CAREER AWARDS/ACCOLADES
- NFCA All-Gulf Region Second Team (2025)
- NFCA All-Gulf Region Third Team (2026)
- All-Big 12 Conference Second Team (2026)
- All-Big 12 Conference Freshman Team (2025)
SOPHOMORE (2025)
- Started each of UCF's 61 games, hitting .322/.421/.632 (56-for-174) with 47 runs scored, 18 doubles, 12 home runs, 110 total bases, 30 walks, 54 RBI, and three stolen bases.
- Set single-season career bests in average (.322), slugging percentage (.632), runs scored (47), total hits (56), doubles (18), total bases (110), home runs (12), RBI (54) and stolen bases (3), and matched her previous season bests in on-base percentage (.421) and walks (30).
- Matched Aubrey Evans' 2023 UCF all-time single-season doubles record with 18.
- Finished the season ranking among UCF's all-time single-season leaders in doubles (18, T-1st), RBI (54, T-5th), home runs (12, T-8th), slugging percentage (.632, 9th), runs scored (47, 10th) and walks (30, T-11th).
- Enters her junior season ranking among UCF all-time career leaders in slugging percentage (.602, 2nd), on-base percentage (.421, 5th), batting average (.319, 9th) and home runs (20, 11th).
- Hit safely in both of UCF's Feb. 5 Opening Day contests against Boston U and CSU Bakersfield, going 2-for-4 with one double, one home run, five RBI, two runs scored and two walks across the two games.
- Went 2-for-3 against Maryland Feb. 8, producing her second career two-home run game; hit her first career grand slam in the winning effort, finishing the day with six RBI and eight total bases.
- Hit safely in three of UCF's five Clearwater Invitational matchups Feb. 13-15, slashing a combined .333/.471/.500 (4-for-12) with two doubles, two runs scored, threee RBI, six total bases and four walks; recorded hits against Northwestern, then-No. 10 LSU and NC State.
- Enjoyed a prolific stretch from Feb. 21 through March 13, during which she hit safely in 11 of 13 games and slashed a combined .538/.558/1.051 (21-for-39) with eight multi-hit games, 12 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs, 19 RBI, 41 total bases and two walks.
- Recorded three straight multi-hit games against Notre Dame, Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic Feb. 22-25; also notched three straight multi-hit games against George Washington, Florida A&M and then-No. 12 Oklahoma State Feb. 28-March 6.
- Hit a first-inning three-run home run that proved the difference in the Knights' 4-1 series-opening win over then-No. 12 Oklahoma State March 6; the victory represented the first road win over the Cowgirls in program history; went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in the Knights' series-clinching 6-4 win over the Cowgirls March 8, helping clinch the first series win over Oklahoma State in program history; recorded a combined .455/.455/.909 (5-for-11) with two runs scored, two doubles, one home run, three RBI and 10 total bases in the series.
- Went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI in UCF's series-opening win over Baylor March 13.
- Joined Aubrey Evans and Sierra Humphreys in matching Stephanie Best's program single-game home run record in Houston, going 3-for-5 with three home runs, four runs scored, 12 total bases and five RBI in UCF's 22-8 win in the series finale March 29.
- Hit safely in both of UCF's two wins over Utah April 2-3, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored, four RBI and five total bases.
- Hit safely in both of UCF's two wins over then-No. 23 Arizona State in Tempe April 11-12, going 3-for-6 with one double, one run scored, two RBI and four total bases.
- Hit safely in all three games at Iowa State May 1-3, producing an aggregate .400/.500/.700 (4-for-10) line with one home run, six runs scored, three RBI, seven total bases and two walks in the series win.
- Went 1-for-3 with one double, one run scored and one walk in UCF's Big 12 Tournament opener against fifth-seeded Kansas May 7.
- Helped lead her team to its 10-1 run-rule triumph over Stetson in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, going 2-for-3 with one double, one walk and one run scored in the winning effort May 16.
- Hit the biggest home run of her career thus far in the decisive winner-take-all Game 7 of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, a two-run, game-winning home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against No. 9 overall seed Florida State.
- Enjoyed a strong day at the plate in Game 2 of the NCAA Los Angeles Super Regional May 23, going 3-for-4 with a double against No. 8 overall seed UCLA.
FRESHMAN (2025)
- Named to Softball America's Preseason Freshman Watch List.
- Selected to the NFCA's All-Gulf Region Second Team as well as the Big 12 Conference's post-season All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
- Appeared in and started 59 of UCF's 60 games in the outfield, at designated player, and at third base, hitting .315/.421/.570 (52-for-165) with 30 runs scored, 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 94 total bases, 30 walks, 35 RBI and one stolen base.
- Led UCF in doubles (16) and walks (30).
- Her 16 doubles ranked second-most in the Big 12 Conference, and ranked tied for third in the league in doubles per game (0.27).
- Recorded her first two career hits in UCF's season-opening 10-0 win over CSU Bakersfield Feb. 6, including her first double and RBI.
- Recorded four multi-hit games in a six-game span from Feb. 9-14 against James Madison, then-No. 15 Missouri, then-No. 20 Liberty and Auburn, going 8-for-18 with two runs scored, five doubles, four RBI and 13 total bases in that span.
- Notched her first career multi-double game in UCF's Feb. 9 win over James Madison, driving in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning RBI double.
- Recorded her second consecutive multi-double game in helping lead UCF to the largest comeback win against a ranked opponent in program history (five runs) against then-No. 15 Missouri Feb. 11, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.
- Hit her seventh double of the year in Kaitlyn Felton's seven-inning no-hitter against Quinnipiac Feb. 20, as her first inning RBI double represented the game-winning score.
- Went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in UCF's 8-0 run-rule win over Columbia Feb. 22.
- Went 1-for-2 with an RBI double in the Knights' 3-0 road shutout win over then-No. 22 Florida Atlantic.
- Recorded her first career three-hit game in UCF's 6-0 win over North Florida March 1, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, one double, one home run, seven total bases and five RBI in the effort.
- Hit safely in each of UCF's three games at then-No. 4 Arizona March 7-9, going 4-for-9 with two runs scored, one double and five total bases in the series.
- Went 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored in UCF's 11-0 run-rule win over Arizona State March 15.
- Hit her third home run of the season in UCF's 4-0 home win over then-No. 3 Florida March 26, a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning to help bolster Isabella Vega's seven-inning complete game shutout.
- Doubled and walked twice in UCF's 7-2 win at Baylor March 30.
- Hit her first career triple in UCF's series finale at BYU April 12.
- Against then-No. 21 Oklahoma State ace Ruby Meylan April 19, went 2-for-4 with a run scored, an RBI double and a solo home run, recording six total bases.
- Recorded her first career multi-home run game in helping lead UCF to the largest overall comeback win in program history (11 runs) at Stetson April 23, hitting a two-run homer in the top of the third inning and a solo shot in the top of the fifth; her third-inning home run helped the Knights set a program record for most home runs in a single inning (five).
- Notched back-to-back multi-hit games in the first two games of UCF's series at Kansas May 2-3, hitting two doubles and a solo home run with a pair of runs scored between the two contests, helping UCF earn the series sweep over the Jayhawks.
- Between the Knights' two Big 12 Conference Championship contests against Utah and then-No. 10 Arizona, went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two walks.
- Hit safely in three of UCF's four NCAA Austin Regional contests, highlighted by her eighth home run of the season against then-No. 25 Michigan May 17, a game-tying solo home run in the fifth inning that preceeded Madison Simon's go-ahead two-run single and helped send the Knights to the Regional Final against then-No. 3 Texas.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Ranked a four-star infielder by Softball America/On3, and represents one of two four-star infielders in UCF's 2024-25 freshman class (Beth Damon).
- Won two championships, including the 2021 Foothill League title and the 2022 Gold Coast League title
- With the OC Batbusters in travel ball, helped lead her squad to two Alliance National Championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as an Alliance Super Cup Championship in 2023
- Hit .566 during her junior season, marking her third straight season with an average north of .470, and in three years in high school slugged 30 home runs
“I have been playing softball my whole life, and my dream has been to play college softball,” Mertes said. “UCF has allowed me to achieve this dream. I chose UCF because I love Florida and the beach, since I am from California. I also loved the environment of the team and the coaching staff. Beyond softball, I believe UCF has the academic rigor and competitiveness I am looking for which helps make it a perfect fit.”
ABOUT IZZY
Major: Business; Minor: Sports Management ... Favorite pro athlete: Paige Bueckers ... Favorite pro team: Los Angeles Dodgers ... Pregame ritual: Listening to music and getting coffee ... Favorite off day activity: Sleeping and hanging out with friends ... Favorite music artist: Drake ... Favorite food to cook: Pasta ... Go-to karaoke song: California Girls ... Nickname growing up: 'Bella Bee' ... Favorite sport outside softball: Soccer ... Dream vacation desitination: Thailand