ORLANDO – The UCF softball team has announced the addition of rising sophomore right-handed pitcher Hailey Nutter, representing the program’s second transfer signing of the offseason.
Nutter, ranked the No. 18 overall player in this summer’s portal by Softball America/On3 as of June 18, joins the Knights after spending her freshman season with the Kentucky Wildcats.
The Mont Belvieu, Texas, native appeared in 23 games for Kentucky in 2026, including 13 starts, and produced a 4.50 ERA in 65.1 innings with 68 strikeouts, a .251 batting average-against, five complete games, four shutouts and one save.
She produced a statement outing in just her second collegiate appearance and first career start, spinning a seven-inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts in leading the Wildcats to their 7-0 win over Loyola Chicago Feb. 7, and the next day earned her first win over a power four opponent with a five-inning complete game shutout against Minnesota during which she struck out eight Gophers and yielded just two hits.
For her efforts, Nutter was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week Feb. 9 after striking out 22 with just two hits and no walks allowed through her first 12 career innings pitched.
In her fourth career appearance and third start, she tossed five innings to help her squad to its 11-7 win over then-No. 11 Stanford on the road Feb. 12, and went on to conclude the month of February totaling 22.2 innings spanning five appearances against Murray State, NIU, Indiana State, Dayton, and Michigan State Feb. 18-28 with just two runs allowed on nine hits with 28 strikeouts.
The stretch was highlighted by her second career no-hitter Feb. 22 against Indiana State, a dominant performance during which she struck out 12 Sycamores and faced just one over the minimum in Kentucky’s 8-0 run-rule win.
With her second no-no of the month, Nutter became the first freshman with multiple no-hitters in program history, the first Kentucky pitcher since 2016 to toss multiple no-hitters in the same season, and the first pitcher in program history with two February no-hitters.
She followed her second no-hitter with her second career seven-inning complete game, allowing only one run on three hits with four strikeouts in the Wildcats’ 5-1 win over Dayton Feb. 27.
Nutter later played a key role in Kentucky’s 8-3 win over the Auburn Tigers March 6 to open SEC play, spinning three hitless frames in relief to clinch her first career save in the Wildcats’ 8-3 triumph on the road, and also went on to produce strong appearances against Houston (3 IP, 2 R March 18) and then-No. 2 Alabama (3 IP, 1 R April 19).
Her 65.1 innings represented the third-largest workload on Kentucky’s staff in 2026, and she also ranked among team leaders in strikeouts (68, 2nd), complete games (5, 2nd) and winning decisions (7, 2nd).
With 68 strikeouts in 65.1 innings, the right-hander also ranked 12th overall in the SEC in strikeouts per seven innings (7.3), ahead of the likes of Tennessee’s Erin Nuwer (6.5), LSU’s Jayden Heavener (6.4), and Florida’s Keagan Rothrock (6.2), and her four shutouts ranked tied for 10th in the conference as well.
Nutter joins rising junior infielder Kayla Christensen (Georgia Southern) in UCF's 2026 transfer class.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.