ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – It was a busy final day of the 2018 MLB Draft for the UCF baseball team, as pitchers Bryce Tucker (San Francisco, 14th), Eric Hepple (Colorado Rockies, 27th) and Cre Finfrock (Toronto Blue Jays, 29th), as well as first baseman Rylan Thomas (Cincinnati Reds, 26th), were picked during the final 30 rounds on Wednesday.
The Knights finished the draft with six players taken over the last three days, which marked the sixth time the Black and Gold sent at least five to a draft in program history. The five UCF pitchers selected were the most since 2002 and tied for the second most ever.
The Giants pulled from UCF for the second straight year, after going with Jason Bahr and Andy Rohloff in the fifth and 37th rounds, respectively, in the 2017. Cincinnati also returned to the Black and Gold for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
Hepple was the first Knight selected by Colorado since current Atlanta Braves reliever Dan Winkler was called in the 20th round in 2011. The Blue Jays organization features a pair of former Knights in Darnell Sweeney (2012, Triple-A's Buffalo Bison) and Andrew Deramo (2016, Single-A's Lansing Lugnuts)
For the second straight season, Tucker led the team in saves with six. The southpaw fanned 35 batters in 26 2/3 innings for a 2.03 ERA. He posted a 2.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and held opponents to a .179 batting average.
Tucker moved into fifth in the program's all-time list for saves with 15 career stops, after recording nine saves in 2017. He started the year as a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a Preseason All-Conference selection in The American.
Thomas was one of the most consistent performers for the Black and Gold in 2018. The first baseman notched a .343 batting average with a .587 slugging clip, 55 RBI and 13 home runs. Thomas broke the UCF and The American single-season record for on-base streak at 47 games, while setting the conference career mark with a 55-game streak.
The sophomore earned First Team All-Conference honors in The American, as well as Perfect Game/Rawlings Midseason Second Team All-America laurels, after being named The American Preseason Player of the Year. Thomas improved from his freshman campaign by drawing 21 more walks, shaving his strikeout rate by more than 10 percentage points and raising his batting average by 40 points.
Hepple was a workhorse out of the bullpen in 2018. The senior made a team-high 28 appearances and tossed 34 2/3 innings in relief with a 4.41 ERA and 42 strikeouts. Hepple recorded a season-high four strikeouts against Bradley on March 13. He did not allow a run or hit in 11 outings.
The Coral Springs native finished his career with a 4.47 ERA over 67 appearances. Hepple struck out 89 batters during his four years on the mound for the Black and Gold with a 5-4 record.
After missing the 2017 season due to injury, Finfrock wasted little time making his return. The Jensen Beach native made 16 appearances with seven starts to post a 5-0 record. Finfrock had a 3.56 ERA with 50 strikeouts and a .185 opponent batting average, including a .177 clip with runners on base.
The right hander made his return to the starting lineup for his final seven appearances. Finfrock dealt five hitless innings with seven strikeouts against Miami on April 11, before punching out eight at USF on April 20 over six innings as a part of a one-hitter against the Bulls.
Head coach Greg Lovelady has now worked with 45 MLB Draft picks during his 17-year coaching career. The Knights have had 104 players go through the draft.
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