Coach Rich Wallace fortified the Knights’ roster with thirteen new additions, landing a pitcher-heavy class and elite bats to fuel a deeper postseason run in the Big 12.
The college baseball transfer portal closed on Tuesday, and the UCF Knights bolstered their depth without losing many players to other programs throughout the transaction window.
UCF added 13 players, primarily pitchers, and lost two players to the portal. Infielder Jordan Lodise left the Knights and committed to play for Georgia Tech on June 7. He's following in his brother's footsteps, who also spent time with the Yellow Jackets before going to the MLB.
Infielder Kiernan O'Neill also entered the portal, but has not yet committed to another school. He's a redshirt freshman who did not appear in a game under coach Rich Wallace.
Losing Lodise, who had a stellar season for the Knights, is tough, but UCF made up for his departure with over 10 additions. It was a pitcher-heavy portal, adding seven throughout June.
Clemson transfer portal Talon Bell, Stetson transfers Adam Lepine and Jake Gorelick, Florida Southern transfer Sachem Ramos, Florida State pitcher Manny Lantingua, North Carolina transfer Riley Leathermann and Siena transfer Ryan Taffe are the new Knights pitchers for next season. The pitching class is a mix of experienced and young players.
Ramos and Taffe have one year of eligibility left, and might be starting pitchers for Wallace throughout the season. They each made 14 appearances for their respective programs last season.
Taffe posted a 3.82 ERA with 32 strikeouts while allowing 16 earned runs. Ramos had a 6-3 win-loss record for the Moccasins with a 3.92 ERA, 84 strikeouts and gave up 34 earned runs.
Wallace and his staff also strengthened UCF's bats with multiple players batting over .300. Middle Tennessee transfer Cooper Clapp batted .320 with 12 home runs, and Wake Forest transfer Jackson Miller batted .304 with 22 RBI. Kennesaw State transfer Shemaar McDuffie batted just under .300 (.289) and drove in 16 RBI on 44 hits.
The Knights had an active transfer portal, adding more talent without losing many players. They lost 16 seniors, totaling 18 players, including Lodise and O'Neill's departures.
Adding 13 players through the portal cut into the total number of Knights lost. UCF is upgrading its baseball facilities to give players a new weight room and pitching room.
The team was two wins away from hosting a regional in Orlando last season. West Virginia and Kansas hosted regionals after finishing as the top two programs in the Big 12.
UCF upgrading its facilities and Wallace and his staff having an active transfer portal could inch them closer to having a better season next year and hosting a regional.
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