History was made under the lights Friday night, and the UCLA Bruins are charging full speed ahead into the Big Ten championship game. Senior slugger Megan Grant delivered a performance for the ages, tying the NCAA Division I single-season home run record with her 37th dinger of the year. The Bruins rode that momentum to a commanding 19-5 victory over Wisconsin in the tournament semifinals.
Grant's record-tying blast came in the second inning, matching a mark that had stood since 1995, when Arizona's Laura Espinoza set the bar in 72 games. Grant reached the milestone in just 54 games—a testament to her incredible consistency and power at the plate. Now, with the championship game against Nebraska on Saturday, she has a chance to stand alone as the all-time single-season home run leader in NCAA Division I history.
"I'm truly honored," Grant told ESPN after the game. "The record has been standing for so long, so I am just blessed to be able to say I can etch my name into history just a little."
The San Bruno native has been a driving force behind one of the most explosive offensive seasons college softball has ever seen. Entering Friday's game with a .478 batting average, Grant has been locked in a season-long home run chase with Oklahoma freshman catcher Kendall Wells, who sits at 36 homers after the Sooners' early exit from the SEC tournament. Grant, however, has kept her focus on the bigger picture.
"To be honest, I think us as players, we try to do the best we can no matter what," Grant said. "Kendall Wells is doing an absolute amazing job. Just being able to watch her from the outside, you just know what pure hitters look like and obviously being able to watch Jordan Woolery—a gift every single day in front of my eyes."
Grant and teammate Jordan Woolery have turned UCLA into a lineup that opposing pitchers dread. The Bruins and Sooners entered Friday tied with 173 team home runs, already shattering the previous NCAA single-season team record of 161 set by Oklahoma in 2001. For Grant, this season is the culmination of a remarkable career—she hit 26 homers last year, setting a Big Ten single-season record, and was selected fourth overall in the recent draft.
As the Bruins prepare for Saturday's title game, all eyes will be on Grant. One more swing, and she'll own a piece of history all to herself.