Rachel Garcia

Rachel Garcia is a highly accomplished former American softball pitcher and coach. Born on March 30, 1997, in Palmdale, California, Garcia began playing softball at the tender age of three, and by her teenage years was already making waves in the sport.

Garcia was educated at Highland High School in Palmdale, where she played softball and basketball. She was recognized as one of the top players in the nation by playing for the USA Junior National Team and being named the California State Gatorade Player of the Year. She was also a standout pitcher for the UCLA Bruins, where she earned multiple awards, including Player of the Year in 2019, and was named the Women’s College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player in 2019 and 2021.

During her time as a player, Garcia broke records in multiple facets of the softball game. She amassed a career ERA of 1.08 and recorded 889 strikeouts in just over 588 innings pitched. Her 46 career shutouts and 1,166 career strikeouts for the UCLA Bruins put her in third place all-time in program history.

Since completing her collegiate playing career, Garcia has remained involved in the game as a coach. She began as an assistant coach at Long Beach State, before moving on to Cal State Northridge as a pitching coach. In addition to coaching, Garcia also works as a color analyst for ESPN games, providing expert analysis on collegiate softball games.

Overall, Rachel Garcia is a highly respected figure in the world of softball, known for her incredible talent both on the field and as a coach, as well as her dedication to the sport. She has been named one of three finalists for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award in both 2019 and 2021 and remains a prominent figure in the sport.