ORLANDO – Marking the latest stop on a journey that has brought him from his hometown Orlando to Boston, Detroit, St. Louis and Atlanta, former UCF and Major League left-handed pitcher Mike Maroth is returning to the Knights for the 2023 season as an assistant coach.
An Orlando native, Maroth graduated from William R. Boone High School in 1995 before attending UCF the following season. During his time wearing the Black and Gold, Maroth posted a team-leading 1.89 ERA during the 1996 season, and in 1997, his 24 appearances were tied for the team-lead with George Schmidt while recording a team-leading three saves.
His contributions during his time with his hometown school caught the attention of the Boston Red Sox, and he was selected by Boston with the 84th overall pick in the third round of the 1998 MLB Draft. Maroth spent the 1998 season and part of 1999 in the minor leagues with the Red Sox before he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1999.
He made his Major League debut with Detroit on June 8, 2002, and threw seven scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing seven hits and two walks while collecting one strikeout. His career in the Motor City would last six seasons, during which he would record a 4.81 ERA in 880 innings spanning 147 games (143 starts) with 420 strikeouts.
The 2007 season was his last in the majors, during which he was traded to St. Louis and appeared in 14 games (seven starts) with the Cardinals. During his six-year playing career, the southpaw compiled a 5.05 ERA in 918 innings spanning 161 games (150 starts) with 443 strikeouts.
Maroth began his coaching career in 2012 as pitching coach with the Class-A Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers, where he spent three seasons before being promoted to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in 2015. He later transitioned to the Atlanta Braves organization in 2016, beginning as the team's minor league rehab pitching coordinator before he served as the pitching coach for the Class-A Advanced Florida Fire Frogs in 2018.
He returns to UCF on the heels of his seventh season within the Braves organization and third season as the pitching coach for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, a post he took beginning in the 2019 season.