UCF Baseball Only Playing Road Exhibition Games

UCF baseball will take a different approach this fall, playing all of its exhibition games on the road in preparation for the spring season.

Coach Rich Wallace understands that to thrive in the Big 12, the Knights must prove they can win on the road. His squad finished 10-10 on the road and 19-9 at John Euliano Park.

Six of their nine losses were in conference play, including a series sweep against the Big 12 champion Kansas Jayhawks. UCF ended with a 19-11 conference record, third-best behind Kansas and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

The Knights will play four exhibition road games against FIU, Rollins, Stetson and Florida Southern, all in-state opponents, before returning to John Euliano Park for its Black and Gold World Series.

Wallace believes his team was a few games away from hosting the NCAA Super Regionals in Orlando. Playing road-only exhibition games could play a significant role in helping the Knights win close conference games away from John Euliano Park.

West Virginia and Kansas hosted regionals, and home-field advantage played in their favor. Both teams advanced to the Super Regionals, and the Mountaineers punched a ticket to the program's first-ever College World Series.

UCF's coach is hungry to erase an early exit in the NCAA Auburn Regional.

The Knights kicked off the regional with a first-round win over the NC State Wolfpack. Their stellar season ended early after back-to-back losses against the Milwaukee Panthers and regional host Auburn Tigers.

The program is committed to success, with Wallace leading the charge and signing a new contract extension on Sept. 18. His extension will run into the 2030 season.

He led UCF to its most successful season in the Big 12 and earned a No. 4 seed in the Big 12 Championship. The team also had an early exit in the Big 12 Championship, losing 12-6 to the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Wallace revamped his squad in June's transfer portal, bolstering his bullpen and replacing hitters -- Andrew Williamson and John Smith III -- who were drafted.

Clemson transfer Talon Bell and Stetson transfer Adam Lepine are the bullpen's new additions. Middle Tennessee transfer Cooper Clapp and Kennesaw State transfer Shemaar McDuffie are the Black and Gold's new hitters next season.

UCF taking a new approach to preparing for the spring season highlights the team's commitment to excellence in a Power Four program. It's ready to build on its most successful season and make a deep postseason run.