UCLA Softball Earns Commitment From 2024 Outfielder Rylee Slimp
With the cycle only just getting started, the Bruins have added yet another key piece to their upcoming star-studded class.
Class of 2024 outfielder Rylee Slimp committed to UCLA softball on Wednesday, she announced on Twitter. Slimp is the third prospect to commit to the Bruins since the start of October, joining pitcher Addisen Fisher and shortstop Kaniya Bragg.
The Liberty High School (TX) junior camped at UCLA and Oregon over the summer, then took visits to South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas once the contact period opened in September. Slimp made her final visit to Westwood on Oct. 9 alongside Bragg, and ultimately went public with her commitment a few days later.
Slimp was present for then-No. 18 UCLA football's 42-32 win over then-No. 11 Utah at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
Washington, Arizona and Georgia were reportedly among the other teams pursuing Slimp.
Slimp was recently named the No. 7 recruit in her class by Extra Inning Softball, bumping her up from her previous spot at No. 62. The fast-rising prospect plays her travel ball for Texas Blaze Fastpitch, where she has shown out over the past few months to justify the climb up the rankings.
At the Alliance Fastpitch Championships, Slimp boasted a .543 batting average while leading the field with 19 hits and five doubles, picking up Tier 1 All-Tourney honors along the way.
Slimp finished the 2022 travel season hitting .440 with a 1.241 OPS, eight triples, five home runs and 37 RBIs. The 5-foot-11 lefty is also a plus-fielder and has been heralded for her speed on the basepaths.
UCLA now has three commits from three different states and regions entirely. Fisher is from Oregon, while Bragg is from California and Slimp is from Texas.
The trio of commits are all also top-15 prospects in the entire nation, with Fisher coming in at No. 1, Slimp ranking No. 7 and Bragg ranking No. 13.
Although the three top recruits won't be taking the field until the 2025 season, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, associate head coach Lisa Fernandez and associate head coach Kirk Walker have done plenty of leg work to shore up the team's future well ahead of schedule. After all, current stars like outfielder Aaliyah Jordan, outfielder Maya Brady and ace Megan Faraimo will be gone by the time Slimp and the others arrive on campus, meaning they could very well help form the next championship-winning core in Westwood.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF RYLEE SLIMP/TWITTER