ORLANDO – D1Baseball recently released its 2025 Preseason Player Rankings, a list featured three UCF Knights. By being named as players to watch by one of the major college baseball publications, pitchers Kris Sosnowski (redshirt junior) and Dom Stagliano (senior), as well as third baseman Kendrey Maduro (junior) now increase they hype for this upcoming baseball season.
Leading the way for the Black and Gold is the right-hander Sosnowki, who was given the No. 16 spot on the list of the Top 100 Relivers. Last season, he made 24 appearances, all in relief, in which he went 1-0 with a solid 3.38 ERA, six saves and 40 strikeouts over 37.1 innings. Sosnowski previously earned NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year accolades on Thursday. This season, he looks to continue to shutdown opposing batters as an end-of-game pitcher for UCF.
Fellow man on the mound Stagliano was ranked No. 85 on the list of the top 150 Starting Pitchers. In 2024 the right-hander made 16 appearances, 14 of which he started, and recorded a 3-4 record a 4.10 ERA and 66 strikeouts over 33.1 innings pitched. He also had a 1.02 WHIP, which was the 19th best in the nation. For his performance he Earned All-Big 12 Conference Second Team honors. In 2025, Stagliano will look to continue his success as he is scheduled to be UCF’s Opening Knight starting pitcher on Friday.
The final player on the list one of the Black and Gold’s new additions. Maduro, who transferred to UCF from Northwest Florida State, can be found at No. 43 on the list of Top 50 Third Baseman. In his final year of junior college ball, he put up a .323 batting average and 1.004 OPS in 195 at-bats, while recording 48 RBIs, 13 home runs and 48 runs in 55 games. He helped lead his team to both a NJCAA state and conference title. They would end up finishing runner-up in the NJCAA national championship. Maduro now looks to translate his JUCO success for the next level as the Knight’s starting third baseman.
Sosnowki, Stagliano, Maduro and the rest of their teammates will take the field on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at John Euliano Park, where UCF will kick off the 2025 season against Siena.