The University of Central Florida softball team announced on May 13 that it will compete in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, facing Florida State, Jacksonville State, and Stetson. The Knights earned their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid after finishing the regular season with a 38-16-1 record and a final RPI ranking of 23rd.
This selection places UCF among only 20 programs to have appeared in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments. The team’s achievements this season include setting single-season records for overall wins and conference victories since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2024. With two more wins in Tallahassee, UCF would reach its first 40-win season since 2023 and finish with fewer than 20 losses for the first time since its 49-14 campaign in 2022.
The Knights’ placement marks their third trip to Joanne Graf Field for postseason play in four years and fifth overall. In past appearances at Tallahassee, UCF has recorded notable victories over Auburn, South Carolina, and Kennesaw State. Their most recent visit included an historic comeback win against Auburn on May 17, when they overcame a four-run deficit to win by five runs.
Senior shortstop Aubrey Evans said: “I’m super grateful. Four years going into the postseason, it’s a big deal. Being a part of UCF and this program, and seeing what we’ve done over the last four years has been super fun, it’s been really competitive, and I’m excited for what this team can do the rest of this season.”
Evans is one of five players who have hit at least ten home runs this spring—a program record—alongside Beth Damon (15), Kendall Yarnell (14), Sierra Humphreys (13), and Izzy Mertes (11). Sophomore third baseman Coco Jaimes led her team offensively during last year’s regional tournament.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Isabella Vega leads UCF’s pitching staff with career highs entering regional play. Against other Florida teams this year, UCF holds a combined .286 batting average while pitchers Tori Payne, Lena Elkins, Ava Stuewe join Vega as innings leaders with strong performances.
The regional begins Friday afternoon with Florida State playing Stetson at noon Eastern Time followed by UCF versus Jacksonville State at approximately 2:30 p.m., streamed live on ESPN platforms.
