Rachel Garcia was named the freshman of the year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Katie Meyers)

UCLA pitcher Rachel Garcia was named the Freshman of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on Tuesday after the redshirt freshman ace powered the Bruins to their third straight Women’s College World Series.

Garcia, who was also the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, is the first UCLA and Pac-12 player to win the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award, which was first handed out in 2014.

After missing her true freshman year with an ACL injury, the 2015 Gatorade National Player of the Year starred for the Bruins in the circle and the batters box. She has a 22-7 record in 182-2/3 innings pitched with 196 strikeouts and 1.92 ERA. In her first postseason games, the Highland High alum pitched her first career no-hitter (against Lehigh in the Regional) and secured two wins in the Super Regional against Ole Miss, including an 11-inning, 232-pitch marathon. At the plate, Garcia has a .327 average with 27 RBIs and seven home runs.

“She was just the injured freshman and now she literally has led this team back to the World Series, the entire team,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said last weekend after UCLA’s Super Regional victory. “I’m very proud, but I’m not surprised because she has worked very hard. She has a strong work ethic and a strong will and the most important part is she’s a great team player; she gives her teammates all the credit. I think that’s what makes Rachel so special.”

Minnesota catcher Kendyl Lindaman and Oregon pitcher Maggie Balint joined Garcia as the top three finalists for the national freshman of the year award.

The Bruins play No. 13 LSU in the first round of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Redshirt freshman Rachel Garcia knocked out her first career postseason appearance and her first no-hitter on the same night.

The ace from Highland High led UCLA to an 8-0, run-rule win over Lehigh on Friday night in UCLA’s regional opener. The Bruins will face San Jose State in the second round Saturday at 2 p.m. at Easton Stadium.

Of Garcia’s 80 total pitches, 54 were strikes as she faced only one batter more than the five-inning minimum. Working with catcher Paige Halstead, Garcia struck out eight, including five of the first seven batters she faced. The only blemish on the perfect game was a hit-by-pitch in the second inning.

“She was dominating today,” head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said.

Delaney Spaulding led the Bruins on offense with three RBIs.

More on UCLA’s tournament-opening win.

Rachel Garcia won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award while helping UCLA softball to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. (Photo courtesy Katie Meyers)

Kelly Inouye-Perez knows great pitchers. The former UCLA catcher and current UCLA softball head coach won three NCAA titles as a player and caught games for Bruin legends Lisa Longaker and Lisa Fernandez who combined for seven first-team All-American honors.

So when Inouye-Perez says her newest ace Rachel Garcia reminds her a bit of Fernandez, it’s not just hyperbole.

“No one really got comfortable in the box with Lisa (Fernandez) pitching,” Inouye-Perez said. “It was her presence and ability to attack hitters really aggressively that put them in that position. Rachel is very similar.”

Garcia is possibly the next great UCLA pitcher as the redshirt freshman leads the Bruins into postseason play this weekend. .

More on Garcia, who will start against Lehigh on Friday at 8:30 p.m. at Easton Stadium.

Scouting the Los Angeles Regional field: Continue reading “Rachel Garcia leads UCLA softball into NCAA Tournament” »