ORLANDO – On the heels of a dominant week in the circle, UCF softball redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Isabella Vega has received the first weekly honors of her collegiate career.
The Bradenton native garnered week eight Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week, as well as D1Softball.com National Freshman of the Week, recognition after turning in a trio of stifling appearances against the No. 3 Florida Gators and Baylor Bears.
She earns the first national weekly recognition by a Knight this season, as well as the team’s third Big 12 Conference weekly award this spring after senior right-hander Kaitlyn Felton previously earned a pair of league Pitcher of the Week honors.
Vega also becomes the first Knights arm to earn D1Softball.com national weekly recognition since then-junior Sarah Willis did so in her first season with the Black and Gold, throwing consecutive seven-inning shutouts, including the first seven-inning perfect game in program history, against the Houston Cougars April 28-30, 2023 to clinch the publication’s national Pitcher of the Week award.
The rookie right-hander totaled a team-high 17 innings over the last week, allowing just one run on 10 hits with 18 strikeouts and a .167 batting average-against accompanied by two complete games, one complete game shutout, and one four-inning save.
She began her week with a commanding start against the third-ranked Gators Wednesday, March 26, spinning a seven-inning complete game shutout supported by a pair of two-run home runs by teammates Aubrey Evans and Izzy Mertes.
Vega yielded just five hits to Florida in the Knights’ highest-ranked win of the season and third top-four ranked victory this spring, handing the Gators their first shutout loss of the 2025 campaign.
She also became the second freshman pitcher in program history to throw a seven-plus-inning shutout against Florida, joining Mackenzie Audas (April 11, 2012), and the first freshman overall to silence the Gators across seven innings since NiJaree Canady did so during the 2023 NCAA Stanford Regional May 20.
The right-hander then tossed her second complete game in as many appearances in the Knights’ series-opener against the Bears Friday evening, allowing her lone run of the week in the bottom of the first inning.
She followed the first frame with five more scoreless frames, completing her evening with a six-inning complete game and one run allowed on four hits with seven strikeouts.
Vega punctuated her week with her second straight appearance with seven strikeouts, locking down UCF’s 7-2 Sunday victory with four innings of one-hit ball to earn the first save of her NCAA career.
With the trio of strong showings, Vega lowered her season ERA to a team-best 1.16 through her first 72.2 collegiate innings, and enters play Tuesday also pacing the squad in total strikeouts (72), batting average-against (.180), fewest runs (14) and earned runs (12) allowed, shutouts (4), fewest hits allowed per seven innings (4.43), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.24), strikeouts per seven innings (6.9), WHIP (0.87), and appearances (20).
Among Big 12 Conference leaders, Vega ranks 1st in shutouts, 2nd in WHIP, 3rd in ERA, 4th in strikeouts per seven innings, 4th in fewest hits allowed per seven innings, T-4th in complete games (5), 5th in strikeout-to-walk ratio, and T-5th in total strikeouts.
UP NEXT
UCF faces another challenge away from home this weekend, as the squad will take the second trip in program history to Norman, Oklahoma, to square off against the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in two games during a three-game round robin that also features a game against St. Thomas.
First pitch against the second-ranked Sooners is set for 8 p.m. ET from Love’s Field Friday, April 4, and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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