| GAME ONE Friday, May 27, 4:30 p.m. ET WATCH (ESPN2) | LIVE STATS | GAME TWO Saturday, May 28, 2:00 p.m. ET WATCH (ESPN) | LIVE STATS | GAME THREE Sunday, May 29, TBD TBD |
NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 16 UCF softball team is set to take part in their first NCAA Super Regional as they visit top-seeded Oklahoma for a best two-of-three series. The weekend series begins on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, with game two slated for a 2:00 p.m. ET start on ESPN.
The Knights have made all kinds of history this season, winning the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2015. They followed that up by earning their second consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament and ninth in program history. More history was made on Selection Sunday when the Knights heard their name called as the No. 16 national seed. For the first time, the Black and Gold earned the right to host a regional.
UCF didn't just host a regional, they swept their way through it in a memorable way. The weekend started out with a 6-0 win over Villanova in which Jada Cody had two homers and five RBI, the second time this season she has had a pair of long balls and the third time she has posted five RBI in a game. Cody now sits at 74 RBI this season as she continues to set the program's single-season record. Game two saw the Knights down to their final strike against No. 24 Michigan in the winner's game. Maddie Bejarano came up clutch, smashing a 2-2 double to the gap to score the game's tying run. Later, Bejarano ripped a double down the right field line to score the game-winning run in the 11th inning. Kama Woodall tossed 181 pitches, tossing the entire game and recording a career-high 10 strikeouts. The 2-0 start to the Orlando regional marked the first time that UCF had gone unscathed through the first two games. The regional final saw the Knights jump out to an early 3-0 lead in a rematch against Michigan thanks to a trio of walks with the bases loaded. UCF never looked back as they went on to win 9-4, posting the highest run total in an NCAA Tournament contest in school history.
Woodall and Gianna Mancha were stellar over the weekend, just as they have been all season. They allowed just two earned runs on the weekend, combining for 25 strikeouts and a 0.56 ERA over 25 innings of work. The two are ranked nationally in ERA, with Mancha ranked 22nd with a 1.62 ERA and Woodall sitting 56th with a 1.88 mark. Mancha is No. 14 in the country when it comes to hits allowed per seven innings, holding the opposition to just over four hits a game. She is 17th in the nation in victories, posting 23 so far, placing her in a tie of ninth on UCF's single season wins list.
Together, Woodall and Mancha held the opposition to a .163 batting average over the weekend. On the flip side, UCF's offense had their way at the plate, batting .330 over the three-game span. Johneisha Rowe led the way in batting average, collecting a .556 mark with five hits in nine at-bats. Shannon Doherty led the team in hits on the weekend, earning six while batting .462. Bejarano, Cody, Kennedy Searcy and Ashleigh Griffin all had multiple extra-base hits during the Orlando regional. UCF earned nine or more hits in each game during the regional and have earned eight or more hits in their last six contests. UCF is hitting exactly .300 as a team this season, putting them 36th in the country. They're 15th overall in on base percentage, posting a .401 clip.
The Black and Gold are the first team from the American Athletic Conference to reach Super Regionals. UCF is one of four teams to make their Super Regional debut this season, joining Clemson, Duke and Mississippi State. They'll be looking to be the first team to make their Super Regional and Women's College World Series debut in the same year since Auburn did it in 2015. Only Tennessee (2005), Oregon State (2006), Virginia Tech (2008) and Auburn (2015) have been able to accomplish that feat.
The Knights will match up with No. 1 Oklahoma in the super regional. They've posted a record of 52-2 so far this season, with one coming in the regular season against Texas and the other in the Big 12 title game against No. 7 Oklahoma State. The Sooners are first in the country in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, runs per game and more. From the circle, they're first in ERA while holding opponents to a .141 batting average. The Norman Super Regional is one of three supers to feature both team ranked in the top 20 nationally in on-base percentage.
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.