UCLA Softball Adds Another Starting Pitcher Through Portal

UCLA has now found two pitchers from the portal to replace Taylor Tinsley.

May 29, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez heads back to the dugout during the fifth inning against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the NCAA Women’s College World Series at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The Bruins have just added their second pitcher via the transfer portal.

UCLA softball had a strong season and postseason. They would advance in the NCAA Tournament, dominating teams such as South Carolina and UCF, to reach the College World Series, only to be eliminated by Texas Tech.

May 31, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez walks back to the dugout in the sixth inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

One of the keys to the Bruins' dominance all season was the elite pitching from senior Taylor Tinsley. Tinsley would make 48 appearances and 33 starts this year, with a 33-8 record, 3.16 ERA, and a 193-94 strikeout to walk ratio.

Now that Tinsley has finished her senior year, head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez has gone into the transfer portal and has just found another starting pitcher for next year's rotation in Cambria Salmon, she announced on her social media.

Cambria Salmon at Texas

Salmon just finished up her sophomore year with the Texas Longhorns, as the Longhorns have just won the College Softball World Series for the second straight year.

May 9, 2025; Athens, GA, USA; Texas starting pitcher/relief pitcher Cambria Salmon (25) pitches during a game against Texas A&M at Jack Turner Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Coming to Texas, Salmon was one of the top high school recruits in the 2024 class.

Salmon's career with the Longhorns was filled with ups and downs. As a freshman, Salmon would see the circle 22 times while starting in eight games. She finished with a 7-2 record with one save and threw over 62 innings, striking out 66 batters. The righty maintained a .248 ERA, which was second-best on the team behind Tegan Kavan.

Texas catcher Reese Atwood (14) talks with Texas starting relief pitcher Cambria Salmon (25) in Game 2 of the Women's College World Series championship series between the Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 5, 2025. Texas Tech won 4-3. | DOUG HOKE/THEOKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, in her sophomore season, she would only have four appearances in the circle with just 10 innings pitched. Salmon was still impactful in the stat sheet with a 3-0 record, including a 1.40 earned run average while striking out 12. But she just didn't get many opportunities in the circle for the national champs.

What Adding Cambria Salmon and Meika Lauppe Means for Bruins

Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns pitcher Cambria Salmon (25) throws a pitch in the fourth inning against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during game two of the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series finals at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Taylor Tinsley was a dominant pitcher for the Bruins last year, making 48 appearances. However, she pitched for a little over 61% of the innings the Bruins played this season. The other pitchers in the starting rotation were just unreliable, with the number two starter being freshman southpaw Natalie Cable, who had her struggles throughout the year with a 6.72 earned run average in 22 appearances.

Both Salmon and Lauppe coming to UCLA means head coach Inouye-Perez wants a more stable starting rotation rather than relying on one arm, as they will be expected to compete for the ace role for the Bruins.

Arizona State's Meika Lauppe pitches against Texas Tech during a Big 12 Conference softball game, Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Rocky Johnson Field. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now that the Inouye-Perez has done a good job in finding suitable replacements for Tinsley, she will now need to shift her focus onto finding powerbats through the portal, with both Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery leaving for the AUSL.