The 2018 UCF baseball season opens on Feb. 16 at John Euliano Park against Virginia, and now is the time to get your first look at the Knights. UCFKnights.com will preview each position group over the next two weeks to show who will be wearing the Black and Gold this year.
THE CATCHERS
Aside from the pitching staff, the catchers are the most experienced position group returning for the Knights in 2018. All three backstops that started last year are back behind the plate for UCF, the only position for the Black and Gold.
Logan Heiser and Anthony George split the lion's share of playing time in 2017 and will feature prominently on the Knights' lineup card.
"It's a relief to have depth at a really important position," head coach Greg Lovelady said. "To have two guys that played a lot last year gives us some relief. We feel like we have four catchers that could play. It gives us options and a peace of mind knowing that we have guys that can play the position and not have to worry about it."
Heiser made 37 starts behind the plate as a junior. The eldest catcher hit .248 with 15 RBI and a quartet of home runs, while posting a team-low 12 strikeouts among starters.
George, who made the bulk of his appearances in the second half of the season, had a .294 batting average and 10 RBI in his sophomore campaign. He had a career day against Cincinnati, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and a home run.
Dallas Beaver, who started a trio of games behind the plate, had a strong offseason and has cycled between catcher and a few infielder spots during practice.
Michael Higgins will look to step up in his redshirt junior campaign, while David Phrathep rejoined the team after spending last season working toward a pre-med degree.
"Having so many guys gives us options," Lovelady continued. "We can go with matchups. We can make decisions late in the game, knowing that we can maneuver guys around to pinch hit or run. They're so interchangeable that we have just as much confidence in the next guy to step up."
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