Megan Grant of UCLA softball stands on the cusp of an unprecedented achievement. On Friday evening, the senior athlete entered an elite tier by equaling Laura Espinoza’s record for the highest number of home runs in a single NCAA season.
During the bottom half of the second inning during the Big Ten tournament semifinals match against Wisconsin, the left-swinging Grant hit her 37th long ball of the 2026 season to the opposite field, bringing her level with the slugging count Espinoza achieved for Arizona back in 1995.
Espinoza reached that benchmark over 72 contests. Grant accomplished it in merely 54.
This season, Grant has been in a competitive race with Kendall Wells from Oklahoma, both vying to surpass Espinoza’s enduring NCAA record. The Sooners’ participation in the SEC tournament concluded on Thursday, leaving Wells with 36 home runs.
Both athletes represent teams renowned for their powerful hitting. By Thursday morning, Oklahoma and UCLA found themselves in a dead heat, each recording 173 home runs throughout the current year. To put this in perspective, the prior NCAA single-season team record for home runs was established by the 2021 Sooners, who amassed 161 four-baggers.
Wells, a rookie catcher, has already exceeded Jocelyn Alo’s mark for the highest number of home runs in a single season for Oklahoma and has established a new NCAA freshman single-season home run benchmark.
Conversely, Grant serves as a versatile player in her culminating year with the Bruins. Her adaptability isn’t limited to the diamond; before the current softball season commenced, she saw infrequent playing time as a substitute for UCLA’s women’s basketball squad, which ultimately clinched the national title.
In the previous year, Grant launched 26 blasts, marking the highest total in Big Ten single-season history. For the current season, the player hailing from San Bruno, California, has elevated her performance even further.
Her offensive contributions are not exclusively limited to powerful hits. Indeed, heading into Friday, Grant boasted an impressive .478 batting average for the season, placing her among the nation’s top 10. Nevertheless, she is celebrated for her formidable slugging, especially her long balls, a reputation that has intensified as she approaches shattering an NCAA record established over three decades prior.
