1995 UCLA Bruins softball team

1995 UCLA Bruins softball
UCLA logo written in blue and gold script
ConferencePacific-10 Conference
Record50–6 (23–4 Pac-10)
Head coach
Home stadiumEaston Stadium
Seasons
← 1994
1996 →
1995 Pacific-10 Conference softball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 2 Arizona  ‍‍‍y 24 4   .857 66 6   .917
No. 1 UCLA  ‍‍‍y 23 4   .852 50 6   .893
No. 14 California  ‍‍‍y 20 8   .714 41 21   .661
No. 15 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 NFCA/USA Today


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 uncommon 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.

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 violations "bring shame to college softball" and added, "The image of UCLA's softball program won't ever be the same. ... 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]

  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 (December 16, 1995). "Dale unfazed by UCLA's probation". The Fresno Bee.
  5. ^ "UCLA Softball Coach Backus Resigns During Investigation". Los Angeles Times. January 7, 1997.