2024 Baseball Position-By-Position Preview

ORLANDO – With 23 newcomers and Rich Wallace having returned to UCF to lead the Knights, fans can expect to see some new faces around the diamond come Opening Knight—Friday at 6 p.m. vs. Bryant.

INFIELD

After having started all 59 games in the infield last season for the Black and Gold, senior captain Andrew Brait returns for his fifth year and will look to hold down either third or second base this season for the Knights. Brait batted .286 a season ago with 14 doubles, 20 total extra-base hits, 44 runs, 38 RBIs and six stolen bags. Junior slugger Lex Boedicker has transitioned to the infield this year and will most likely play first base but may also see time at other positions, including the outfield if needed. Boedicker was one of two returning Knights to belt out 16 home runs last year while also adding 10 doubles, 46 RBIs and a .266 average.

Senior Matt Cedarburg also returns after playing in 40 games in 2023 and having swung a hot bat for UCF down the stretch a season ago. Cedarburg finished with a .315 average and led the team in conference-only play with an impressive .395 clip. Junior infielder Cole Russo is also back after hitting .253 in 40 games with nine extra-base hits and 14 runs batted in.

Of the newcomers, senior transfer Mikey Kluska looks to be the team’s shortstop as he brings two seasons of Big 12 experience to the squad after having played his freshman and sophomore years at West Virginia and last season at Richmond. Kluska batted .325 a season ago and holds a .265 average for his career. He was named to the Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team in 2021 and recorded 19 extra-base hits last year. Junior transfer Andrew Estrella is fighting for the other infield spot as he has two years of middle infield experience at nearby Stetson. Estrella went a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen bases last year and batted .247 with eight homers, 11 doubles, one triple and 34 RBIs.  

Redshirt sophomore transfer Braden Calise (from Louisville) as well as freshmen Jaxon Goldberg (Overland Park, Kan.) and Carter White (Naples, Fla.) will bring depth to the infield.

OUTFIELD

Besides Boedicker, junior Corey Robinson is the lone returner with significant playing time in the outfield last season for the Knights. Having played in 48 games and earning 14 starts in 2023, Robinson stole five bases and batted .200 with 16 runs scored and a trio of doubles. Sixth-year senior transfer from Notre Dame Jack Zyska looks to be one of UCF’s top newcomers this year, as he was named one of the four team captains. The outfielder will most likely play right field as well as spending some time at the DH position after being one of Notre Dame’s top power hitters during its College World Series run in 2022 with 13 homers, 12 doubles and 38 RBIs that year.

Junior transfer Matt Prevesk (from Florida) and sophomore transfer AJ Nessler (from Pitt) will vie for playing time in left field. Prevesk, who hails from nearby Apopka, Florida, batted .286 last year at Florida with a trio of extra-base hits and nine RBIs in 22 games played, while Nessler played and started in the first 27 games of the season for Pitt last year before sustaining a season-ending injury. Nessler hit .293 with nine extra-base knocks, 19 walks and 28 RBIs in 2023. In center field, Robinson, senior transfer Anthony Calabro (from West Georgia) and freshman Andrew Williamson (St. Petersburg, Fla.) will all look to earn playing time. Calabro was as 2023 All-American at the Division II level as well as a first team all-region and all-district performer, while Williamson has looked solid as a true freshman throughout the fall as well as now in the early spring.    

CATCHERS

Two-time all-conference performer Andrew Sundean enters his junior season for the Knights and is the team’s top returning hitter after batting .340 in 2023 with 16 home runs, 10 doubles and a team-best 54 runs batted in. Sundean was recently named to D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 50 Catchers list as he checked in at No. 25. UCF also has two transfers at the catcher position this year in the senior from Notre Dame Danny Neri and the junior from North Carolina Dylan King that will both look for time behind the plate. Neri played in 44 games last season for the Irish and threw out nine would-be base stealers, while batting .208 with nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs. King played in 12 games at UNC in 2023 and hit .250 with two doubles and three RBIs. Senior catcher Keano Suarez is also back for the Knights this year and will look to earn time behind the dish after playing in seven games a season ago.

PITCHERS

With 23 total pitchers on the roster this year, UCF welcomes back 10 returners that logged 296.1 innings a season ago. Junior right-hander Dom Stagliano is UCF’s top returning starter, as he went 4-5 with 70 strikeouts and a 6.54 ERA over 64.2 innings. Stagliano was a Freshman All-American in 2022 at Stetson. He’ll look to be joined in UCF’s starting rotation by senior RHP Ben Vespi, an all-conference performer for the Black and Gold in 2022 that holds a 9-7 career record with 147 strikeouts and a 3.83 ERA, as well as transfers Tyler Nesbitt (RHP from Florida) and Cade Boxrucker (RHP from Campbell). Nesbitt too was a Freshman All-American and holds a 4-3 record for his career with a 3.25 ERA. Boxrucker will enter his senior year with a 6-3 career record, 110 strikeouts and also held opponents to a .194 average last season. Left-hander Dominic Castellano and right-handed transfer Wiley Hartley (from Campbell) will also both look to start some games in 2024 for the Knights.

In the bullpen, UCF welcomes back a pair of senior captains in Kyle Kramer and Najer Victor that will both hold down critical roles for the Black and Gold. Victor, who was recently tabbed No. 19 on D1Baseball’s Top 50 Relief Pitcher list, led the team in ERA a season ago with a 2.88 clip, while Kramer led the squad in saves with eight and tied for the team lead in wins with six. Senior Chase Centala (RHP), junior Nick Vieira (RHP), senior Cameron Crain (LHP), sophomore Kris Sosnowski (RHP), and redshirt freshman Kyle Rossy (RHP) will also play big roles from the pen for the returners. Big things are also expected from transfers Spencer Bauer (RHP from Elon), Alex Galvan (RHP from Louisville), Grant Siegel (RHP from West Virginia) and Carsten Finnvold (LHP from Florida).

If healthy, redshirt sophomore Zack Bennett will look to return to his old form as he had a strong freshman campaign for the Knights in 2021. A trio of true freshmen in right-handers Tyler Kozera (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Joey Wimpelberg (Winter Springs, Fla.) and Josh Fernald (Live Oak, Fla.) have all also looked strong. A pair of pitchers in southpaw Julian Balzer and lefty transfer Trey Wheeler (from South Carolina) are both slated to miss the season due to injury.

ON DECK

UCF will officially open its 2024 season by welcoming Bryant to town for a three-game series Friday to Sunday, Feb. 16-18, at John Euliano Park.