ORLANDO — Coming off tough back-to-back 5-4 losses that saw the Knights eliminated from postseason consideration, seniors Wiley Hartley and Dominic Castellano pitched well in relief and DeAmez Ross went 4-for-4 with three runs batted in to help lead UCF baseball to an 11-7 victory over Baylor (33-21, 13-17 Big 12) in the regular season finale on Saturday (May 17) afternoon at John Euliano Park.
Ross matched a career-high with his third four-hit game of the season with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Antonio Jimenez was next by going 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored, while Andrew Sundean went 3-for-5 with a homer, a double, two runs scored and a run batted in, and fellow seniors Lex Boedicker and Matt Prevesk both tallied two hits. In all, the Black and Gold totaled 17 hits on the day and six different Knights notched multiple knocks.
With the three hits in his final college game, Sundean joined UCF's 200-hit club, as his sixth-inning doubled marked his 200th career hit.
UCF caps the 2025 campaign with a 29-26 overall record and a 13th-place finish in the Big 12 standings with a 9-21 conference mark.
On Friday, UCF held a Senior Knight ceremony prior to the game, honoring Spencer Bauer (RHP), Lex Boedicker (1B), Ian Brown (RHP), Dominic Castellano (LHP), Carsten Finnvold (LHP), Alex Galvan (RHP), Wiley Hartley (RHP), Matt Prevesk (OF), Dom Stagliano (RHP) and Andrew Sundean. A pair of graduating student managers were also honored before the game in Brandon Burgess and Declan McDermott.
“This is a special group. You can go down the list, and these are special young men,” head coach Rich Wallace said. “I think they bought in to what UCF means—not only to myself but to this program—and I can tell that wearing UCF on their chest truly means a lot to them.”
The Knights had opened the week with Sundean blasting a grand slam and driving in a career-high six runs batted en route to defeating Presbyterian 22-5.
Starting pitcher Grant Siegel (5-2) gave the Black and Gold 7.0 solid innings of work, as UCF recorded the victory in what marked its final midweek and non-conference game of the year.
Sundean went 2-for-2 with the grand slam, two runs scored and six RBI, while Dylan King went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs scored and two RBI. Braden Calise also had a three-hit game and drove in three runs while Edian Espinal and Prevesk also had three hits apiece. Andrew Williamson scored a game-high four runs. In all, UCF recorded season-highs in both runs and hits on the night with 22 runs on 23 hits.
