ORLANDO – Currently tied atop the conference standings, the UCF baseball team returns home to host the defending Big 12 tournament champion Arizona Wildcats for a three‑game Big 12 series.
The series will run Friday to Sunday at John Euliano Park. Friday and Saturday’s games are set for 6 p.m. while Sunday’s series finale will begin at 1 p.m. All three games will air live on ESPN+ as well as on the radio at FM 96.9 The Game. Live stats will also be available for each game by visiting UCF.StatBroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter Friday with 15-8 overall record and tied for first in the Big 12 standings with a 5-1 conference clip. UCF first swept Oklahoma State at home March 13-15 before taking two of three from the preseason favorite TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth last weekend. The Black and Gold then dropped their most recent game with an 8-4 setback at Stetson on Tuesday in DeLand. Despite the loss, the Knights have won six of their last eight ballgames and are currently receiving votes for both the USA TODAY Coaches and NCBWA Top 25 polls this week.
Neighboring foe Stetson got off to a strong start on Tuesday by jumping out to a 4-0 lead with four runs in the first inning. The Hatters continued the strong start with four more runs over the next few innings to extend their advantage to 8-0.
The Black and Gold offense then looked to stage a late comeback as Stephen Chucka doubled and Andrew Williamson followed with a two-run home run in the eighth inning. The Knights later loaded the bases with two away in the frame and picked up their third run of the evening on a Stetson defensive miscue and another on a wild pitch to cut the deficit in half. UCF hoped to rally again in the ninth inning, but Stetson closer Andrew Lepine managed to retire the Knights in order in the frame via a trio of groundouts to end the ballgame.
Prior to the Stetson game, the Black and Gold claimed two out of three at TCU by slugging out an 18-7 Friday victory as well as responding after being shut out on Saturday with a 9-1 win on Sunday. UCF Sunday starter Camden Wicker had a strong start in the series finale by taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finishing with 6.2 scoreless frames in which he surrendered just one hit. He also struck out four batters and allowed just eight Horned Frogs to reach base.
The Knights had some great offensive performances in the TCU series led by freshman Jordan Lodise. The shortstop paced the team by batting .545 for the series with three doubles, three RBIs and four runs scored. Senior catcher Zak Skinner was next by batting .538 with a double, two runs batted in and five runs scored, while the junior outfielder Williamson hit .462 with a pair of extra-base hits. Seniors Javier Crespo and John Smith III also both hit well by batting .417. As a team, UCF hit .352 for the TCU series. The right-hander Wicker led the rotation by going 1-0 behind 6.2 innings of scoreless action in which he allowed just one hit. Matthew Heyl, Evan Jones, Kevin Schoneboom and Kaniel Rosado paced the bullpen by all tossing scoreless outings in relief.
Arizona will mark UCF’s seventh straight opponent that made the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Wildcats are also the Black and Gold’s third and final team on the schedule that advanced to the Men’s College World Series in 2025.
Season Leaders
The senior John Smith III leads the Knights on the season with a .403 batting average. He also has five doubles and seven extra-base hits. Zak Skinner is right behind him with a .370 average, seven extra-base hits and is second on the team in RBIs with 20. Andrew Williamson is hitting .326 and paces the team in the power numbers with five home runs, four triples, six doubles (second on the team), 23 RBIs and 26 runs scored. He has also stolen seven bases. Junior right-hander Matt Sauser not only leads the team but ranks third nationally with a 0.64 ERA. He is 2-1 on the year and has struck out 20 batters over a team-high 28.0 innings pitched. He is also limiting opposing hitters to just a .137 batting average as he’s allowed just two earned runs. Fellow right-hander Evan Jones is one of the club’s top arms from the bullpen with a 1-1 record, 3.24 ERA and a team-high 24 strikeouts over 16.2 innings.
About Arizona
The Wildcats will come to Orlando with a 9-15 overall record and a 2-4 start to Big 12 play. Arizona has dropped back-to-back Big 12 series by dropping two of three to both Utah and Texas Tech. The Wildcats most recently defeated in-state foe Grand Canyon on Tuesday night to cap a five-game homestand with a 5-4 victory. Arizona was picked to finish second in the Big 12 this season after going 44-21 and taking fourth in its first season in the league last year with an 18-12 conference mark.
The Wildcats went on to win the Big 12 Tournament a season ago to advance to the program’s 44th NCAA Tournament appearance. Arizona kept things going by advancing to the program’s 19th College World Series appearance. The Wildcats have won four national championships in baseball with their last title coming in 2012.
Nate Novitske paces Arizona with a .376 batting average. He leads the way with seven doubles and is second on the team with nine extra-base hits. Tony Lira is next with a .374 average and fronts the team with five home runs, 19 runs scored and 17 RBIs. Right-hander Smith Bailey leads the Arizona rotation with a perfect 3-0 record and 3.93 ERA. Preseason All-Big 12 honoree Owen Kramkowski fronts the team in strikeouts with 35 punchouts over 28.2 innings. Patrick Morris is on of the top relievers with a 3.66 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 19.2 innings of work.
Arizona is coached by Chip Hale. The former Major League manager is in his fifth season at the helm of the Wildcats. He has led Arizona to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four previous four seasons.
All-Time Series vs. Arizona
Friday’s series opener will mark the first all-time meeting between the Knights and Wildcats on the diamond.
Scheduled Starting Pitchers
UCF will go with a trio of junior right-handed pitchers this weekend, as Braden Smith (2-1, 6.59 ERA) will take the ball on Friday, Matt Sauser (2-1, 0.64 ERA) on Saturday and Camden Wicker (2-1, 2.84 ERA) on Sunday. Wicker had UCF’s best start last weekend with 6.2 shutout innings in which he allowed just one hit at TCU. Arizona will go with right-handers Owen Kramkowski (1-2, 5.65 EREA) and Smith Bailey (3-0, 3.93 ERA) on Friday and Saturday, and lefty Luc Fladda (2-0, 4.20 ERA) on Sunday.
Walk-Off Dubs
UCF recorded a trio of Sunday walk-off victories in as many weeks. The Knights started the stretch with a 2-1 walk-off win over in-state foe South Florida in the series finale on March 1. With the game all deadlocked at 2-1 heading into the last of the ninth, UCF quickly loaded the bases with nobody out. Zak Skinner then worked a full count with the bases loaded and came through with a sharp single through the right side of the infield to give the Knights the walk-off 2-1 victory.
Trailing 9-4 entering the bottom of the ninth against Murray State on Sunday March 8, the Knights put together a last-inning rally for the ages by scoring six runs to record their second walk-off win of the streak. UCF again quickly loaded the bases with nobody out. Javier Crespo started the scoring with an RBI single, and John Smith III came in to score on a wild pitch. James Hankerson Jr. then made it a 9-8 score with a two-run pinch hit single and Jordan Lodise evened the score with a safety squeeze. After a sac bunt moved the winning run to third base with only one out, Cayden Gaskin delivered a walk-off pinch-hit RBI single to left center to complete the epic comeback.
UCF kept the Sunday walk-off streak alive with by pulling out a 6-5 walk-off win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, March 15 to record its first Big 12 series sweep since joining the conference prior to the 2024 season. After OK State tied things up in the top of the ninth, the Black and Gold offense didn’t waste any time rallying as Landon Moran quickly reached with a sharp leadoff single into right field. DeAmez Ross then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position and James Hankerson Jr. plated Moran with a walk-off RBI single through the right side of the infield on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Braden Smith Named to National Pitcher of the Year Watch List
UCF junior right-handed pitcher Braden Smith has been named to the National Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List as announced by the College Sports Foundation. Smith was named to the watch list and currently holds a 2-1 record and 21 strikeouts while walking just five batters over 27.1 innings. He also holds a 1.54 WHIP as UCF’s Friday night starter.
Smith is one of 13 pitchers from the Big 12 to make the cut and one of 141 pitchers in all.
Sauser Named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
Matt Sauser earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time of his career on Feb. 23 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.
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.
On Deck for UCF
The Knights will hit the road next week for four games away from home. UCF will first head to Pennsylvania to face Penn State in midweek competition on Wednesday, Apri 1, before traveling to Morgantown to face No. 15 West Virginia in a three-game Big 12 series next weekend. The Knights and Mountaineers are currently tied for first place in the conference standings.