UCF Baseball Kicks Off Against In-State Foes

For UCF sports fans, this time of the year is the best, with most Knights sports squads either in action or set to kick off right around the corner.

UCF football is over halfway through the season, while men's hoops started out the year with a one-point victory over Florida Gulf Coast.

Over the weekend, UCF baseball will take part in it's first two fall games of the season, hosting Florida Southern and Stetson.

Last year was a good season for head coach Rich Wallace's club, finishing with a 31-21 overall record, while sitting third in the Big 12 with a 19-11 conference record.

Following the regular season, the Knights made the postseason, earning an at-large bid to the Auburn Regional.

UCF's 19 conference wins marked the program's most since 2005 and signifies major growth since joining the Power 4.

While the Knights' postseason run ended at the regional, it was still a big step in the right direction, and continues to thrust momentum towards the program going forward.

Wallace will have some big shoes to fill though, with multiple standouts from last year's team moving on to the MLB.

Andrew Williamson, a second-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals, was the top hitter for UCF last season, and earned the top postseason award given out by the athletic department, the Noble Knight.

Williamson led the team in multiple metrics, with his 58 runs scored, 16 home runs, 4 triples, 33 extra-base hits, 41 walks, .442 on-base percentage, .645 slugging and a 1.087 OPS all ranking first, according to UCF Athletics.

In the Auburn Regional, Williamson burst into the tournament, hitting out three home runs in the Knights' first matchup against NC State.

Williamson's six runs batted in was a career-best mark, while his fourth home run added later in the regional marked a program-best.

Following the season, he was named a member of the Second Team All-Big 12.

John Smith III, who received the 2025-2026 Newcomer of the Year Award, also had a big year at the plate for the Knights.

En route to Second Team All-Big 12 honors, Smith III played 49 games and made 47 starts, holding down the left field position.

Smith III slashed .322/.383/.574, leading the squad in runs batted in with 49.

For his performance, Smith landed with the New York Mets in the nineteenth round, joining former Knights standout Antonio Jimenez, who was picked in the third round by the Mets last year.

UCF has added some significant talent through the transfer portal, and this weekend will provide a nice opportunity for Wallace to gauge where his team is at.