For the first time in program history, the UCF softball team walked away from the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational with a winning record, upsetting then-No. 10 LSU 5-1 in the process.
The Knights wrapped up play in Clearwater with a 3-2 record across its five weekend matchups, defeating Big Ten foe Northwestern and ACC opponent NC State. The two losses came against then-No. 17 Georgia and then-No. 8 Nebraska.
UCF’s performance at the Clearwater Invitational earned them the No. 25 spot in both D1Softball and Softball America Top 25 polls — marking their first national ranking of 2026.
The LSU upset stands as the Knights’ highest-ranked win since March 2025, when the Black and Gold stunned then-No. 4 Arizona, taking two of three games in a weekend series.
UCF finished the 2025 season ranked No. 24 in D1Softball.com’s final top 25 poll after going 3-3 in postseason play. The Knights defeated Utah in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, then earned two victories in the NCAA Austin Regional against Eastern Illinois and then-No. 25 Michigan.
Despite that finish, UCF entered the 2026 season unranked. Now, the Knights are back in the national conversation.
The Top 25 polls include four other Big 12 programs: No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 16 Arizona, No. 22 Oklahoma, and No. 24 Arizona State. UCF’s entrance adds another layer of depth to an already stacked conference landscape.
The Big 12 was the only conference at the Clearwater Invitational to have all of its participating teams finish with winning records. Oklahoma State went 3-2 overall, while Texas Tech turned in a 5-1 showing.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Isabella Vega has been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after tossing 15.1 scoreless innings in week two, posting a 0.00 ERA with 15 strikeouts and a .158 opponent batting average.
Vega secured the Knights’ first SEC victory of the season against Missouri, added four shutout relief innings in a win over Northwestern and closed out a ranked victory over then-No. 10 LSU. She finished the weekend by tossing her first seven-inning complete game of the year against NC State.
This marks Vega’s third career Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after earning the award twice last spring.
The Knights’ 9-3 start is their best 12-game start to a season since the 2021 team began the spring 10-2. UCF’s only three losses this season come from nationally ranked teams.
The Black and Gold return home to host non-conference opponents Dartmouth, Wagner, George Washington and Florida A&M for the Charge On Classic from Thursday through Sunday.
The Knights’ first big test of the season comes the following week on Friday, March 6, when they hit the road for a three-game series against No. 19 Oklahoma State.