The 2021 UConn Huskies softball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. The Huskies were led by Laura Valentino in her 2nd year as head coach, and played as part of the Big East Conference after joining the conference for the 2020–21 academic year. They play their home games at the newly rebuilt Connecticut Softball Stadium. UConn finished with a final record of 22–20, and finished third in the Big East with a conference record of 12–9. They reached the final of the Big East Tournament, but fell to Villanova.

Previous season As with other teams, the Huskies' 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic during March. UConn was off to a promising start, with a 16–5 record, the first time the Huskies finished with a winning record since 2009. No conference games were played prior to the early cancellation of the season.

Personnel

Roster 2021 Connecticut Huskies roster Pitchers 00 - Payton Kinney – Freshman 16 - Meghan O'Neil – Sophomore 17 - Marybeth Olson – Senior Catchers 4 - Lauren Benson – Freshman 7 - Devon Casazza – Graduate Student 22 - Madisyn Estorga – Freshman

Outfielders 1 - Hollis Wivell – Junior 5 - Aziah James – Junior 19 - Reese Guevarra – Senior 20 - Ashley Esty – Junior 21 - Cali Jolley – Sophomore Infielders 3 - Taylor Zatyk – Freshman 6 - Rileigh DeWeese – Freshman 8 - Briana Marcelino – Senior 9 - Olivia Sappington – Senior 11 - Mackenzie Fitzpatrick – Sophomore 15 - Sami Barnett – Junior 23 - Jana Sanden – Freshman 24 - Emily Piergustavo – Junior 31 - Makenzie Mason – Freshman 41 - Morgan Ash – Junior

Coaches 2021 connecticut huskies softball coaching staffLaura Valentino – Head coach – 2nd season Christie Novatin – Associate head coach – 2nd season Jessica Jacobson – Assistant coach – 2nd season Pattie Ruth Taylor – Volunteer assistant Coach – 2nd season

Schedule Legend UConn win UConn loss CancellationBoldUConn team member * Non-Conference game

2021 UConn Huskies softball game log Regular season February Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall record BE Record Feb 12 vs * St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC(Kickin' Chicken Classic) Cancelled Feb 12 vs * St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC(Kickin' Chicken Classic) Cancelled Feb 13 at Coastal Carolina* St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC(Kickin' Chicken Classic) Cancelled Feb 14 vs Tennessee* St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC(Kickin' Chicken Classic) Cancelled Feb 19 vs * FGCU Softball Complex • Fort Myers, FL(FGCU softball tournament) W 7–1 Kinney (1–0) Norred (0–1) None 1–0 Feb 19 vs * FGCU Softball Complex • Fort Myers, FL(FGCU softball tournament) W 4–39 O'Neil (1–0) Dunford (2–1) None 2–0 Feb 20 vs FIU* FGCU Softball Complex • Fort Myers, FL(FGCU softball tournament) W 3–1 Kinney (2–0) Dunford (2–2) None 3–0 Feb 20 at FGCU Softball Complex • Fort Myers, FL(FGCU softball tournament) L 1–3 Mesiemore (1–3) O'Neil (1–1) None 178 3–1 Feb 21 at Florida Gulf Coast* FGCU Softball Complex • Fort Myers, FL(FGCU softball tournament) L 4–511 Mesiemore (2–3) Kinney (2–1) None 3–2 Feb 26 vs Ole Miss* Getterman Stadium • Waco, TX L 0–7 Bruce (1–0) Kinney (2–2) None 3–3 Feb 26 at No. 23 * Getterman Stadium • Waco, TX L 0–5 Mansell (1–0) O'Neil (1–2) None 300 3–4 Feb 27 vs * Getterman Stadium • Waco, TX W 7–0 O'Neil (2–2 Ruiz (1–2) None 100 4–4 Feb 27 at No. 23 Baylor* Getterman Stadium • Waco, TX W 7–3 Kinney (3–2) Rodoni (1–2) None 300 5–4 Feb 28 at No. 7 Texas* Red and Charline McCombs Field • Austin, TX L 2–165 White (2–0) Kinney (3–3) None 376 5–5 March Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall record BE Record Mar 5 vs * Williams Field at Anderson Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC(UNC Tournament) W 7–3 O'Neil (3–2) Nemeth (0–2) None 40 6–5 Mar 5 at * Williams Field at Anderson Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC(UNC Tournament) L 1–38 Pickett (5–2) Kinney (3–4) None 80 6–6 Mar 6 vs No. 17 * Williams Field at Anderson Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC(UNC Tournament) L 6–78 Betenbaugh (4–0) Kinney (3–5) None 40 6–7 Mar 7 vs Elon* Williams Field at Anderson Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC(UNC Tournament) L 0–18 Quinn (3–3) Kinney (3–6) None 40 6–8 Mar 7 at No. 14 * Duke Softball Stadium • Durham, NC L 0–7 St. George (7–0) Kinney (3–7) None 6–9 Mar 13 Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Cancelled Mar 13 Georgetown Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Cancelled Mar 14 Georgetown Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Cancelled Mar 17 at * URI Softball Complex • Kingston, RI W 10–7 O'Neil (4–2) Lynchard (0–4) None 7–9 Mar 20 at Creighton Sports Complex • Omaha, NE L 1–2 Boyd (5–4) Kinney (3–8) None 7–10 0–1 Mar 20 at Creighton Creighton Sports Complex • Omaha, NE W 9–1 O'Neil (5–2) Santa Cruz (2–2) None 143 8–10 1–1 Mar 21 at Creighton Creighton Sports Complex • Omaha, NE W 10–5 Kinney (4–8) Boyd (5–5) None 102 9–10 2–1 Mar 24 * Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 10–25 Kinney (5–8) Houghton (1–1) None 81 10–10 Mar 27 Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 6–1 Kinney (6–8) Ricketts (6–5) None 81 11–10 3–1 Mar 27 Butler Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 4–2 Kinney (7–8) Graves (3–4) None 81 12–10 4–1 Mar 28 Butler Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 1–05 Kinney (8–8) Griman (0–2) None 60 13–10 5–1 April Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall record BE Record Apr 2 at Cacciatore Stadium • Chicago, IL L 1–5 Halvorson (4–3) Kinney (8–9) None 50 13–11 5–2 Apr 2 at DePaul Cacciatore Stadium • Chicago, IL L 5–6 Gomez (2–0) O'Neil (5–3) None 50 13–12 5–3 Apr 3 at DePaul Cacciatore Stadium • Chicago, IL L 2–4 Dalgarn (8–1) Kinney (8–10) None 35 13–13 5–4 Apr 10 at Glay Field • Providence, RI Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 10 at Providence Glay Field • Providence, RI Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 11 at Providence Glay Field • Providence, RI Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 13 * Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 14 at * Bahoshy Softball Complex/Murphy Field • Bronx, NY Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 21 Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 21 Seton Hall Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 22 Seton Hall Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols Apr 27 at Providence Glay Field • Providence, RI W 6–4 O'Neil (6–3) Grifone (1–5) None 50 14–13 6–4 Apr 27 at Providence Glay Field • Providence, RI W 8–5 Olson (1–0) Murphy (0–1) None 50 15–13 7–4 Apr 28 at Providence Glay Field • Providence, RI W 4–1 O'Neil (7–3) Alvarez (2–6) None 60 16–13 8–4 May Date Opponent Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall record BE Record May 1 Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 4–3 O'Neil (8–3) Brown (4–8) None 113 17–13 9–4 May 1 St. John's Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 9–15 O'Neil (9–3) Saric (1–5) None 113 18–13 10–4 May 2 St. John's Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT L 2–6 Kmett (5–5) Kinney (8–11) Brown (2) 113 18–14 10–5 May 5 Seton Hall Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 3–1 O'Neil (10–3) Smith (2–9) Kinney (1) 19–14 11–5 May 6 Seton Hall Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT L 1–2 Carr (4–8) Olson (1–1) None 77 19–15 11–6 May 6 Seton Hall Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 6–2 Kinney (9–11) Smith (2–10) O'Neil (1) 77 20–15 12–6 May 8 at Villanova Softball Complex • Villanova, PA L 0–1 Rauch (17–3) O'Neil (10–4) None 40 20–16 12–7 May 8 at Villanova Villanova Softball Complex • Villanova, PA L 6–7 Kennedy (6–3) O'Neil (10–5) None 40 20–17 12–8 May 9 at Villanova Villanova Softball Complex • Villanova, PA L 7–9 Pellicano (3–1) O'Neil (10–6) None 40 20–18 12–9 Post-Season Date Opponent Seed Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall record BET Record May 13 (2) Villanova (3) Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 4–3 Kinney (10–11) Kennedy (6–4) O'Neil (2) 113 21–18 1–0 May 14 (4) Butler (3) Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT W 4–1 Kinney (11–11) Graves (6–5) None 113 22–18 2–0 May 15 (2) Villanova (3) Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT L 1–5 Rauch (20–3) Olson (1–2) None 113 22–19 2–1 May 15 (2) Villanova (3) Connecticut Softball Stadium • Storrs, CT L 1–6 Amarillas (7–3) O'Neil (10–7) None 113 22–20 2–2 Rankings from NFCA Poll, Tournament seeds in parentheses.

References