Former UCLA softball player Mysha Sataraka has been named assistant coach for the Bruins, according to an announcement from Kelly Inouye-Perez, The Shelly Carlin UCLA Head Softball Coach.
Sataraka returns to UCLA after three years as an assistant coach at Penn State, where she worked with the team’s offense. During her time there, Penn State reached the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and made three appearances in the Big Ten Tournament. The team also achieved back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Mysha back to Westwood,” Inouye-Perez said. “Mysha was one of the most intense competitors I’ve had the pleasure of coaching at UCLA. She has always possessed an unwavering belief in Bruin Magic, and will undoubtedly add more fuel to the fire for our Bruins. She understands the high standards on the field and in the classroom that UCLA softball prides itself on. Mysha has established herself as one of the top offensive minds in the country in a short time as a coach, and I’m excited to reunite with her on our staff. I can’t wait to see the fusion of her expertise with our powerful lineup beginning this fall.”
Last season at Penn State, Sataraka contributed to record-breaking offensive achievements for the program. The Nittany Lions set single-season records for home runs (74), runs scored (341), batting average (.329), and total bases (770).
In her second year at Penn State, Sataraka helped guide the team to its third-winningest season ever with a 35-20 record and their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2011. The Nittany Lions secured their 13th NCAA Tournament win by defeating UAlbany during regional play.
During Sataraka’s tenure, eleven student-athletes from Penn State received All-Big Ten Conference honors; nine were hitters. She played a role in developing sophomore infielder Brooke Klosowicz into one of Big Ten’s top offensive players by 2025, improving Klosowicz’s batting average from .239 as a freshman to .422 as a sophomore along with significant increases in doubles and slugging percentage.
In Sataraka’s first year on staff, junior infielder Emily Maddock led Penn State with a .439 batting average and became their first position player named All-Big Ten First Team in six years.
Ten players from Penn State earned NFCA All-Region honors while Sataraka was part of their coaching staff.
Before joining Penn State, Sataraka spent four years coaching at CSUN between 2017–20 and then joined LMU as an assistant coach starting November 2020. At LMU she contributed to winning a West Coast Conference Championship under head coach Tairia Flowers in 2022.
As a player at UCLA from 2013–16, Sataraka started at third base for four seasons and helped lead her team to consecutive Women’s College World Series appearances during her junior and senior years. Her senior year included hitting .380 with 15 home runs and earning NFCA Second Team All-America honors along with selection to the All-WCWS Team after homering twice during tournament play.
Sataraka ended her collegiate career ranked among UCLA’s all-time leaders: second all-time in walks (144), ninth in on-base percentage (.476), tenth in slugging percentage (.670), alongside career totals of .337 batting average, 47 home runs, and 176 RBIs. She was also recognized twice as an All-Pac-12 First Team honoree.
Her experience includes representing USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team that won silver at ISF Junior Women’s World Championship (2013) and playing for USA Softball Women’s Elite Team at World Cup of Softball XI (2016). Professionally she played for Texas Charge during summer 2017 appearing in 43 games.
A Honolulu native, Sataraka graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
