UCF Knights softball

Last updated
UCF Knights Softball
UCF Knights logo.svg
Founded2002
University University of Central Florida
Head coach Cindy Ball-Malone (4th season)
Conference Big 12
Location Orlando, FL
Home stadium UCF Softball Complex (Capacity: 600 [1] )
Nickname UCF Knights
ColorsBlack and gold [2]
   
NCAA Super Regional appearances
2022
NCAA Tournament appearances
2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference Tournament championships
2005, 2008, 2015, 2022, 2023
Regular Season Conference championships
2014, 2015, 2022

The UCF Knights softball program represents the University of Central Florida in the sport of softball. The Knights compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Big 12 Conference. The Knights play their home games at the UCF Softball Complex on UCF's main campus in Orange County, Florida near Orlando. [3] The Knights are coached by head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. [4] In the twenty two year history of the program, the Knights have won three American regular season championships, five conference tournament championships, and have eleven appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Contents

History

The UCF softball program was founded in 2002 under Renee Luers-Gillispie. [5] The Knights played their first games on February 2, losing the first contest 2–3 to Bethune–Cookman, and winning their second game against Arkansas, 6–5. [6] The program played its first four seasons in the Atlantic Sun Conference (now known as the ASUN Conference). In their last year in the conference, the Knights won their first conference tournament championship, defeating Troy twice in one day, and made their first NCAA tournament appearance. [6] In 2005, UCF moved to Conference USA, where they remained until joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013. [7] UCF joined the Big 12 Conference after the 2023 season. [8]

The UCF Softball Complex opened on March 14, 2006, with the Knights winning two games that day, a 10–9 victory over Marshall and a 7–3 win over Furman. [6] [9] In 2008, Gillespie would lead the Knights to their second conference tournament championship, their first in C-USA, and their second appearance in the NCAA tournament, by defeating #9 Houston. During the tournament, UCF defeated #1 Florida 1–0. In both 2010 and 2012, Gillespie led the Knights to the NCAA tournament. [6]

In the past decade, the Knights own nine no-hitters, including two perfect games. [6] The first two no-hitters in program history were perfect games, and four no-hitters were pitched by Allison Kime. [6] Stephanie Best holds the club record for batting average with .384, home runs with 71 and triples with 13. [6] After their careers at UCF, three Knights have played in the National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF); Stephanie Best, Allison Kime and Breanne Javier. [6]

Coaches

TenureCoachYearsRecordPct.
2002–2018Renee Luers-Gillispie17522–334–1.610
2019–presentCindy Ball-Malone396-45-2.678
Totals2 coaches20 seasons618–379–2.620
Records are through the conclusion of the 2015 NCAA Regular Season.

Seasons

Statistics overview
SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
UCF Knights (Atlantic Sun)(2002–2005)
2002Renee Luers-Gillispie 46–1912–63rd
2003Renee Luers-Gillispie 37–3113–74th
2004Renee Luers-Gillispie 42–2116–42nd
2005Renee Luers-Gillispie 47–29–113–74th NCAA Regionals
UCF Knights (Conference USA)(2006–2013)
2006Renee Luers-Gillispie 19–374–209th
2007Renee Luers-Gillispie 38–2611–134th
2008Renee Luers-Gillispie 49–2016–72nd NCAA Regionals
2009Renee Luers-Gillispie 27–2711–125th
2010Renee Luers-Gillispie 36–2316–73rd NCAA Regionals
2011Renee Luers-Gillispie 22–3211–136th
2012Renee Luers-Gillispie 39–1915–93rd NCAA Regionals
2013Renee Luers-Gillispie 29–2510–143rd
UCF Knights (American Athletic Conference)(2014–2023)
2014Renee Luers-Gillispie 43–1815–31st NCAA Regionals
2015Renee Luers-Gillispie 48–715–21st NCAA Tournament
2016Renee Luers-Gillispie 38–2212–42nd NCAA Regionals
2017Renee Luers-Gillispie 29–2311–73rd
2018Renee Luers-Gillispie 34–2212–93rd
2019Cindy Ball-Malone 34–2111–105th
2020Cindy Ball-Malone 21–5–10–01st
2021Cindy Ball-Malone 41–19–116–7–13rd NCAA Regionals
2022Cindy Ball-Malone 49–1416–21st NCAA Super Regional
2023Cindy Ball-Malone 40–2115–32nd NCAA Regionals
UCF Knights (Big 12 Conference)(2024–present)
2024Cindy Ball-Malone
Total:707–414–3

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights football</span> Football team representing the University of Central Florida

The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are a member of the Big 12 Conference, making UCF the youngest school among the Power Five conferences. Their head coach is Gus Malzahn. The Knights play their home games at the 45,000-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium, which is located on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights</span> Athletic program of the University of Central Florida

The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since men's soccer is not sponsored by the Big 12, they play in the Sun Belt Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War on I-4</span> Rivalry between the South Florida Bulls and UCF Knights

The War on I-4 is a college rivalry between the University of Central Florida Knights and University of South Florida Bulls. The rivalry is best known for its college football matchup which originated in a series of football games played from 2005 to 2008 and now takes place on Thanksgiving weekend, the de facto "rivalry weekend" for FBS football. From 2013 to 2023, when both schools were part of the American Athletic Conference, the schools began competing annually in all sports both schools sponsored. In 2016, the schools officially adopted the "War on I-4" as an official competition series. Each year, the team with the most wins across all sports receives a gold trophy styled after an Interstate 4 (I-4) road sign with the logos of each school. The winner of the annual football game also receives a similar trophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights men's basketball</span> Basketball team which represents The University of Central Florida

The UCF Knights men's basketball team represents The University of Central Florida, located in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando, United States. UCF competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and as of the next college basketball season in 2023–24, the Big 12 Conference. The Knights play their home games in the Addition Financial Arena located on the university's main campus. They are coached by Johnny Dawkins who was hired in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights baseball</span>

The UCF Knights baseball team represents The University of Central Florida in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I. The Knights compete in the Big 12 Conference. The Knights play their home games on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida at John Euliano Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights women's basketball</span> College basketball team

The UCF Knights women's basketball team represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Big 12 Conference. The Knights play their home games at Addition Financial Arena located on the university's main campus. Sytia Messer was named head coach on April 3, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIU Panthers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Florida International University

The FIU Panthers are the athletic teams representing Florida International University, an American public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers currently compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics as members of Conference USA. The men's soccer and swimming & diving teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Until 2011, they were known as the FIU Golden Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights women's soccer</span> American college soccer team

The UCF Knights women's soccer program represents the University of Central Florida in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I. The Knights compete in the Big 12 Conference. UCF plays home games on its main campus in Orlando, Florida at the UCF Soccer and Track Stadium. The Knights are led by head coach and Olympic gold medalist Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCF Knights women's volleyball</span> American college volleyball team

The UCF Knights women's volleyball program represents the University of Central Florida in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I. The Knights compete in the Big 12 Conference and play their home games on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida at The Venue at UCF. The Knights are currently led by head coach Jenny Maurer.

Todd Stansbury is a Canadian–American university sports administrator and former college athlete. Stansbury is the former athletic director for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets sports program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He previously served as executive associate athletic director at Oregon State, assistant athletic director for academics at Georgia Tech, associate athletic director at the University of Houston, and athletic director at East Tennessee State University, the University of Central Florida, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Bulls softball</span> College softball team

The South Florida Bulls softball team represents University of South Florida in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls are currently led by head coach Ken Eriksen. The team plays its home games at USF Softball Stadium located on the university's main campus in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–15 UCF Knights women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2014–15 UCF Knights women's basketball team will represent the University of Central Florida during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Knights compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the American Athletic Conference (The American). The Knights, in the program's 38th season of basketball, were led by eighth-year head coach Joi Williams, and play their home games at the CFE Arena on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. They finished the season 9–21, 5–13 in AAC play to finish in eight place. They lost in the first round in the American Athletic women's tournament to Cincinnati.

The 2015 American Athletic Conference softball tournament was held at the UCF Softball Complex on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, from May 7 through May 9, 2015. The event determined the champion of the American Athletic Conference for the 2015 NCAA Division I softball season. Top-seeded UCF won the tournament and earned the American Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division I softball tournament. All games were televised; the quarterfinals and semifinals were shown on the American Digital Network while the championship was broadcast on ESPN2.

The 2017 American Athletic Conference softball tournament was held at the East Carolina Softball Complex on the campus of the East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, from May 10 through May 13, 2017. The event determined the champion for the American Athletic Conference for the 2017 NCAA Division I softball season. Top-seeded Tulsa won the Tournament for the second year in a row and earned the American Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Division I softball tournament.

The 2017–18 UCF Knights men's basketball team represented the University of Central Florida during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Knights are members of the American Athletic Conference. The Knights, in the program's 49th season of basketball, were led by second-year head coach Johnny Dawkins and played their home games at the CFE Arena on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. They finished the season 19–13 overall and 9–9 in AAC play to finish in 6th place. In the AAC tournament, they defeated East Carolina in the first round before losing to Houston in the quarterfinals.

The 2018–19 UCF Knights men's basketball team represented the University of Central Florida during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Knights were members of the American Athletic Conference. The Knights, in the program's 50th season of basketball, were led by third-year head coach Johnny Dawkins and played their home games at the CFE Arena on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. They finished the season 24–9, 13–5 in AAC play to finish in a tie for third place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament to Memphis. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated VCU in the first round before losing in the second round to Duke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 UCF Knights women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2018–19 UCF Knights women's basketball team will represent the University of Central Florida during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Knights compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the American Athletic Conference (The American). The Knights, in the program's 42nd season of basketball, were led by third-year head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, and play their home games at the CFE Arena on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. They finished the season 26–7, 13–3 in AAC play to finish in second place. They advanced to the championship game of the American Athletic women's tournament where they lost to Connecticut. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament which was their first trip since 2011, where they lost to Arizona State in the first round.

The 2019 American Athletic Conference softball tournament was held at Cougar Softball Stadium on the campus of University of Houston in Houston, Texas, from May 9 through May 12, 2019. The tournament was to determine the champion of the American Athletic Conference for the 2019 NCAA Division I softball season. The tournament winner would have earned the American Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division I softball tournament. All games of the tournament aired on American Digital Network. Due to Weather conditions the last quarterfinal game between Houston and UConn, along with the two semifinal games, and championship game were canceled. Therefore the Automatic bid was awarded to the regular season champion South Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 UCF Knights men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 UCF Knights men's basketball team represented the University of Central Florida during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Knights compete as members of the American Athletic Conference. The Knights, in the program's 54th season of basketball, were led by seventh-year head coach Johnny Dawkins and played their home games at the Addition Financial Arena on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. They finished the season 18–14, 8–10 in AAC Play to finish in 7th place. They defeated SMU in the First Round of the AAC Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Memphis. The Knights received an at-large bid to the NIT, where they defeated Florida in the first round before losing in the second round to Oregon.

References

  1. UCF Softball Complex
  2. "Colors | University of Central Florida Brand Guide" . Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  3. McMurphy, Brett. "Old Big East now American Athletic". ESPN. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  4. 2011 UCF Knights Softball Quick Facts Archived 2011-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  5. 2010 UCF Knights Softball Media Guide
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UCF Knights Softball History and Records Archived 2011-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  7. UCF Conference Affiliation History
  8. "American Announces Agreements With UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on Departure" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  9. UCF Softball Complex