ORLANDO – Fresh off a three-game sweep on opening weekend over Siena, the UCF baseball team will open a five-game road swing at No. 20 Miami on Tuesday night in Coral Gables.
The Sunshine State matchup will begin at 6 p.m. at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. The contest will air live on ACC Network Extra and audio will also be streamed live on UCFKnights.com. Live stats can also be followed by visiting UCF.Statbroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter Tuesday with an unblemished 3-0 record after sweeping Siena by scores of 16-0, 13-1 and 15-0 over a trio of run-rule games. Over the three-game series, UCF outscored the Saints by an impressive tally of 44-1. The Black and Gold also outhit Siena 33-10.
The 44 runs scored in the three-game series, is the most that UCF has scored since Feb. 18-20, 2022, when it outscored the same Siena squad 46-2. With the three-game sweep, the Knights have now defeated Siena 35 consecutive times and now lead the all-time series over Siena 73-4.
Senior catcher Zak Skinner led the Knights in his debut weekend by hitting .625 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, five runs scored and seven RBIs. True freshman Jordan Lodise was right behind him by tallying a .556 clip with five runs batted in, while senior DeAmez Ross followed with an even .500 average with a double, homer, five runs scored and three RBIs. Senior first baseman Landon Moran too had a strong series by batting .400 with a team-best eight runs driven in which included a grand slam on Opening Knight.
As a team, UCF posted a .398 batting average for the series with 33 hits and 44 runs scored.
A total of seven Knight pitchers combined to limit the Saints to just one run over the three games. Newcomer Braden Smith tossed six scoreless frames in the opener and southpaw Kaniel Rosado came on to finish things out with a scoreless inning on Friday. Joey Trombley then allowed just one run on two hits over 6.0 innings in his Black and Gold debut on Saturday and senior right-hander Roman Kimball pitched a scoreless seventh to cap game two. Righty Camden Wicker then gave up just one hit over 5.0 scoreless innings on Sunday and relievers Evan Jones and Chandler Dorsey each struck out a pair of batters over a scoreless inning late in the game on Sunday to lock up UCF’s second shutout of the weekend.
As a pitching staff, the Knights posted an impressive 0.43 ERA over the three games. Seven different pitchers also combined for a 0.71 WHIP for the series.
Scheduled Starting Pitchers for Tuesday
Returning Black and Gold starter Matt Sauser will get the start on the mound for UCF at Miami on Tuesday. Sauser is a junior right-hander that went 3-2 with a 4.58 ERA over nine starts and 37.1 innings a season ago. He struck out 31 and walked just 12 batters over 10 total appearances. Senior right-hander Lyndon Glidewell will get the nod for the Hurricanes. A season ago at Austin Peay, Glidewell earned Second Team All-ASUN honors after going a perfect 8-0 with a 3.36 ERA. He struck out 64 while walking 34 over 77.2 innings and 13 starts. Glidewell has tossed one scoreless inning of relief so far on the season with a pair of strikeouts.
About Miami
The Hurricanes will enter Tuesday ranked as high No. 20 nationally after opening with a 3-0 record on opening weekend. Miami hosted Lehigh in a three-game series and defeated the Mountain Hawks by scores of 13-2, 17-11 and 27-3. In Sunday’s 27-run outburst, Miami set a program record with 15 runs in the fifth inning, marking the most runs scored in a single inning in program history. The Hurricanes were picked to finish eighth in the ACC this season after going 35-27 overall and advancing to the Louisville Super Regional in 2025.
Derek Williams leads Miami on the young season with a stellar .727 batting average with four doubles, two homers, eight runs scored and six runs batted in. Williams was named the ACC Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts. Cian Copeland is right behind him with a .714 average, while Alex Sosa is batting .462 with a team-best three home runs and seven RBIs. AJ Ciscar leads the pitching staff with a 1-0 record and a 1.80 ERA, while Tate Derias tops the squad in strikeouts with nine.
Miami is led by third-year head coach J.D. Arteaga.
All-Time Series History
Tuesday's midweek matchup will mark the first of two season meetings between the Knights and Hurricanes. Miami will enter holding to a 32-13 all-time advantage, but UCF has won the last two meetings with a 4-3 victory in Coral Gables in 2024 and a 14-4 home victory at John Euliano Park last season. Tuesday’s game will mark the first of 14 contests against in-state foes for the Black and Gold on the season.
Sunshine State Success
Under head coach Rich Wallace, the Black and Gold have had success against in-state opponents. Under Wallace, UCF is 23-8 in games against teams from the state of Florida. Wallace’s 2024 squad went 14-4, which included beating the then ranked No. 4 Florida in Gainesville, a series win over USF, and a win over Stetson in the Tallahassee Regional.
UCF then posted a 9-4 record against in-state opponents in 2025. Those wins include two victories to earn a series win over USF, a 13-3 win over No. 6 Florida, and a 14-4 victory over Miami. This marked the second year in a row that the Knights under head coach Rich Wallace have knocked off the Gators, as well as the sixth consecutive victory over the Gators. Two more of those wins came over Stetson, as UCF has shut out the Hatters twice on the season.
Williamson Tabbed Preseason All-Big 12
A season removed from earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors, junior outfielder Andrew Williamson has been named to the 2026 Preseason All-Big 12 Baseball Team. He enters the season off a stellar sophomore campaign in which he slashed .352/.662/.448 for the Black and Gold. The native of St. Petersburg, Florida led the Knights in nearly every offensive category a season ago in which he batted .352 with team-leading tallies of 13 home runs, 19 doubles, four triples, 58 runs scored and 53 runs batted in. Williamson also led the way in walks (34), on-base percentage (.448), slugging (.662), and finished second in stolen bases by going a perfect 13-for-13.
Williamson led the Knights with a 31‑game reached‑base streak, along with 26 multi‑hit games and 16 multi‑RBI performances in 2025. He also started all 55 games in right field a season ago.
Dorsey and Jones Named to NCBWA Stopper of Year Preseason Watch List
Right-handed pitchers Chandler Dorsey and Evan Jones have been named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. Both are new to the Knights this season, as Dorsey is a senior transfer from LSU while Jones is a redshirt junior from Western Kentucky.
A season ago in Baton Rouge, Dorsey posted an ERA just over five over 5.0 innings of work. He struck out four and tossed scoreless outings in three of his five appearances to help the Tigers claim the 2025 National Championship. During his sophomore campaign at South Florida, he had a stellar season in which he went 2-1 with eight saves and a 3.60 ERA. Over 30.0 innings of work that season, the 6-4 right-hander struck out 41 batters and limited opposing hitters to a .180 average.
During the 2025 season at WKU, Jones compiled a 1-1 record with four saves and a 3.18 ERA. He also limited opposing hitters to a .227 average in 11.1 innings of work. Over 14 appearances, he tossed 10 scoreless outings which included a stretch that spanned over seven consecutive games.
Williamson Named to Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List
In an award given to the top amateur baseball player in the nation, UCF junior outfielder Andrew Williamson was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. Jimenez was one of 55 players from both the college and high school ranks and five from the Big 12 Conference to make the cut. Williamson slashed .352/.662/.448 in 2025 with 13 HRs, 19 2Bs, 58 runs and 53 RBIs.
Trio of Knights Named to D1Baseball’s Preseason Player List
A trio of Knights were named to D1Baseball’s Preseason Player Lists prior to the season in outfielders Andrew Williamson and DeAmez Ross, and catcher Zak Skinner. The junior OF Williamson led the group by checking in at No. 14 on D1Baseball’s Top 150 Outfielders. The senior transfer Skinner was next by being ranked No. 47 on the Top 50 Catchers List, while the senior Ross was right behind him by coming in at No. 53 on the Outfielders List.
Oh Captain, My Captain
As voted on by the players, UCF named four captains prior to the 2026 season in outfielders DeAmez Ross (Sr.) and Andrew Williamson (Jr.), as well as pitchers Kris Sosnowski (RSr., RHP) and Kevin Schoneboom (Sr., RHP). Of the group, Sosnowski is a repeat captain for the Knights, as he was one of six team captains in 2025. The other three will join him as captains for the Black and Gold for the first time. The four captains bring a wealth of knowledge to the team, as they combine for 12 seasons of prior collegiate experience. Sosnowski and Williamson were also key in helping the Knights to the program’s most recent NCAA Regional appearance in 2024.
On Deck for UCF
Following Tuesday’s contest, the Knights will head north up I-95 to take part in the Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic. The tournament will take place at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, and the Black and Gold will face Notre Dame on Friday at 6 p.m., Indiana on Saturday at 4 p.m., and No. 1 LSU Sunday at 3 p.m. All three games will be streamed live at Watch.D1Baseball.com.
About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.