KISSIMMEE, Fla. – UCF baseball will take part in the inaugural 2027 Orlando Baseball Classic, Feb. 26-28, at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee as announced by bdG Sports on Wednesday.
The Knights are one of three teams that advanced to an NCAA Baseball Regional last season and will compete in the event, joining Super Regional qualifier St. John’s and College World Series participant West Virginia. The field is rounded out by Indiana State, Michigan and Pitt.
The event will feature three games a day and the Black and Gold will play the nightcap each night. The Knights will open the weekend against Pitt on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. UCF will then face Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., and will conclude the event by taking on Indiana State on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
“As NCAA baseball continues its impressive growth pattern, interest in early season, destination-location events have become highly sought after, and what better destination than Central Florida and the immaculate Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports,” said Brooks Downing, founder and president of bdG Sports. “Fans and participants alike can enjoy premium collegiate baseball, the Florida sunshine, and of course, the largest and most visited theme park destination on earth, Walt Disney World.”
The Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports will play host to the round-robin event, which will be played in Week 2 of the 2027 season. The Stadium, with a capacity of 9,500 seats and another 2,000 on grass, opened in 1997 and was designed with Major League Baseball dimensions. For two decades, the immaculate ballpark served as the home to spring training for the Atlanta Braves, and has played host to minor league teams, MLB regular-season games for the Tampa Bay Rays, the 2006 World Baseball Classic and the 2001 Atlantic 10 Conference baseball tournament.
The Orlando Baseball Classic will check two boxes for NCAA teams: it creates a much-needed national event to start the season, an opportunity to showcase great competition as the new baseball season gets underway; and, it provides a warm-weather destination for a number of teams that typically have to begin the first three weeks of the season away from home while winter hangs on across the northern half of the country.
Matchups are as follows. (All times are eastern and subject to change.)
Friday, Feb. 26
St. John’s vs. Michigan – 11 am. ET
Indiana State vs. West Virginia – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Pitt – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27
West Virginia vs. St. John’s – 11 a.m.
Pitt vs. Indiana State – 3 p.m.
Michigan vs. UCF – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28
St. John’s vs. Pitt – 11 a.m.
West Virginia vs. Michigan – 3 p.m.
UCF vs. Indiana State – 7 p.m.
Broadcast details will be announced later.
A CLOSER LOOK AT UCF
UCF advanced to the Auburn NCAA Regional a year ago, capping off a 32-23 campaign and tying for a third-place finish in the Big 12 at 19-11. Head coach Rich Wallace has guided the Knights to an NCAA regional twice in three seasons leading the program while earning a 98-70 overall record. UCF’s pitching staff ERA has ranked first or second in the Big 12 each season under Wallace.
A CLOSER LOOK AT INDIANA STATE
Indiana State completed the 2026 season, 30-27 overall, finishing second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 15-9 league mark. Head coach Tracy Archuleta boasts a 25-year career as a head coach at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels. He guided Southern Indiana to two NCAA Division II national championships and its transition to Division I before taking over the Indiana State program prior to the 2025 season. In 2023, ISU advance to the NCAA Super Regional before dropping the series to TCU.
A CLOSER LOOK AT MICHIGAN
Michigan registered a 34-24 record last season, including a 17-13 mark in Big Ten. Head Coach Tracy Smith enters his fifth season leading the Wolverines. He guided Michigan to a pair of top-4 finishes in the league during his first two campaigns in Ann Arbor. Entering his 30th season as a Division I baseball head coach, Smith owns eight NCAA regional appearances and a trip to the College World Series (Indiana, 2013). Michigan has eight College World Series appearances, two NCAA championships (1953, 1962) and was runner up in 2019.
A CLOSER LOOK AT PITT
Pitt claimed a 33-24 overall mark during the 2026 season, advancing to the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships before falling to eventual CWS runner-up North Carolina. Ninth-year head coach Mike Bell has amassed nearly 200 career wins, guided the Panthers to six postseason appearances and helped the program achieve its highest national ranking (No. 14 in 2021).
A CLOSER LOOK AT ST. JOHN’S
St. John’s (36-26 overall, 15-6 Big East) is coming off a standout 2026 campaign that saw the Johnnies finish as a consensus Top-25 team, advancing to the NCAA super regionals and just missing out on a trip to the CWS after winning the Big East regular-season crown and league tournament title. Sixth-year head coach Mike Hampton was named the 2026 ABCA/ATEC Northeast Region Coach of the Year. He has directed St. John’s to a 74-44-1 mark during the past two seasons.
A CLOSER LOOK AT WEST VIRGINIA
After back-to-back NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2024 and 2025, West Virginia broke through and made the program’s College World Series debut in 2026. Second-year head coach Steve Sabins saw his Mountaineers post a school-record with 47 victories, finish second in both the Big 12 regular-season standings and league tournament championship and claim a No. 4 national ranking at year’s end.
FAN PACKAGES AVAILABLE
Fan packages and tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. ET. Fan packages include: a three-night stay at one of the partner hotels (Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando or Hyatt Grand Cypress) with additional nights available if necessary; premium tickets (behind home plate) to all games; tickets (number dependent on room occupancy level purchased) to a fan welcome reception (Feb. 25) at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort that includes food and non-alcoholic beverages and evening fireworks at the park; a two-day park-hopper pass for Walt Disney World Parks; and a welcome swag bag with event apparel. General admission tickets and hotel rooms at preferred rates can be purchased separately from fan packages at www.OrlandoBaseballClassic.com. (Airfare is not included in the fan package.)
ABOUT ESPN WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is where sports dreams come true for athletes and fans of all ages. Located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the complex is the home of a variety of events including Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening in 1997. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 260+-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena and two versatile field houses for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose fields for outdoor sports including soccer, football and field hockey. The complex includes a professional production center that produces content for global distribution on the Disney family of networks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos.
ORLANDO BASEBALL CLASSIC SOCIAL TAGS
Keep up to date with the latest information regarding the Orlando Baseball Classic via social media at @ORLBaseClassic on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
ABOUT BDG SPORTS
bdG Sports is a sports and entertainment leader with a dynamic and ever-growing event management portfolio with a cornerstone in basketball and professional golf and an expansive focus toward baseball. The firm boasts an event schedule that has delivered significant economic impact to multiple communities throughout North America and the Caribbean while featuring broadcasts to viewers across the globe.
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.