UCLA's Grant Sets Single-Season NCAA Record in Big Ten Championship Loss
UCLA';s softball season ended with a 7-2 loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday, but not before one Bruin etched her name into the NCAA record books.
Senior utility player Megan Grant launched her 38th home run of the season in the third inning, giving the Bruins a brief 2-0 lead and breaking the NCAA's 31-year-old record for home runs in a single season with her second long ball of the tournament in as many days.
Oklahoma's Kendall Wells also threatened the record, tying Grant during the regular season. However, Grant won the conference tournament battle as Wells did not homer during the Sooners' SEC Tournament run. Interestingly enough, Grant set the record against a former Oklahoma pitcher, who was the Big Ten's Pitcher of the Year this season.
NCAA Softball Home Run Record Falls
Grant had tied the record on Friday night against Wisconsin, setting the stage for her record-breaking moment in the games to come. She stepped to the plate with two outs in the top of the third inning, and UCLA holding a 1-0. After falling behind 0-2, the left-handed hitting Grant dug in and blasted the next pitch from Nebraska's Jordy Frahm over the centerfield wall and off the scoreboard.
MEGAN GRANT IS THE NEW NCAA SINGLE-SEASON HOME RUN RECORD HOLDER!!
- UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) May 9, 2026
: @BigTenNetwork
: https://t.co/b1aUhqTdF5#GoBruins | @ChefMeganCookinpic.twitter.com/CO2hTh751g
That lead wouldn't hold as Nebraska responded with some critical two-out hits and held UCLA off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. But Grant still got to have her moment, and she achieved the feat in 17 fewer games than the previous record holder. It's also the second consecutive year that Grant has broken some sort of home run record. She set the Big Ten's single-season mark last year during UCLA's first season in the conference.
Arizona's Laura Espinoza had set the previous record in 1995, smashing 37 homers while hitting .437 for the Wildcats. UCLA has also set the single-season team home run record after battling Oklahoma for the national lead all season.
Megan Grant's Season
Grant is having an outstanding senior season, and it pushed her to the top of the Athletes Unlimited softball draft, where the Portland Cascade selected her fourth overall. She's obliterating teams with her combination of power and average, hitting .478 with 78 RBIs to go along with her new record.
Her mega season is no surprise given her track record over her college career. Grant was a PAC-`12 All-Freshman team player in 2023, has been an All-Conference player in all four of her collegiate seasons, and has twice finished among the top 25 finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year. She's hitting .375 with 87 homers and 258 RBIs in that span.
Megan Grant, your new single-season home run queen.
- Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) May 9, 2026
https://t.co/s0eTSmEPfLpic.twitter.com/AL43feQIMx
After Saturday's loss, UCLA will turn its attention to the NCAA Tournament, giving Megan Grant the chance to excel on the national stage as the Bruins battle for a national title. She's already won one with the UCLA women's basketball team.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA's Grant Sets Single-Season NCAA Record in Big Ten Championship Loss.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 3:00 AM.