Softball looking for shot at redemption

The 2010 year is one of redemption for the UCF softball team. One where they face nine teams that finished the 2009 season in the Top 25.

The Knights finished ‘09 with a 27-27 record and with a sour taste in their mouths. It was only two seasons ago that UCF wore the glass slipper and won the Conference USA tournament championship and earned the conference's automatic berth into the post season.

This year, the path to success won't be easy, as they begin the season down the road in Clermont for the NTC Elite Invitational on Feb. 12-14. The Knights will get tested early when they face four ranked teams in their first five games in Oklahoma, UCLA, Tennessee and Georgia, before closing out the weekend against Chattanooga. All five teams made the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

The Knights will play their first home game at the UCF Softball Complex on Feb. 17th and will host 32-home games this season, including a stretch of 16 consecutive games in the month of March.

Home cooking helped the Knights in 2009 when they finished with a 20-14 record at home.
The UCF Invitational on Feb.19-21 has the Knights hosting South Carolina, Villanova, North Florida, Troy and Florida A&M. A year ago the Knights won three-of-four in the invitational.

Following the squad's road game in Jacksonville against North Florida on Feb. 24, the Knights travel outside the state for the first time when they head to Columbus, Ga. for the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

The Classic takes place Feb. 26-28 and has the Knights doing  battle with two ranked opponents, Georgia Tech and Alabama, who advanced to the Women's College World Series last year. UCF will also play Arkansas, Maryland and Nebraska,  who are usual guests in the big dance.

In last season's only road tournament, the Knights dropped three-of-four games in Tempe, Ariz. at the Kajikawa Classic.

The Knights return home for the UCF Tournament March 5-7 and a 16-game home stand. The tournaments features games against Harvard, College of Charleston, Providence, Boston College and Georgia Southern.

Following games against Maine on March 9 and  Connecticut on March 10, UCF begins the C-USA slate of games. They host Memphis on March 12-13.

After losing the first game last season against the Tigers, the Knights took the final two of the series in Memphis.

A midweek game on March 17 against Drake entertains the team before they host Houston on March 20-21. The Knights and the Cougars split last year's series in Houston.

UCF hosts a pair of non-conference games on March 25-26, against Ohio State and Cornell before traveling to Hattiesburg to face conference foe Southern Miss on the 27-28.

The Knights lost the first game of the series last year before winning the final two games at home.

The Knights then host national runner-up Florida on March 31st. The Gators took last year's game in Gainesville, 3-0.

On April 2-3, UCF looks to avenge the three-game sweep they suffered at the hands of East Carolina on the road a year ago.

The Knights finish the home stand with an April 7th game against Florida State. The Seminoles finished the year ranked in the Top 25.

They go on the road for two-consecutive conference road series' on April 10-11 and the 17-18 against Marshall and UAB. The Knights won both series two games to one last season.

UCF returns home to take on Bethune Cookman on the 21st of April before hosting conference opponent Tulsa the  24-25. The Golden Hurricane swept the Knights in Oklahoma when they met last season.

Following a home game against Jacksonville on May 4, the Knights travel to El Paso, to take on UTEP, to conclude the season. The Knights took two-of-three from the Miners a year ago.

The C-USA Championship takes place May 13-15, with the winner receiving the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.