Softball Welcomes No. 7 UCLA For First B1G Home Series Of The Year

Saturday, March 21

Piscataway. N.J.

6:00 PM

Rutgers University

UCLA

Photo by: Tyler Brooks

Softball Welcomes No. 7 UCLA For First B1G Home Series Of The Year

Mar 19 | Softball

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers softball welcomes No. 7 UCLA to the newly upgraded RU Softball Complex for the first Big Ten home series of the 2026 campaign.

The three-game series gets underway on Saturday with a pregame entertainment from DJ Skribble and opening ceremony alongside Rutgers softball alumnae to celebrate the newly renovated home of the Scarlet Knights and the program's first-ever home night game prior to first pitch at 6 p.m. Sunday's game is slated for a 5 p.m. first pitch with the series finale on Monday at 6 p.m. with both those games airing on BTN.

Admission to all Rutgers softball home games are free.

Rutgers Softball UCLA Series Promotions graphic featuring Addie Osborne

SERIES INFO

Series Info:	vs. #7 UCLA RU Softball Complex - Piscataway, N.J.
Parking:	Yellow & Green Lots - Hospital Road
Game Notes:	Rutgers \| UCLA
Statistics:	Ru tgers \| UCLA \| Big Ten
Live Stats & Video:	Saturday, March 21 6:00 p.m. - Stats \| Video (B1G+) Sunday, March 22 5:00 p.m. - Stats \| Video (B1G+) Monday March 23 6:00 p.m. - Stats \| Video (B1G+) * - All times listed ET
Social Media:	Facebook \| X \| Instagram

FACILITY UPDATE

Due to the ongoing upgrades at RU Softball Complex and recent inclement weather, parts of the facility will be closed for the time being, including the hill in the outfield. Plenty of great, brand-new seats are available right behind home plate.

PROMOS

SATURDAY: OPENING CEREMONY & LETTERWINNER DAY - Join the Scarlet Knights for the pre-game ceremony for the newly upgraded Rutgers Softball Complex prior to first pitch. Rutgers will also recognize all former letterwinners in attendance with special recognition of the newest member of the Rutgers Athletic Hall of Fame - Colleen McNamara ('82). Fans can also pick up B1G Ten glow sticks for the first Big Ten game under the lights.

SUNDAY: SCARLET OUT - Wear RED to the Rutgers Softball Complex for the Scarlet Knights' first appearance this season on BTN. Scarlet Out giveaways available at the marketing table.

MONDAY: STUDENT APPRECIATION NIGHT - Rutgers students can pick up free pizza with their student ID while supplies last and enter the raffle for Rutgers gear. Fans can also pick up B1G Ten glow sticks at the marketing table.

ABOUT RUTGERS

Head Coach: Kristen Butler (Florida '06) - 277-323 overall (12th Season)/173-201 at Rutgers (Eighth Season)
2026 Record: 16-12 overall, 3-3 Big Ten

Top Scarlet Knights:
Batting

Riley Hwang - .412 BA, 19 runs, 28 hits, 5 doubles, 3 HR, 16 RBIs
Charleigh Schuettler - .386 BA, 13 runs, 17 hits, 3 doubles, 8 RBIs
Addie Osborne - .324 BA, 25 runs, 23 hits, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 7 HRs, 24 RBIs
Sam Rohwer - .321 BA, 16 runs, 26 hits, 5 doubles, 7 HRs, 22 RBIs
Mia Mitchell - .295 BA, 9 runs, 18 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs

Pitching

Kelsey Hoekstra - 4-3 W-L, 2.68 ERA, 1 CG, 1 shutout, 1 save, 52.1 IP, 59 Ks
Kassandra Gewecke - 5-5 W-L, 3.85 ERA, 1 CG, 56.1 IP, 39 Ks
Brooke Shifflett - 5-4 W-L, 5.40 ERA, 2 CG, 1 shutout, 48.0 IP, 46 Ks

ABOUT UCLA

Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez (UCLA '93) - 898-225-1 overall (20th Season)/898-225-1 at UCLA (20th Season)
2026 Record: 25-3 overall, 6-0 Big Ten

All-Time Series: Rutgers Trails 0-4 (Last Meeting: March 12, 2024 - L, 6-7)

Top Bruins:
Batting

Megan Grant - .541 BA, 41 runs, 33 hits, 3 doubles, 21 HRs, 49 RBIs
Jordan Woolery - .530 BA, 40 runs, 44 hits, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 18 HRs, 60 RBIs
Kaniya Bragg - .433 BA, 32 runs, 39 hits, 5 doubles, 8 HRs, 33 RBIs
Rylee Slimp - .425 BA, 45 runs, 37 hits, 7 doubles, 2 tirples, 4 HRs, 23 RBIs

Pitching

Taylor Tinsley - 14-2 W-L, 2.82 ERA, 9 CG, 4 shutouts, 82.0 IP, 76 Ks
Natalie Cable - 5-1 W-L, 6.70 ERA, 2 CG, 82.2 IP, 30 Ks
Sydney Somerndike - 4-0 W-L, 5.36 ERA, 1 G, 15.2 IP, 12 Ks

NEW HOME SWEET HOME

The RU Softball Complex will have a new look when the Scarlet Knights take the field in 2026 with the addition of new dugouts, grandstand and press box, all constructed during the off-season. Additionally, lights were installed at the complex as the Scarlet Knights will take to the field for night games at home for the first time in the program's 52-year history.
The new grandstand features chairback and bench-style seating, as well as ADA accommodations, and a state-of-the-art sound system.
The new press box houses a dedicated broadcast booth, a two-tiered working press, game presentation and operations area and two covered outdoor areas for additional workspace.
Rutgers Athletics' commitment to the student-athlete experience is not only showcased by the current complex upgrade, but by the numerous enhancements over the last several years.
The facility has already seen the addition of all-weather turf, updated bullpens, new fencing and backstop and a new video scoreboard. Additionally, the field was upgraded for prime-time network capability for the Big Ten Network and national television networks to broadcast games live from Piscataway, New Jersey.
Rutgers softball unveiled a state-of-the-art locker room in the fall of 2020 at Jersey Mike's Arena, featuring all-new amenities. The Scarlet Knights' home away from home features modern individual wardrobe-style lockers with charging stations and ample personal storage, a nutrition area, surround video, sound and LED lighting system and a dedicated space for equipment.
The Fred Hill Training Complex opened in January of 2017, spanning 22,500 square feet and equipped with state-of-the-art pitching machines, six batting cages, bullpens and a full turf infield. The facility provides the team with a dedicated home for workouts and practices year-round.

Rutgers Softball Complex Upgrade Rendering

LAST TIME SINCE ...

The 17-3 victory in the game two win over FDU in the home opener, it was the largest margin of victory for the Scarlet Knights since defeating Mississippi Valley State back on Feb. 13, 2023 by a score of 16-1.
The 14-11 victory at Indiana on March 15, Rutgers erased an eight-run deficit marking the the largest comeback for the Scarlet Knights since trailing 17-9 to Michigan State and coming back for a 22-17 win back on April 4, 2015.
Also in the 14-11 come-from-behind series win over Indiana on March 15, Rutgers' four home runs were the most for the team since belting four against Illinois on March 24, 2023. Sam Rohwer had two home runs and Addie Osborne and Rachel Millan had one apiece.
In the 16-8 game one mid-week win over Saint Peter's on March 10, Riley Hwang's six RBIs were the most by a Scarlet Knight since Rebecca Halt's six RBIs at Penn State back on April 21, 2017.
Also in the game one win over the Peacocks, Hwang and Kelsey Hoekstra belted back-to-back home runs for the first time since Morgan Smith and Payton Lincavage against Wisconsin on April 7, 2024, in a 4-1 series finale victory.
In the game two 12-3 run-rule win over the Peacocks, RU stole eight bases, the most by the squad since taking seven against Maryland Eastern Shore on March 6, 2011.
In the 6-5 12-inning Big Ten season opening victory at Maryland on March 6, Kelsey Hoekstra fired off 17 strikeouts, the most by a Scarlet Knight since Jaden Vickers' 17 in the Purdue contest on Mar. 29, 2022.

B1G PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Kelsey Hoekstra was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on February 9. The Overland Park, Kansas native was named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team after going 2-0 in the circle with a no-hitter and batted .556 with three runs and three RBIs in leading Rutgers to a 3-2 opening weekend.
Hoekstra collected her first career no-hitter in a 5-0 victory over North Carolina Central, striking out a career high nine Eagles. She also tossed four scoreless innings versus South Alabama in the 11-3 five-inning run-rule win. The right-hander is currently holding down a 0.60 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 innings of work.

NCAA LINEUP OF THE WEEK

Senior Mia Mitchell was named to Michella Chester's Starting Lineup for week four following her performance against FGCU and No. 10 Florida State at the Unconquered Invitational.
The Scarlet Knight transfer hit .455 with five hits, four runs, six RBIs, two doubles and two HRs, including a grand slam, in Rutgers' sweep of FGCU and two appearances against No. 10 Florida State.
Mitchell helped RU a 10-7 win and 9-1 run-rule victory over FGCU finishing the day 4-for-6 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored.
In the 10-7 game one win, she was 2-for-3 with two RBIs on a home run and a double and two runs scored. Mitchell was one of three Scarlet Knights with an HR in the game.
In game two, Rutgers pushed across nine runs on six hits, including a double and grand slam from the bat of Mia Mitchell, in the fourth inning. She finished game two 2-for-2 with four RBIs and two runs scored.

Michella Chester's Starting Lineup for Week 4️⃣ 🥎

P: Maya Johnson - @BelmontSoftball
C: Sarah Gordon - @UGASoftball
1B: Lexi McDaniel - @OU_Softball
2B: Aly VanBrandt - @IndianaSB
3B: Bella Cabral - @UVASoftball
SS: Gabbie Garcia - @OU_Softball
OF: Mia Mitchell -… pic.twitter.com/ufH4AKbAJG
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) March 4, 2026

ROSTER FUN FACTS

Rutgers is back with a balanced roster of returnees, newcomers and transfers. The Scarlet Knights welcome back eight letterwinners and six starters from last year's youthful squad while adding 11 newcomers to the mix, including six transfers.
Etta and Eva Garofalo are one of 15 sets of twins, and four freshman twins, playing Division I softball this season. The Scarlet Knight twins will also be taking on twin sisters from three other teams this season including Tennessee, Nebraska and FDU.
The duo, however, are not the only sisters on the roster as they join senior Siera Hoekstra and sophomore Kelsey Hoesktra as sisters in Scarlet. Together, the two sets of sisters are among the 27 sets of sisters who are teammates. Rutgers joins North Alabama and South Florida with multiple sets of sisters on a squad.

FDU RECAP

Rutgers softball opened up the newly renovated Rutgers Softball Complex on Wednesday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of FDU with a 8-0 shutout in game one and dominating game two, 17-3, in the largest margin of victory since 2023.
In game one, the contest was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when RU pushed across four runs on a trio of hits and added another three in the fifth, including the first home run of the updated park by Makenna Coleman. Mia Mitchell walked it off in the sixth with an RBI double. Baileigh Burtis was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs, Coleman posted her second home run of the season and also scored a pair of runs and Addie Osborne added a two-run triple In the circle, Kelsey Hoekstra improved to 4-3 overall, allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning six. Brooke Shifflett pitched two innings of relief and recorded a trio of strikeouts. She allowed no hits and one walk.
Game two was RU's largest margin of victory since defeating Mississippi Valley State back in 2023 by a score of 16-1. The 17-3 win saw the Scarlet Knights generate 10 hits from seven different players and had the bases loaded to walk in three runs. Mia Mitchell collected her second grand slam of the season and Osborne moved into a tie for the team lead in home runs with her seventh of the year. Osborne finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Coleman went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Joining Osborne and Coleman with two runs each were Riley Hwang and Etta Garofalo. Marley Caldwell went to 2-0 on the year, going 3.0 innings in the start and holding the Knights to two hits while striking out four.

INDIANA RECAP

Rutgers softball went 1-2 on the road at Indiana last weekend. The Hoosiers took game one, 12-2, in five innings and game two, 6-1. However, in the series finale, the Scarlet Knights overcame an eight-run deficit to power to a 14-11 victory.
The win was the largest comeback for the Scarlet Knights since trailing 17-9 to Michigan State and coming back for a 22-17 win back on April 4, 2015.
In the win on the blustery day, eight home runs were registered between both squads and four from the Scarlet Knights, including two from the bat of Sam Rohwer and Addie Osborne's two-run shot that gave RU the lead in the top of the sixth.
Indiana went out to an 8-0 lead after two innings, but Rutgers halved the Hoosier lead with four runs in the fourth and pulled within a run after a three-run fourth to trail 8-7. After Indiana added some cushion with two runs in the bottom half, the Scarlet Knights scored a trio of runs on four hits to knot the score at 10-10. In the sixth, Osborne cracked her sixth home run of the year in the sixth giving RU its first lead of the game at 12-10 and stay in front for the win.
Rutgers swung for 15 hits and struck out only once. Rohwer went 2-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs and now has a team-leading seven home runs on the season. Rachel Millan went 2-for-3 with her second home run of the year and three RBIs. Osborne finished 2-for-3 with a home run, her sixth of the season, and three runs scored.
The Scarlet Knights used a host of pitchers with Marley Caldwell getting the win for her first Scarlet Knights victory. She tossed 2.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts.

SAINT PETER'S RECAP

Rutgers softball swept a road afternoon doubleheader with Saint Peter's last Tuesday afternoon, taking a 16-8 victory in game one behind three home runs, including a grand slam from Riley Hwang, and a 12-3 run-rule win led by four RBIs and the third home run of the year from Sam Rohwer.
In game one, Riley Hwang, Kelsey Hoekstra and Rachel Millan all powered the Scarlet Knights with home run. Hwang belted RU's second grand slam of the year and her third of the year. Hwang and Hoekstra belted back-to-back home runs for the first time since Morgan Smith and Payton Lincavage against Wisconsin on April 7, 2024, in a 4-1 series finale victory. The Scarlet Knights also tied their season-high with three home runs. RU also had a trio of home runs in a 10-7 win over FGCU on Feb. 27.
Hwang hit 4-for-5 with six RBIs, a grand slam, two doubles and four runs scored. Her six RBIs were the most by a Scarlet Knight since Rebecca Halt's six RBIs at Penn State back on April 21, 2017. Milan finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Hoekstra went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Altogether, eight different Scarlet Knights batted a run in and five scored on two or more occasions.
Right-hander Brooke Shifflett improved to 5-3 overall, totaling 4.2 innings in the circle. The junior gave up two earned runs on nine hits while striking out six.
The Scarlet Knights scored three runs to open and held a 10-0 lead after two and a half innings of play. The Peacocks cut their deficit behind a run in the third and six run on seven hits in the fourth.
In game two, Rutgers got onto the scoreboard in the second inning with a trio of runs and never looked back. Sam Rohwer and Hwang went yard in game two as Hwang made it back-to-back games with a dinger while Rohwer posted her fourth of the year.
Rohwer finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Charleigh Schuettler went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. She pushed across a pair of runs on a double and stole home for RU's early edge. Hwang and Bailey Briggs were responsible for two RBIs each as well.
Kassandra Gewecke upped her mark to 5-5 on the year. She allowed two earned runs on six hits while recording five strikeouts in four innings of work. Freshman Marley Caldwell pitched the fifth, fanning the three batters she faced.

MARYLAND SERIES RECAP

Rutgers softball took the series from Maryland for a seventh time to open up Big Ten action this season. The Scarlet Knights took a 6-5 victory in 12-innings to open play. While the Terps topped RU 2-1 in game two, RU came back with a 9-3 victory in Sunday's finale.
It was a marathon start to the Big Ten season for Rutgers softball, but after three hours and 51 minutes and 12 innings, the Scarlet Knights topped Maryland, 6-5. Kelsey Hoekstra delivered 17 strikeouts, tying for the most by a pitcher in D1 this season, the most by a Big Ten Pitcher and most by a Scarlet Knight since 2022. Brooke Shifflett, meanwhile, added another five Ks in the start as the staff totaled 22 total strikeouts, the most in a game in any division this year. The tie was broken in the top of the 12th as Riley Hwang led off with a walk and advanced into scoring position off of Hoekstra's sac bunt and came on a Siera Hoekstra single to left.
On Saturday, Maryland took a lead they would not lose in the bottom of the first. While Addie Osborne's fifth home run of the season knotted the score at 1-1 on the first pitch of the fifth inning, the Terps pushed across the go-ahead run on a sac fly in the sixth.
In the series finale, it took all of five pitches for the Scarlet Knights to go and stay in front. Sam Rohwer knocked in her third home run of the season with the fifth pitch of the game and Osborne added three runs in a 9-3 victory.

UP NEXT

The Scarlet Knights travel to Seton Hall on Tuesday, March 24 for a 2 p.m. game and return home to host Penn State in a three-game Big Ten series on March 27-29.

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