Refocused on return to NCAA tourney
Knights aiming to make up for last season’s failures
UCF baseball coach Greg Lovelady hopes missing the NCAA Tournament last year serves his team with something more than just your standard wake-up call.
“I’m hoping that was a punch in the face,” he said.
Now in his third season at the helm, Lovelady admits that 2018 squad possessed more top-end talent than the group he’ll go to battle with beginning Friday at 6 p.m. versus the Siena Saints. But that talent didn’t match up with the expectations because, according to Lovelady, that team went through the motions and took wins for granted far too often.
“Just because we were talented, it doesn’t mean that you get to get into the NCAA Tournament,” he said. “You’ve still got to show up. You’ve still got to win.”
Lovelady will continue to preach that message this year to a roster he thinks is the most complete he’s had at UCF. Here is whom the Knights will lean on to get to the postseason in 2019:
Offense
Four of the top five hitters from 2018 are back. However, that one missing piece, Rylan Thomas, has been at the center of much preseason discussion because he is simply irreplaceable.
Thomas went to the pros following two standout seasons in the black and gold, recording a .322 batting average and 27 home runs during that time.
“It’s going to suck not having Rylan,” junior Dallas Beaver said. “He’s a huge bat, probably one of the best hitters to ever come through UCF.”
The Knights want a collective effort, not just one person, to fill the void left behind. Beaver, who will take over for Thomas at first base, is one of the leaders of that group. He was the only other Knight to play in every game and wants to improve upon his six home runs from last year.
Outfielder Tyler Osik is the favorite to be the most productive bat in the order. He finished second to Thomas in homers and batting average while driving in a team-high 56 runs.
Osik’s RBI opportunities depend largely on center fielder Ray Alejo and second baseman Matthew Mika getting into scoring position in front of him. Lovelady affectionately refers to that duo as his “gnats” on the basepaths. Alejo stole 34 bases last year and has really raised the bar for himself coming into 2019.
“I am going to shoot for 60 this year because, ‘Why not shoot for higher?’ ” he said. “Last year, I said 40 and I almost got there. If I say 60 this year and I almost get there, I’m stealing over 50 bases this year.”
Catcher Anthony George is back behind the plate after missing all but two games last season due to a knee injury. He was one of the team’s stars during fall ball, as was third baseman Griffin Bernardo.
Lovelady said Bernardo and outfielder Dalton Wingo were “lost puppies” as freshmen a year ago. Now both men are expected to be everyday contributors, especially in the power department.
Said Lovelady of Wingo: “If he ends up being the guy that I know he will be at some point, the sooner he gets to that, it’s going to be a shot in the arm for our offense.”
Starting rotation
Lovelady announced Tuesday that graduatetransfer lefthander Grant Schuermann will get the ball on opening night. He arrived at UCF following four seasons at Furman, gaining Division I experience that weighed heavily in Lovelady’s decision.
“I definitely feel comfortable knowing that a guy that’s started on Friday nights for a couple of years is continuing to do it for us,” the coach said.
Schuermann, who relies heavily on his changeup, won’t rack up as many strikeouts as the two men following him in the rotation: righthanders Trevor Holloway and Jordan Spicer. Holloway helped Chipola College take home a national championship last year. Spicer will open as UCF’s Sunday starter for the second straight year, but he knows he can be better than the 6.02 earned run average he posted in 2018.
“I was very inconsistent. One day, [I was] a dude. The next day, I was the last guy you’d want on the mound,” Spicer said. “... I do feel like being more relaxed this year has helped me a lot be more consistent so far.”
One of these men will lose their rotation spot following the return of Chris Williams, who won’t be eligible to pitch in the first nine games. However, Lovelady said making someone a mid-week starter shouldn’t be seen as a demotion.
“Whoever doesn’t stay in the rotation, here’s your parting gift of playing Miami and Florida State,” he said.
Bullpen
This area suffered the most turnover as the Knights saw five impact pitchers selected in last year’s MLB Draft. Senior Garrett Westberg, who recorded saves on back-toback nights over No. 1 Florida, will retain a high-leverage role. He will be joined by a couple of newcomers whom Lovelady will depend on to record those final outs.
Sophomore Jeffrey Hakanson had a bloated ERA but struck out 26 batters in 14 2⁄3 innings and allowed a scant .118 batting average last year. Once throwing in the high-80s, Hakanson is topping out at 97 mph and sitting consistently in the mid-90s.
“I think he’ll end up being the closer just because of the stuff,” Lovelady said of Hakanson.
Grad transfer righty Kyle Kemp also brings mid-90s heat, and sidearmer Zack Helsel will be another key late-inning option.
“I think people could look at [the bullpen] and underrate us,” Westberg said, “but I think we brought a lot of pieces back. I think we brought the right pieces back and we replaced certain pieces with the right people.”