Home Run Chase Softball

College softball is experiencing a home run chase reminiscent of the epic showdown between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa nearly 30 years ago. Laura Espinoza's 1995 record of 37 homers is under threat. Oklahoma's Kendall Wells leads with 36, while UCLA teammates Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery have 35 and 33, respectively. Teams are breaking records, with UCLA and Oklahoma each hitting 173 home runs this season. As conference tournaments approach, these players have a chance to make history. The national average of 0.80 home runs per game is set to surpass the 2015 record of 0.77.

UCLA slugger Megan Grant has set the single-season home run record for Division I softball. She hit her 38th of the season on Saturday. Grant drove an 0-2 pitch from Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm deep to left-center field for a solo home run, giving UCLA a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the Big Ten Championship Game. The senior broke the record she shared for one day with Arizona’s Laura Espinoza, who hit 37 home runs in 1995. Grant had tied the record on Friday. Nebraska defeated UCLA 7-2 to win the conference championship.

The Southeastern Conference received six of the top eight seeds in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship when the 64-team field was revealed on Sunday, including Alabama at No. 1, defending national champion Texas at No. 2 and Oklahoma at No. 3. The SEC got 12 of its 15 teams into the field. Regional play begins Friday, with the top 16 seeds hosting. The eight teams advancing from super regionals will compete in the Women's College World Series starting May 28 in Oklahoma City. Texas returns pitcher Teagan Kavan, the most outstanding player in last year's Women's College World Series.