1995 UCLA Bruins softball team

The 1995 UCLA Bruins softball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1995 NCAA Division I softball season. The Bruins were coached by Sharron Backus, who led her twenty-first season and Sue Enquist, in her seventh season, in an uncommonly used co-head coach system. The Bruins played their home games at Easton Stadium and finished with a record of 50–6. They competed in the Pacific-10 Conference, where they finished second with a 23–4 record.

1995 UCLA Bruins softball
National Champion NCAA Regional champion
Conference	Pacific-10 Conference
1995 record	50–6 (23–4 Pac-10)
Head coach	Sharron Backus (21st season) & Sue Enquist (7th season)
Home stadium	Easton Stadium

1995 Pacific-10 Conference softball standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Arizona  ‍†‍‍^y	24	–	4		.857			66	–	6		.917
UCLA  ‍‍‍^y	23	–	4		.852			50	–	6		.893
California  ‍‍‍^y	20	–	8		.714			41	–	21		.661
Washington  ‍‍‍^y	17	–	11		.607			50	–	23		.685
Oregon  ‍‍‍	12	–	15		.444			25	–	26		.490
Arizona State  ‍‍‍	10	–	18		.357			29	–	26		.527
Oregon State  ‍‍‍	4	–	26		.133			13	–	41		.241
Stanford  ‍‍‍	1	–	27		.036			14	–	36		.280
† – Conference champion y – Invited to the NCAA Tournament As of June 30, 1995[1]; Rankings from Coaches' Poll

The Bruins were invited to the 1995 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament, where they swept the West Regional and then completed a run through the Women's College World Series to claim their seventh NCAA Women's College World Series Championship. The Bruins had earlier claimed an AIAW title in 1978 and NCAA titles in 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1992.[2]

The Bruins' participation and championship were later vacated by the NCAA.[3] In December 1995, the UCLA women's softball program was placed on probation after an investigation revealed that UCLA had awarded more scholarships than were permitted under NCAA rules. The Fresno Bee wrote that the penalties "bring shame to college softball" and added, "The image of UCLA's softball program won't ever be the same. The Bruins got caught. ... For two seasons, they went over the scholarship limit, the equivalent of cheating on taxes. Now they must pay."[4]

Partly as a result of an NCAA probe prompted by a Los Angeles Times investigation into UCLA pitcher Tanya Harding, Backus announced her retirement in January 1997.[5]

Personnel

Roster

1995 UCLA Bruins roster[2]
	Pitchers 4 - Kaci Clark 12 - Tanya Harding Catchers 9 - Cindy Valero	Infielders 32 - Jennifer Brundage Utility 13 - Jenny Brewster		Outfielders 2 - Felicia Cruz 22 - Kathi Evans		1 - Nicole Odom 5 - Sandra Burkey 6 - Laurie Fritz 7 - Kari Robinette 8 - Kelly Howard 10 - B'Ann Burns 11 - Ginny Mike-Mitchell 14 - Alleah Poulson 19 - Kim Wuest

Coaches

1995 UCLA Bruins softball coaching staff[2]
Sharron Backus - co-Head Coach - 21st season Sue Enquist - co-Head Coach - 7th season Kelly Inouye-Perez - Assistant Coach - 2nd season Yvonne Gutierrez - Volunteer Assistant Coach - 1st season

Schedule

Legend
	UCLA win
	UCLA loss
*	Non-Conference game

1995 UCLA Bruins Softball Game Log[2]
Regular Season
February Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Overall Record Pac-10 Record Feb 8 San Diego State* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 6–0 1–0 Feb 11 at Arizona State Tempe, AZ W 8–0 2–0 1–0 Feb 11 at Arizona State Tempe, AZ W 7–0 3–0 2–0 Feb 17 vs Fresno State* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA (SDSU Campbell/Cartier Classic) W 4–1 4–0 Feb 17 vs Long Beach State* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA W 3–0 5–0 Feb 17 at San Diego State* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA W 6–2 6–0 Feb 18 vs California* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA W 9–0^5 7–0 Feb 18 vs Loyola Marymount* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA W 8–0^6 8–0 Feb 18 vs Cal State Northridge* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA W 7–2 9–0 Feb 19 vs Washington* SDSU Field • San Diego, CA W 6–2^5 10–0 Feb 22 UC Santa Barbara* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 10–0^5 11–0 Feb 22 UC Santa Barbara* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 10–3 12–0 Feb 25 Long Beach State* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 10–2^5 13–0 Feb 25 Long Beach State* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 9–0^5 14–0
March Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Overall Record Pac-10 Record Mar 3 Ohio State* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA (UCLA Easton/Reebok Invitational) W 5–0^6 15–0 Mar 4 Michigan* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA (UCLA Easton/Reebok Invitational) L 4–5^8 15–1 Mar 12 Arizona State Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 8–1 16–1 3–0 Mar 12 Arizona State Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 1–0 17–1 4–0 Mar 17 at Arizona Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ L 4–11 17–2 4–1 Mar 17 at Arizona Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium • Tucson, AZ W 2–0 18–2 5–1 Mar 27 Washington Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 5–3^9 19–2 6–1 Mar 27 Washington Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 6–4 20–2 7–1 Mar 28 Oregon State Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 10–0^6 21–2 8–1 Mar 28 Oregon State Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 12–0^5 22–2 9–1
April Date– Opponent Site/Stadium Score Overall Record Pac-10 Record Apr 2 at San Jose State* San Jose, CA W 6–0 23–2 Apr 2 at San Jose State* San Jose, CA W 15–1^6 24–2 Apr 8 Arizona Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 8–5 25–2 10–1 Apr 8 Arizona Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–2 26–2 11–1 Apr 9 Sacramento State* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 2–0 27–2 Apr 9 Sacramento State* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 3–0 28–2 Apr 14 at Oregon Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 7–0 29–2 12–1 Apr 15 at Oregon State Corvallis, OR W 2–0 30–2 13–1 Apr 15 at Oregon State Corvallis, OR W 2–0 31–2 14–1 Apr 20 Stanford Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 11–1^6 32–2 15–1 Apr 20 Stanford Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 10–0^6 33–2 16–1 Apr 22 California Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 2–0^8 34–2 17–1 Apr 22 California Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 5–3 35–2 18–1 Apr 26 Cal State Northridge* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 2–0 36–2 Apr 26 Cal State Northridge* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA L 0–1^10 36–3 Apr 29 at California Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA L 0–2 36–4 18–2 Apr 30 at Stanford Stanford, CA W 11–1^6 37–4 19–2 Apr 30 at Stanford Stanford, CA W 14–1^5 38–4 20–2
May Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Overall Record Pac-10 Record May 1 at Oregon Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 13–1^5 39–4 21–2 May 1 at Oregon Howe Field • Eugene, OR W 5–0 40–4 22–2 May 2 at California Levine-Fricke Field • Berkeley, CA L 2–4 40–5 22–3 May 7 at Washington Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA W 3–0 41–5 23–3 May 7 at Washington Husky Softball Stadium • Seattle, WA L 0–1 41–6 23–4 May 13 Cal Poly* Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 7–0 42–6 May 13 Cal Poly Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 2–1 43–6
Post-Season
NCAA Regional Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Overall Record NCAAT Record May 19 Campbell Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 8–0^5 44–6 1–0 May 20 Hawaii Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 9–0^6 45–6 2–0 May 21 Hawaii Easton Stadium • Los Angeles, CA W 4–3 46–6 3–0
NCAA Women's College World Series Date Opponent Site/Stadium Score Overall Record WCWS Record May 26 (7) Iowa ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 2–1 47–6 1–0 May 26 (3) Southwestern Louisiana ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 3–0 48–6 2–0 May 28 (7) Iowa ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 5–0 49–6 3–0 May 29 (1) Arizona ASA Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK W 4–2 50–6 4–0

References

1. 2018 Softball Media Guide. Pac-12 Conference. p. 52. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
2. 2018 Softball Record Book (PDF). UCLA Bruins. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
3. Julie Cart (May 7, 1997). "NCAA Hits Bruins Softball Hard". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
4. Ron Orozco (1995-12-16). "Dale unfazed by UCLA's probation". The Fresno Bee.
5. "UCLA Softball Coach Backus Resigns During Investigation". Los Angeles Times. January 7, 1997.