IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference has announced UCF baseball’s inaugural schedule, which features 10 conference series for the Knights. Five of those series will be played at John Euliano Park, highlighted by visits from a trio of 2023 NCAA Tournament participants in Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State.
In addition to the Longhorns, Red Raiders, and Cowboys, UCF will also welcome Kansas State and Cincinnati to Orlando this season. The Knights will also face off against Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia, Houston, and Baylor on the road.
Six Big 12 programs were selected to the 2023 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The six selections marked the highest for the conference since 2017 and the second highest in Big 12 history.
“We are thrilled to be starting Big 12 Conference play this spring and are looking forward to welcoming a number of top-notch teams to John Euliano Park,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said. “The Big 12 is regarded as one of the nation’s toughest baseball conferences and we can’t wait to get things going. It will definitely be a grind, but something that we welcome and will be prepared for. We can’t wait to begin Big 12 play in a couple of months.”
The Black & Gold will be tested right out of the gate, as they’ll make the trip to Norman to open Big 12 play against the Oklahoma Sooners March 8-10 at L. Dale Mitchell Park. OU is traditionally one of the toughest teams in the Big 12 and has won a pair of National Championships and made 11 Men’s College World Series Appearances, which includes a runner-up finish in 2022.
The Knights will then host their first Big 12 series March 15-17 when they welcome Oklahoma State to John Euliano Park. The Cowboys won a share of the Big 12 title last season, going 15-9 in conference play and 41-20 overall. OK State too has a National Championship under its belt and has made 20 trips to the Men’s College World Series with the last coming in 2016.
UCF will then head to Lawrence, Kansas, March 22-24 for a three-game set at KU, before hosting back-to-back series against Texas Tech and Kansas State. The Knights will first welcome the Red Raiders March 28-30 followed by the Wildcats April 5-7. Texas Tech went 41-23 a season ago and 12-12 in conference play, while K-State finished 35-24 and 13-11 in league play. Texas Tech capped its 2023 campaign with a trip to the Gainesville Regional for its seventh straight NCAA Regional appearance.
The Black & Gold will then return to the road April 12-14 for a three-game series at West Virginia. The Mountaineers won a share of the Big 12 title last season after going 40-20 and 15-9 in conference play. WVU also made an NCAA Regional a season ago, taking part in the Lexington Regional.
The Knights will then host fellow Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati April 26-28, before playing three games at Houston May 3-5. The Cougars finished second in the American last season with a 36-23 overall clip and a 17-6 league mark.
UCF will then welcome Texas for the first time in program history May 10-12 for its final home series of the season. UT won a share of the Big 12 title last year (42-22/15-9) and has won six National Championships and made 38 Men’s College World Series appearances. The Knights will then close their inaugural Big 12 slate with a three-game set at Baylor May 16-18. The Bears have made it to 21 NCAA Regionals as well as a trio of Men’s College World Series appearances.
The 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship will take place May 21-25 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Globe Life Field is the home of the Texas Rangers and one of the host sites of the 2023 World Series.
With all Big 12 schools playing 10 conference series this spring, UCF will not match up with BYU and TCU this season. Iowa State does not currently sponsor the sport of baseball.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Season tickets for UCF baseball’s inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference are on sale now and going fast. Be a part of the action by purchasing your season tickets here. Single-game tickets are anticipated to go on sale in the coming weeks.