ORLANDO – The UCF softball team has made its first splash of the summer in the transfer portal, landing junior left-handed pitcher Ava Justman from Wisconsin.
A native of Northridge, California, Justman represents the second southpaw on the Knights pitching staff, after rising senior Angelina DeVoe served as the lone left-hander on UCF's spring 2023 squad.
Justman's freshman debut season with the Badgers came during the spring 2021 campaign, during which she recorded a strong 1.79 ERA (15.2 IP, 4 ER) in eight relief appearances. She tallied 13 strikeouts while limiting her opposition to a .268 (19-for-71) batting average-against.
"I ultimately decided to come to UCF because I wanted to continue to be a part of a highly competitive environment that not only is hungry to win and has eyes on the same goal, but also has a warm, welcoming family atmosphere," Justman said. "The program consistently strives to excel and achieve greatness by working with the players on the field as well as in the classroom."
Her freshman season was highlighted by a stretch during which she made four consecutive scoreless appearances spanning 7.1 innings of work with seven strikeouts from April 16-24. Of said four appearances, three came against Rutgers, with the last against Nebraska.
Justman took on an increased workload throughout her sophomore 2022 slate, making 17 appearances, including 14 starts, and registering a 3.93 ERA (35 ER) in 62.1 innings pitched. Her 39 strikeouts ranked second-most on the team, and she issued only 1.7 walks per seven innings (15 total).
She threw a pair of seven-inning complete games as a sophomore, including a March 16 gem against Utah when she yielded only one run on seven hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Justman also recorded a career-high eight strikeouts in her other complete-game effort, a 4-3 Badgers loss to Southern Utah March 12. She did not see game action during the spring 2023 season.
"I'm blessed to have the opportunity to represent this university," she continued. "After visiting campus, I realized this is where my heart resides. I'm so excited to be a Knight and be a part of a program that will make me grow as a player and even more as a person."
The addition of Justman pushes the Knights newcomer total to eight following the conclusion of the spring 2023 season. The junior transfer will join freshmen Samantha Delhoyo, Sierra Humphreys, Taylor Kittleman, Alexis Morgan, Samantha Rey, Kiley Strott and Isabella Vega.