ORLANDO – Surrounded by excitement and new beginnings, the UCF baseball team will open its 2024 season by hosting Bryant for a three-game set. The series will run Friday to Sunday, Feb. 16-18, at John Euliano Park.
Friday’s Opening Knight contest is set for 6 p.m. With expected inclement weather later in the weekend, the remainder of the series has now been altered as the two teams will now play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The nightcap of the twin bill and third and final game of the series will then follow 45 minutes after the conclusion of Saturday's first game.
The 2024 campaign will mark the Black and Gold’s inaugural season of competition in the Big 12 Conference as well as former UCF slugger and assistant coach Rich Wallace’s first year as the head man for the Knights. Friday’s opener will be a special evening for Wallace and the Knights.
“Friday’s been a long time coming. It’s going to be really fun, but also will be kind of tough to manage the emotions that will come with it,” said Wallace. “Obviously, I’ve thought about this day for a long time but when we get out there, I'll just be waiting for the first pitch to be thrown so we can officially get things underway.”
A season ago, the Black and Gold finished with a 33-26 overall record and a 12-12 conference clip to finish fourth in its final season of competition in the American Athletic Conference. The Knights also set the program and AAC single-season home run record with 109 round trippers in 2023.
UCF welcomes back five of its 10 position player starters from last year’s squad. Two-time all-conference performer Andrew Sundean is the team’s top returner as he hit .340 in 2023 with 16 home runs, 10 doubles and a team-best 54 RBIs. The junior catcher was recently named No. 25 on D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 50 Catchers list. Fellow junior Lex Boedicker also returns after too tallying 16 homers, along with 10 doubles, 46 RBIs and a .266 average. After starting all of UCF’s 59 games a season ago, fifth-year senior infielder Andrew Brait will look to have another strong campaign. The 2024 captain batted .286 with 14 doubles, 20 total extra-base knocks and 38 RBIs.
The Knights will also welcome in 23 newcomers to the fold in 2024 with 17 transfers and six freshmen. Sixth-year transfer from Notre Dame Jack Zyska (outfielder) looks to be one of the top newcomers for the Black and Gold, as he brings a wealth of postseason experience to the squad which includes a College World Series run in 2022. Zyska too was named a captain prior to the season. His former Notre Dame teammate Danny Neri, a senior catcher, too made the move from South Bend to Orlando. Neri threw out nine would-be base stealers and hit .208 with nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in 44 games a season ago.
Senior infielder Mikey Kluska looks to be another key addition for the Knights as he played his first two years in the Big 12 at West Virginia and last season at Richmond. Kluska was named to the Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team as a freshman in 2021 and batted .325 with 19 extra-base hits and 35 RBIs while starting all 54 games last year. Junior transfer Andrew Estrella (Stetson) too looks to be a nice addition in the infield, as he hit .247 with eight homers, 11 doubles, a triple and 34 RBIs in 43 games played a season ago. Besides Zyska in the outfield, junior transfer Matt Prevesk (Florida), sophomore transfer AJ Nessler (Pitt), senior transfer Anthony Calabro (West Georgia) and freshman Andrew Williamson (St. Petersburg, Fla.) have all looked strong in practice and will vie for playing time.
On the mound, senior relievers Kyle Kramer and Najer Victor are both primed for strong seasons as they round out UCF’s 2024 team captains. Just this week, both Kramer and Victor were just named to the 2024 NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List. Victor, who was also tabbed No. 19 on D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 50 Relief Pitchers list led the squad with a 2.88 ERA in 2023 and struck out 50 batters over 34.1 innings, while Kramer was tops on the team in saves with eight and tied for the team lead in wins with six. Of the starters, senior Ben Vespi and junior Dom Stagliano both return for the Knights in 2024. Vespi was a 2022 all-conference honoree and went 2-2 while splitting time as a starter and a reliever last season while Stagliano went 4-5 with 70 strikeouts over 64.2 innings.
The Black and Gold also welcome in a number of key additions on the mound this season. Junior transfer Tyler Nesbitt (from Florida) and senior transfer Cade Boxrucker (from Campbell) will both look to see time in a starting role, while fellow transfers Spencer Bauer (Elon), Alex Galvan (Louisville) and Wiley Hartley (Campbell) will also look to play big roles for the Knights. In the pen, the Knights also welcome back senior Chase Centala, junior Nick Vieira, junior Dominic Castellano and senior Cameron Crain to help bolster UCF’s pitching staff.
UCF will enter Friday's season opener with a 27-12 record at the Division I level on Opening Knight (since 1985), which includes having won 15 of its last 16 openers. The Knights will also enter the series with a 70-24 clip in opening weekend action at the DI level.
STARTING ROTATION FOR THE SERIES
Coach Wallace has announced his opening rotation for this weekend’s series and the senior right-hander Vespi will take the ball for the Knights on Opening Knight. Junior righty Nesbitt is then slated to start on Saturday, while the junior RHP Stagliano will get the nod on Sunday. For Bryant, senior right-hander Austin Wainer (3-4, 4.73 ERA in 2023) will start on Friday, junior RHP Luke Delongchamp (transfer from Boston College) on Saturday, and senior righty Tyler Horvat (transfer from Washington & Jefferson) on Sunday.
ABOUT BRYANT
The Bulldogs are led by former UCF assistant coach Ryan Klosterman, who was an assistant for the Knights from 2012-2019. Klosterman, who is entering his fifth season as the head coach at Bryant, holds an 87-76 career record. The Bulldogs went 26-24 last year and 12-12 in the America East to tie for third in the league standings. Bryant was picked to finish fifth in the America East this season and has won nine conference championships over the past 12 seasons. The Bulldogs last played in an NCAA Regional in 2016.
Friday’s starting pitcher Wainer was recently named to Perfect Game’s Preseason All-America East Team as he holds a 5-5 career record and three saves in 92.0 innings. He went 3-4 in 2023 with a 4.73 ERA while striking out 50 in 45.2 innings. Bryant also welcomes back Ken Turner on the mound this season who went 2-3 a year ago with a 5.98 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 52.2 innings. Of the position players, senior infielder Lewis Barnum holds the top returning average, as he hit .281 with 16 extra-base hits, six stolen bases and 35 RBIs. Fellow senior infielder Carmine Petosa is next, as he batted .249 with eight home runs, seven doubles and 37 runs batted in.
“Klosty and I grew up playing against each other here in Central Florida and I'm glad he's on the schedule,” Wallace added. “I'm thrilled that my first game as a head coach is against him. There's not a better person I’d want to have my first game against and we can’t wait to take the field on Friday.”
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BRYANT
Friday’s opener will mark the first all-time meeting between the Knights and Bulldogs on the baseball diamond.
ON DECK FOR UCF
Following this weekend’s opening series, UCF will hit the road for an in-state midweek battle at Miami on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. The Knights will then return to John Euliano Park to welcome Samford for a three-game series next weekend (Feb. 23-25).