Softball On SI

North Carolina, UCF and Utah Stand Out in Latest Softball On SI Weekly Awards

Three teams combined for four weekly honors from Softball On Si.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
UCF's Isabella Vega was named Softball On SI's Pitcher of the Week after the Knights clinched a series win at Oklahoma State.
UCF's Isabella Vega was named Softball On SI's Pitcher of the Week after the Knights clinched a series win at Oklahoma State. | UCF Athletics

What an opening week of conference play for the Big 12 and the ACC.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, Central Florida Knights, and Utah Utes had some incredible showings in their respective games, with three individual players standing out above the rest.

Player of the Week: Emily LeGette, UNC Tar Heels

Can anyone stop Emily LeGette?

Virginia could not and that's why the first baseman has been named Softbal On SI's Player of the Week for a second time this season.

The Tar Heels went 2-2 during the week with a midweek win over Stetson and then going 1-2 in a three-game series with No. 12 Virginia.

LeGette was 8-for-13 in the four games with 15 RBIs. She brought her home run total to 15 with five in the four contests, including a three-homer game on Saturday against UVA.

The infielder is currently riding a 16-game hitting streak and has hits in 21 of 22 games. She also has 12 multi-RBI games and 13-mult-hit games this season.

LeGette's stats to start the 2026 season are simply incredible. Here's how she stacks up nationally:

  • 1st in avg (.597)
  • 2nd in RBI (48)
  • 2nd in OBP (.641)
  • 2nd in SLG (1.403)
  • 2nd in OPS (2.044)
  • 3rd in HR (15)

Within the ACC, she is leading or in the top five of nearly every statistical category. She ranks first in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, OPS, total bases, and sacrifice flies. She is fourth in runs scored and hits.

Pitcher of the Week: Isabella Vega, UCF Knights

For the first time in program history, the UCF Knights won a series over the Oklahoma State Cowgirls and they did it behind a spectacular effort from Isabella Vega in the circle.

The series victory also moved the Knights ahead of the Cowgirls in the Top 25, with the teams coming in at No. 15 and No. 16 this week.

Vega held the Cowgirls to a .167 batting average and totaled a team high 11.2 innings of work with a team-best nine strikeouts. She did not allow a single earned one and recorded a complete-game on Friday.

The sophomore finished the series with a record of 2-0.

Freshman of the Week: Mia Gomez, Utah Utes

It's hard to ignore what the Utah Utes accomplished at Arizona State over the week and freshman first baseman Mia Gomez was a key contributor.

Gomez was 5-for-12 in four games, three were against ASU and the other was vs. Southern Utah.

The first baseman hit three home runs, drove in six runs and cross home plate seven times. What might be even more impressive is that she was walked twice and didn't strike out a single time.

Team of the Week: Utah Utes

The Utah Utes had a historical weekend in Tempe, taking down a then-ranked Arizona State team. It marked the first sweep of a ranked team on the road since the Utes took three straight at No. 13 Oregon in 2023.

Utah's 15-0 win on Saturday was the largest win over a ranked team in program history and its 35 runs across three games in marked the largest run total in a two or three-game set since they put up 36 runs against Southern Utah in May of 1996.

After going 13-40 in 2025, the Utes have surpassed last season's win total and are now 21-5 in 2026 and 3-0 in the Big 12.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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