UCF NO. 22 IN NFCA, NO. 23 IN USA SOFTBALL POLLS
UCF remained stationary in the No. 22 position in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll and checked in 23rd in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. The Knights were the first team from The American to be officially ranked in the major national softball polls this season.
During its 20-5-1 start to the 2020 campaign, UCF has taken down or tied five opponents that are currently ranked or receiving votes in the major national polls. The signature wins thus far for the Knights were a two-game sweep of then No. 12 Tennessee in five innings on Feb. 21-22 and a 3-2 win over No. 16 Michigan on March 6. In the initial release of the 2020 NCAA RPI, the main metric of seeding for the NCAA Championship, UCF checked in as the seventh-ranked team in the country.
CONFERENCE PLAY INCHES CLOSER
Only one more tournament weekends remain before conference play for the 2020 American softball season officially kicks off. Teams representing The American have compiled a 117-66-1 (.639) combined nonconference record this season entering games on March 10.
PERRIGAN, WHITE ENTER THE RECORD BOOKS
Wichita State’s Madison Perrigan became The American career home run queen after surpassing USF’s Lee Ann Spivey (35, 2014-16) with career home run number 36 against Kansas. Perrigan hit four home runs and drove in eight total runs last week to earn a spot on the conference weekly honor roll. UCF’s Alea White continued her solid senior season on the mound with a 2-1 record in six appearances (two starts) last week, limiting opposing batters to a .195 average against. White became The American’s career wins leader against No. 16 Michigan on March 6, passing Tulsa great Emily Watson (74, 2015-18).
CORRICK TIES USF STRIKEOUT MARK OF 18 K
In an eight-inning, 2-1 thrilling win over No. RV Wisconsin on March 7, USF pitcher Georgina Corrick tied a program record with 18 strikeouts in a complete game showing for the Bulls. Corrick, the conference leader in wins (11) and strikeouts (120), threw 173 pitches in the victory.
THE AMERICAN IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
Teams from The American were prominently featured in the NCAA statistical leaders report that was published through games as of March 9. Wichita State ranked fourth in DI softball with 49 doubles, Houston was fourth in both home runs per game (1.71) and slugging percentage (.624) and Tulsa checked in sixth with a 1.48 team ERA. Individually, UCF’s Alea White and USF’s Georgina Corrick were fourth in pitching wins with 11 and Tulsa’s Samantha Pochop was seventh with an impressive 0.68 ERA.