ORLANDO – The UCF baseball team will continue a 12-game homestand by welcoming Sunshine State foe Florida Gulf Coast to John Euliano Park on Wednesday.
The midweek contest will begin at 6 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available for the ballgame by visiting UCF.StatBroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter the game with a 5-5 record on the season after taking one of three from fellow in-state foe South Florida over the weekend. After USF claimed both ends of a Saturday doubleheader, 9-2 and 2-1 in 10 innings, the Black and Gold responded by pulling out a 2-1 victory in walk-off fashion in the series finale on Sunday.
Following 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball from starter Matt Sauser in the nightcap on Saturday, the strong pitching for UCF continued on Sunday. Right-handers Joey Trombley and Mateo Gray combined to limit the Bulls to just one run on three hits on the day. Trombley started and allowed just two hits and one run while striking out four over six innings. Gray then followed with a trio of scoreless frames of work over the final three innings, as he gave up just one hit while striking out a career-high five batters.
With Trombley and Gray dominating on the mound, the Knight offense pushed across a run in the second inning thanks to an RBI single from Cayden Gaskin to take a 1-0 lead. USF later tied things up at 1-1 in the sixth, but the Black and Gold offense looked primed to rally late.
After Gray left the go-ahead run stranded in scoring position in the top of the ninth with an inning-ending strikeout, UCF quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning. Andrew Williamson started the rally with a walk and John Smith III followed by getting hit by a pitch for a second time in the game. Austin Jacobs then delivered a pinch-hit single to right field to load the bases with nobody out. That brought catcher Zak Skinner to the plate, and the senior came through with a walk-off RBI single through the right side of the infield on a 3-2 count to propel UCF to victory.
Skinner led the Knights in the game by going 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Gaskin went 1-for-3 with a run batted in. The sophomore right-hander Gray earned his first collegiate victory on the mound after tossing three scoreless innings of relief.
For the USF series, Smith III led the Black and Gold offensively by batting an even .500 (4-for-8) with an RBI while Skinner hit .375 with a run batted in. Gaskin also had a solid series by hitting .333 with an RBI. Sauser fronted the team on the mound by tossing seven more innings of scoreless work with five strikeouts while Gray, Max Murray, Kevin Schoneboom, Kaniel Rosado and Kris Sosnowski didn’t allow an earned run from the bullpen.
Season Leaders
The senior Skinner fronts the team with a .313 season batting average and is tied for the team lead with eight runs batted in. He also has four extra-base hits and is tied for the lead in both doubles and homers. Javier Crespo is next with a .273 clip, while Williamson is hitting .257 with seven runs scored, seven RBIs and a team-best five extra-base hits. Sauser leads the way from the mound with a 0.00 ERA, as he hasn’t given up a run over 13.0 innings of work. The right-hander is limiting opposing hitters to just a .116 batting on the year and is tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 11. In relief, Evan Jones holds a 1-1 record, 2.84 ERA and 10 strikeouts while Schoneboom has a 1.35 ERA with four punchouts over four appearances.
About FGCU
FGCU enters the matchup with a 10-2 record, with its only losses coming against Indiana State and Boston College. The Eagles opened the season with eight straight wins. Most recently, Florida Gulf Coast took two of three from BC at home last weekend.
The Eagles finished the 2025 season with a 31-29 overall record and went 16-14 in ASUN Conference play. FGCU advanced to the 2025 ASUN Conference tournament championship game against Stetson and after a lighting delay during the contest, the Eagles narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid.
FGCU’s 2026 campaign marks its 24th season under head coach Dave Tollett. The Eagles enter the year with high expectations and are once again projected to contend for the ASUN title as the team was picked to finish second in the Graphite Division.
The Eagles feature several standout performers, beginning with All-American Evan Dempsey. One of the top two-way players in the country, Dempsey is expected to lead FGCU. Junior right-hander Christopher Diaz is also projected to play a key role on the pitching staff this season.
On the offensive side, sophomore Jon Embury has been a major contributor, batting .400, alongside redshirt sophomore Javier Gorostola who has posted a .431 average so far this year.
All-Time Series vs. FGCU
Wednesday’s ballgame will mark just the fifth all-time meeting between the Knights and Eagles. The series is currently deadlocked at 2-2. UCF defeated Florida Gulf Coast in the last meeting, 10-3, on April 23, 2024, in Orlando. The Knights also defeated FGCU in the first all-time meeting on March 26, 2008, in Fort Myers.
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 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.
Sunshine State Success
Under head coach Rich Wallace, the Black and Gold have had success against in-state opponents. Under Wallace, UCF is 24-11 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.
The Knights are off to a 1-3 start against in-state opponents in 2026.
12-Game Homestand Continues
The Knights are in the midst of 12-game homestand. 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 welcoming 2025 College World Series participant Murray State to town for a three-game series beginning Friday. Friday and Saturday’s games are set for 6 p.m. while Sunday’s series finale has been moved up to a 12 p.m. start.