2024 UCF Knights baseball team

2024 UCF Knights baseball
Tallahassee Regional, 2–2
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Record	37–21 (14–15 Big 12)
Head coach	Rich Wallace (1st season)
Assistant coaches	Norberto Lopez Drew Thomas Ted Tom
Home stadium	John Euliano Park
Seasons ← 2023 2025  →

2024 Big 12 Conference baseball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 18 Oklahoma  ‍†‍‍y	23	–	7		.767			40	–	21		.656
No. 21 Oklahoma State  ‍‍‡‍y	19	–	9		.679			42	–	19		.689
Texas  ‍‍‍y	20	–	10		.667			36	–	24		.600
No. 13 West Virginia  ‍‍‍y	19	–	11		.633			36	–	24		.600
Cincinnati  ‍‍‍	17	–	13		.567			32	–	25		.561
No. 14 Kansas State  ‍‍‍y	15	–	15		.500			35	–	26		.574
Kansas  ‍‍‍	15	–	15		.500			31	–	23		.574
UCF  ‍‍‍y	14	–	15		.483			37	–	21		.638
TCU  ‍‍‍	14	–	16		.467			33	–	21		.611
Texas Tech  ‍‍‍	12	–	17		.414			33	–	26		.559
Baylor  ‍‍‍	10	–	20		.333			22	–	31		.415
Houston  ‍‍‍	7	–	21		.250			26	–	28		.481
BYU  ‍‍‍	7	–	23		.233			21	–	31		.404
† – Conference champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of June 26, 2024 [1] Rankings from D1baseball

The 2024 UCF Knights baseball team represented the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the sport of baseball during the 2024 college baseball season. This was the Knights' first season as members of the Big 12 Conference. Home games were played at John Euliano Park on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. The team was coached by Rich Wallace in his first season as UCF's head coach.

Preseason

Big 12 coaches poll

The Big 12 Conference preseason poll was released on January 25, 2024, with the Knights predicted to finish in tenth place. ^[2]

Coaches Poll
Rank	School (1st Place Votes)	Total
1	TCU (11)	143
2	Texas (2)	131
3	Oklahoma State	119
4	Texas Tech	107
5	Kansas State	98
T6	Oklahoma	85
T6	West Virginia	85
8	Kansas	67
9	Houston	56
10	UCF	45
11	Baylor	36
T12	BYU	21
T12	Cincinnati	21

Schedule

Legend
	UCF win
	UCF loss
	Postponement
Bold	UCF team member

2024 UCF Knights Baseball Game Log
Regular Season
February (6–0) Date Opponent Stadium Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record February 16 Bryant John Euliano Park Orlando, FL W 12–11 A. Galvan (1–0) J. Burrows (0–1) C. Centala (1) 2,602 1–0 February 17 Bryant John Euliano Park No Contest 1–0 February 18 Bryant John Euliano Park Cancelled 1–0 February 21 at Miami Alex Rodriguez Park Coral Gables, FL W 4–3 K. Kramer (1–0) B. Chestnutt (0–1) C. Centala (2) 2,400 2–0 February 23 Samford John Euliano Park W 18–37 B. Vespi (1–0) B. Rice (1–1) None 1,812 3–0 February 24 Samford John Euliano Park W 9–6 A. Galvan (2–0) J. Holifield (1–1) C. Centala (3) 2,487 4–0 February 25 Samford John Euliano Park W 12–27 D. Stagliano (1–0) W. Lynch (0–1) None 2,154 5–0 February 27 at Florida Atlantic FAU Baseball Stadium Boca Raton, FL W 11–6 C. Boxrucker (1–0) B. Ostrander (0–2) None 522 6–0
March (12–7) Date Opponent Stadium Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Big 12 Record March 1 South Florida John Euliano Park W 3–210 C. Centala (1–0) B. Archie (0–1) None 2,150 7–0 – March 2 South Florida John Euliano Park L 5–7 J. Volini (1–0) N. Victor (0–1) C. Dorsey (1) 2,812 7–1 – March 3 South Florida John Euliano Park W 1–0 K. Kramer (2–0) M. Brown (1–1) C. Centala (4) 2,400 8–1 – March 6 at Florida Condron Ballpark Gainesville, FL W 9–6 D. Castellano (2–0) L. McNeillie (1–2) K. Kramer (1) 5,330 9–1 – March 8 at Oklahoma L. Dale Mitchell Park Norman, OK L 3–4 M. Witherspoon (1–1) W. Hartley (0–1) K. Witherspoon (1) 1,569 9–2 0–1 March 9 at Oklahoma L. Dale Mitchell Park L 3–11 G. Stevens (2–0) T. Nesbitt (0–1) None 1,673 9–3 0–2 March 10 at Oklahoma L. Dale Mitchell Park L 2–147 J. Hitt (1–1) D. Stagliano (0–1) None 1,621 9–4 0–3 March 13 Stetson John Euliano Park W 7–1 W. Hartley (1–1) J. Modugno (0–1) None 1,569 10–4 – March 15 Oklahoma State John Euliano Park W 13–2 B. Vespi (2–0) S. Garcia (2–2) None 2,256 11–4 1–3 March 16 Oklahoma State John Euliano Park W 4–3 C. Centala (2–0) G. Davis (1–1) None 2,189 12–4 2–3 March 17 Oklahoma State John Euliano Park L 10–16 T. Molsky (2–0) C. Boxrucker (1–1) None 1,746 12–5 2–4 March 19 Florida Atlantic John Euliano Park W 3–2 C. Centala (3–0) D. Trehey (1–1) None 1,811 13–5 – March 22 at Kansas Hoglund Ballpark Lawrence, KS L 3–13 R. Dutton (5–1) B. Vespi (2–1) None 654 13–6 2–5 March 23 at Kansas Hoglund Ballpark W 6–2 K. Kramer (3–0) T. Cain (0–2) C. Centala (5) 323 14–6 3–5 at Kansas Hoglund Ballpark W 4–1 W. Hartley (2–1) G. Brasosky (1–1) D. Castellano (1) 705 15–6 4–5 March 26 at Jacksonville John Sessions Stadium Jacksonville, FL W 4–1 C. Boxrucker (2–1) B. Barquin (0–2) None 244 16–6 – March 28 Texas Tech John Euliano Park W 5–4 K. Kramer (4–0) J. Sanders (1–1) None 1,908 17–6 5–5 March 29 Texas Tech John Euliano Park W 2–1 D. Stagliano (1–1) K. Robinson (3–3) C. Centala (6) 2,106 18–6 6–5 March 30 Texas Tech John Euliano Park L 2–3 M. Heuer (3–2) W. Hartley (2–2) C. Kaase (1) 2,024 18–7 6–6
April (9–8) Date Opponent Rank Stadium Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Big 12 Record April 2 at Bethune–Cookman No. 20 Jackie Robinson Ballpark Daytona Beach, FL W 14–1 C. Boxrucker (3–1) C. Lipovsky (0–1) None 263 19–7 – April 5 Kansas State No. 20 John Euliano Park W 7–4 K. Kramer (5–0) J. Frost (2–1) C. Centala (7) 2,109 20–7 7–6 April 6 Kansas State No. 20 John Euliano Park L 3–4 O. Boerema (3–2) D. Stagliano (1–2) T. Neighbors (2) 2,185 20–8 7–7 April 7 Kansas State No. 20 John Euliano Park W 6–1 D. Castellano (3–0) B. Dean (2–3) None 1,847 21–8 8–7 April 10 at Stetson No. 17 Melching Field at Conrad Park DeLand, FL L 3–5 D. Jacobs (1–1) K. Kramer (5–1) B. Walker (1) 1,473 21–9 – April 12 at West Virginia No. 17 Monongalia County Ballpark Granville, WV L 6–7 C. Estridge (1–1) K. Kramer (5–2) D. Hagaman (2) 2,259 21–10 8–8 April 13 at West Virginia No. 17 Monongalia County Ballpark L 5–7 D. Clark (4–0) D. Stagliano (1–3) None 3,913 21–11 8–9 April 14 at West Virginia No. 17 Monongalia County Ballpark L 10–1111 V. Kempen (6–1) S. Bauer (0–1) None 3,451 21–12 8–10 April 16 North Florida John Euliano Park W 10–3 T. Nesbitt (1–1) J. Wimpelberg (1–3) None 1,622 22–12 – April 19 Central Michigan John Euliano Park L 0–2 B. Vitas (2–4) B. Vespi (2–2) None 1,759 22–13 – April 20 Central Michigan John Euliano Park W 17–2 D. Stagliano (2–3) T. Miller (1–4) None 1,725 23–13 – April 21 Central Michigan John Euliano Park W 23–37 D. Castellano (4–0) E. Waters (2–3) None 2,017 24–13 – April 23 Florida Gulf Coast John Euliano Park W 10–3 S. Bauer (1–1) J. Bunz (1–2) None 1,542 25–13 – April 26 Cincinnati John Euliano Park L 4–9 C. Marsh (3–2) K. Kramer (5–3) None 1,661 25–14 8–11 April 27 Cincinnati John Euliano Park W 23–3 D. Castellano (5–0) C. Mitchelle (0–3) None 2,120 26–14 9–11 April 28 Cincinnati John Euliano Park L 2–8 C. Horst (3–0) C. Boxrucker (3–2) G. Hugus (2) 1,763 26–15 9–12 April 30 at North Florida Harmon Stadium Jacksonville, FL W 6–2 T. Kozera (4–2) C. Boroski (0–3) K. Sosnowski (1) 525 27–15 –
May (6–3) Date Opponent Stadium Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Big 12 Record May 3 at Houston Schroeder Park Houston, TX W 4–1 B. Vespi (3–2) C. Citelli (3–2) D. Castellano (2) 2,094 28–15 10–12 May 4 at Houston Schroeder Park W 6–4 K. Kramer (6–3) J. Torrealba (0–1) K. Sosnowski (2) 1,958 29–15 11–12 May 5 at Houston Schroeder Park Canceled (rain) [3] May 7 North Florida John Euliano Park W 7–4 K. Kramer (7–3) L. Bolton (0–4) K. Sosnowski (3) 1,486 30–15 – May 10 Texas John Euliano Park L 3–6 M. Grubbs (5–4) B. Vespi (3–3) G. Boehm (6) 1,989 30–16 11–13 May 11 Texas John Euliano Park W 5–4 D. Stagliano (3–3) A. Whitehead (4–1) D. Castellano (3) 2,141 31–16 12–13 May 12 Texas John Euliano Park L 7–10 C. Hurley (5–0) N. Victor (0–2) G. Boehm (7) 1,605 31–17 12–14 May 14 Bethune–Cookman John Euliano Park Canceled (rain) [4] May 171 at Baylor Baylor Ballpark Waco, TX W 6–4 B. Vespi (4–3) M. Marriott (3–7) K. Sosnowski (4) 32–17 13–14 May 172 at Baylor Baylor Ballpark L 2–4 E. Calder (5–3) D. Stagliano (3–4) A. Petrowski (1) 1,676 32–18 13–15 May 18 at Baylor Baylor Ballpark W 10–8 W. Hartley (3–2) C. McKinney (3–6) K. Sosnowski (5) 1,613 33–18 14–15
Post-Season
Big 12 Tournament (2–1) Date Opponent Seed Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament Record May 21 vs. (5) Cincinnati 8 Globe Life Field Arlington, TX W 6-5 S. Bauer (2-1) G. Hugus (0-3) K. Kramer (2) ESPN+ 34–18 1–0 May 23 vs. (2) Oklahoma State 8 Globe Life Field W 10-8 D. Castellano (5–0) G. Davis (1–4) None ESPNU 6,791 35–18 2–0 May 24 vs. (2) Oklahoma State 8 Globe Life Field L 1–10 B. Holiday (6–3) W. Hartley (3–3) None ESPN+ 8,540 35–19 2–1
NCAA tournament: Tallahassee Regional (2–2) Date Opponent Seed Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament Record May 31 vs. (2) Alabama First round (3) Dick Howser Stadium Tallahassee, FL W 8–7 K. Sosnowski (1–0) A. Davis II (4–2) None ESPN+ 4,152 36–19 1–0 June 1 vs. (1) No. 8 Florida State Second round (3) Dick Howser Stadium L 2–5 J. Arnold (11–3) B. Vespi (4–4) B. Oxford (1) ESPN+ 5,246 36–20 1–1 June 2 vs. (4) Stetson Consolation (3) Dick Howser Stadium W 5–2 D. Castellano (7–0) C. Stallings (3–1) K. Sosnowski (1) ESPN+ 4,003 37–20 2–1 June 2 vs. (1) No. 8 Florida State Regional Final (3) Dick Howser Stadium L 4–12 C. Hults (2–1) N. Victor (0–3) None ESPN+ 4,772 37–21 2–2

Schedule source: ^[5]

*Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

Rankings

Main article: 2024 NCAA Division I baseball rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Final
Coaches' [6]	—	—*	—	RV	—	RV	RV	RV	19	RV	RV	—	—	—
Baseball America [7]	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	19	—	—	—	—	—
NCBWA† [8]	—	—	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	16	RV	RV	—	RV	RV
D1Baseball [9]	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	25	17	—	—	—	—	—
Perfect Game [10]	—	—	—	RV	—	—	RV	20	17	RV	—	—	—	—

† NCBWA ranks 35 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season.
* A new poll was not released for this week, so for comparison purposes, the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.

References

1. "2024 Baseball Standings". Big 12 Conference. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
2. "TCU Picked As Favorite In Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll".
3. Warnick, James (May 5, 2024). "Sunday's Series Finale at Houston Washed Out". UCFKnights.com.
4. Warnick, James (May 14, 2024). "Tuesday's Home Finale at Bethune–Cookman Canceled". UCFKnights.com.
5. Baseball Schedule
6. Baseball Coaches Poll
7. Baseball America College: Top 25
8. NCBWA Division I poll
9. D1 Baseball
10. Perfect Game Top 25 Rankings