{"id":1254,"date":"2026-05-20T21:36:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T21:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1254"},"modified":"2026-05-20T21:36:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T21:36:18","slug":"ucf-prepares-for-california-dreamin-in-ncaa-softball-super-regional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1254","title":{"rendered":"UCF prepares for California Dreamin\u2019 in NCAA softball Super Regional"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cindy Ball-Malone doesn\u2019t need a lesson on the history of UCLA softball.<\/p>\n

UCF\u2019s softball coach grew up about 30 minutes away from the Bruins campus in nearby Simi Valley. It\u2019s where she attended her first collegiate game and witnessed the program\u2019s rich traditions and multiple national championships firsthand.<\/p>\n

Read more Pictures: First look at Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re the Alabama of softball,\u201d Ball-Malone said, referring to the program\u2019s dominance similar to that of Alabama football. \u201cGrowing up, what I knew and what I was aware of and just the tradition there is so amazing. They have some of the greatest softball players coming out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Ball-Malone found out her UCF team would be facing UCLA in the NCAA\u2019s Los Angeles Super Regional this weekend, she was excited for the chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat an awesome opportunity for us to go in and get it done,\u201d she said on Tuesday. \u201cThe norm is for a program like UCLA to move past it and move on. If we\u2019re true disruptors, then we\u2019re going to take this task, this mission and keep it our thing. We\u2019re just going to keep playing against our best selves.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCF (41-17-1) advanced to just its second super regional after defeating Florida State, 4-2, in Game 7 of the Tallahassee Regional on Sunday. It was the first postseason win over the Seminoles in seven previous attempts.<\/p>\n

The last time the Knights reached a super regional was in 2022, when they were swept by top-seeded Oklahoma in Norman. The Sooner would go on to capture their sixth World Series title that season.<\/p>\n

UCLA (50-8) rolled through the Los Angeles Regional, defeating Cal-Baptist, 12-11, in the opener, followed by a 7-2 win over No. 7-seed South Carolina on Saturday and a 15-1 win over the Gamecocks in the regional finals on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Bruins are searching for their third straight appearance and 35th overall trip to the College World Series in Stillwater, Ok. The program has won 13 national championships and finished as runner-ups seven times.<\/p>\n

Despite overwhelming odds, the Knights aren\u2019t going to play scared.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good program, a lot of rich history there, but we\u2019re just focusing on ourselves,\u201d said senior shortstop Aubrey Evans. \u201cWe know we\u2019re a great program, we have nothing to lose if we go out there and play Knights\u2019 softball the way we know how to.\u201d<\/p>\n

UCLA leads the nation in slugging percentage (.836) and home runs (193), thanks to a lineup that features Softball America\u2019s Player of the Year, first baseman Jordan Woolery, All-Americans Aleena Garcia, Bri Alejandre and outfielder Megan Grant, who was one of three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.<\/p>\n

Read more Hagerty wins historic 7A softball title on Campbell Downing 2-run double<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Knights, meanwhile, feature the third-best pitching staff in the Big 12, with a staff ERA of 2.96.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear they\u2019re pretty good, those hitters,\u201d Ball-Malone said jokingly about UCLA\u2019s lineup. \u201cI don\u2019t think anybody in the country has a pitching staff like us. I don\u2019t know any other team in the country that has the pitching staff that we have. Yes, there are teams in the country that have pitchers; we have a pitching staff, so we\u2019re going to utilize it to the best of our abilities and then we\u2019re going to play against our best selves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can take on any lineup in the nation,\u201d added sophomore catcher Beth Damon, who is batting .300 with a home run and 5 RBIs in the postseason. \u201cThey all have good stuff, they\u2019re all very different looks and they\u2019re all very good at what they do. I have full faith in them that they can take on anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isabella Vega, who has been UCF\u2019s top pitcher this season, appeared in three of the Knights\u2019 four regional games this weekend. The redshirt sophomore right-hander has an 18-9 record with 39 appearances and a team-best 149 \u2154 innings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve worked so hard and the team has worked so hard throughout the offseason and in-season to get to this moment, so we just need to execute our plan and be true to us and not change just because of the name on the jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ball-Malone isn\u2019t the only Knight making her return home this weekend.<\/p>\n

Center fielder Samantha Rey, second baseman Sierra Humphreys, third baseman Coco Jaimes and left fielder Izzy Mertes all grew up in California.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really cool way to have a little homecoming,\u201d Jaimes said. \u201cYou grow up hearing all about that program, being a Californian, so to go there and play on that field and with this team, it\u2019s gonna be a really cool experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think I was ever going to be a coach and here I am, being able to bring this team from the home that I never expected to be on the East Coast, my home, and I love it. Our family loves it and now we get to bring them both together,\u201d said Ball-Malone.<\/p>\n

Up next \u2026<\/h3>\n

UCF (41-17-1) at UCLA (50-8)<\/p>\n

When:<\/strong> 9 p.m., Friday; 10 p.m., Saturday; Sunday, if necessary<\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> Easton Stadium, Los Angeles<\/p>\n

TV:<\/strong> ESPNU (Friday), ESPN (Saturday)<\/p>\n

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel\u2019s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more How to pile dirt on the moon? Robotics teams tackle NASA challenge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s a homecoming for Knights’ coach Cindy Ball-Malone, who grew up 30 minutes away from the Bruins’ campus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-sports","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nUCF prepares for California Dreamin\u2019 in NCAA softball Super Regional - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1254\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UCF prepares for California Dreamin\u2019 in NCAA softball Super Regional - 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