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 INFIELD
Heading into his first campaign with UCF last season, head coach Greg Lovelady started a pair of seniors on the left side of the infield, while relying on two underclassmen on the right side.
Those two underclassmen, Ryland Thomas and Matthew Mika, will now be the experienced core of the UCF infield in 2018.
Thomas had a record-breaking rookie year for the Knights. The native of Winter Garden crushed a freshman record 14 home runs in 2017. Thomas garnered the American Athletic Conference Rookie Position Player of the Year Award, as well as Freshman All-America status from Perfect Game/Rawlings, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Baseball America, D1Baseball and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper/Louisville Slugger.
The success of Thomas' freshman season, in which he hit .303 with 52 RBI, has carried over into preseason expectations this year. He was named The American Preseason Player of the Year, along with a preseason all-conference nod.
Mika will join him on the right side of the infield. Last season, he recorded a .278 batting average and was a team-leading 25-27 when stealing. The Lake Worth, Fla., native set the Lakeshore Chinooks franchise record for stolen bases during the 2017 Northwoods League season.
Now a junior, Mika will start the year ranked sixth on the career top-10 for stolen base percentage at .878 (29-33). He joined Thomas on the preseason All-American Athletic Conference team.
The left side of the infield will feature two new faces. Brandon Hernandez, a standout shortstop at Santa Fe College for two seasons, has combined well with Mika to give the Knights strength in the middle of the infield.
Freshman Adams Torres and redshirt sophomore Jackson Webb have also worked out in the middle.
Third base has been the point of Lovelady's focus. With the graduation of Kam Gellinger, a host of players have shown promise at third. Sophomore Dallas Beaver and freshman Griffin Bernardo have improved since the early days of fall practice. Torres, Webb and Anthony George have all spent time out there as well.
Opening Knight is slated for Feb. 16 against Virginia. UCF will also face Rice and Samford as a part of an opening weekend tournament.
"THE UCF KNIGHTS ARE ON THE AIR"
The 2018 UCF baseball season will be heard on 96.9FM The Game/740AM. The Voice of the Knights Marc Daniels returns to bring you the action featuring the Black and Gold this season. Through UCF's partnership with iHeart Media, the Knights will be on the radio for 30 games this season. Click here to listen to UCF Baseball on iHeart Media. In addition to radio broadcasts, all home games will be streamed on UCFKnights.tv.
DON'T MISS THE ACTION
Season and single-game tickets for UCF Baseball are on sale. Featuring a 36-game home schedule, John Euliano Park is set to host some of the best collegiate baseball in the country. For more information on tickets call 407-823-1000 or log on to ticketmaster.com.
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