ORLANDO – The UCF baseball team will head to the Lone Star State this weekend for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Houston.
The league series will run Friday to Sunday at UH’s Schroeder Park. Friday and Saturday’s games are set for 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT starts, while first pitch for Sunday’s finale will begin at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. All three games will air live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Live audio will also be available for all three contests as will live stats.
The Black and Gold will enter the weekend with a 27-15 overall record and currently tied for ninth in the Big 12 standings with a 9-12 conference record. After pulling out a 6-2 midweek victory at North Florida on Tuesday, the Knights have won two of their last three contests and are 10-1 in midweek ballgames.
After capping an eight-game homestand by dropping two of three to Cincinnati, UCF responded by defeating North Florida on the road on Tuesday night. Tied at 2-2 in the seventh inning, senior outfielder Jack Zyska belted out his third home run in the team’s past four games with a go-ahead two-run shot to center field to give the Knights a 4-2 lead. The Black and Gold tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the ninth and freshman Tyler Kozera and sophomore Kris Sosnowski pitched well down the stretch to help lead UCF to the victory.
Zyska led the Black and Gold at the plate by going 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored, two runs batted in, and the clutch home run. With his two RBIs, Zyska set a single-season career-high with 39 runs batted in on the year, besting his previous mark of 38 that he had during the 2022 campaign while at Notre Dame. Matt Prevesk had a two-hit night by going 2-for-5, while Brait reached base five times and scored three runs.
Tyler Nesbitt started on the mound for UCF and allowed just two runs on four hits over four-plus innings of work. Kozera then came on and earned his first career win on the mound to move to 1-0 after going a season-long 2.2 innings while allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out three. Sosnowski then followed with 2.1 innings of shutout relief to earn his first career save.
Over UCF’s last five games, Zyska has led the way with a .375 batting average, 1.565 OPS, three home runs, a double, two stolen bases, five walks, four runs scored, and 11 RBIs. AJ Nessler is next with a .417 average and five runs scored, while Brait has hit .364 during the stretch with six runs scored. On the mound, Sosnowski has led the bullpen with 7.2 innings of scoreless relief over four appearances, while Dominic Castellano is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA over 5.2 innings of work.
Prevesk leads the Black and Gold on the season with a .350 average. He also has 13 extra-base hits, 31 runs scored and 29 RBIs. Zyska is next with a .329 batting average and leads the way with a 1.028 OPS, 10 home runs, 39 runs scored and 39 RBIs. Lex Boedicker tops the team in two-baggers with 11 doubles on the season and is second in both runs batted in (36) and runs scored (35). On the mound, the southpaw Castellano leads the way with a perfect 5-0 record, 2.79 ERA, and is limiting opposing hitters to just a .143 batting average. Seniors Kyle Kramer and Chase Centala too are having big season from the bullpen, as Kramer is 5-3 with a 2.97 ERA, while the closer Centala is 3-0 and is second in the Big 12 with seven saves. Dom Stagliano paces the starting rotation with a 3.99 ERA, while Ben Vespi leads in strikeouts (50) and innings pitched (51.2).
Scheduled Starting Pitchers for the Series
Senior right-hander Ben Vespi is scheduled to make his 12th straight Friday night start of the year in the opener. Vespi will enter with a 2-2 record and a 4.88 ERA. Junior righty Dom Stagliano will then get the ball for the Knights for his 10th weekend start on Saturday (2-3, 3.99 ERA). UH will go with right-hander Cade Citelli (3-1, 3.41 ERA) on Friday and lefty Antoine Jean (3-2, 4.32 ERA) on Saturday. Both sides starting pitcher for Sunday is to be announced.
About Houston
The Cougars will enter the series with a 23-22 overall record and currently in 12th place in the Big 12 standings with a 6-15 conference clip. Houston has won three of its last four contests as it is coming off a 9-8 extra-inning victory over McNeese on Wednesday as well as taking two of three from UT Arlington in a non-conference series last weekend. UH holds league wins on the year over Baylor (three), BYU (one), Cincinnati (one) and Texas (one). The Cougars were picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 this year after going 36-23 overall and taking second in The American last year with a 17-6 league record.
Cary Arbolinda leads UH offensively with a .364 batting average and a team-high 12 home runs. He also has 21 extra-base hits, 27 runs scored, and 31 RBIs. Harold Coll is right behind him with a .359 average, 11 homers, 12 stolen bases, 33 runs scored, and team-leading tallies of 19 doubles and 49 runs batted in. Left-hander Antoine Jean is Houston’s top starting pitcher, as he holds a 3-2 record, 4.32 ERA, and 57 strikeouts in 50.0 innings. Justin Murray is the top arm out of the bullpen with a 2.65 ERA and a team-high four saves.
Houston is coached by Todd Whitting, who is in his 14th season at the helm of UH. Whitting will enter Friday’s opener with a 441-332-1 career record. During his tenure, Whitting has led the Cougars to a trio of NCAA Regional appearances, one Super Regional, and five conference championships (three AAC regular season and two AAC tournament titles).
All-Time Series History vs. Houston
Friday’s opener will mark the 67th all-time meeting between the Knights and Cougars. UH will enter play holding to a slight 34-32 series advantage and a 17-12 lead with games played in Houston. This will mark the 18th straight year UCF and UH have met (excluding the COVID shortened 2020 season), as the two have been in the same conference since 2006. Last season, UH took two of three from UCF in Orlando, but the Knights claimed the series at Houston in 2022 by winning two of three.
Top 35 in the RPI
UCF holds the fourth highest RPI in the Big 12 Conference, as it enters the weekend with the nation’s 31st-best RPI. The Knights have been ranked as high as third nationally in the RPI this year, as they were ranked No. 3 in that category in early March. UCF was also ranked in the Top 25 for the first two weeks of April and made it as high as No. 16 by the NCBWA and No. 17 by D1Baseball and Perfect Game on the April 8 poll. It marked the first time that the Knights had been in the Top 25 since February of 2021.
Knights 12-2 vs. Sunshine State Foes, 10-1 in Midweek Action
UCF is off to an 12-2 start against in-state foes in 2024 thanks to road wins over No. 4 Florida, Miami, Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville, Bethune-Cookman and North Florida as well as home midweek wins over Stetson, FAU, UNF, and FGCU and taking two of three at home from South Florida. The Knights are also 10-1 in midweek contests after opening the year 7-0. In midweek games, UCF has outscored its opponents 86 to 35.
On Deck
The Black and Gold will return to Orlando next week to open its final homestand of the season against North Florida on Wednesday, May 8 at 6 p.m. UCF will then welcome Texas to town for the first time in program history for its final Big 12 home series of 2024 next weekend (May 10-12). The Knights will play their final home game of the season on May 14 against Bethune-Cookman.