| #24 UCF vs. Wisconsin Thur., Feb. 17, 1:00 p.m. ET WATCH (ESPNU) | LIVE STATS | #24 UCF vs. #19 Michigan Fri., Feb. 18, 3:00 p.m. ET WATCH (ESPN+) | LIVE STATS | #24 UCF vs. Texas Tech Fri., Feb. 18, 6:00 p.m. ET WATCH (ESPN+) | LIVE STATS |
| #18 Tennessee vs. #24 UCF Sat., Feb. 19, 10:30 a.m. ET WATCH (ESPN+) | LIVE STATS | #24 UCF vs. #11 Texas Sat., Feb. 19, 7:00 p.m. ET WATCH (LHN) | LIVE STATS | #24 UCF vs. #5 FSU Sun., Feb. 20, 12:30 p.m. ET WATCH (ESPN+) | LIVE STATS |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF softball team is right back in action on Thursday as it heads for the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational, one of college softball's premiere tournaments. The Knights will play six games in four days, including four contests against ranked opponents.
UCF improved to 4-1 on Tuesday night with a 3-0 victory over Liberty. It was the team's first shoutout of the 2022 season. The victory was head coach Cindy Ball-Malone's 100th win at the helm of the Knights and her 199th career win. She'll have a chance to reach another milestone this weekend as she hunts for career win number 200.
The Knights have been scoring early and often, scoring at least one run in the first inning of their last three contests. Dominant pitching has complemented the hot bats as the Black and Gold has outscored opponents 18-2 over that time. UCF is one of the most disciplined teams in the country at the dish, earning 29 walks which is sixth most in the nation. When combining their eight hit-by-pitches, it totals more than the 32 hits they've earned so far.
The Black and Gold begin their trip in Clearwater on Thursday against Wisconsin at 1 p.m. The Badgers are off to a 3-3 start to their 2022 campaign, with their three losses coming against top 20 teams. The contest will be the first meeting between the two sides.
UCF will play their first of two double headers in Clearwater on Friday, facing No. 19 Michigan and Texas Tech at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. The Wolverines enter the weekend with a 3-2 record with losses to No. 6 Florida and South Florida. UCF is currently 1-7 against Michigan but took the last meeting by a score of 3-2 in 2020. Texas Tech has posted a 3-1 record to this point, with a pair of wins over USTA and splitting a two-game set with Houston. The Knights and Red Raiders are even at 3-3 in the all-time series.
The Knights will take on a pair of ranked opponents on Saturday, squaring off with No. 18 Tennessee and No. 11 Texas. The Lady Vols are out to a 4-0 start to their season, beating UNC Greensboro, Maryland and FIU twice. They began the season at No. 22 in the NFCA rankings but climbed four spots this week. The Longhorns are down a slot in the rankings, sliding from 10th to 11th after FGCU earned a 6-4 upset in Texas' second game of the season. The loss is the only blemish on the Longhorns' 4-1 record to this point.
UCF wraps up the weekend on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. with an NCAA Regional rematch with No. 5 Florida State. The Seminoles are 5-0 to start the campaign following a Women's College World Series runner up finish.
Four of UCF's opponents this weekend at least made an NCAA Regional, with Texas and Florida State advancing to at least the next round. All told the six teams that UCF will face combined for a 211-98-1 record in 2021.
Following this weekend, eight of the Knights' first 11 games will have been against opponents who were in the NFCA Top 25 or receiving votes in the poll.
TICKETS
Season and single game tickets are on sale now! Don't miss any of the action this year, click here to purchase season tickets now or click here for single game tickets!
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Stay tuned to UCF Softball on Facebook (/UCFSoftball), Twitter (@UCF_Softball) and Instagram (@UCF.Softball) for the latest on the UCF softball team.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news. Download the app here.