Wayne Sleep OBE appears on BBC’s The Wheel with Michael McIntyre
6 years ago
United States Rachel Garcia is an Olympic silver medalist and two-time Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year who has transitioned her success from the collegiate softball diamond to professional leagues and coaching roles.
Former UCLA softball right-handed pitcher and slugger Rachel Garcia signed for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons with what is now known as the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
Softball stars Rachel Garcia and Odicci Alexander joined Under Armour's roster in a partnership built to strengthen the game, aimed at growing the sport.
Rachel Garcia was born on March 30, 1997, in Lancaster, California, and grew up in Palmdale, California. She attended Highland High School, where she excelled in softball. In her senior year, she achieved a 26-2 record with a 0.20 ERA and 418 strikeouts in 175 innings, including 20 shutouts, 10 no-hitters, and six perfect games. Her offensive capabilities were equally impressive, batting .667 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs. Her performance led to her being named the 2015 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, making her a highly recognized talent from her early playing days. A left knee injury sustained in the CIF Championship Game led to her redshirting her freshman year at UCLA in 2016.
Garcia’s collegiate career at UCLA was marked by significant achievements, despite her initial redshirt year. As a redshirt freshman in 2017, she earned NFCA National Freshman of the Year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. She posted a 23-9 record with a 1.87 ERA and 212 strikeouts, complementing her .325 batting average, eight home runs, and 29 RBIs. Her sophomore year in 2018 saw her accumulate a 29-4 pitching record with a 1.31 ERA and 315 strikeouts. She was recognized as the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA National Player of the Year, and Honda Sports Award winner for softball.
The 2019 season was a career highlight for Garcia, leading UCLA to the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) championship. She finished the year with a 29-1 record, a 1.14 ERA, and 286 strikeouts. Her dominant performance earned her the WCWS Most Outstanding Player award and further accolades, including her second consecutive USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA National Pitcher of the Year, and the prestigious Honda Cup as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. After sitting out the 2020 season to focus on the U.S. Olympic team, she returned to UCLA in 2021, winning her second Honda Cup. Professionally, Garcia was drafted first overall in the 2025 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) draft, where she began playing for the Volts. She has also contributed to coaching, serving as a volunteer assistant coach at San Diego State in 2022 and pitching coach at UC San Diego in 2023. Her international career includes a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2019 and 2023, and the World Games in 2025.
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