UCF softball is well on its way to earning another bid for the NCAA Softball Tournament. The Knights may not get to host a regional and might have to ship up to Tallahassee to play familiar foe Florida State, to Gainesville to play Florida or parts elsewhere, but UCF is very much on track.
Eric Lopez of In The Circle projects the Knights will be one of three American Conference teams to make the field. With a 27-14 record, the Knights have put themselves in good position. Of their 14 losses, 10 have come to teams ranked ahead of the Knights’ No. 24 ranking in the RPI. The worst loss is to No. 68 Purdue at home.
The tough schedule is paying off. The Knights may have a fair amount of losses, but are by no means out of the tournament race because of it. UCF consistently beats teams it is better than and is already on its way to dominating the conference.
Last weekend, UCF swept Tulsa, one of its biggest competitors in the conference. The Knights will take on RPI No. 22 USF in a three-game set beginning April 29. That comes the same week UCF travels to play Florida State.
There will still be opportunities for the Knights to climb and bank up good wins. It likely is not enough to host. But UCF should feel very secure if the team takes care of business in conference.
Shelby Turnier drafted to NPF
UCF star pitcher Shelby Turnier was selected with the 11th overall pick in the NPF draft, the highest selection in UCF history. The Chicago Bandits selected Turnier in the second round.
“This moment is unreal,” Turnier told UCFKnights.com. “I’ve always dreamed of this day happening, but never thought it could be a reality. I’m so thankful for all the coaches and players who have helped me along the way. And of course, the biggest thanks goes to my family, who are my number one fans.”
Turnier has had a strong year once again for the Knights, posting a 2.28 ERA and a 13-12 record. She posts 7.8 strikeouts per seven innings. She has had a stellar career at UCF and has truly become the team’s ace and one of the toughest pitchers in the nation.
UCF is in Houston this weekend for another difficult conference game with another NCAA Tournament hopeful.
