College softball: Former Keystone standout Lauren Shaw transfers to UCLA

Even though Lauren Shaw was having success as a Division I softball pitcher at the University of Iowa, the former Keystone standout had lost her love for the sport. So with the support of her Hawkeyes coaches, Shaw entered the transfer portal in the final week of this past season in search of a new start. "I found that love again with only two to three weeks left in the season," Shaw said. "I was ready for a new start, even though I love the coaches and the program at Iowa." Shaw's new start will be at UCLA, where the left-hander and former All-Ohioan will play in the Pac-12 Conference for one of the most storied softball programs in NCAA history. "My biggest thing was making sure it was the best opportunity, not necessarily the biggest school or the best team," Shaw said. Trying to balance a full-time job with visiting campuses, Shaw took a trip to Los Angeles during a weekend in mid-June. Already a college graduate with a degree in statistics from Iowa, Shaw will enroll in graduate school at UCLA to earn a master's degree in education. "I got to see the area and the campus, and learned about their program and academics," Shaw said. "Everything about UCLA is amazing. It's awesome how much they care — it's all about family." UCLA is one of the most decorated Division I college programs with 12 NCAA titles — the most recent coming in 2019 when the Bruins went 56-6 — and appearances in the Women's College World Series from 2015-19 and 2021. "I'm looking to go there and be of any help, and I want to go to the World Series," Shaw said. "I think most girls who play softball dream of that. ... I'm excited to get to an established program and see how I can help the team, regardless of how much I play. I joked with my mom that I only wanted to be part of the culture at UCLA, whether I see a lot of innings or no innings." Shaw arrives at UCLA after spending four years at Iowa, and has two years of eligibility remaining. In 56 career appearances and 38 starts in three seasons for the Hawkeyes, she posted a 21-18 record with a 2.19 earned run average, 18 complete games, four shutouts, two saves and 189 strikeouts in 255 1/3 innings. Shaw struck out 70 in 85 1/3 innings in 22 games as a freshman in 2018, then was a redshirt in 2019. She went 9-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, which the NCAA did not count against athlete's eligibility, which is why Shaw has two years remaining. She was tied for second in the Big Ten Conference in wins and fourth in ERA, while earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors in February 2020. Last season, Shaw was 9-4 with a 2.03 ERA, two saves and 58 strikeouts in 96 1/3 innings. With just 15 walks, she ranked 21st in the nation and first in the Big Ten in walks allowed per seven innings (1.09), also was sixth in the conference in earned run average. At Keystone, Shaw went 53-13 record with 29 career shutouts and three no-hitters. Her four perfect games rank third in Keystone history, and she struck out 467 batters and boasted a 1.01 ERA. The Wildcats were state qualifiers during Shaw's sophomore and junior seasons. She was 23-3 as a junior with 202 strikeouts and 13 shutouts, and 20-6 as a sophomore with 146 strikeouts and nine shutouts, and was named Lorain County Pitcher of the Year. UCLA softball coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, in her 12th year leading the Bruins, said she's excited to add Shaw to the roster. "She brings a competitive edge to the (pitching) circle and will add maturity and depth to our pitching staff in 2022," Inouye-Perez, who was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2021, said in a news release. "Lauren is excited to work with (assistant coach and legendary pitcher) Lisa (Fernandez), and I believe she will be a game-changer for us." Contact Anthony Moujaes at ctsports@chroniclet.com.