Tag: Maya Brady

Maya Brady among three Bruins to help Team USA down Netherlands

Another win powered by Maya Brady.

Former Utah Utes softball star Hannah Flippen hit a two-run home run in the first inning and it was all Team USA needed. At the WBSC World Cup Finals, the USA beat the Netherlands 7-0.

It was a combined no-hitter for Team USA with former Bruins star Alla Carda going two innings and Kelly Maxwell finishing the final three innings of the game.

Sis Bates went 2 for 2 in the game with a run scored and RBI. Bates played her collegiate softball at Washington. Former UCLA Bruins star Maya Brady also had a hit, a run, and an RBI in the win. Rachel Garcia also was used in the game as a pinch hitter and had a RBI base hit in the game.

The win for Team USA kept them unbeaten so far in the event. Team USA will take on Japan on Saturday at 11:00 am PST in the Gold Medal game.

UCLA softball star Maya Brady reflects on WCWS loss

What a career for Maya.

Maya Brady’s UCLA softball career has come to an end. Brady, who wanted to play softball at UCLA since she was a little kid lived the dream out and lived it well.

Brady and the UCLA Bruins saw their season come to an end after their 32nd trip in 42 tries to the Women’s College World Series. The Bruins lost to Stanford in the final game, but still went out as the last Pac-12 champion for regular season and conference tournament.

Brady was emotional following the game of course. The 2020 Softball America freshman of the year from San Mateo California was also a back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Year winner. She was named to the first team All American team three times.

 

She was asked after the game about her legacy at UCLA and she had this to say to reporters:

Stanford now moves on to the Final Four. They will take on Texas on Monday evening. The other two teams remaining are the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners.

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over UCLA Bruins

The best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners thrilling win over UCLA 1-0 in the Women’s College World Series.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved on to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series with a thrilling 1-0 win over the UCLA Bruins. [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw a game for the ages, with 11 strikeouts over seven shutout innings.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] provided the only offense the Sooners needed with a solo home run in the third inning. It was her 23rd of the season and fourth of the NCAA Tournament. In a game where the Sooners were able to get runners on base but couldn’t cash in, Jennings’ home run was just what the doctor ordered.

UCLA’s defense took away hits from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] that likely would have gone for extra bases and scored runs. Instead, the Bruins kept the Sooners from pulling away.

But it didn’t matter as Maxwell was masterful throughout the game. Even when she did get in a little bit of trouble, she found a way to work out of the inning. She’d been great for the Sooners in 2024 but took her game to another level in the win over the Bruins.

“Kelly decided to throw one of the best games of her life today,” Gasso said. “There was no way we would be pulling her after the job she was doing.”

Maxwell was absolutely phenomenal in the win, stifling a UCLA offense that was red-hot coming into the game. The Sooners are now one win away from the championship series.

Here’s a look back at the Oklahoma Sooners win over UCLA in our latest photo gallery from the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag].

UCLA softball unveils new College World Series uniforms

New softball uniforms for College World Series.

The UCLA softball team got some new threads this week ahead of the College World Series.

After a Top-25 finish in the collegiate poll and posting. 42-10 record, the Bruins are off to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the post-season. Led by shortstop Maya Brady and catcher Sharlize Palacios’ combined 37 home runs, the Bruins capped off their season as the six-seed in the bracket tapped to play #14 Alabama.

In a post by the NCAA Softball X account, a video shows the Bruins in their new Nike uniforms donning the College World Series patch as well as the Pac-12 logo, the last time they will wear the patch.

The Bruins’ year in softball, in many ways, mirrors how Cori Close and the Bruins basketball team fared this past season. Both teams can win in multiple ways, the Bruins should have a long run in the College World Series in pursuit of their 14th NCAA title.

Top 3 finalists for 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of Year revealed

Surprisingly, despite having three players in the Top 10 list, softball powerhouse Oklahoma players were not among the Top 3.

Initially, the field was narrowed down to just ten Division 1 players for the prestigious 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. And now, the field was again narrowed to the Top 3 finalists. The award “aims to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by Division I softball players over the course of the entire season.”

Surprisingly, despite having three players in the Top 10 list, softball powerhouse Oklahoma players were not among the Top 3.

The finalists include Clemson’s Valerie Cagle (ACC), UCLA’s Maya Brady (Pac-12), and Florida’s Skylar Wallace (SEC). Each of these players will be in regional play this weekend.

Clemson’s Valerie Cagle

Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cagle was named a USA Softball Top 10 Finalist in 2021 and is a two-time ACC player of the year. She was also named the freshman of the year in 2021. Cagle is a two-way player and has shined on and off the mound. She has a .457 batting average, .889 slugging percentage and 23 wins in the circle which places her at No. 11 on the NCAA leaderboard.

UCLA’s Maya Brady

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

There have only been two UCLA players to win the award. With Rachel Garcia (2017-21) winning the award twice, in 2019 and 2018, and Stacey Nuveman in 2002. Brady won the 2023 Pac-12 batting title with a .456 average following all conference regular-season games and was named the 2023 Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Florida’s Skylar Wallace

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Rounding out the finalists is Florida’s Skylar Wallace. She is the 2023 SEC Player of the Year and a three-time SEC Player of the Week. She has a 1.036 slugging percentage which ranks first in the nation. Additionally, her .460 batting average is fifth in the nation.

The player of the year will be announced on May 30 at the athlete banquet prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS).

UCLA’s Maya Brady hit two NCAA softball tournament home runs and got a shoutout from her uncle Tom Brady

Maya Brady crushed two home runs in UCLA’s win-or-go-home game against Oklahoma on Monday.

The UCLA Bruins kept their season alive on Monday afternoon as they handed No. 1 seed Oklahoma its third loss of the season to force a play-in game for a spot in the NCAA championship series. UCLA’s Maya Brady was instrumental in the victory, hitting two home runs and providing five RBI in the Bruins’ 7-3 win.

Brady went 2-for-4 at the plate in the early game on Monday, with both of those hits leaving the park. Maya’s mother, Maureen, is the sister of NFL quarterback Tom Brady, and the Tampa Bay slinger was beyond stoked for his niece.

Tom Brady has been vocal in his support for Maya, even taking a break from The Match to give her a shoutout a few days ago.

The Bruins have won three straight elimination games to keep their postseason hopes alive, with it all coming down to Game 2 against the highly touted Sooners on Monday afternoon.

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Maya Brady hit a pair of homers in the Women’s College World Series semifinal, and Tom Brady loved it

Maya Brady’s uncle is clearly a huge fan.

Maybe the clutch gene is … actually a gene. Maya Brady’s performance in the Women’s College World Series was reminiscent of something her uncle Tom Brady would do in an NFL playoff game.

Brady hit a pair of homers in UCLA’s win over Oklahoma on Monday in the semifinal of the Women’s College World Series. UCLA and Oklahoma will play again on Monday, and the winner will advance to the finals. No matter how UCLA plays in the second game, Brady’s performance in this game will be unforgettable. She was 2 of 4 at the plate with five RBI.

Here’s a look at one of her homers from the afternoon. Her reaction was absolutely electric as she rounded the bases.

Here’s how Tom Brady responded. Tom spoke about how excited he was to watch his niece just last week.

You have to love the family love.

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No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. UCLA Bruins: How to watch, stream, listen, and key players for WCWS

The Oklahoma Sooners continue their journey in the Women’s College World Series against the UCLA Bruins here’s, how you can tune in.

The Women’s College World Series doesn’t get bigger than this. On Monday, two blue blood programs in the world of college softball will meet head to head for the right to go to the WCWS championship.

UCLA, the team with the most national championships all-time (12) will face off with Oklahoma, who has the third most national championships all-time (5).

The Sooners come into the WCWS semi-finals after beating Northwestern and Texas. UCLA dropped their first game of the Women’s College World Series to Texas 7-2 and then bounced back with wins over Northwestern and Florida. In those two wins for the Bruins, they outscored their opponents 14-1.

The Sooners and the Bruins met back in the first week of the season, a 4-1 win for the Oklahoma Sooners. In that pivotal nonconference matchup, Jordy Bahl announced her arrival to the softball world by holding the Bruins to one unearned run on four hits and she struck out 14 batters.

Oklahoma’s offense continues to put up numbers at a ridiculous pace. They’ve outscored opponents 72-7 in the NCAA tournament, averaging 10.28 runs scored per game.

This is an incredible matchup and the stakes are huge. Oklahoma needs one more win to set up an all-Big 12 championship series. UCLA has to beat the Sooners twice to advance and spoil the party.

Here’s how you can tune in to Oklahoma vs. UCLA in the semifinals of the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] contest.

  • Date: Saturday, June 6, 2022
  • Time: 11 a.m. CDT
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
  • Radio Broadcast: The game can be heard on 107.7 The Franchise in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity app.

No. 1 Oklahoma vs UCLA Bruins

Players to watch:

No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners

[autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag]: .500 batting average with 30 home runs, 75 RBIs, 52 walks.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag]: .395 batting average with 26 home runs and 78 RBIs, 39 walks.

[autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]: .415 batting average with 21 home runs and 64  RBIs, 21 walks.

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]: .436 batting average with 7 home runs, 38 RBIs, 47 walks, and 13 stolen bases.

[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag]: 21-1 with a 0.95 ERA, 199 strikeouts in 132.2 innings pitched. 2022 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag]: 15-0 with a 0.99 ERA, 93 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched.

[autotag]Hope Trautwein[/autotag]: 20-1 with a 0.60 ERA, 149 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched.

UCLA Bruins

Delanie Wisz: .409 batting average with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, 29 walks.

Briana Perez: .394 batting average with 10 home runs, 44 RBIs, 17 walks, and 16 stolen bases.

Kinsley Washington: .354 batting average with 5 home runs, 34 RBIs, 15 walks, and 12 stolen bases.

Maya Brady: .339 batting average with 13 home runs, 48 RBIs, 21 walks, and 11 stolen bases.

Megan Faraimo: 23-5 with a 1.80 ERA, 289 strikeouts in 191 innings pitched.

Holly Azevedo: 21-2 with a 1.28 ERA, 140 strikeouts in 126 innings pitched.

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Tom Brady isn’t the only star athlete in the Brady family

Tom Brady took to Instagram today to congratulate his niece Maya for being named Softball America’s 2020 Freshman Player of the Year.

When sports fans hear the name “Brady” they immediately think about greatness and championships, thanks in large part to six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

But, while the Buccaneers quarterback may be the most famous Brady in sports, he may have competition for that title within his own family once it’s all said and done. Brady’s niece, Maya Brady, is a standout softball player for UCLA, and the proud uncle took to Instagram today to boast about her being named Softball America’s 2020 Freshman Player of the Year.

Take a look.

For the record, Maya’s other uncle is two-time World Series champion Kevin Youkilis, who just so happened to win his titles with the Boston Red Sox.

Yeah, they’re a sports family for sure. Congrats to Maya!

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