Vega, Damon Earn D1Softball Freshman All-America RecognitionVega, Damon Earn D1Softball Freshman All-America Recognition

Vega, Damon Earn D1Softball Freshman All-America Recognition

by Ryan Ladika

ORLANDO – A pair of key contributors in leading UCF to its first NCAA Regional Final berth since 2022, Isabella Vega and Beth Damon have garnered more national recognition for their efforts.

The pair have been named to D1Softball’s 2025 Freshman All-America teams, with Vega earning a spot on the publication’s Freshman All-America First Team and Damon earning Second Team honors.

For Vega, the honor represents the second All-America recognition she’s earned since the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, joining her appointment to Softball America’s Freshman All-America team.

The Bradenton native, a top 10 finalist for the NFCA’s National Freshman of the Year award, also earned a place on the NFCA All-Gulf Region First Team, All-Big 12 Conference First Team, and All-Big 12 Conference Freshman Team, while earning one Wilson/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week, two D1Softball National Freshman of the Week, and two Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors as well.

She represented UCF’s leader in the circle throughout the spring season, pacing her squad in ERA (1.70), starts (20), complete games (7), shutouts (5), innings pitched (135.2), strikeouts (110) and batting average-against (.197), as well as the team’s co-leader with Kaitlyn Felton with 14 winning decisions.

Vega had a hand in many of her team’s biggest wins of the year, beginning with the third appearance of her collegiate career that saw her toss seven innings of scoreless relief against then-No. 15 Missouri as her team completed the largest comeback against a ranked opponent in program history.

Softball_CK_4348_021125_2015209520Isabella Vega | Photo by: Conor Kvatek

She spun 5.1 innings in UCF’s series-opener at then-No. 4 Arizona, kicking off what would become the highest-ranked series-win in program history, and later became the second freshman in program history, and the first of any team since 2023, to toss a seven-inning shutout against the Florida Gators, then ranked No. 3 in the nation.

The right-hander compiled a team-leading 47.2 innings against ranked opponents overall, recording a 2.94 ERA in her 12 appearances with 34 strikeouts and a .261 batting average-against.

Damon’s appointment to D1Softball’s All-America Second Team marks her first career All-America recognition and joins her selection to the All-Big 12 Conference Freshman team this spring.

She appeared in 58 of UCF’s 60 total games this spring, including 54 starts at catcher and designated player, hitting .277/.343/.493 (41-for-148) with 17 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 73 total bases, nine walks and 37 RBI.

Her eight home runs were good for a share of third-most by a freshman in program history with teammate Izzy Mertes, as the pair trailed only Jania Shinhoster’s 12 and Stephanie Best’s 11, both in the program’s inaugural 2002 campaign.

The catcher enjoyed a breakout showing in leading her team to its 6-4 eight-inning win over Clemson in Clearwater Feb. 15, recording her first career three-hit, three-RBI game, and would go on to hit her first two career home runs against ranked opponents, then-No. 22 Florida Atlantic and then-No. 4 Arizona.

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She produced her most prolific offensive display in the team’s 11-0 run-rule win over Arizona State March 15, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, including her first grand slam, and seven RBI, good for the second-most by a player in a single game in program history.

Damon also recorded a multi-hit game, including a double, in UCF’s 4-0 shutout win over then-No. 3 Florida March 26, and hit safely in seven of UCF’s final nine games of the season, producing a .385/.452/.615 (10-for-26) line with three doubles and one home run in that span.

The Edmond, Oklahoma native notched a pair of multi-hit showings in UCF’s postseason run, going 2-for-3 with a double in UCF’s 7-5 Big 12 Conference first-round win over Utah May 7 before also going 2-for-3 against then-No. 25 Michigan in the Knights’ NCAA Austin Regional opener May 16.

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