ORLANDO – Back in a regional for the second time in the past three seasons, the second-seeded UCF baseball team will open play at the NCAA Auburn Regional on Friday evening against the No. 3 seed NC State.
The contest will begin at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT at Auburn’s Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. Marc Daniels and Stephen Branca will also have the call on the radio at FM 96.9 The Game and the iHeartRadio app. Live stats can be followed by visiting UCF.StatBroadcast.com.
The Auburn Regional is being hosted by the No. 4 national seed Auburn. The host and top-seeded Tigers and the No. 4 seed Milwaukee will open the four-team event on Friday at 1 p.m. ET/noon CT. The winner of the Auburn vs. Milwaukee game will face the winner of the UCF vs. NC State game on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, while the loser of those two games will take part in an elimination contest that afternoon at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.
“This is a special group and we’re extremely excited to be heading to Auburn,” head UCF coach Rich Wallace said. “We’ve watched Auburn and we’ve watched NC State a bunch. We kind of know what we’re getting into with two highly talented championship-level teams. We have our work cut out for us, but the guys are excited for the challenge.”
The Knights will enter Friday with a 31-21 overall record and having posted their highest finish in the Big 12 era by tying for third place in the conference standings with a 19-11 Big 12 record en route to earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 19 conference wins marked the most for UCF since 2005 when it was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Black and Gold also won a Big 12 era best seven conference series on the year.
By tying for third in the league standings, UCF earned a double bye to last week’s Big 12 Tournament and opened play as the No. 4 seed against the 19th-ranked and fifth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys in the quarterfinals. After sweeping all three games from the Pokes during the regular season, OK State responded by winning last week’s contest by a score of 12-6 to eliminate the Knights from the conference tournament.
Senior third baseman Javier Crespo hit out a game-tying three-run home run in the fifth inning of the Big 12 quarterfinal contest, but Oklahoma State later responded with a five-run eighth inning to go on the claim the ballgame.
Crespo paced the Black and Gold in the Big 12 Tournament by going 2-for-5 with a home run, a run scored, and a team-high four RBIs. Fellow senior Cayden Gaskin was next by tallying a game-high three hits with a pair of doubles and two runs scored, while senior catcher Zak Skinner went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Freshman reliever Max Murray led the way from the mound by surrendering just 1 unearned run over 2.2 solid innings of relief in the middle innings of the contest.
Season Leaders
The senior catcher Skinner paces the UCF offense with a .365 average and 72 hits. Senior third baseman Crespo is next with a .335 average, while senior outfielder John Smith III is right behind him with a .328 clip and leads the team in RBIs with 49 and is tied for the team-lead in home runs with 12. Junor outfielder Andrew Williamson holds a .320 batting average and leads the way in extra-base hits (29), runs scored (54), walks (39), slugging (.601), on-base percentage (.440), and tied for the team-lead in homers (12). Junior right-hander Camden Wicker fronts the starting rotation with a 5-3 record, 4.00 ERA, and 61 strikeouts over 72.0 innings. He is also limiting opposing hitters to just a .198 batting average. Right-handers Kris Sosnowski (2.10 ERA, 4 SV), Murray (5-2, 3.62 ERA), Kevin Schoneboom (3-2, 3.68 ERA) and Evan Jones (4.10 ERA, 4 SV) lead the way from the bullpen.
Eight Knights Earn All-Big 12 Honors
As announced last week by the Big 12 Conference, eight Knights earned All-Big 12 honors. Outfielders John Smith III and Andrew Williamson, as well as starting pitcher Camden Wicker led the way by being named to the league’s second team. Freshmen Jordan Lodise (SS) and Max Murray (RHP) were named to the all-freshman team, while the trio of Zak Skinner (C), Evan Jones (RHP) and Kris Sosnowski (RHP) received honorable mention recognition.
UCF All-Time in NCAA Tournament Action
This week will mark UCF’s 14th all-time NCAA Regional appearance and the program’s second in the last three seasons. It also marks just the Black and Gold’s second all-time NCAA Regional appearance outside of the Sunshine State and the first in 25 years. Over 13 prior NCAA Regional outings, the Knights’ hold a 18-26 record. Of UCF’s now 14 NCAA Regional appearances, nine have been in Tallahassee. UCF will be looking to advance to the program’s inaugural NCAA Super Regional appearance by winning the Auburn Regional this weekend.
2024 – NCAA Tallahassee Regional – 2-2
2017 – NCAA Tallahassee Regional – 0-2
2012 – NCAA Coral Gables Regional – 2-2
2011 – NCAA Tallahassee Regional – 1-2
2004 – NCAA Tallahassee Regional – 3-2
2002 – NCAA Tallahassee Regional – 1-2
2001 – NCAA Columbia Regional – 2-2
2000 – NCAA Tallahassee Regional – 2-2
1997 – NCAA East Regional (Tallahassee) – 0-2
1996 - NCAA East Regional (Gainesville) – 1-2
1995 – NCAA Atlantic Regional (Tallahassee) – 1-2
1993 – NCAA East Regional (Tallahassee) – 1-2
1989 – NCAA East Regional (Gainesville) – 2-2
Trips to the NCAA Tournament with Wally
Head coach Rich Wallace became the first person in UCF baseball program history to have competed in the NCAA Tournament as a player (2000, ’01, ’02), as an assistant coach (’04), and as a head coach (’24, ’26). Wallace played for the Knights from 2000-03 and followed with four seasons as an assistant coach with the program from 2004-07. He then returned home to Orlando as the program’s head coach prior to the 2024 campaign. This year’s NCAA appearance marks Wallace’s sixth in total with the program with three coming as a student-athlete, one as an assistant coach, and now two as a head coach.
About NC State
The Wolfpack will enter the weekend as the No. 3 seed of the Auburn Regional after going 32-22 overall and tying for eighth in the ACC this season with a 14-16 league record. NC State had its 2026 ACC Tournament run come to a close in the first round with a 21-12 setback to Duke last Tuesday in Charlotte. The Pack’s last series win came May 1-3 when it took two of three from Miami at home.
The NCAA Tournament appearance marks NC State’s 10th in their last 11 seasons, and its second straight in the Auburn Regional. The Wolfpack is one of nine schools from the ACC to make this year’s field.
The Pack is led offensively by Everett Johnson and his .392 batting average. His average is the third-best batting average in the ACC. Second Team All-ACC honoree Luke Nixon is next with a .361 average and leads the team with 16 doubles, 28 extra-base hits and is tied for the team-lead in hits with 74. Mikey Ryan follows with a .336 average, while Third Team All-ACC selection Ty Head tops the squad in the power numbers with 14 home runs, 62 runs scored, and is second in RBIs with 49. Ryan Marohn leads NC State’s rotation with a 6-1 record and a 3.18 ERA, while Cooper Consiglio leads the way in strikeouts (71) and innings pitched (59.2). Anderson Nance is one of the top arms from the bullpen with a 4-2 record, three saves, and a 3.78 ERA, while Sam Harris is 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA and a team-high 23 appearances.
NC State is coached by veteran skipper Elliott Avent. Avent, who recently announced he will be retiring at the conclusion of the season, is in his 30th season at the helm in Raleigh and has led the Pack to 23 NCAA Tournament appearances.
About No. 4 Auburn
The Tigers earned the No. 4 national seed for the tournament after going 38-19 on the season and tying for sixth place in the SEC this season with a 17-13 league record. Auburn most recently had their 2026 SEC Tournament run come to a close with a 2-1 record after suffering a 2-1 setback to Arkansas in the semifinals. The Tigers won seven of their 10 league series on the season and will enter the weekend having won three of their last four games.
Auburn received the No. 4 national seed for the second consecutive season and is hosting a regional for the fourth time out of the last five seasons. The Tigers had their 2025 season come to a close in the Auburn Super Regional after going 0-2 against Coastal Carolina last year.
Brandon McCraine leads Auburn with a .347 batting average, while First Team All-SEC honoree Chris Rembert is right behind him with a .345 clip. Eric Guevara is next with a .335 average and a team-best 49 RBIs. Bub Terrell leads the way in homers with 16, while Chase Fralick fronts in doubles (16), extra-base hits (31), and slugging (.594). Southpaw Jake Marciano paces Auburn’s starting rotation with a 2.64 ERA, 81.2 innings pitched, and is second on the team in strikeouts with an even 100. Alex Petrovic leads in wins with a 9-2 record, while Andreas Alvarez is 9-3 with a team-best 102 strikeouts in 73.2 innings. LJ Cormier is one of the top arms from the bullpen with a 2.06 ERA, while Second Team All-SEC performer Jackson Sanders is right behind him with a 2.66 ERA and a team-best four saves.
The Tigers are coached by Butch Thompson. Thompson is in his 11th season at the helm of Auburn and has led the club to six NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of College World Series runs (2019, 2022).
About Milwaukee
The Panthers will enter the tournament with a 25-31 overall record and earned the Horizon League’s automatic bid to the postseason after winning the Horizon League Tournament with an unblemished 3-0 clip at the event last week. Milwaukee finished the regular season second in the Horizon League with a 14-10 conference record.
The season marks Milwaukee’s fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament and its first since 2010.
All-Horizon League First Team selection Dylan O’Connell leads the Panthers with a .338 batting average, 17 doubles, 58 runs scored, and 40 stolen bases. Fellow first team all-conference honoree Dominic Kibler is next with a .317 average. He is also tops on the team with 59 RBIs and is second in homers with 11. Fellow first team selection Charlie Marion tops the squad in home runs with 12 and is second in doubles (16) and RBIs (54). Aric Ehmke paces the starting rotation with a 4.63 ERA and a 5-6 record while Riley Peterson leads in strikeouts with 69 in 62.2 innings. First team all-conference honoree Camden Kuhnke leads the way in relief with 4-1 record, 3.38 ERA and a team-best six saves.
The Panthers are coached by Shaun Wegner. Wegner is in his third season at the helm of Milwaukee.
UCF All-Time Series History vs. the Auburn Regional Field
Friday’s Regional matchup between the Knights and Wolfpack will mark just the second all-time meeting between the two programs. UCF will enter play holding to a 1-0 advantage after claiming a 9-2 victory over NC State in neutral-site action on Feb. 11, 1993. UCF will also enter play holding a 2-0 series advantage over Milwaukee, but Auburn holds a slight a 7-5 advantage over UCF. In the last meeting between the two, the Knights swept a three-game series at then-No. 8 Auburn in February of 2020.
Cardiac Knights
With Sunday, March 29’s walk-off win over Arizona, the Knights pulled out four walk-off victories all on Sundays over a five-week span. The Knights added their fifth walk-off win in the regular season finale vs. K-State on Saturday, May 16. UCF 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 1-1 heading into the last of the ninth, 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. 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 delivered a two-run pinch-hit single and Jordan Lodise evened the score with a safety squeeze. 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 by pulling out a 6-5 walk-off win over OK 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 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.
The Knights then pulled out their fourth Sunday walk-off win on Sunday, March 29, with a 3-2 13-inning victory. All tied at 2-2 since the eighth inning, the Knights then called upon freshman Stephen Chucka to pinch hit. The hometown kid delivered the game-winning hit with a walk-off RBI single through the right side of the infield to bring in Gaskin and complete the sweep.
UCF then recorded its fifth walk-off win in a series finale in the regular season finale on May 16 against K-State. Down a run entering the ninth, the freshman Chucka tied things up with a pinch-hit solo home run. Later with two outs and the winning run on third base, Moran brought in Williamson by reaching on a walk-off error.
Ranked Knights
By entering the top 25 on March 30, the Knights have now been ranked in each of head coach Rich Wallace’s three seasons at the helm of UCF baseball. In his first year in 2024, Wallace helped the Black and Gold spend two weeks in the national rankings in early April and ranked as high as No. 17 by D1Baseball and 16th by the NCBWA. Last season, the Knights spent a week ranked 25th by Perfect Game in mid-March. UCF is 8-14 when ranked in the Rich Wallace era.
After entering the D1Baseball rankings at No. 23 on March 30, the Knights moved up 11 spots to No. 12 the following week in the D1Baseball rankings. After being ranked No. 21 six weeks ago, the Knights are currently just outside of the top 25 this week and receiving votes for both the USA TODAY Coaches and NCBWA Top 25 polls. UCF claimed its first ranked vs. ranked series at WVU since May 18-20, 2017, with No. 29 UCF took two of three from No. 23 South Florida in American Conference action.
The 200 Hit Club
Both seniors Zak Skinner and DeAmez Ross reached the 200-hit club for their careers in the same game on May 9 at Baylor. Skinner achieved the feat in just three seasons at the Division I level while Ross did it in his fourth year. Fellow senior Landon Moran also notched his 200th career hit earlier in the season.
Wicker Tabbed Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
Junior right-hander Camden Wicker was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week on April 27 after tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout on April 25 at Utah. Wicker tied a career-long by tossing 7.0 dominant innings in which he allowed just two hits and no runs while striking out five and walking just two. He allowed just four baserunners to reach in the contest and faced the minimum in three of his seven innings of work.
Williamson Tabbed Perfect Game National Player of the Week
After his big series at WVU April 3-5, junior outfielder Andrew Williamson was named the Perfect Game College Baseball National Player of the Week. Williamson helped lead the Knights to a big series win at No. 11 WVU by hitting .600 for the series with three home runs, a double, six runs scored and three RBIs. He also drew five walks and posted a stellar 2.333 OPS with a 1.600 slugging percentage and a .733 on-base clip.
He posted his first two-homer game since his freshman season by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored a pair of home runs in a 5-0 victory on Friday. After going 1-for-3 with three walks and a run scored on Saturday, he capped the impressive weekend by going 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks and two runs scored in a 5-1 victory on Sunday to help the Black and Gold capture the pivotal conference series.
On Deck
With a win on Friday, UCF will advance on to face the winner of No. 4 Auburn vs. the four seed Milwaukee on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. With a loss, the Knights will enter an elimination game against the loser of Auburn/Milwaukee on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT.
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.edu and www.ucfknights.com.
Our road to Omaha begins in Auburn, Ala.,
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) May 25, 2026
Friday at 6PM 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Ad56nhz5Tq