Spencer Bauer – An Unexpected Return

ORLANDO – The UCF baseball team’s pitching staff was already looking intriguing heading into the 2025 season. But with a little over a month before opening day the team learned they would be getting some more help in the form of a familiar face.

On Jan. 2, right-handed pitcher Spencer Bauer was granted another year of collegiate eligibility, officially allowing him to rejoin the Knights for his sixth year of college baseball. For Bauer, this news was a wonderful surprise as he said he believed his time in college was over.

“I definitely thought it was done,” Bauer said. “It’s pretty surreal getting this year back.”

Bauer played his first four seasons as Elon, before transferring to UCF in 2024 to play his redshirt senior season. In his first year with the Black and Gold, he would become a key member of the pitching staff. He made 24 appearances, the second most on the team, and registered a 2-1 record, a 4.32 ERA and 37 strikeouts. His play helped guide the Knights to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017. Bauer said playing at the Tallahassee Regional was the highlight of his college career.

“I had never, in my four years before, played in a regional, so that was kind of a big thing I wanted to do,” Bauer said. “Just playing at Florida State was probably the best baseball experience I had.”

Following the season, Bauer submitted a waiver, hoping to earn an extra year of eligibility. He said he went to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to train, as he was trying to stay ready if his wavier went through. He also mentioned he was hoping to “play some sort of professional ball” if that didn’t happen.  As he had officially earned his graduate certificate for business administration during the 2024 season, he was not enrolled in any classes.

As time went on and the 2025 season got closer and closer, Bauer said he began to accept the idea that he would not be playing college baseball. But that changed in December when he received a phone call from head coach Rich Wallace telling him his wavier had been accepted. Bauer said he was elated to get that call.

“I was super excited,” Bauer said. “It was great to hear that news.”

Bauer credits him getting to come back to Wallace and the rest of the coaching staff as he says they were the ones who did the majority of the work to get his waiver accepted. Wallace meanwhile credits UCF’s Director of Compliance Samantha Warren and the rest of the compliance staff.

“They did everything they possibly could,” Wallace said. “They thought, looking at the situation as a whole, that he deserves another year. And that what was right. And they worked for it, worked for it, exhausted every resource and they got it approved.”

Wallace says he’s super glad to have Bauer on his roster again because of what he brings to the team on and off the field.

“He’s an unbelievable human being,” Wallace said. “Leader. He’s experienced. He was great for us down the stretch last year. And he can do all of it. He can start. He can close. He can throw in the middle. But just to lead those group of guys, I think he can help us out with that more than anything.”

Bauer said one of the reasons he wanted to come back to UCF was because he felt there was more to accomplish, both individually and as a team. And now that he’s officially good to go for 2025, he says he’s prepared to do whatever’s asked of him.