SIDELINE SCENE: UCF baseball does well in recruiting local talent

Over the weekend, the No. 6 UCF Knights took two out of three games from the No. 20 Houston Cougars, including a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.

It was good news for Knights fans, of course, as UCF improved to 22-7 and is having one of the best seasons in program history and is anchored by a high-powered offense.

It was good news for local baseball fans, in general, in the Greater Orlando area, too. 

Without a major- or minor-league ballclub, the Knights have become the region’s baseball team almost by default.

Finally, it was good news for a  pair of ballplayers who play for programs covered by this publication, as well as a number of other players from neighboring programs, because UCF head coach Terry Rooney has made a point of trying to build a powerhouse program — and to do so by out-recruiting big name programs right here in Central Florida.

Two of the best baseball players in West Orange — Olympia southpaw pitcher Juan Hillman and Windermere Prep third baseman Rylan Thomas — are UCF commits, although Hillman is a good bet to be drafted high enough in this summer’s MLB Draft to bypass college for the professional ranks.

UCF’s current roster, although not housing any current players from West Orange, still is sprinkled with local talent. It’s a great thing for local players, and it’s good business for UCF. 

For the past few years, the Knights have been trying to raise funds for their on-campus stadium, Jay Bergman Field, to get up to par with the big in-state programs.

Although the program has been successful in getting an upper-deck bleacher built on the first-base side, bringing the ballpark’s capacity in line with being able to host a regional, there is still a planned upper deck on the third-base side, as well as a new home plate tower and behind the plate seating that are far from being funded.

For those things to come to fruition, the program will have to grow interest locally, and one of the best ways to do that is to recruit local players who bring fan bases. 

It also can help to create an atmosphere where younger players, in Little League and getting started in travel ball, can begin to look at UCF as the school whose logo they daydream of donning one day.

How’s that for a win-win?