ORLANDO – The UCF baseball team will continue a current five-game road stretch by heading north on I-95 to take part in the Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic this weekend in Jacksonville.
The four-team event will run Friday to Sunday at VyStar Ballpark, the home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins). At the tournament, UCF will face Notre Dame on Friday at 6 p.m., Indiana on Saturday at 4 p.m., and No. 1 LSU on Sunday at 3 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on Watch.D1Baseball.com (subscription required). Friday and Sunday’s games will also be on the radio at FM 96.9 The Game while Saturday’s game will feature live audio via UCFKnights.com. Live stats for all three games can be followed at UCF.Statbroadcast.com.
“We’re looking forward to getting up to Jacksonville to compete in the Jax Classic. It will be good for us to get into a different environment on the road with a tournament feel like this one will have,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said. “This is big tournament as far as college baseball is concerned and we’re fortunate to get a chance to compete in it. I want to see our guys attack it just like they’ve attacked the challenges so far.”
The Knights will enter the top-tier tournament with a 3-1 record on the young season after falling in extra innings at No. 20 Miami on Tuesday. UCF held a 5-0 lead over the Hurricanes on Tuesday behind six no-hit innings from starter Matt Sauser. But back came Miami in the late innings with two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to tie it up and force extras.
The Black and Gold regained a 6-5 lead in the 10th on a sacrifice fly from senior DeAmez Ross. Miami then tied it in the last of the 10th on a solo homer from All-American Daniel Cuvet to send it to the 11th.
After scoreless 11th and 12th frames that featured a number of stellar defensive plays from UCF, the Knights took a 7-6 lead in the top of the 13th on a clutch two-out go-ahead RBI single from Javier Crespo. The Hurricanes then picked up a leadoff hit in the last of the 13th and won it on the walk-off home run from Vance Sheahan.
Despite the setback, Andrew Williamson paced UCF at the plate by going 3-for-6 with a double, a homer, a walk, two runs scored and three runs batted in. Ross was next with a 2-for-5 performance with two RBIs and a run scored, while Rogers too finished with a 2-for-5 outing with a double and two runs scored.
In his first start of the season, the right-hander Sauser tossed 6.0 shutout innings in which he didn’t allow a hit, struck out six and walked just one. The UCF starter faced the minimum in five of his dominant six innings in the contest but took the no-decision on the night.
Prior to Tuesday’s contest, the Knights opened the season with a dominant three-game sweep over Siena. The Black and Gold recorded a trio of run-rule victories over opening weekend and shut out the Saints in two of the three ballgames. In all, UCF allowed just one run on the weekend, as it outscored Siena 44-1 over the opening series.
Season Leaders
The senior Ross leads UCF on the season with a .471 batting average and eight hits. Catcher Zak Skinner is right behind him with a .462 average, two doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBIs. Williamson and freshman Jordan Lodise are each batting an even .400 while Landon Moran leads the way in RBIs with eight. Sauser fronts the team from the mound with a 0.00 ERA, six strikeouts, and no hits over 6.0 innings pitched. Fellow starters Braden Smith and Camden Wicker are each 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, while fellow weekend starter Joey Trombley is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Evan Jones and Michael Gillen front the bullpen with 0.00 ERAs over a combined 3.0 innings of work.
Scheduled Starting Pitchers for This Weekend
UCF will go with junior right-handed pitchers Braden Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Friday against Notre Dame and Joey Trombley (1-0, 1.50 ERA) Saturday versus Indiana for the second straight week. Sunday’s starter for the Knights against LSU is to-be-announced. Both Smith and Trombley are 1-0 on the year after each recording wins against Siena last weekend. Notre Dame has announced that RHP Jack Sadel (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will get the nod for the Irish on Friday. Saturday and Sunday’s starters for IU and LSU are TBA.
About Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish will come to Jacksonville with a 2-1 record on the season after taking two of three in their opening series at Florida Atlantic last weekend. After dropping the opener, Notre Dame responded by winning games two and three by a combined 21-2. The Irish were picked to finish 12th out of 16 teams in the ACC this season after going 32-21 overall a season ago and 14-16 in league play to finish 11th in the conference.
Mark Quatrani paces the Fighting Irish with a .556 batting average and five runs scored while Jayce Lee is batting .385 with a double and a homer. Bino Watters is next with a .375 clip and three runs batted in. Xavier Hirsch leads Notre Dame on the mound with 1-0 record, 2.25 ERA and six strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work.
Friday’s ballgame will mark the eighth all-time meeting between the Knights and Irish. Notre Dame will enter holding a slight 4-3 series advantage after splitting a pair of games in the most recent meeting in 2005 in Orlando.
UCF/Notre Dame Connection
Current senior Knight reliever Roman Kimball spent his freshman season pitching for the Irish in 2022. Head coach Rich Wallace was Notre Dame’s recruiting coordinator for three seasons from 2020-22 and helped lead the Irish to a pair of Super Regional appearances and a College World Series appearance in 2022. Current UCF assistant director of player development Jack Zyska played five seasons for the Irish from 2019-23.
About Indiana
The Hoosiers will enter the tournament with a 1-3 record on the season after getting swept on opening weekend at No. 11 North Carolina and followed that up with a 15-3 home victory over Bradley on Tuesday. IU was picked to finish fifth out of 17 teams in the Big Ten this season. Indiana went 32-24 overall and finished sixth in the conference a season ago with a 16-14 league record.
Preseason Big Ten Player to Watch Hogan Denny leads IU offensively with a .364 average and two home runs. Cooper Malamazian is next with a .357 clip, while Jake Hanley fronts the team in RBIs with six and Will Moore leads in runs scored with six. Tony Neubeck fronts the pitching staff with a 0.00 ERA and having allowed just one hit over 4.0 innings. Reagan Rivera paces the team in strikeouts with five.
Saturday’s contest between IU and UCF will mark the first all-time meeting between the two schools on the diamond.
About LSU
The defending College World Series champion and top-ranked LSU Tigers will enter the Jax Classic with an unblemished 5-0 record. LSU first swept Milwaukee at home on opening weekend before picking up home midweek victories over Kent State and Nichols. The Tigers went 53-15 a season ago en route to winning the national championship. After taking third in the SEC last season, LSU was picked to win the league this season.
Jake Brown leads the Tigers in nearly every offensive category on the young season with a .500 batting average, four home runs, three doubles, eight runs scored and 12 RBIs. K-State transfer Seth Dardar is next with a .417 clip and four extra-base hits, while Trent Caraway is batting .375 with a trio of extra-base knocks and 10 RBIs. Kansas transfer Cooper Moore leads the LSU rotation with a 1-0 record, 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 6.0 innings pitched.
Sunday’s matchup will mark the 21st all-time meeting between LSU and UCF. The Tigers will enter holding to a 16-4 series advantage after sweeping a three-game series in Baton Rouge in 2009.
Skinner named to NCAA Baseball’s Lineup of the Week
For his big opening weekend against Siena, senior catcher Zak Skinner was named to NCAA Baseball’s Lineup of the Week. Skinner led the Knights in his debut series by batting .625 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, five runs scored and seven RBIs. Skinner is a redshirt senior transfer from Lamar and hails from Melbourne, Australia.
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 the Live Like Lou Jax Classic, the Knights will close a five-game road stretch with a midweek game at Jacksonville University on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN+. UCF will then return home to open a 12-game homestand when it welcomes South Florida to town for a three-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 27.
About the Live Like Lou Jax Classic
The Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic is an early-season NCAA Div. I college baseball tournament that takes place annually each year on the second weekend of the college baseball season at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla. The event hosts 4 NCAA Div. I Baseball teams in a round-robin format over 3 days resulting in 2 games per day for a total of 6 games. Peak Events strives to exemplify the #BestOutsideOfOmaha brand at all Peak Events-owned events by providing the best tournament experience for both the attending fans and participating teams second only the College World Series in Omaha.
