UCF’s baseball season has been something of a disappointment throughout the year. The Knights were expected to take a step back this season with several graduations and changes to the roster. UCF brought in a lot of transfers and had a fair amount of turnover.
Still the season has not gone as planned. The Knights finished in last place in the American Athletic Conference and largely disappointed.
At least they will have these positives to hang onto from relatively young players.
Pitcher Robby Howell and designated hitter Sam Tolleson were named to the American Athletic Conference Baseball 2nd Team, the conference announced.
Howell was one of the top pitchers in the American Conference going 7-3 with a 1.91 ERA. He overtook the Friday starting job midway through the season after getting off to such a strong start. The junior was one of the truly bright spots for the team this year.
So too was senior Sam Tolleson.
Tolleson earned his second straight all-conference nod, hitting .243 with four home runs and 21 RBIs this season. Tolleson was always solid for an offense that has had its issues with consistency all year. Only two players hit better than .300 for the Knights. Tolleson was eighth on the team among players who normally started on the Knights.
Getting these two players named to the all-conference team is a little bit of a bright spot for a team that has struggled significantly this season.
The Knights finished last in the conference with an 8-16 record. They finished with a 25-31 record overall, the first sub-.500 record for the team since 2009. It is hard to figure out just how things will get better quickly with so many underclassmen — including last year’s freshman of the year in Cre Finfrock — struggling this year.
The Knights will have one more chance to make good on the season with Tuesday’s opener against Tulane in the American Conference Baseball Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.
