ORLANDO – Former UCF baseball pitcher Najer Victor has been named to Great Britain’s roster to compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Victor, who was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 14th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, pitched for the Knights from 2023-24. The native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands is in the Angels’ organization and spent time with two different Single-A teams in 2025, the Inland Empire 66ers and the Tri-City Dust Devils. He is currently listed as a member of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Single-A).
During his junior year in Orlando in 2023, Victor paced the Black and Gold with a 2.88 ERA from the bullpen. He went 3-1 that season with 50 strikeouts over 34.1 innings. He followed that up by earning NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List honors in 2024. The right-handed pitcher posted an ERA just over five and limited opposing hitters to an impressive .179 average that season.
In 2025 in the Minor Leagues, Victor recorded four saves and a 4.87 ERA. He struck out 65 batters over 40.2 innings and held opposing batters to just a .217 average.
Victor is the first former Knight to play in the World Baseball Classic since the last WBC in 2023 when fellow Varsity Knights Colton Gordon (LHP, 2020-21) and Darnell Sweeney (INF, 2010-11) played for Israel and Great Britain, respectively.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will get underway next month with four pool-play sections running from March 5-11. Great Britain will take part in Pool B at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. Great Britain’s opening game will be on March 6 at 1 p.m. ET against Mexico. A total of five nations will compete in Pool B—Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. The WBC Final is scheduled for March 17 at 8 p.m. ET at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
