UCF Knights Softball: Forging a Path to Success

The UCF Knights softball team is poised to make waves in the competitive landscape of collegiate softball. With a blend of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, the Knights are determined to make their mark in the Big 12 Conference and beyond.

A Look Back at Last Season

The UCF Knights Softball team had one of the steepest increases in competition with its transition to the Big 12. The 2024 season marked a significant chapter for UCF, serving as a "Last Dance" for a remarkable group of 11 seniors, among the winningest in program history. It was also the final season for Women’s College World Series mainstays, Oklahoma and Texas, in the Big 12, with both visiting Orlando to take on the Knights.

Despite facing increased conference difficulty, resulting in their first sub-.500 conference play record since 2013, UCF remained highly competitive. They lost 11 games to Big 12 opponents by two runs or less, including in the conference tournament. This resilience helped UCF secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament once again. Their postseason journey ended in the Tallahassee Regional against Auburn. The team finished the season with a 31-25 (12-15 Big 12) record, losing in the Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals and being eliminated in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

Expectations for the Season

Picked 7th in Big 12 preseason coaches poll, UCF was projected to match its fifth-place finish from the previous season, accounting for just returning teams in the Big 12. However, the additions of Arizona and Utah have pushed a youth-heavy Knights squad to seventh, though only three votes separate the Utes, BYU and UCF in fifth and seventh place.

While the Knights are spared from taking on Utah in the regular season, they will have to go out west to take on #12 Arizona to start conference play, with trips to #16 Baylor and BYU to follow. They will host #4 Oklahoma State at The Plex for Easter Weekend, but they’ll also be taking on three Top 20 teams in the season’s first week and heading to Norman during their Big 12 slate to take on Oklahoma twice. UCF earned the right to host a regional in 2022 by scheduling tough, and while youth dominated the squad, it appears it has done so again.

Read also: Traditions of UCF Basketball

Coaching Staff

Cindy Ball-Malone is back seeking a fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance with the Knights. Ball-Malone has a new staff behind her this season, with Shannon Saile getting promoted to assistant coach after two seasons as a graduate assistant, Noah Sanders arriving from the Little Rock baseball team and Stacie Pestrak arriving after nine seasons at Oklahoma State.

Cindy Ball-Malone’s Coaching Record:

2019: 34-21, 11-10 in AAC, Lost in AAC Quarterfinals (Wichita State), N/A
2020: 21-5-1, 0-0 No Conference Tournament (COVID), No NCAA Tournament (COVID)
2021: 41-19-1, 16-7-1 Lost in AAC Championship Game (Wichita State), Lost in Regional Final to #8 Florida State
2022: 49-14, 16-2 Won AAC Tournament, Lost in in Super Regional to #1 Oklahoma
2023: 40-21, 15-3 Won AAC Tournament, Lost in Tallahassee Regional to #20 South Carolina
2024: 31-25, 12-15 Lost in Big 12 Quarterfinals (Baylor), Lost in Tallahassee Regional to Auburn
Total: 216-105-2, 70-37-1, 2 Conference Tournament Titles, 4 Appearances

Key Players to Watch

Several players are expected to play pivotal roles for the Knights:

RHP Kaitlyn Felton: The senior enters as the leader of a young pitching staff. One of two players on the roster from the legendary 2022 team is coming off her best season in 2024 going 11-6 record in 22 total appearances in 2024, including a career-high 19 starts, throwing 87.0 innings and posting a 3.86 ERA as the No.2 behind Sarah Willis.
2B/SS Aubrey Evans: A freshman phenom in 2023, where she earned NFCA All-Region Third Team honors, Aubrey Evans is back in her first season as an upperclassman. The Apopka native, who hit .268 in 2024, will play at 2nd base and shortstop.
3B Sierra Humphreys: The Corona, California native finished 2024 with a .867 OPS with six doubles, a triple and three home runs in just 108 at-bats being a unanimous All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection. Humphreys will likely start most of year at third base, taking over for Jada Cody.
2B/CF Samantha Rey: A unanimous All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection in 2024, Rey hit .321/.333/.375 (18-for-56) with 15 runs scored, one double, one triple, 21 total bases, one walk, five RBI and one stolen base in 41 games, but only 20 starts. Rey will play in the infield and outfield and likely be at the top of the order.
OF/2B Stormy Kotzelnick: Named to the NFCA’s All-Central Region Third Team in 2022 back during her Louisiana days, Kotzelnick will look to return to that level in her senior year where she will likely spend most of the year starting in the outfield.
C/1B Ashleigh Griffin: The Newnam, Georgia native made her grand return to the field last season after an injury kept her out of the 2023 season. In her comeback 2024 season, she started 37 games, hitting eight doubles and five home runs.

Promising Newcomers

The Knights have added a talented group of freshmen and transfers to their roster:

RHP Yessenia Lopez: The highest-rated pitching recruit in UCF softball history (Ranked No. 35 in the nation in the 2024-25 recruiting class by Extra Inning Softball} helped Team Puerto Rico earn the silver medal during the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile in Nov. 2023.
C Beth Damon: Damon represents the highest-ranked recruit in UCF’s 2025 class (No. 24 in the nation according to Extra Inning Softball) representing the highest-rated catcher in program history and highest-rated infielder since UCF Athletic Hall of Famer Natalie Land.
INF Coco Jaimes: Hailing from Riverside, California, Coco Jaimes arrives in Orlando after being part of three consecutive Ivy League Championships with her Riverside Poly High School team and the Corona Angels, who finished in the final eight in the 2023 Alliance National Championship. Look for her to play in the middle infield, with the possibility of some action in right field.
OF Madi Simon: Hailing from Irvine, California, Simon joins UCF after four years at Oregon State. Simon brings experience, having been to the Women’s College World Series in 2022 and is a great defensive centerfielder, recording a .989 fielding percentage in 2024.

Roster Breakdown

Here's a detailed look at the UCF Knights softball roster:

Read also: Building a Competitive UCF Team

2 Samantha Rey, INF, Sophomore, Salinas, Calif., UCF, Named to All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Played in 41 games (started 20). .321 BA, 5 RBIs.
3 Aubrey Evans, INF, Junior, Apopka, Fla., UCF, Played in 52 games (started 51). .268 BA, 2 HRs, 16 RBIs, 18 BBs.
4 Katelyn Cochran, RHP, Junior, North Augusta, S.C., UCF, Pitched in 13 games (started 1). 1.06 ERA, 26.1 IP, 1-0, 2 SVs, 21 SOs.
8 Sierra Humphreys, INF, Sophomore, Corona, Calif., UCF, Named to All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Played in 47 games (started 35). .333 BA, 3 HRs, 29 RBIs, 8 SBs.
10 Taylor Kittleman, INF, R-Freshman, Lancaster, Penn., UCF, Redshirted 2024 season
11 Macy Miles, RHP/UTL, R-Sophomore, Baton Rouge, La., UCF, Redshirted 2024 season
12 Coco Jaimes, INF, Freshman, Riverside, Calif., Riverside Poly HS, N/A
14 Deana Cunningham, INF, Senior, Pierson, Fla, UCF, N/A (Walked on to 2025 team)
15 Yessenia Lopez, RHP, Freshman, New York, N.Y., Doral Academy HS, N/A
16 Kiley Strott, C, Sophomore, Longwood, Fla., UCF, Played in 14 games (started 3).
18 Kaitlyn Felton, RHP, Senior, Valrico, Fla., UCF, Pitched in 22 games (started 19). 3.86 ERA, 87 IP, 11-6, 60 SOs.
21 Isabella Vega, RHP, R-Freshman, Bradenton, Fla., UCF, Redshirted 2024 season
22 Lena Elkins, RHP, Junior, Nitro, W.Va., Charlotte, Pitched in 17 games (Started 13). 2.72 ERA, 36 IP, 4-4, 32 SOs.
27 Ashleigh Griffin, C, R-Junior, Newnan, Ga., UCF, Played in 41 games (started 37). .274 BA, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, 14 BBs.
28 Izzy Mertes, INF, Freshman, Chatsworth, Calif., Notre Dame HS, N/A
33 Madison Simon, OF, 5th Year, Irvine, Calif., Oregon State, Played in 49 games (starting 47). .210 BA, 3 HRs, 15 RBIs, 20 BBs, .989 Fielding %.
42 Alexis Morgan, OF, Sophomore, Centreville, Va., UCF, Appeared in 12 games as a pinch runner, scoring 7 runs.
44 Stormy Kotzelnick, INF, R-Senior, Carmel, Ind., UCF, Played in 50 games (started 45). .240 BA, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs, 13 BBs.
77 Kendall Yarnell, INF, Freshman, Olathe, Kan., Olathe Northwest HS, N/A
80 Beth Damon, C/1B, Freshman, Edmond, Okla., Edmond Memorial HS, N/A

Schedule Breakdown

The Knights face a challenging schedule, including matchups against top-ranked teams. The schedule kicks off with a trio of Top 20 teams (Georgia, Missouri and Liberty) visiting Orlando during the first week of the season. A trip to the Clearwater Invitational will see several more ranked opponents before a pair of home tournaments take up most of the rest of non-conference play.

The conference stretch of the schedule includes a road trip to #12 Arizona and also includes road trips to #16 Baylor and BYU. #4 Oklahoma State is the standout home conference series of the season.

There’s a pair of non-conference matchups against #1 Florida, one in Gainesville and one at The Plex, and then a trip to Norman, Oklahoma, where the Knights will take on the #2 Sooners twice in the Oklahoma Round Robin.

Notable Games

The Knights will participate in several events:

Black & Gold Classic (Orlando, Fla.)
Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational (Clearwater, Fla.)
SpaceU Classic (Orlando, Fla.)
Pups at the Plex (Orlando, Fla.)
Charge On Classic (Orlando, Fla.)
Big 12 Home Opener (Orlando, Fla.)
Softball with the Stars (Orlando, Fla.)
Alumni Day & 321 Day (Orlando, Fla.)
Autism Awareness & Acceptance Game (Orlando, Fla.)
Pink Game (Orlando, Fla.)
Senior Day (Orlando, Fla.)
Big 12 Softball Tournament Presented by Allstate (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

Aims

UCF aims to make its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this season.

Read also: Sound and Spirit of UCF

Five Things to Know

Ahead of its debut doubleheader, here are five things to know about UCF's softball team:

UCF softball aims for 6th straight NCAA Tournament appearance: UCF is in relatively exclusive company, one of just 25 teams throughout Division I to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. That is the longest streak in school history. The Knights have made 12 all-time postseason appearances, including back-to-back, at-large selections since joining the Big 12.
UCF softball plays 12 games against ranked opponents: UCF received votes in both the D1Softball.com and ESPN/USA Softball preseason polls but begin the season outside the top 25. It will have plenty of chances to prove it belongs among the nation's elite, scheduling a dozen games against ranked opponents.
Isabella Vega named to All-Big 12 preseason softball team: Right-handed pitcher Isabella Vega was the lone Knight to earn preseason all-conference honors.
UCF softball returns top 4 hitters from season: As for the everyday lineup, UCF retained most of its impact hitters from a season ago - including its four leaders in terms of batting average and OPS.
LSU transfer, 9 freshmen among UCF softball's newcomers: Ball-Malone bolstered UCF's roster with additions from the transfer portal and freshmen.

tags: #ucf #knights #softball #roster