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UCF Softball’s Memorable Season Ends at Oklahoma

Knights Historic season ends with 49 wins and many lasting memories.

By Eric Lopez
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UCF’s historic season ended two wins away from the Women’s College World Series running into an iconic Oklahoma team who is heavily favored to win back-to-back titles in the next couple of weeks.

The Knights were swept in at the Norman Super Regional. Put any of the other seven WCWS teams and they would have faced the same result.

UCF could not apply pressure against the Sooners' pitching who showed why they have one of the greatest offenses the sport has ever seen.

Nonetheless, this season goes down as one of the best the program ever had. I will address some questions you have asked and comments since the Knights' season ended. Let's go around the bases one last time as we look back in 2022.

1st- What Did We Learn from Supers

The team learned and experienced what the highest standard of the sport looks like. Oklahoma was a great example as someone who has been there and done that with tons of experience.

You can't teach experience — you have to go through it. The returners will be better for going through the disappointment as they strive to reach the WCWS.

2nd- Where does UCF Softball 2022 rank all-time?

It is the best softball team of all as it is the first UCF team to advance to the super regional. How many squads have advanced to the round of 16 or better? 11 since 1982 with three of them being from Michele Akers-led UCF teams (84, 87, 88).

Since 2000 there have been seven UCF teams. Here is the list in the NCAA Tournament era. *- covid season.

  • UCF Women Soccer 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988, 2011, 2014
  • UCF Women Tennis 2019, 2021
  • -UCF Men Soccer 2019, 2020*
  • UCF Softball 2022

3rd- Where Does Jada Cody's Season Rank?

Cody's homer on Saturday was her 15th of the year and her 75th run batted in. The RBIs are a program record while the 15 homers are 4th most in a single season behind Stephanie Best’s 26 in 2005, 18 in 2003, and 16 in 2004.

Cody's season is the best offensive year any Knight ever had not named Stephanie Best.

Cody has a chance to be the 2nd all-American in program history joining Shelby Turnier who was first-team All-American in 2015.

Home- What I Will Remember from 2022?

There are so many that I will apologize in advance that there will be some that do make this article. The first one is UCF hosting and won the Orlando regional in an incredible atmosphere I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.

The 3-2 11-inning classic win over Michigan came on Maddie Bejarano's and Kama Woodall's incredible pitching.

I’ll never forget the reaction when UCF was selected to host.

I’ll never forget Savannah Adams pinch-hit two-run HR in the bottom of 8th in the semi-final against Houston and domination over USF in the title game.

Who will forever forget Shannon Doherty's dramatic walk-off? . . .

Or winning the regular-season title at Wichita, Sweeping USF in Tampa. I could keep going.

On Deck- What’s the Outlook for 2023?

UCF is projected to return seven starters on offense while losing starting RF Denali Schappacher, 2B Justene Molina, and the one-two pitching combo of Gianna Mancha and Kama Woodall. Pitching will be the biggest question with the young staff of Kaitlyn Felton, Grace Jewell, and Angelina DeVoe as well as pitchers coming from recruiting class.

UCF may go to the transfer portal to look for a veteran arm. We also know in this portal era we will likely see some comings and goings.

Many have also asked if UCF will lose Coach Bear herself, Cindy Ball-Malone.

Here is Head Coach Cindy Ball-Malone addressing her future as well as thoughts on 2022 season and more.

The two words many UCF Softball alums, Future Knight teams, as well as Knight fans old and new should say about the 2022 team that has help build the future sucess of program with the barriers they broke this year on and off the field that will be felt for years is Thank You!

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