ORLANDO, Fla. – The St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational presented by Wilson has announced game times and matchups for the Feb. 17-20 tournament. UCF Softball is slated to face six storied programs, including four that finished the 2021 season ranked in the NCFA Top 25 Coaches Poll.
FULL ST. PETE CLEARWATER ELITE INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
| Date | Opponent | Time | Broadcast |
| Thursday, Feb. 17 | Wisconsin | 1:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Friday, Feb. 18 | #19 Michigan | 3:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Friday, Feb. 18 | Texas Tech | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Saturday, Feb. 19 | #23 Tennessee | 10:30 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Saturday, Feb. 19 | #12 Texas | 7:00 p.m. | Longhorn Network |
| Sunday, Feb. 20 | #2 Florida State | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Feb. 17 | Wisconsin | 1 p.m.
The Knights will open the Clearwater Invitational against Wisconsin, the first of back-to-back Big 10 opponents they'll face in Clearwater. The Badgers finished the 2021 season with an 18-22 record. UCF and Wisconsin have never faced each other on the softball diamond.
Feb. 18 | No. 19 Michigan | 3 p.m.
The Wolverines had an impressive season, going 38-8 overall last season, including a 36-6 mark in the regular season. With no Big 10 postseason tournament, they were crowned champions of the regular season. They opened their NCAA regional slate by beating Seattle 2-0. Michigan followed up with a 2-1 win over regional host, then-No. 6 Washington before dropping its final two games of the season to the Huskies. The Knights have faced the Wolverines eight times in their history, losing the first seven but posting a 3-2 win in their last meeting in March 2020.
Feb. 18 | Texas Tech | 6 p.m.
UCF will matchup with a future Big 12 foe in Texas Tech in game two of its Friday doubleheader. The Red Raiders went 21-26 in 2021 but finished the season on a high note, winning three of their last four and capping off the year with a 5-1 win over then-No. 10 Texas. After a brief segment of pool play in the Big 12 tournament, the Red Raiders finished second in Pool A, matching up with Pool B second place finisher Texas. UCF and Texas Tech have faced each other six times, splitting the decisions evenly.
Feb. 19 | No. 23 Tennessee | 10:30 a.m.
The Knights will play another doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with Tennessee. The Lady Vols will be the first team that UCF faces on the weekend that eclipsed 40 wins, going 42-15 in 2021. Tennessee earned the right to host an NCAA Regional after falling to Alabama in the SEC semifinals. After winning their NCAA Tournament opener against Eastern Kentucky 8-1, the Lady Vols proceeded to fall 3-1 to James Madison and 6-4 to Liberty to bring a close to their season. The Knights lead the all-time series against Tennessee 4-2 and have won the last three contests.
Feb. 19 | No. 12 Texas | 7 p.m.
The Black and Gold will resume Saturday action at 7 p.m., facing Texas. The Longhorns went 43-14 during their 2021 campaign, reaching the NCAA Super Regionals in Stillwater. Texas defeated Saint Francis, Texas State and No. 11 Oregon in the Austin regional, advancing through to Stillwater and splitting the first matchups with Oklahoma State. Texas was eliminated in the rubber match of the series as the Cowgirls got the best of them 2-0. The Feb. 19th meeting between the two programs will be the first in UCF's history.
Feb. 20 | No. 2 FSU | 12:30 p.m.
UCF will wrap up the tournament weekend against Women's College World Series runner-up FSU. The Knights faced the Seminoles twice in last season's Tallahassee regional. FSU advanced to its 11th Women's College World Series last season. The Seminoles advanced to the championship series for the second time in program history before falling in three games to No. 1 Oklahoma. Florida State finished 2021 just shy of 50 wins, going 49-13-1.
ABOUT THE ST. PETE CLEARWATER ELITE INVITATIONAL
ESPN Events' 2022 St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational Presented by Wilson returns to the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. for its third year with all 40 softball games available across ESPN platforms, including 20 televised matchups. 16 total programs will compete across the four day tournament.
2022 ST. PETE CLEARWATER ELITE INVITATIONAL TICKETS
Tickets for the tournament go on sale Dec. 1 at noon. They can be purchased at https://www.stpeteclearwatereliteinvite.com/.
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