Softball Set for First '25 Road Trip to Clearwater InvitationalSoftball Set for First '25 Road Trip to Clearwater Invitational

Softball Set for First '25 Road Trip to Clearwater Invitational

by Ryan Ladika

ORLANDO – The UCF softball team has concluded a successful season-opening homestand, and is now set for its first stint away from home this spring.

On the heels of a 6-2 stretch spanning their first eight games at home, the Knights will take I-4 west to Clearwater to square off against five opposing schools over three days, including a pair of ranked squads in No. 5 Texas A&M Friday and No. 6 Florida State Sunday evening in the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.

This season marks the fourth consecutive season the Knights are a part of the field in Clearwater, dating back to the 2022 tournament during which the Black and Gold earned a wild 15-10 victory over then-No. 9 Texas and a 7-3, eight-inning win over Texas Tech.

“It’s a crazy tournament, crazy things happen in Clearwater. There are some really long games, really long days, but it’s exciting. The crowds are great for any team and you know you’re going to get to see some good softball. I’m excited to go into it for my last time and I’m excited for our younger girls to be in it for the first time.”

Kaitlyn FeltonRight-handed Pitcher

UCF’s strong start that featured wins in six of its first eight contests was led by an overall dominant showing by its pitching staff throughout the first week. The trio of Felton and freshmen Yessenia Lopez and Isabella Vega paced the staff in workload, with each eclipsing 12 innings pitched throughout the homestand.

The squad’s 1.23 ERA through six games (seven earned runs in 40 innings), also represented the lowest team ERA through the first six showings by the program since the 2016, and the program’s 6-2 start overall marks its second straight such start after the squad also boasted a 6-2 record after eight games in 2024.

Vega stole the spotlight in a breakout performance Tuesday, spinning seven scoreless frames in relief against the No. 15 Missouri Tigers to play a key role in the largest ranked comeback victory in program history and UCF’s first top-15 ranked win since 2022.

Felton garnered her first career Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honor for her efforts during the weekend Black and Gold Classic, throwing 10.2 scoreless frames that featured her first save of the spring and her first seven-inning complete game shutout against the Illinois Fighting Illini Feb. 9. The veteran right-hander enters play in the Clearwater Invitational still sporting a spotless 0.00 ERA in 12.1 total innings, accompanied by a team-best .122 batting average-against (5-for-41).

“I found out in the locker room, I haven’t been on social media much lately, so someone told me ‘congratulations.’ I said, ‘thanks, but what for?’ It was really good; I was glad to be with my teammates and celebrate with them.”

Kaitlyn Feltonon winning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week

Lopez (12) joins Vega (15) as the second pitcher on the Knights staff to eclipse double-digit strikeouts through the first week, and the two freshmen combined to post an aggregate ERA of 2.00 in 28 innings of work between them.

UCF’s staff entered play Wednesday owning the second-lowest team ERA in the Big 12 Conference, 1.60, and were one of just three teams in the league to post multiple shutouts in the circle, joining Texas Tech and Arizona.

SB_TT_5428_020725_17194738Yessenia Lopez | Photo by: Tyler Thomas

Offensively, redshirt senior Stormy Kotzelnick has represented the team’s most consistent producer through eight games, as the Carmel, Indiana, native boasts a .429/.538/.524 (9-for-21) line with two doubles, 11 total bases and five RBI entering the team’s first road trip of the year.

Kotzelnick has hit safely in six of UCF’s first eight games, highlighted by a 3-for-3 showing with a pair of doubles and two RBI in UCF’s comeback against 15th-ranked Missouri, marking her second multi-hit effort of the week.

Freshman infielder Izzy Mertes has also enjoyed a fast start to her collegiate career, as she represents her team’s leader in doubles with six to accompany an overall .391/.391/.652 (9-for-23) line with five RBI.

Mertes’ 2-for-4 display against the Flames Wednesday served as her third multi-hit game in her last four outings, as well as her fourth two-hit contest overall this season. She swatted a pair of doubles in UCF’s victory over No. 15 Missouri, already her second multi-double game of the first week.

The squad overall has excelled in keeping pressure on opposing defenses, as it entered play Wednesday ranking second in the Big 12 in stolen bases with 12, a mark that also ranked 22nd in the nation.

In addition to Texas A&M and Florida State, the Knights’ weekend slate also includes matchups with Ohio State, Clemson and Auburn. The five squads have produced an aggregate 22-3 record entering play Thursday, with Texas A&M, Clemson, Auburn and Florida State all having earned NCAA Tournament berths in 2024. The Aggies and Seminoles both advanced as far as the 2024 NCAA Super Regional round as well.

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