ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF softball team has been picked to finish third in the American Athletic Conference, per the release of the 2022 Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll. The Knights received two first place votes and a total of 29 points in the poll.
"Pre-season picks are awesome for the fans and generating excitement as we head into the 2022 season," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "What matters the most is who will be playing at the end of the season and we love the added motivation this team now has as we prepare to compete with the best teams in the country."
UCF finished just four points away from a tie of first place with Wichita State, who received four first place votes and a total of 33 points. Just ahead of the Knights are the Bulls, who only received one first place vote and sit just two points higher than the Black and Gold with 31.
The Knights finished the 2021 regular season sitting third in the standings, with a record of 16-7-1, just being South Florida with a record of 16-7 and Wichita State at 18-5-1. UCF finished as The American's runner-up in the championship tournament. The Knights opened the tournament with a 4-3 win against ECU before beating South Florida 3-2 in the semifinals. The Black and Gold were edged by Wichita State in the conference final, falling 7-4 and missing out on the conference's automatic qualifier.
The Knights earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, grabbing a spot in the Tallahassee regional. UCF opened the tournament with a 5-4 win against Auburn thanks to a five-run second inning. UCF fell to Florida State in their next matchup by a count of 3-0 and had to win an elimination game later that day to keep the season alive. They did just that, topping Kennesaw State 2-0 to advance to the regional final against FSU. It was a close contest, but ultimately it was the Seminoles who advanced to the Super Regionals via a 2-0 victory.
The Knights finished the 2021 season with a record of 41-19-1, the winningest campaign in the last six seasons. UCF earned three victories against top five opponents, beating No. 5 Florida twice and No. 2 Arizona.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Wichita State (4) 33
2. South Florida (1) 31
3. UCF (2) 29
4. Houston 19
5. Tulsa 18
6. Memphis 9
7. ECU 8
*Coaches were unable to vote for their own team.
UP NEXT
UCF opens the 2022 season on Feb. 10 as they host Georgia at 6 p.m.
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