ORLANDO – After playing four games away from home last week, the UCF baseball team will return to John Euliano Park to open a 12-game homestand against a familiar foe when it hosts South Florida for a three-game series beginning Friday.
The weekend series will run Friday to Sunday at John Euliano Park. Friday’s series opener is set for 6 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday are both scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. All three games will air live on ESPN+ as well as on the radio on FM 96.9 The Game and the iHeartRadio app. Live stats will also be available by visiting UCF.Statbroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter the series with a 4-3 record on the year after going 1-2 at the Live Like Lou Jax Baseball Classic at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville last weekend. UCF was then scheduled to play at Jacksonville University on Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to a facility issue with JU’s stadium lighting system at John Sessions Stadium. The game will look to made up at a later date during the season.
At the Jax Classic, the Black and Gold rallied late to defeat Notre Dame, 4-2, in 10 innings in the opener on Friday before falling to Indiana, 6-1, on Saturday, and 11-0 to the defending national champion and top-ranked LSU Tigers on Sunday.
In last Friday’s game against the Fighting Irish, the contest was deadlocked in a pitcher’s duel in the early stages between UCF starter Braden Smith and Notre Dame starter Jack Radel. The Irish then picked up a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 2-0 lead. With Notre Dame having gone to the bullpen after six hitless innings from the Preseason All-American Radel, UCF then picked up a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Javier Crespo.
With two outs and a runner on second base in the ninth, Andrew Williamson delivered a clutch RBI triple off the wall in center field to tie the score. The Knights then didn’t waste any time in extra innings, as James Hankerson Jr. gave UCF the lead with a big two-run pinch-hit single in the top of the 10th to put the Knights on top. Black and Gold reliever Evan Jones closed things out in the bottom of the 10th by striking out the Irish in order to seal the victory for UCF.
Both Jones and Kevin Schoneboom were dominant in relief for the Black and Gold in the game. Schoneboom allowed just one hit while striking out three over 2.0 shutout innings and Jones followed that up with 2.1 hitless and scoreless innings of relief while striking out five to earn the win. Offensively, Hankerson Jr. led the way with two runs batted in while Williamson and Crespo each had one.
For the weekend, Crespo led UCF at the plate by hitting an even .500 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. The senior third baseman earned Live Like Lou Jax Classic All-Tournament Team honors for his efforts. Williamson was next by tallying a pair of hits with a triple, an RBI, a walk and a stolen base. Smith led the starting rotation by allowing just two runs and striking out four over 5.2 innings to post a 3.18 ERA. Jones, Schoneboom, Chandler Dorsey and Anthony Lariz all tossed scoreless outings of relief over the tournament.
Season Leaders
After the big weekend at the Jax Classic, Crespo now paces the Knights with a .455 batting average. He also has a trio of extra base hits and is tied for the team lead in both doubles and homers. Williamson is next with a .333 average. The junior outfielder is tied for the team lead with four extra-base hits and is second in RBIs with seven. DeAmez Ross is bating .296 and tied for the team-lead with eight hits, while Landon Moran leads the team in RBIs with eight. Sauser fronts the pitching staff, as he’s yet to allow a hit over 6.0 shutout innings. He holds a perfect 0.00 ERA and a 0.17 WHIP. Smith is next with a 1-0 record, 1.54 ERA and a team-best nine strikeouts. Jones paces the bullpen with a 1-0 record, 0.00 ERA and seven strikeouts over 3.2 innings.
Scheduled Starting Pitchers for the Weekend
UCF will go with a trio of junior right-handed pitchers this weekend, as Braden Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is scheduled take the ball on Friday, Matt Sauser (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on Saturday and Joey Trombley (1-1, 4.32 ERA) on Sunday. Sauser is the reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after tossing 6.0 hitless and shutout innings at No. 20 Miami on Feb. 17. USF will go with southpaw Edwin Alicea on Friday (1-0, 6.97 ERA) and a pair of to-be-announced starters for Saturday and Sunday.
Sauser Tabbed Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
Matt Sauser earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time of his career on Monday after tossing 6.0 dominant innings at No. 20 Miami on Feb. 17. The right-hander was nearly perfect in the outing, as he did not allow a hit over six innings of action. The Bloomington, Illinois native issued just one walk and struck out six over the six hitless and scoreless frames.
In all, Sauser retired the Hurricanes in order in five of his six innings of work. He also allowed just one baserunner to reach on the basepaths.
About South Florida
The Bulls will make the drive across I-4 with a 7-2 record on the year. USF had a six-game winning streak come to a close on Tuesday in a 4-3 setback at Bethune-Cookman. South Florida opened the year by taking two of three from Illinois. The Bulls then went a perfect 5-0 last week with a pair of midweek victories over North Dakota State and a three-game sweep over Georgia Southern before falling by a run at B-CU in their first road game on the season on Tuesday. USF was picked to finish fifth out of 10 teams in the American Conference this season after going 31-25 overall last season and placing third in the conference in 2025 with a 16-11 league clip.
Ryan Pruitt leads South Florida on the season with a .387 average, 13 runs scored, 11 RBIs and is second extra-base hits with four. He will enter the series on a current nine-game hitting streak. Jevin Relaford is right behind him with a .370 average, while Jacob Green is batting .364. Michael Senay fronts the pitching staff with a 1-0 record, 1.54 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 11.2 innings, while Ethan Sutton leads the way in strikeouts with 15 over 8.2 innings. Landon O’Donnell also holds a team-best two saves, 1-0 record and 0.00 ERA over a trio of relief appearances.
South Florida is coached by Mitch Hannahs. Hannahs is in his second year in Tampa.
All-Time Series History vs. USF
Friday’s series opener against South Florida will mark the 169th all-time meeting between the Knights and Bull. The series is currently deadlocked at 84-84 all-time. Over the past two seasons, UCF is 4-2 against USF after taking two of three from the Bulls in both 2024 and 2025. After dropping game one of the series last season, the Knights responded by defeating USF in back-to-back run-rule victories to claim the series in Tampa a season ago.
With 168 games against one another to date, UCF has faced USF on the diamond more than any other opponent.
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.
12-Game Homestand Begins Friday
The Knights will open a 12-game homestand on Friday against South Florida. Over the homestand, UCF will face six different opponents. The home stretch will span nearly three weeks, and the Black and Gold will play the 12 games over a 19-day span. UCF will face in-state foes South Florida, FGCU and Miami during the homestand as well as 2025 College World Series participant Murray State, Columbia and Big 12 foe Oklahoma State.
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
The Knights will continue the homestand by hosting fellow Sunshine State foe FGCU on Wednesday, March 4 before welcoming Murray State to town to open a three-game series next Friday (March 6).
Promotions
Friday’s series opener will be "Out West Knight", where we will give a nod to our opponent out west, having some country fun out at the ballpark. With music, concessions and on-field games. Sunday’s series finale will be one of two Bark at the Park games on the season. Pups take over John Euliano Park with dog‑friendly activities, giveaways, raffles, and pup cups. Fans are encouraged to bring their four‑legged friends to Sunday’s contest.
Tickets
UCF baseball season tickets and anytime tickets are on sale now! Lock in your seats for every home game starting at just $100. Group options and single-game tickets are also available by visiting ucfknights.com/tickets.
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.ecu and www.ucfknights.com.