama Online - TV Channels and Live Streams
Fans in the USA can catch all the actions of the thrilling NCAA Softball game between UCLA and Alabama on the ESPN+ streaming platform. The entirety of the WCWS will be televised on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
UCLA vs. Alabama Team News & Key Performers
UCLA Bruins
UCLA are led by back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team catcher Sharlize Palacios. Brady leads the team with a .431 batting average and has recorded a league-high 68 RBI's and 58 runs scored. She is hitting .667 in the postseason (6-for-9 with two doubles and four RBI). Palacios is batting .444 (.583 on-base, 1.444 slugging), going 4-for-9 with three home runs and nine RBI.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama's offense is led by outfielder Kristen White, who has a .326 batting average, and shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan, who has 29 RBIs. Riley Valentine has been a vital cog for the Crimson Tide over the course of the postseason, including a grand slam to propel Alabama to a Game 3 4-1 victory over Tennessee to secure a berth in the Women's College World Series. Kayla Beaver and Jocelyn Briski have a combined ERA of 1.91 from the circle.
Head-to-Head Records
This is the fourth meeting between Alabama and UCLA in the Women's College World Series.