Aragon graduate Megan Grant ties NCAA softball home run record for UCLA

Grant has a chance to move into sole possession of first place Saturday against Nebraska in the Big Ten championship game.

“She’s doing amazing,” Aragon senior Elizabeth Magness said. “Carrying on Aragon and making us look good, which is always a good thing. She’s always going to be a Don.”

Grant and Wells are locked in a home run chase reminiscent of the epic showdown between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa nearly 30 years ago. Back in 1998, McGwire hit 70 homers to edge out Sosa’s 66 as both players blew past Roger Maris’ single-season major league record of 61. The duel between the St. Louis Cardinals slugger and his Chicago Cubs counterpart helped rejuvenate baseball.

Grant’s fellow UCLA senior Jordan Woolery — who Friday was named Big Ten Player of the Year — has 33 as the teams head into their conference tournaments.

Grant said pitching speeds increased in recent years and the hitters have caught up. UCLA and Oklahoma both have 173 home runs, having already shattered Oklahoma’s single-season record of 161 set in 2021.

Woolery said the game evolves in cycles.

“I think it’s just kind of one of those years or like, probably the next few years where we’ll see a lot of offensive power,” Woolery said. “Then maybe in four years, when this freshman class is seniors, we’ll some more dominant pitching and go back to those 1-0 games. I think it’s going to ebb and flow throughout time.”

The trio of sluggers aren’t the only ones hitting the long ball. Teams this season have exceeded last year’s home run total across Division I softball with an entire month of action remaining. As of Monday, the national average of 0.80 home runs per game would top the record of 0.77 home runs per game set in 2015.

Wells, Grant and Woolery can add to their numbers this week. Oklahoma opened the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday. UCLA played Wisconsin in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament Friday.

Grant and Woolery may have more homers ahead, despite being seniors. Grant was selected fourth in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft on Monday (Portland Cascade), while Woolery was chosen sixth (Utah Talons).

Grant said she and Woolery don’t compete against each other.

“Honestly, we know we help each other and we both want to win more than anything,” Grant said. “And so it’s just nice watching one of my best friends be able to achieve her dream.”

Woolery said her improvement has been gradual. She hit 23 homers last year and has 77 in her career.

“I feel like as I’ve gotten older and just better and more refined in my craft, I think I’ve realized I don’t need to work as hard to hit, maybe, borderline pitches,” Woolery said. “So seeing the pitch more over the heart of the plate, I think makes it easier to get a little bit more power.”

Grant bats second in UCLA’s order and Woolery hits third, so Woolery takes advantage of Grant’s ability to get on base. Espinoza’s record of 132 RBIs, also set in 1995, is also in jeopardy because Woolery has 106.

What makes Wells’ production so shocking is that she was in high school last year. Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo set the career record of 122 home runs in 2022, and Wells is on pace to eventually catch her.

“To be able to put up those numbers is quite literally insane, but also to do it as a freshman — I mean I can’t give her enough kudos,” Grant said. “She is really changing the game as we speak, and it’s just been really awesome to hear about.”

In a four-year Aragon career that was interrupted by the COVID pandemic, Grant hit 28 career home runs (including a career-high 13 as a freshman in 2019) and slashed .535/.664/1.205.