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 Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big 12 Conference (one of the four NCAA Power Conferences). The Knights play their home games at the UCF Softball Complex (also known as "the Plex") on UCF's main campus in Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights are coached by head coach Cindy Ball-Malone.2011 UCF Knights Softball Quick Facts During the quarter-century history of the program, the Knights have won three regular season conference championships, five conference tournament championships, and have earned twelve appearances in the NCAA Tournament (including Super-Regional Appearances in 2022 and 2026). In twenty-five seasons of play, the Knights have winning records in twenty-three of those seasons, and at least 30 wins in nineteen of those seasons (as of 2026); ranking the UCF program in the top-25 in all-time wins percentage amongst all NCAA softball programs.
Seven UCF Softball players have earned various All-American honors; while numerous UCF players have earned various national, regional and conference recognitions. After their careers at UCF, a number of Knights have played in pro-Softball leagues, including: Stephanie Best, Allison Kime, Breanne Javier, Shelby Turnier, Jada Cody, and Sarah Willis. Eight players have also made National Team squads, including Abby McClain, Jada Cody and Jasmine Williams (who played for the U.S. Women's National Softball Team).
History
The Renee Luers-Gillispie era
The early years The UCF softball program was founded in 2002, with Renee Luers-Gillispie as Head Coach.2010 UCF Knights Softball Media Guide 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.UCF Knights Softball History and Records 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. In 2005, UCF moved to Conference USA, where they remained until joining the American Athletic Conference in 2014.UCF Conference Affiliation History UCF joined the Big 12 Conference after the 2023 season.
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. 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.
During this period, the Knights earned nine no-hitters, including two perfect games. The first two no-hitters in program history were perfect games, and four no-hitters were pitched by Allison Kime. In 2007, Kime recorded the most strikeouts for a pitcher in program history, earning 18 strikeouts against Florida State to help her team win a 1-0 12-inning victory against the Seminoles.
One of the first players to join the UCF Softball program was Stephanie Best, who is still the most decorated Knight in the history of UCF Softball. She established the foundation for the program as a three-time Conference Player of the Year, holding school career records in batting average (.384), runs (216), RBI (213), hits (285), home runs (71), and slugging percentage (.756). Best's 71 career home runs record remains in the top-10 all time for NCAA softball players. During her UCF career, she scored 216 runs, 213 RBIs, and made 558 assists. In 2005, Best scored 26 home runs in one season, the most of any batter in NCAA softball for that year, which set a program record that has yet to be surpassed. During a March, 2003, matchup against Army, Best set two NCAA records; for the most RBIs in one game (11) and most grand slams in one inning (2). In that same game, she also scored three home runs in one game (the latter setting a record that would not be matched by a UCF batter for 23 years). .
UCF in the American Athletic Conference
After joining the American Athletic Conference in 2014, the Knights began a period of dominance in their new league. During their first years in the conference, UCF earned two conference regular season titles, two conference tournament championships, and three NCAA Tournament appearances. The Knights did not lose a regular season conference series during their first three years in the conference (2014 to 2016), winning 17 regular season conference series in a row from 2014 into the 2017 season.
The Knights' success during this period was due in large part to dominant pitching. Two UCF players who owned the mound from 2014 to 2015 were Mackenzie Audas and Shelby Turnier; the duo known around UCF Softball as "Shake-and-Bake." Audas still holds many UCF career pitching records, including career strikeouts (945) and No-Hitters (5). Audas' 78 wins rank third all-time in program history. In 2015, Turnier posted the lowest ERA in the nation (0.87); a UCF single-season record. Turnier became the third UCF pitcher in school history to reach 70 career wins and 800 strikeouts. She ranks second all-time in career wins. A few years later, Alea White took over the mound at UCF, and became the all-time leader for wins in program history (99) during her five seasons with the Knights (2017 to 2021). During the 2018 season, White was ranked in the top-25 in all of NCAA Softball for wins on the mound (tied for 22nd). She also holds UCF records for number of starts (139), number of appearances in games (180), innings pitched (969), and complete games (103). Also during that time, UCF Shortstop/Second Baseman Kahley Novak became the program's all-time leader in stolen bases (125).
The Cindy Ball-Malone era
In 2019, Coach Cindy Ball-Malone took over the UCF Softball program when Renee Luers-Gillispie left to become the Head Coach at the University of Iowa. Known as "Coach Bear", Ball-Malone (who had been a successful coach at Boise State) would lead UCF softball to new heights of success. She would later become an Assistant Coach with the United States Women's National Softball team and with the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball League while still the Head Coach at UCF.
In 2022, UCF hosted a regional for the first time, winning the regional final by defeating Michigan 9 to 4. The Knights went on to lose in the Super Regionals to that year's Women's College World Series (WCWS) winners, Oklahoma. During this period, the Knights made six straight NCAA Regional Tournament appearances, and played in the final game of four of those six regional tournaments (winning two of those regional finals).
In 2022, UCF First Baseman Shannon Doherty became known as the "Walk-Off Queen" of UCF by delivering three wins for the Knights during that season by scoring walk-off runs; two against ranked teams (#12 Georgia; Ole Miss; #5 Virginia Tech). Another legendary player during that period was Jada Cody, who finished her career as the Knights' all-time leader in doubles (54/55), 3rd all-time in total hits (263), and 2nd in RBIs (175) and home runs (39). She recorded 70 hits during the 2023 season and led the nation in hits for a large stretch of that season. On April 28, 2023, UCF Pitcher Sarah Willis pitched a full 7 inning perfect game in a 7–0 win over the Houston Cougars. This was only the 3rd perfect game for a UCF pitcher in program history (the first 7 inning perfect game in UCF Softball history). Willis finished her UCF career ranked sixth in lowest batting average-against (. 198) and lowest ERA (1.98), seventh in saves (3), ninth in winning decisions (29), strikeouts (239), innings pitched (289.2), and shutouts (7), and 10th in complete games (21) at the time of her graduation. In a 2024 1–2 home loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, Willis held that year's Women's College World Series (WCWS) Champions to only two hits; their lowest hits total that year.
UCF ended their 10 years (2014 to 2023) in the American Athletic Conference as the league's most successful program up to that time, with an overall conference record of 126–48–1. The Knights won six Conference Championships during their ten years in the conference (2014 regular season; 2015 regular season and tournament; 2022 regular season and tournament; 2023 tournament).
The Knights join the Big 12 Conference
UCF Softball's record of excellent performance carried over into the Big-12 Conference, with the Knights playing in their first Big-12 season in 2024. During that season, the Knights won five of their nine conference series (including two sweeps of conference opponents), and Head Coach Cindy Ball-Malone earned her 200th career win at UCF with a road series win at Texas Tech. She also earned her 300th career win overall as a coach that season. At the end of their first season in the Big 12, the Knights placed 5th in the conference behind three teams that made it to that season's Women's College World Series (WCWS) (Oklahoma, Texas, and Oklahoma State); and placing just behind a Baylor team that played in a Super Regional that season. Their 2024 NCAA Tournament appearance was their 4th in a row.
The story of UCF Knights Shortstop Jasmine Williams also gained national attention during this period. She had been the highest rated recruit in the history of the University of Oregon's Softball program when she started playing there as a Freshman in 2019, but put her college softball career on hold when she became pregnant with her son. Williams had a popular following on social media (up to 100,000 followers), much of it driven by videos she had posted of fun dances she did with one of her Oregon teammates. But after she announced her pregnancy by posting a picture of herself with her baby's father, Williams became the victim of online racial vitriol due to the fact that she was Caucasian and her baby's father was African American. She returned to Oregon to play, but did not see the field in her last season with the Ducks and no longer felt comfortable at Oregon. UCF Coach Ball-Malone had known Williams from their days on the USA U19 National Team (Williams as a player; Ball-Malone as an Assistant Coach), and invited Williams to come to UCF. She would play for two seasons with the Knights (2023–24), earning all-conference honors in 2023. ESPN's Andrea Adelson profiled Williams' story on ESPN in 2024. Williams also appeared in that year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, along with other players from women's programs in the Big 12 Conference.
The 2025 season was expected to be a re-build year, as the team was made up of roughly 60% Sophomore and Freshmen players. Despite that, the Knights finished 35-24-1 overall (.500 in conference play), and earned their first road series win against a top-five ranked opponent in program history (winning two out of three games at #4 Arizona). They tacked on four more top-25 wins in the regular season before moving on to their 5th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and 3rd regional final in five seasons. They lost in the Austin Regional Final to Texas (who went on to win the College World Series that year). UCF continued their tradition of pitching excellence as well, thanks in large part to Freshman standout Isabella Vega. During her first year with the program, Vega was one of the Big-12's best pitchers (the Big-12's ERA leader in conference play), and by the end of the season earned First Team All-Big 12, D1Softball Freshman All-America First Team, and NFCA All Region First Team honors. Senior Pitcher Kaitlyn Felton also earned All Regional honors and multiple Big 12 Pitcher of the Week awards.
UCF on the Rise in the Big 12