ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – One month ago, the UCF baseball team kicked off a fundraising campaign in honor of Joe Skinner. The effort culminated in a celebratory remembrance at the game against Memphis Friday, and a grand total of $32,458 raised to benefit the cancer research arm of Florida Hospital.
Skinner would have been a freshman playing for the Knights this season, and UCF head coach Greg Lovelady knows how important his legacy is to the players and the community.
"Somebody that is supposed to be in our dugout is not here," Lovelady said. "For a lot of us it's really tough, especially our freshman. Over the course of the last eight months I've learned a lot about Joe. I think about him a lot, what he was like, and what he would be like in our dugout and as part of our team."
The Knights joined college teams from across the nation in raising money through Team.vs-Cancer.org. To date, the College Baseball Vs. Cancer 2017 campaign has raised $238,899 and UCF is leading the charge, having raised the most of any team by more than $8,000.
The Black and Gold helped raise $26,692 through Vs. Cancer plus an additional $5,766 in other donations.
"We never have a baseball team come in and raise this kind of money in the first year," Vs. Cancer Foundation Associate Director Brant Masters said. "UCF is our largest baseball fundraiser this year, which is truly incredible and a testament to the impact Joe had on this community."
Coach Lovelady said he was proud of the team, the community, and the fans for all coming together in such a big way.
"Tonight was really a big deal," Lovelady added. "To raise thirty-some thousand dollars is a testament to our kids for getting behind it but also to the community for really backing us up and helping to fight this disease. That was awesome."
Knights catcher Dallas Beaver was among those who knew Skinner the best. He said he was thankful for the team's effort when he found out they would honor Skinner with this campaign.
"They've gone to great lengths to keep his memory alive," Beaver said. "I really appreciate what UCF has done. I was shocked by the news of Joe Skinner Knight when I first found out we were going to honor him in this way, but it is really awesome."
First baseman Rylan Thomas was also close with Skinner, having been teammates during high school summer ball. He remembered his friend's passion for UCF and was proud of the legacy he is leaving on the community.
"He was a die-hard Knights fan and he couldn't wait to get here," Thomas said of his friend. "This is awesome that we're able to do something for him. The impact he has made around here, without ever having played in a game is impressive."
The Knights defeated the Tigers 7-4 on Joe Skinner Knight, and then shaved their heads in remembrance following the game. The team continues the series against the Tigers with its new look Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at the UCF Baseball Complex.
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