The 1996 UCLA Bruins softball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1996 NCAA Division I softball season. The Bruins were coached by Sharron Backus, who led her twenty-second season and Sue Enquist, in her eighth season, in an uncommonly used co-head coach system. The Bruins played their home games at Easton Stadium and finished with a record of 47–11. They competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished thirdd with a 20–7 record.

The Bruins were invited to the 1996 NCAA Division I softball tournament, where they won the Regional to advance to the Women's College World Series. They finished tied for third place with wins against and and losses to eventual champion Arizona and runner-up Washington.

Personnel

Roster 1996 UCLA Bruins roster Pitchers 4 - Kaci Clark - Senior 10 - B'Ann Burns - Junior

Catchers 5 - Sandra Burkey - Junior 32 - Julie Marshall - FreshmanInfielders 1 - Nicole Odom - Junior 8 - Kelly Howard - Senior 14 - Alleah Poulson - Junior 18 - Julie Adams - Freshman 19 - Kim Wuest - Sophomore

Utility 13 - Lesley Feldman - Freshman 22 - Nikki Barbieri - Junior Outfielders 3 - Laurie Fritz - Sophomore 6 - Nicole Ochoa - Junior 11 - Ginny Mike-Mitchell - Senior 44 - Christie Ambrosi - Freshman

Coaches 1996 UCLA Bruins softball coaching staffSharron Backus - co-Head coach - 22nd season Sue Enquist - co-Head coach - 8th season Kelly Inouye - Assistant Coach - 3rd season Lisa Fernandez - Assistant Coach - 1st season

Schedule Legend UCLA win UCLA loss * Non-Conference game

1996 UCLA Bruins softball game logRegular seasonJanuary/February Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Jan 27 * No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 9–0 1–0 Jan 27 Loyola Marymount* No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 5–4 2–0 Feb 4 No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 2–1 3–0 1–0 Feb 4 Stanford No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 11–1 4–0 2–0 Feb 10 No. 10 No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 7–0 5–0 3–0 Feb 10 No. 10 California No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 2–5 5–1 3–1 Feb 13 at * No. 1 Caesar Uyesaka Stadium • Santa Barbara, CA W 1–0 6–1 Feb 13 at UC Santa Barbara* No. 1 Caesar Uyesaka Stadium • Santa Barbara, CA W 12–0 7–1 Feb 24 at No. 3 * No. 1 Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA W 4–1 8–1 Feb 24 at No. 3 Fresno State* No. 1 Bulldog Diamond • Fresno, CA L 4–5 8–2 March Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Mar 2 * No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA(Reebok Invitational) W 9–0 9–2 Mar 2 Ohio State* No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA(Reebok Invitational) W 13–0 10–2 Mar 3 * No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA(Reebok Invitational) W 10–2 11–2 Mar 3 Oregon State* No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA(Reebok Invitational) W 11–3 12–2 Mar 8 vs * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 6–3 13–2 Mar 8 vs * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 10–1 14–2 Mar 8 at * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 8–0 15–2 Mar 9 vs * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 9–0 16–2 Mar 9 vs * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 9–0 17–2 Mar 10 vs * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 5–1 18–2 Mar 10 vs No. 13 * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 4–0 19–2 Mar 10 vs * No. 1 USF Softball Stadium • Tampa, FL(Speedline/USF Softball Classic) W 2–1 20–2 Mar 14 No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 3–4 20–3 4–1 Mar 14 Arizona State No. 1 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 3–0 21–3 5–1 Mar 23 No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–2 22–3 6–1 Mar 23 Oregon No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–2 23–3 7–1 Mar 24 * No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 3–1 24–3 Mar 24 San Diego State* No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 5–2 25–3 Mar 26 Oregon State No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 8–0 26–3 8–1 Mar 26 Oregon State No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 10–1 27–3 9–1 Mar 29 at No. 1 Arizona No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 4–5 27–4 9–2 Mar 29 at No. 1 Arizona No. 2 Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 0–5 27–5 9–3April Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record Apr 6 No. 2 Washington No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 1–4 27–6 9–4 Apr 6 No. 2 Washington No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–3 28–6 10–4 Apr 13 No. 1 Arizona No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 3–5 28–7 10–5 Apr 13 No. 1 Arizona No. 3 Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 1–5 28–8 10–6 Apr 20 at No. 24 Arizona State No. 4 Sun Devil Club Stadium • Tempe, AZ W 5–0 29–8 11–6 Apr 20 at No. 24 Arizona State No. 4 Sun Devil Club Stadium • Tempe, AZ W 16–3 30–8 12–6 Apr 23 at * No. 4 Santa Clara, CA W 1–0 31–8 Apr 23 at Santa Clara* No. 4 Santa Clara, CA W 4–2 32–8 Apr 27 at Oregon State No. 4 Corvallis, OR W 3–0 33–8 13–6 Apr 27 at Oregon State No. 4 Corvallis, OR W 10–0 34–8 14–6 Apr 28 at Oregon No. 4 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 8–1 35–8 15–6 Apr 28 at Oregon No. 4 Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 9–5 36–8 16–6May Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record Pac-10 record May 3 at Stanford No. 4 Stanford, CA W 4–2 37–8 17–6 May 3 at Stanford No. 4 Stanford, CA W 7–2 38–8 18–6 May 4 at No. 11 California No. 4 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA W 2–0 39–8 19–6 May 4 at No. 11 California No. 4 Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA W 8–3 40–8 20–6 May 12 at No. 1 Washington No. 4 Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA W 8–5 41–8 21–6Postseason Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Overall record NCAAT record May 17 No. 15 No. 4 Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA L 1–5 41–9 0–1 May 18 No. 4 Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA W 8–2 42–9 1–1 May 18 No. 6 No. 4 Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA W 7–5 43–9 2–1 May 19 No. 15 Cal State Fullerton No. 4 Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA W 14–1 44–9 3–1 May 19 No. 15 Cal State Fullerton No. 4 Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA W 7–2 45–9 4–1 Date Opponent Rank (Seed) Site/stadium Score Overall record WCWS Record May 23 No. 7 (6) No. 4 (3) Golden Park • Columbus, GA W 2–0 46–9 1–0 May 24 No. 2 (2) Arizona No. 4 (3) Golden Park • Columbus, GA L 0–4 46–10 1–1 May 25 No. 5 (6) No. 4 (3) Golden Park • Columbus, GA W 3–2 47–10 2–1 May 26 No. 1 (1) Washington No. 4 (3) Golden Park • Columbus, GA L 2–8 47–11 2–2

Ranking movements

References