The Knights look to build on a successful 2024 campaign
The days grow longer, the temperatures rise, the sound of the tightly wound and stitched cowhide smacking against leather and aluminum, the wonderful scent of hot dogs in the air; together, this can mean only one thing – College Baseball is back.
UCF is about to enter Year 2 of the Rich Wallace Era, following a successful inaugural campaign that saw the Knights win the most games [37] since 2017 enroute to grab a Regional berth for the first time since that same season. Within that, the squad achieved the school’s first wins in a Regional since 2012.
As of the time of this writing, Baseball America has UCF as a preseason “last four in” team, projected to be a 3-seed in the Durham Regional with hosting team Duke. The Knights have not been to consecutive regionals since the 2011-2012 seasons, a streak this group will look to end.
Before diving into the preview for the 2025 season, let’s look back at the 2024 squad and relive one of the better seasons in program history.
The Good
- Regional Appearance!
- As mentioned, the Knights made a Regional for the first time since 2017, winning a pair of games and reaching the Regional Final before falling to eventual Omaha-bound Florida State.
- “Everyone’s got that taste of the Regional, that’s just the standard now.” – Lex Boedicker
- As mentioned, the Knights made a Regional for the first time since 2017, winning a pair of games and reaching the Regional Final before falling to eventual Omaha-bound Florida State.
- Pitching & Defense Improvements!
- Huge credit to pitching coach Drew Thomas here, among the rest of the coaches. With a fair number of the same pitchers and moving into a tougher conference, the pitching staff allowed 114 less runs than the 2023 group.
- The defense must get some credit here as well, with the team’s earned runs to runs ratio being closer by a fair margin – 251/289 (86.8%) compared to 334/403 (82.9%), a difference of 83 unearned runs between the years.
- Put the Ball in Play!
- One thing that was emphasized indirectly through player acquisitions in the transfer portal for 2024 was the ability to get the bat on the ball. The 2023 group struck out 569 times, dropping down to 460 in 2024, a 19% decrease in strikeouts on the offensive side.
The Bad
- Power Dropoff
- As was expected, the team’s power dropped off considerably, coming off a record-setting 2023 where the team smacked 109 home runs and 109 doubles. After many of the hitters on the Boom Squad™ graduated or transferred out, those numbers dropped down to 62 and 91, respectively. Team slugging plummeted from .505 to .434 between the years.
- The team did hit more triples though, 12 to 7.
- As was expected, the team’s power dropped off considerably, coming off a record-setting 2023 where the team smacked 109 home runs and 109 doubles. After many of the hitters on the Boom Squad™ graduated or transferred out, those numbers dropped down to 62 and 91, respectively. Team slugging plummeted from .505 to .434 between the years.
- Injury Bug
- Multiple players missed significant time in the 2024 season, most notably pitchers Alex Galvan (injured early March, missed rest of year) and Wiley Hartley (missed a month), along with catcher Andrew Sundean (missed a month). A handful of other players suffered injuries throughout the year, forcing the squad to play short-handed at times and had to roll players out more often than the coaches would have liked, mainly the pitchers.
- “We got to the last game of the year last year, if we lost another infielder or catcher, I don’t know how we were even going to play.” – Coach Wallace, Media Day
- Multiple players missed significant time in the 2024 season, most notably pitchers Alex Galvan (injured early March, missed rest of year) and Wiley Hartley (missed a month), along with catcher Andrew Sundean (missed a month). A handful of other players suffered injuries throughout the year, forcing the squad to play short-handed at times and had to roll players out more often than the coaches would have liked, mainly the pitchers.
- Sweep Allergy
- While the team did win the most games the school had seen in seven years, it showed the difficulty within the schedule that there was never a true run by the team, due to sweeps being hard to come by. For the season, the squad managed two sweeps – one against Samford in the 2nd weekend series of the year and one against Houston in a truncated two-game set with the third contest canceled due to rain.
The Fun/Highlights
- Danny Neri 3-HR Game
- How about having the first-ever three home run game in the history of the Big 12 tournament, the first year in the Big 12? Catcher Danny Neri nearly doubled his season home run total when he swatted three jacks against the Bearcats in one of the Knights many thrilling one-run victories in postseason play.
- Neri has remained with the Knights for 2025 in a different capacity, assuming the role of Director of Position Player Development.
- Trendy Walk-off Plunkings
- Inside of a month, the Knights had TWO games end in two-out walk-off hit-by-pitches (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech). In both games, the Knights entered the bottom of the 9th down a run, scored the tying run with no outs, then grinded out plate appearances to eventually get the winning run in.
- Almost History
- Cade Boxrucker was agonizingly close to throwing a no-hitter, coming just one out (and perhaps less than one foot) shy of a no-hitter against Jacksonville in late March. This would have been the team’s first no-hitter since 2008 (combined, Mitch Houck and Austin Hudson), and more impressively, would have been the first solo no-hitter for UCF since Pete MacLaughlan back in 1973.
- Cardiac Knights
- Mentioned in the Neri Note, UCF provided a bunch of heart-pounding games during the postseason, winning the following contests within a two-week span:
- 6-5 (11 innings) vs Cincinnati, Big 12 Tournament
- Neri 3rd HR in top of 11th to win it
- 7-6 (10 innings) vs Oklahoma State, Big 12 Tournament
- AJ Nessler RBI single top 10th
- 8-7 (only 9 innings?!) vs Alabama, Tallahassee Regional
- Sundean RBI single top 9; Lex Boedicker diving stop & out to end game bottom 9
- 165* (average heart rate of the writer during the final innings of these games)
- *Approximately.
- 6-5 (11 innings) vs Cincinnati, Big 12 Tournament
- Mentioned in the Neri Note, UCF provided a bunch of heart-pounding games during the postseason, winning the following contests within a two-week span:
The 2024 season saw the breakouts of the two stars of The Dom & Dom Show™, Dom Stagliano and Dominic Castellano.
Stags dropped his ERA by nearly 2.5 runs from ’23 to ’24, cementing himself as the very likely Friday guy for the 2025 season. Castellano, on the other hand, was an entirely different pitcher altogether between the years, and became the team’s relief ace early on when he showed the ability to shut down opponents to keep games close. Casty went 7-0 on the year with a team-leading ERA of just 2.83 over 60 ⅓ innings, striking out 68 and allowing just 34 hits the entire year.
Along with these two, Kris Sosnowski emerged as another top relief option for the Knights, with an ability to start games if necessary, similar to Castellano. Sos pitched 37 ⅓ innings for UCF over 24 appearances, striking out 40 as he became arguably the top option in late-game situations at the end of the year.
Among position players, Lex Boedicker showed his adaptability and athleticism, switching positions from left field to first base. While growing pains were visible to start the year, Lex grew into an incredible defensive player for the squad, saving throws in the dirt and keeping hits off the board with his defense.
One of the Four Andrews™ of the 2024 team, that being freshman outfielder Andrew Williamson, showed promise early on to being a potential key cog for future Knights teams. After working his way through a normal freshman struggle, Williamson went on to dominate the Cal Ripken Collegiate League in Bethesda over the summer, hitting 9 home runs in just 29 games and slashing .462/.546/.906 in that time, compared to his .258/.333/.411 slash line with 5 home runs over 50 games during the Knights season. Williamson has continued to swing the bat well during Fall Ball and into the Spring as the season approaches.
Another newcomer to the Knights in ‘24 and a fellow outfielder, Matt Prevesk solidified himself as one of the top bats in the Big 12 after finishing off with a team-leading 80 hits and .342 average, alongside a .409 on-base percentage which ranked third on the squad behind Neri and Jack Zyska.
Rounding out some of the returning players on offense, catcher Andrew Sundean provided a few clutch moments on the year – the aforementioned go-ahead RBI against Alabama and a game-tying 9th inning homer against Oklahoma State, to name a few. Sundean’s season was unfortunately shortened by an injury sustained on a slide against Texas Tech in late March. Sundean would power through to give the Knights another option for the lineup in late April, returning against Cincinnati to DH in that series.
The 2025 Outlook
Time for the good stuff! What’s ahead for the 2025 Knights? Let’s look at some of the preseason lists and accolades that included players on the squad.
Preseason Accolades:
- D1 Baseball’s Top Lists
- Kris Sosnowski, 16th, Top 100 Relievers
- Kendrey Maduro, 43rd, Top 50 Third Basemen
- Dom Stagliano, 83rd, Top 150 Starting Pitchers
- Big 12 Pre-Season Awards
- Dom Stagliano, All-Big 12 Starting Pitcher
- Dominic Castellano, All-Big 12 Relief Pitcher
- Team Captains, as voted by their peers
- Lex Boedicker, First Base
- Dominic Castellano, Left-Handed Pitcher
- Wiley Hartley, Right-Handed Pitcher
- Dylan King, Catcher
- Braden Calise, Infield [mainly second base]
- Kris Sosnowski, Right-Handed Pitcher
The coaching staff had a fair challenge ahead of them, having to replace 38 of the team’s 62 home runs [61.3%] and 247 ⅔ of 509 ⅔ innings [48.6%] in the offseason. The good news is that they appear to have done just that!
Position Players
Along with returning players on offense such as Sundean, Williamson, Prevesk, and Boedicker, the Knights have added a bit of thump to the lineup with the transfer portal additions of third baseman Kendrey Maduro [NW Florida State], shortstop Antonio Jimenez [Miami], and outfielder Chase Krewson [Duke].
Over his two years at NW Florida State College, Maduro slugged 27 homers in 107 games, spreading them evenly between his two years there [14 and 13, either of which would have led the 2024 Knights] while slashing an impressive .323/.409/.595 in 2024. He played shortstop during his time there but has moved over to third base for UCF where his defense has shined during Fall Ball.
Speaking of defense. If a ball is hit anywhere in the vicinity of Antonio Jimenez, don’t worry about it. The sophomore transfer has shown incredible range and an arm that, along with being accurate, may be the strongest on the team. His offense in 2024 with the Hurricanes left a bit to be desired, however he has put in the work and has been one of the more impressive hitters for the team during the scrimmages.
“Jimenez has had really quality at-bats, good box presence,” says Dominic Castellano.
Krewson brings an all-around game to the Knights, with strong defense (yes, this is a theme, more on that in a moment), a powerful bat with the ability to put it in play consistently, and speed to rival the fastest guys on the team.
“Chase Krewson … he brings all the tools,” says Lex Boedicker about Krewson.
Another transfer who will see significant playing time as the starting center fielder is DeAmez Ross. Throughout the Fall, Ross has put up tough at-bats against any pitcher he faced, fouling off tough ones and spraying the ball in all directions. In 2024 with the Seminoles, Ross struck out just nine (9) times in 117 plate appearances against some truly tough ACC squads. He brings speed and spectacular defense to the team, running down numerous fly balls with ease in the scrimmages that would likely drop in with lesser defenders.
As mentioned, there is a collective theme among the players mentioned revolving around their defensive capabilities. As a unit, this team is going to be tough to get hits against, with every player out there having above average range and playing fundamental ball. On top of that, there are some players that will likely not be starting to begin the year that can step right in and fill shoes on both sides of the ball.
Speed is another aspect that the team is looking to use in 2025. An area that has been missing from the Knights offense over the last couple seasons, baserunning aggression and stolen base attempts were a high point over the fall schedule. The runners consistently tested the catchers and pitchers’ ability to prevent extra bases, and to the credit of the catchers, they fared well.
“This group is a more athletic, faster group in general, so we turn ‘em loose … [what we’re] trying to figure out, who has a feel to do it,” Coach Wallace mentioned regarding the baserunning.
Adding on to the media day quote about position player depth from Coach Wallace, the coaching staff addressed this and then some, with notable pickups of infielder Edian Espinal (Chipola transfer), freshman outfielder Alex Rodriguez, and catcher/first baseman Aris Rivera (Polk State College).
Espinal slashed .296/.482/.419 with Chipola last year, finding any way to get on base that he could, with 53 hits, 45 walks, and 23 times being hit by pitch, contrasted to just 28 strikeouts on the year. In the field, Espinal is about on par with Braden Calise, an excellent defender around the infield. During the Fall, Espy showed a fair bit of power, grabbing multiple extra-base hits along the way.
Rodriguez’ defense out in center field may rival that of Ross, which says a lot. He might not have hit much during the fall, but he made up for it with his speed and defense, taking multiple hits away from fellow Knights.
Rivera, along with captain Dylan King, put up great showings behind the plate throughout camp. Both Rivera and King put up good power numbers during the scrimmages, with King hitting three home runs in a four-game span.
The lineup for the 2025 Knights is going to be deep and provide opposing pitchers with a bunch of tough matchups. Among other things, the starting lineup could easily have five or more lefties, stacking the deck against many right-handed pitchers. Should they decide to flip things around, the depth is going to play a key role and continue causing chaos in the matchup game.
“We’re very happy with what we did on last year’s team,” King stated. “We’re excited … looking forward to make that next step. With this year’s team, we have endless goals.”
Pitching
For that defense to shine and do its thing, the pitching must put them in positions to do so and make the runs the offense collects stand strong. Like the position players, depth was an important target for this season, and once again, the coaching staff appears to have delivered.
UCF is looking for continued success and development from previously mentioned pitchers Stagliano, Castellano, and Sosnowski, along with a healthy year from Wiley Hartley who looks to be slotted into the weekend rotation as of the time of this writing. Last year, Hartley had gotten into a groove before an oblique injury sidelined him.
“The main guy who has impressed me is Hartley,” mentioned Kris Sosnowski. “He looked really good, all his stuff has gotten way better, hitting spots, looks healthy … he’s impressed me a ton.”
Other potential starters include right-handers Grant Siegel (WVU transfer), Camden Wicker (Wofford), and Matt Sauser (FSU), alongside left-handed freshman Drew Bellis.
The bullpen saw a major overhaul in terms of pitchers who can perform in high-leverage situations.
“[A lot of] different arm angles, it feels like we didn’t have that last year,” says outfielder Matt Prevesk on the bullpen when asked why they were tough to hit.
Strictly among the right-handed pitchers not previously mentioned, Isaac Williams (Jacksonville), Alex Galvan, Kevin Schoneboom (Northeast Texas CC), and Angelo Smith (Indian River State) are a few names that stood out with their stuff during the Fall.
Others who performed well include Ian Brown (Trinity), freshman Anthony Lariz, Russell Sandefer (Saint Leo), and Carter Stanford (Tallahassee State).
The right-handed side of the bullpen got a bit of a boost with the news that Spencer Bauer was granted a sixth year of eligibility just a few weeks ago. Bauer saw a fair bit of mid-to-late inning work for the 2024 team and provides a wealth of experience.
On the left side to compliment Castellano, Dakota Stone (Jacksonville), Carsten Finnvold (Florida; was on 2024 Knight roster but missed due to injury), and James Lordi (Penn State) were matchup nightmares against the lefties during the Fall.
“We got pitchers who can start ‘n’ go seven innings … guys who can come in and throw 95+ [MPH] …” remarked Lex Boedicker on the pitching staff.
The Knights are looking to see another jump forward in the pitching development season-to-season for the 2025 season. Should the team see a similar improvement, which there are many indications that is the case, this UCF squad is going to cause some problems.
Overall
After a 37-win season in 2024, UCF is hoping to top that, and all signs are pointing to that being a likelihood. The schedule will once again be difficult and should help the school gran another Regional berth, so long as expectations are met. UCF will face off against some opponents who are currently ranked, such as:
- Florida (D1: 10 – BA: 7)
- Oklahoma State (D1: 17 – BA: 13) **Road series**
- TCU (D1: 23)
Other opponents providing intrigue include:
- Miami
- usf **Road Series**
- BYU **Road Series**
Year two in the Big 12 will also see the inclusion of newcoming teams Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah, though the Knights will not play any of them barring a matchup in the Big 12 tournament.
Within the conference, UCF will travel out to BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. On the opposite side of the coin, the school will host Houston, Kansas, TCU [23rd D1], West Virginia, and Baylor to close out the year.
As per usual, midweek contests are spread out through the state, though a notable absence of Bethune-Cookman stands out. This year, the Knights will host Missouri for their first midweek, head out to face Missouri State in the penultimate midweek contest, and host Presbyterian for the final weekday matchup.
The out-of-conference series will include the return of prior perennial season opener Siena, another visit from Bryant where we will hopefully get all three games in this time, a short trip to the west (emphasis on west) to south florida, and playing host to Monmouth to wrap up the first months’ worth of games.
UCF’s Opening Knight is Friday, February 14th, at 6:30 PM against the Siena Saints. Get on out to John Euliano Park and support this squad – it’s going to be a fun year!
Expectations at the start of this section may be a bit lofty, but what does the team think about their potential?
“I think our ceiling is to win a national championship.” – Dominic Castellano.
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