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Feb. 3, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - UCF travels to Clearwater, Fla. for a challenging weekend at Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex. The Golden Knights will play five games in three days, including a match-up with No. 13 Tennessee on Friday afternoon. UCF will also take on DePaul who is also receiving votes in the recent top 25 polls.
The Golden Knights have met three of their four scheduled opponents this weekend on the softball diamond before. UCF and Tennessee played during the 2002 season with the Golden Knights coming out on top, 4-2. UCF and UT have also played exhibition matches against each other the previous two seasons. The Golden Knights are 2-0 all-time against Florida A&M sweeping a doubleheader in 2002 at Tallahassee. Saturday will be the first time that the Golden Knights will play DePaul on the softball diamond. UCF has played A-Sun rival Gardner-Webb five times blanking the Bulldogs in three of the five meetings.
The Golden Knights return eight starters in the field, a pair of pitchers, and add five talented newcombers to a squad that finished 42-21 a season ago. Stephanie Best returns for her senior campaign, and enters the weekend with a career .402 batting average, while Jania Shinhoster has yet to miss a start in her UCF career. Lindsay Enders won 20 games last season compiling seven shutouts.
Scouting the Opposition
Tennessee was 56-16, won the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division, and was ranked 16th in the nation. The Lady Vols were knocked out of the NCAA Regionals by Illinois-Chicago a season ago. Pitcher Monica Abbot returns to Knoxville being dubbed SEC Pitcher of the Year, and garnering a spot on the All-American First Team in just her freshman season. Abbott compiled a 45-10 record, and led the nation with 582 strikeouts. The 45 wins and 582 strikeouts are NCAA records for a freshman. She fired 24 complete game shutouts, and four no-hitters, including a perfect game against Hawaii.
FAMU was 34-31 last season, and fell short in the loser's bracket final of the MEAC Championship to rival Bethune-Cookman. Ruby Nugent had a team-high 65 hits, including nine doubles on her way to a .327 season.
The Rattlers also returns pitching tandem Danielle Brown and Monique Mattingly.
DePaul was eliminated by Tennessee last season in the NCAA Regionals, and will be looking to improve on a 30-31-1 mark last season.
All-American Saskia Robinson, who hit .393, headlines the Blue Demons. Robinson tallied 18 doubles and 13 homers for a team-best .684 slugging percentage. Robinson was just drafted by the Harlem Diamonds, a newly formed professional team.
Gardner-Webb made the Atlantic Sun tournament for the first time in program history last season, but were eliminated on day one.
Stacie Reichert returns to the pitching circle after posting a 1.71 ERA last season. Reichert didn't get a lot of run support going 18-20.
Rachael Riopel was the only player to hit over .300 last season slapping 63 hits, and picking up a team-high 34 RBI's.
UCF heads to Las Vegas, Nev. next weekend to face three ranked teams in the top 12.