In two seasons with Charlotte, Elkins compiled an aggregate 3.33 ERA in 103 innings of work, tallying 73 strikeouts and a .261 batting average-against (105-for-403) while recording six complete games, three shutouts and one save.
The Nitro, West Virginia, native appeared in 17 games for the 49ers in 2024, including 13 starts, posting a season-low 2.72 ERA in 36 innings with 32 strikeouts and a .252 batting average-against (35-for-139).
“The campus is gorgeous and it’s very easy to get around. Graduating from a university like UCF, which is well-respected in many places, was really big for me when considering my future,” Elkins added.
In her second appearance of the ’24 season, she turned in a dominant start against her new Big 12 Conference foe Texas Tech Red Raiders, throwing 4.2 innings of one-hit ball in Charlotte’s 2-0 victory Feb. 10.
Just two appearances later, she threw her second career no-hitter, blanking Canisius in seven innings while yielding just a pair of walks and racking up a career-high-tying eight strikeouts in the 49ers’ 7-0 win Feb. 17. The effort also represented her second collegiate seven-inning complete game.
The Nitro High School product would go on to notch three more outings of at least three innings of work this spring, allowing one or fewer runs in each appearance against James Madison (Feb. 24), Memphis (March 15) and Longwood (April 2).
“She’s very easy to talk to and I feel very comfortable around her,” Elkins said of her new Knights pitching coach, Shannon Saile. “All of our ideas lined up with each other, and her having the experience of winning a national championship and going through her collegiate career, she’s been through everything that I’m going through right now.”
In earning Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors in 2023, Elkins posted a 3.66 ERA in 67 innings pitched, striking out 41 against 22 walks with five complete games, two shutouts and her first collegiate save.
She threw five innings of one-run ball against Campbell in her first career appearance Feb. 10, scattering three hits while striking out three in an eventual 6-1, 12-inning 49ers defeat.
In just the second appearance of her career, she threw her first no-hitter, striking out a career-high eight in stymieing St. John’s Feb. 17. The contest marked the first of her two seven-inning complete games in leading Charlotte to its 1-0 victory, and with the effort she also earned the first winning decision of her career.
Elkins’ freshman campaign also featured a strong start against Florida International that saw her spin five scoreless innings March 11, back-to-back appearances with just one run allowed against Coastal Carolina (April 4) and Middle Tennessee (April 6) totaling eight innings pitched, and a 6.2-inning start against North Texas April 15 during which she struck out six.
The then-freshman recorded the first save of her career against Louisiana Tech April 29, tossing three innings with one hit allowed to clinch Charlotte’s 8-1 victory in an eventual series win for the 49ers.
She later made a trio of appearances for the 49ers in the 2023 NCAA Durham Regional as well, highlighted by her two scoreless frames against then-No. 5 Duke May 20.
“The most exciting thing is the level of competition,” Elkins said of playing in the Big 12. “This is one of the best conferences to play in. There’s great competition coming in from the Pac-12, and I’m really excited to get started.”
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF softball on X (@UCF_Softball), Instagram (@UCF.Softball) and Facebook (/UCFSoftball).
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite teams by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android devices. The app provides personalized information for men’s and women’s teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and breaking news. Click here to download the app now.
