LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the third consecutive season, the UC Santa Barbara Softball program has had someone selected to the NFCA All-Region team. This year, junior pitcher Malaya Johnson was named Third Team All-West Region.

Johnson enters the 2025 NCAA Softball Championships with a 22-10 record in the circle. The right-hander currently holds a 2.68 ERA good for third in The Big West. Her six shutouts rank first in conference and 11th nationally while she also ranks 14th in Division I in victories. In her her 198.2 innings pitched, Johnson has struck out 112 batters while opponents are hitting 0.260 against her. The junior now becomes an All-Region athletes after being named The Big West Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Big West and The Big West Championship MVP.

Johnson and the Gauchos are set to start their Regional run on Friday, May 16 as they take on No. 9 UCLA at 4:30 p.m. in the opening game of the Los Angeles Regional. The game between the Gauchos and Bruins will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available through ncaa.com.