UCF Softball 2025 Season in ReviewUCF Softball 2025 Season in Review

UCF Softball 2025 Season in Review

by Ryan Ladika

Led by a plethora of new faces throughout its lineup and pitching staff, the UCF softball team authored one of the more prolific seasons in program history in 2025, rewriting its records throughout the spring slate with thrilling comebacks, a handful of program records and wins over some of the nation's best en route to an NCAA Regional Final berth.

POSTSEASON RESUME

The Knights finished the 2025 campaign with a 35-24-1 final record, earning the program’s fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid and the 12th in program history on the strength of a national RPI slot of 30. UCF also advanced to an NCAA Regional Final for the first time since the 2022 slate.

The team’s 35-win season ensured the program its seventh straight 30-plus-win slate dating back to 2018, excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020 year, as well as its fourth 35-win campaign in the last five years under head coach Cindy Ball-Malone.

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NCAA-APPERANCES

UCF’s seventh-year head coach also eclipsed a pair of personal milestones, accruing the 250th win of her Knights tenure and the 350th win of her Division I head coaching career with the team’s NCAA Austin Regional wins over Eastern Illinois and No. 25 Michigan.

Among the Black and Gold’s 35 victories overall, the squad earned a program single season record-tying seven wins over top 25-ranked opponents, matching the 2022 Knights’ seven ranked wins.

UCF bested then-No. 3 Florida, then-No. 4 Arizona twice, then-No. 15 Missouri, then-No. 21 Oklahoma State, then-No. 22 Florida Atlantic, and then-No. 25 Michigan, and in the process earned the highest-ranked series win in program history (Arizona), the largest comeback win over a ranked foe in program history (Missouri), and its first shutout of the Gators since 2021.

The Knights’ two shutout wins over ranked opponents (Florida and Florida Atlantic) also represented the program’s most shutouts over ranked foes in a season since 2021 (also two).

The Black and Gold earned five wins over RPI 1-25 programs as well, according to the NCAA’s final release through selection Sunday, toppling Florida (No. 2), Arizona twice (No. 12), Clemson (No. 13), and Oklahoma State (No. 21).

Nine of the program’s wins came against 2025 NCAA Tournament teams, highlighted by the Knights’ 6-4 win over a Clemson squad that won the ACC Tournament and advanced as far as the Super Regional round, and their 4-0 shutout of then-No. 3 Florida, which earned a Women’s College World Series berth.

IN THE DANCE

Boasting a 33-22-1 record upon the conclusion of play in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Tournament, the Knights earned their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and 12th in program history.

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UCF’s ticket to the NCAA Austin Regional sent the Knights out-of-state for regional play for the first time in program history, joining then-No. 25 Michigan and Eastern Illinois in heading to the home of the No. 6 overall seed Texas Longhorns.

Though the Black and Gold fell in a narrow 4-3 contest to the Wolverines in opening tournament play May 16, the squad rallied for back-to-back wins in two elimination games May 17 against the Panthers and Wolverines, by 10-2 and 10-8 final scores, respectively, to earn an appearance in the Austin Regional Final.

Led by Stormy Kotzelnick’s 4-for-4, three-RBI showing, a display that tied a program single-game tournament record in hits, the Black and Gold cruised to their run-rule win over Eastern Illinois. Freshman second baseman Coco Jaimes slugged her first collegiate homer in the win as well, and the tandem of Isabella Vega and Kaitlyn Felton combined to hold the Panthers to two runs on four hits in five innings.

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Each of UCF’s nine starters reached base safely at least once in the nightcap against the Wolverines, spearheaded by Sierra Humphreys’ three-run double in the fourth inning and multi-RBI showings by Coco Jaimes and Madison Simon.

A slugfest that saw just one scoreless half inning through the first four complete frames saw UCF trail 8-7 entering the top of the fifth inning, but a three-run frame on the strength of an Izzy Mertes solo shot and a go-ahead two-run single by Madison Simon gave UCF a lead it would not surrender the remainder of the contest.

Four innings of one-run ball in relief by Isabella Vega clinched UCF’s 10-8 win, sending the Knights to a Sunday Regional Final appearance against the sixth overall seeded No. 3 Texas Longhorns.

ALL-AMERICA TALENT

For the first time since the 2022 season, the Knights garnered individual post-season All-America recognition. Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Isabella Vega was included on Softball America’s Freshman All-America team and D1Softball’s Freshman All-America First Team, while Beth Damon earned D1Softball Freshman All-America Second Team honors.

The two became the third and fourth players in program history to earn national All-America status, joining Jada Cody (D1Softball First Team, Softball America Second Team, 2022) and UCF Hall-of-Famer Shelby Turnier (NFCA, 2015).

Softball_CK_4348_031525_1405554000Isabella Vega | Photo by: Conor Kvatek
SB_TT_2543_031525_15521551Beth Damon | Photo by: Tyler Thomas

Vega earned her recognition after leading UCF’s pitching staff in starts, ERA, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts and batting average-against, and also ranking among NCAA national leaders in ERA (1.70, 16th), WHIP (0.98, 15th), fewest hits allowed/7 IP (4.90, 20th), shutouts (5, T-29th) and K:BB ratio (2.89, 83rd). She threw her first career no-hitter at Kansas May 2 as well, ensuring the team would throw multiple no-hitters for the fourth straight season.

Her 0.89 ERA and .138 batting average-against in Big 12 Conference play both led the league, and she also ranked among Big 12 Conference leaders in shutouts (5, T-2nd), ERA (1.70, 3rd), fewest hits allowed/7 IP (4.90, 3rd), WHIP (0.98, 3rd), batting average-against (.197, 3rd), K:BB ratio (2.89, 5th), total strikeouts (110, 5th), complete games (7, T-6th), games started (20, 7th), innings pitched (135.2, T-7th), winning decisions (14, T-7th), and fewest walks allowed/7 IP (1.96, 8th).

Damon, meanwhile, slugged eight home runs throughout her debut season, tying teammate and fellow freshman Izzy Mertes for the third-most by a Knights freshman in program history.

The catcher hit .277/.343/.493 (41-for-148) with 17 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 73 total bases, nine walks, 37 RBI and one stolen base. Her 37 RBI led the team, and she also recorded nine multi-hit games, two multi-homer showings, and in an 11-0 run-rule win over Arizona State March 15, recorded the second-most RBI by a player in a single game in program history (7).

ROUNDING OUT THE TROPHY CASE

In addition to its two freshman All-America selections, UCF also saw five players garner All-Big 12 Conference laurels and three NFCA All-Region appointments.

Isabella Vega earned NFCA All-Gulf Region First Team honors, All-Big 12 First Team recognition, and unanimous All-Big 12 Freshman Team recognition, and was joined by junior shortstop Aubrey Evans and sophomore third baseman Sierra Humphreys on the All-Big 12 Conference Second Team, as well as Beth Damon and Izzy Mertes on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Mertes was tabbed to the NFCA’s All-Gulf Region Second Team, and Evans garnered NFCA All-Gulf Region Third Team distinction as well.

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Humphreys followed her unanimous All-Big 12 Freshman Team 2024 campaign with a standout sophomore slate, setting single-season career-bests in games played (57), average (.355), on-base percentage (.440), slugging percentage (.506), runs scored (43), hits (61), doubles (10), triples (2), total bases (87), home runs (4), walks (26) and stolen bases (15), while trimming her 2024 strikeout total of 26 down to just 15 in 2025.

UCF’s leading hitter throughout the regular season, she authored a single-season career-best 23-game on-base streak from Feb. 15–March 26, during which she hit .426/.500/.603 (29-for-68) with 18 runs scored, two doubles, two triples, two home runs, 10 walks and 41 total bases.

Evans saw her name on an All-Conference team for the second time in her first three collegiate seasons, as she previously earned All-Rookie Team and All-Conference Second Team honors in UCF’s final season in the American Athletic Conference in 2023.

After hitting a combined four home runs between her first two seasons, the shortstop enjoyed a power surge throughout her junior campaign, slugging a single-season career-high 10 en route to setting other career-highs in total hits (55), slugging percentage (.576), RBI (33), total bases (99) and runs scored (38).

Mertes proved worthy of the Softball America four-star status she brought with her entering her first collegiate season. The Chatsworth, California native served as the Knights’ second-leading hitter overall, recording a .315/.421/.570 (52-for-165) line, accompanied by 30 runs scored, 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 35 RBI, 94 total bases and 30 walks.

Her 30 free passes and 16 doubles both lead the team, with the latter threatening teammate Aubrey Evans’ 2023 program single-season doubles record of 18. Her 16 doubles also ranked second in the Big 12 Conference behind only Arizona’s Kaiah Altmeyer (19).

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BEATING THE BEST

UCF’s seven top 25-ranked wins in 2025 matched the 2022 Knights’ seven such victories for the most in a single season in program history.

In those seven contests alone, the Black and Gold recorded the largest comeback win against a ranked opponent in program history, the highest-ranked series win in program history, their sixth consecutive shutout win over an in-state foe, a shutout over a top-three ranked opponent, and a postseason rivalry-renewing win.

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No. 15 Missouri – W, 6-5 (8 inn.)

Mired in a 5-0 first-inning deficit in the team’s seventh game of the year against a Missouri Tigers team ranked No. 15 in the nation Feb. 11, the Knights gave an early look at what was to come throughout the remainder of the spring.

Behind seven dominant innings of scoreless relief from Isabella Vega, the Black and Gold got to work, scoring once in the bottom of the first inning, twice in the bottom of the third, and two more times in the home half of the fifth to erase the Tigers’ early advantage.

A walk-off double in the eighth inning by first-year Knight and fifth-year outfielder Madison Simon completed the comeback, giving her team its first ranked win since 2023 and the largest comeback win against a ranked foe in the history of the program.

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No. 22 Florida Atlantic – W, 3-0

Facing the Owls for the first time since edging out a hard-fought 1-0 win in Orlando in 2024, a trio of Knights pitchers combined to blank Florida Atlantic for the sixth consecutive meeting between the two programs, this time in Boca Raton Feb. 26.

Freshman right-hander Yessenia Lopez allowed just three hits in two scoreless frames to begin the evening’s affairs before giving way to Isabella Vega, who recorded 2.1 spotless innings in relief to earn her second winning decision of the spring. Senior right-hander Kaitlyn Felton then slammed the door, tossing 2.2 scoreless stanzas to nail down her second save of the season.

UCF plated its three runs by way of Beth Damon’s first career home run in the top of the second inning and third-inning hits by Stormy Kotzelnick (RBI single) and Mertes (RBI double).

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No. 4 Arizona – W, 9-3, 5-4

The Knights kicked off their second run through Big 12 Conference play with a statement series win in the desert, taking two out of three from the fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats in Tucson by 9-3 and 5-4 final scores March 7-9.

UCF’s two wins clinched the highest-ranked series win in program history and pushed the team’s all-time record against Arizona to 3-2, including a 3-1 mark under head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. All three wins over the Wildcats in Ball-Malone’s tenure came with Arizona representing a top four nationally-ranked opponent.

The Black and Gold jumped out to a 3-1 lead through the first two frames of the series-opener, scoring twice in the first and once more in the second on a solo homer by freshman catcher Beth Damon.

The tandem of Isabella Vega and Kaitlyn Felton combined to hold the Wildcats to just three runs on four hits throughout the evening, and UCF then clinched the contest with a five-run seventh inning, highlighted by a Stormy Kotzelnick two-run shot.

The Wildcats enjoyed a fast start in game two, scoring in each of the first three innings, but more late offense produced by the Knights, highlighted by home runs by Aubrey Evans and Ashleigh Griffin bolstered a dominant relief effort by Felton that saw her yield just one unearned run on three hits in 3.1 innings to seal the series win.

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No. 3 Florida – W, 4-0

The Knights hosted their in-state rival No. 3 Florida Gators for their third annual Autism Awareness and Acceptance Game March 26, and playing for a cause much bigger than the game, the squad produced one of its biggest outcomes of the season.

A dazzling seven-inning complete game shutout by Isabella Vega propped up a pair of two-run home runs by Aubrey Evans and Izzy Mertes to lead the Knights to a shutout win over the Gators.

Vega became the second freshman in program history to throw a seven-inning complete game shutout against Florida, as well as the first freshman of any team since 2023 to do so, as the Black and Gold earned their third top four-ranked win of the spring. The contest also marked the first shutout loss of the season suffered by the Gators.

Vega's seven-inning shutout factored into a week during which she would total 17 innings with just one run allowed accompanied by 18 strikeouts with two more dominant outings against the Baylor Bears, netting the redshirt freshman her first career Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week and D1Softball National Freshman of the Week honors.

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No. 21 Oklahoma State – W, 12-6

An historic nine-run bottom of the first inning powered the Knights to a six-run win over the Cowgirls April 18, the first winning effort against Oklahoma State in Orlando, as well as the program’s first win over the Cowgirls in the Cindy Ball-Malone era.

The Knights sent 15 batters to the plate in scoring nine times in the home half of the first, drawing six walks, taking a pair of hit-by-pitches and recording a trio of hits that were highlighted by the first grand slam of Aubrey Evans’ career, and UCF’s second grand slam of the season. UCF’s nine-run first marked the program’s highest-scoring single inning since Feb. 21, 2020, when the program plated nine in the bottom of the third in a 10-1 win over then-No. 12 Tennessee.

Eight of the Knights’ nine starters reached base safely at least once in the contest, let by Evans’ 2-for-3, 4 RBI showing, and Kaitlyn Felton spun a seven-inning complete game in helping lift the Black and Gold to their sixth ranked win of the year.

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No. 25 Michigan – W, 10-8

UCF’s single-season program record-tying seventh ranked win of the year came in its penultimate game of the season, when the squad outlasted then-No. 25 Michigan in a 10-8 slugfest during the NCAA Austin Regional. The Knights ended the Wolverines’ season in an elimination game to punch their ticket to the program’s first regional final since 2022.

Facing off against the defending Big Ten Tournament champs for the second time in as many days, the Black and Gold scored in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, with the big hits coming in the form of a Sierra Humphreys three-run double in the fourth, a game-tying Izzy Mertes solo home run in the fifth, and a go-ahead Madison Simon two-run single off the left field wall.

Isabella Vega spun four innings of one-run ball in relief to clinch UCF’s 35th win of the season and send her team to a Sunday regional final date with the sixth-seeded No. 3 Texas Longhorns.

NOTHING’S OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER

A staple of UCF’s 2025 campaign, the squad authored a handful of thrilling comeback victories, with nine of the team’s 35 wins coming in games that saw the Knights trail in the fifth inning or later or by three-plus runs.

Four such wins came within the season’s first month, when the Black and Gold erased deficits against James Madison, then-No. 15 Missouri (the largest comeback win against a ranked opponent in program history), FGCU and Providence throughout February.

In the team’s final midweek tilt of the year, the Knights chipped away at an 11-0 first-inning deficit to record the largest overall comeback win in program history, toppling the Stetson Hatters 14-13 on the strength of a single-game program record eight home runs in DeLand.

A late-inning 2-1 deficit quickly snowballed the other direction and resulted in a 10-2 run-rule victory over Houston in the program’s home finale, and UCF would later erase a pair of three-plus-run holes en route to a three-game series sweep on the road at Kansas May 2-4.

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The Knights’ ninth comeback win of the year came in their final victory, when the team entered the fifth inning against then-No. 25 Michigan trailing 8-7 during the NCAA Austin Regional. A three-run fifth frame gave the Knights a 10-8 lead they would not relinquish, sending the program to its first regional final since 2022.

TWO MORE NO-NOs

For the fourth consecutive year, the UCF softball team threw multiple no-hitters in a single season. The first, authored by senior right-hander Kaitlyn Felton, kicked off the Knights’ second home tournament of the season against Quinnipiac Feb. 20. The right-hander came an error away from a seven-inning perfect game, striking out seven without issuing a walk.

The no-hitter marked the first of her four-year collegiate career, as well as the Black and Gold’s first of the season.

Redshirt freshman right-hander Isabella Vega spun UCF’s second no-no in her team’s series-opener at Kansas May 2, an effort that would help lead her squad to a series sweep of the Jayhawks and her first career Wilson/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week award.

Vega walked just one in her appearance and recorded four strikeouts as the Knights rolled to a 7-0 victory. Her no-hitter also marked the first in program history in a Big 12 Conference series and the second against a power four opponent.

Softball_CK__012821_0048249970Kaitlyn Felton | Photo by: Conor Kvatek
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