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 . The Knights are coached by head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. 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 .
8-797: The UCF softball program was founded in 2002 under Renee Luers-Gillispie. 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. 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
16-570: Is an American college administrator and baseball coach, serving as the senior associate athletic director at Dalton State College in Dalton, Georgia , United States. Dalton State reestablished its athletic department for the NAIA competition, beginning in the 2013–14 academic year. Skeel previously served as head baseball coach at Cincinnati and Bethune-Cookman . # denotes interim head coach This University of Louisville -related article
24-587: The American Athletic Conference in 2013. 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
32-1056: The National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF); Stephanie Best, Allison Kime and Breanne Javier. 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 Department of Defense Research Centers : Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation • Army Simulation and Training Technology Center • Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division Bethune%E2%80%93Cookman Wildcats The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats are
40-591: 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. In the past decade, the Knights own 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. Stephanie Best holds the club record for batting average with .384, home runs with 71 and triples with 13. After their careers at UCF, three Knights have played in
48-875: The athletic teams that represent Bethune–Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida . Bethune-Cookman is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and participates in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Bethune–Cookman fields 14 teams (five men's, eight women's, one co-ed) and have won 31 MEAC titles in the history of their athletic program: 14 in baseball, six in softball, three in football, two in women's cross country, two in women's indoor track and field, two in women's tennis, one in bowling and one in men's cross country. Athletic Director Lynn W. Thompson announced on July 26, 2011 that Jason Beverlin ,
56-534: The pitching coach at Tennessee for the past two seasons, would become the Wildcats' new head baseball coach. Beverlin replaced Mervyl Melendez . Under Melendez, the baseball team had achieved success, including five consecutive MEAC championships from 2000–2004, and six more from 2006–2011. In 2006, one of his players was credited with Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Pitcher of the Year accolades. Melendez
64-746: Was voted MEAC Coach of the year 2000 and 2001. The Wildcats under Melendez have made regional appearances in every year from 2000–2004 and 2006–2011. Bethune–Cookman also claimed tournament championships in 1997 and 1999 under coach Richard Skeel and in 2012 in Beverlin's first season. Laura Watten is the head coach for the Lady Wildcats softball team. The men's and women's Wildcat golf teams are coached by Lortiz Clark (head coach) and Jack McClairen (assistant coach). The teams use Indigo Lakes Golf Club and LPGA International as their home fields during competitions. Richard Skeel Richard Skeel
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