March 16, 2005
ATLANTA - Stephanie Best was chosen as the 18th overall pick in the 2005 Ladies Pro Fastpitch Association (LPFA) Tour College Senior Draft. It was the second time that she was selected in a draft as she was tapped by the National Pro Fastpitch league's New England Riptide in the fourth round earlier in the year.
Since the start of the UCF program, Best (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill HS) has owned just about every offensive category. She currently has a .755 career slugging percentage, .390 career batting average, 60 home runs, 11 triples, 36 doubles, 148 singles, 185 RBI and 185 runs. On the season, Best has a team-high .360 batting average, .811 slugging percentage, 15 home runs, one triple, three doubles, 21 singles, 32 RBI and 29 runs.
Over her four year career at UCF, Best has been named by the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference the last two years, Second Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team in 2002 and the academic team. She was also named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Southeast Region First Team in 2003 and Second Team in 2004, CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, CoSIDA Academic Third-Team All-American and Verizon Academic All-District III First Team.
The LPFA Tour festival weekend brings the world's best professional fastpitch softball players together with amateur communities across the United States. During each festival weekend, players, coaches and staff will incorporate youth and coach instruction, player mentoring and corporate endorsement into their schedule of games.
The festival weekends will include three professional teams playing in a round robin tournament along with 100-150 amateur teams competing in amateur tournaments. Youth camps and clinics will be offered with instruction by the professionals along with student-athlete evaluations by the professionals to help assist with recruiting opportunities.
The UCF softball team returns to action on Friday when they host the 2005 UCF Tournament at the UCF Softball Complex. The Knights will take on Charleston Southern at 1 p.m. followed by Northern Illinois at 3 p.m.