Stephen Chucka delivers again as UCF rallies past Kansas State
Stephen Chucka has already given UCF one of its biggest pinch-hit swings of the season.
On Thursday night, the freshman added another one.
Chucka came off the bench in the bottom of the seventh inning and lined a first-pitch, bases-clearing double over the left fielder’s head, turning a one-run deficit into a three-run lead and helping UCF open its final regular-season Big 12 series with a 10-6 win over Kansas State at John Euliano Park.
The victory moved UCF to 30-19 overall and 18-10 in Big 12 play with two regular-season games remaining. The 18 conference wins are the most for the Knights since joining the Big 12 prior to the 2024 season. Kansas State fell to 27-25 overall and 10-18 in league play.
UCF entered the weekend tied for third place in the Big 12 standings and trying to lock itself into one of the top six seeds for next week’s conference tournament, which would come with a double-bye into the quarterfinal round.
The Knights took an important step toward that Thursday, and they did it with another late-inning swing from one of their freshmen.
Chucka changes the game
UCF trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh after Kansas State had pushed across two runs in the sixth.
John Smith III started the rally with a one-out single to center. After Andrew Williamson struck out, Zak Skinner singled through the left side and Javier Crespo walked to load the bases. Landon Moran then tied the game with an RBI single through the right side.
That brought Chucka to the plate as a pinch hitter.
UCF coach Rich Wallace said the Knights had been “revolving” the DH spot throughout the game, looking for the right matchup. When Kansas State went to Miles Smith, Wallace liked the idea of sending up Chucka.
“We were kind of using that DH spot, revolving, trying to pick the best matchup,” Wallace said. “I think lefties were hitting .380 off that guy. It’s a little tougher at-bat for right-handers.
“Chucka’s ready. These freshmen — Lodise, Chucka, Murray — at this point in the season, they’re no longer freshmen. They’ve been through this thing. We’re 40-something games in. They’re seven months, eight months into their career.
“That was a professional at-bat by Chucka. He knew exactly what he was looking for, got it and didn’t miss it. Couldn’t be a bigger swing than that.”
Chucka jumped the first pitch and drove it to left field, clearing the bases as Skinner, Crespo and Moran all scored. Chucka advanced to third on a throwing error and later came home on Jordan Lodise’s sacrifice fly, capping a five-run inning that put UCF ahead 8-4.
Chucka said the key was staying composed before the moment.
“First off, it just starts by being calm before you go up to the plate,” Chucka said. “Lopes pulled me aside and said, ‘I trust you. I believe you.’ We put in the work, and I’m glad it showed.”
Asked if he knew right away that he had driven the ball deep enough, Chucka smiled and said he put a good swing on it.
“Opposite-field juice is no joke,” he said. “I’ve got to hit the weight room a little more. But I thought I put a pretty good swing on it, and obviously it showed.”
Lodise keeps showing more power
The night also continued a late-season surge for Lodise, who helped set the tone earlier in the game.
Kansas State struck first in the third inning when AJ Evasco homered to center off Mateo Gray. Lodise answered immediately in the bottom half, leading off with a solo home run to left field — his fourth of the season — to tie the game at 1-1.
Lodise said he had been working with assistant coach Norberto Lopez on staying in his legs and being more selective with the pitch he wanted to drive.
“Me and Lopez have been working on just getting in my legs more,” Lodise said. “That first at-bat, I swung through a slider, and then I was like, ‘All right, he’s got to come fastball here.’ So I was looking for something up, not chasing anything down, and that’s what I got.”
Wallace said Lodise’s growth has been obvious, especially for a freshman who has handled shortstop for nearly the entire season.
“To me, he’s not a freshman anymore,” Wallace said. “He’s been out there playing shortstop almost every inning of every game. The at-bats have become more mature.
“That was a really tough at-bat with the infield in and a big run at third base, and he fought his tail off to get an elevated pitch and drove it. The power’s always been there, but you’ve got to get the right pitch to slug, and he’s starting to do that.”
Lodise finished 2-for-3 with the home run, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. His sacrifice fly in the seventh scored Chucka and gave UCF a four-run cushion.
Lodise said Chucka’s swing made his job simpler.
“It just took a weight off my shoulders,” Lodise said. “Him coming up and having a clutch at-bat, clearing the bases, I just had to do a job, and that’s what I did.”
UCF’s offense keeps rolling
UCF finished with 15 hits, continuing a strong offensive stretch after scoring 34 runs in last weekend’s series at Baylor.
Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Moran went 3-for-4 with the game-tying RBI in the seventh. Skinner added two hits and an RBI. Austin Jacobs went 2-for-4 with his first triple of the season, while Williamson delivered the final big swing with a two-run homer in the eighth.
Williamson’s home run, his 12th of the season, came after Smith singled to left and pushed UCF’s lead to 10-4.
Chucka said the offense is starting to look like the group UCF believed it could be.
“It’s really good,” Chucka said. “We all know we’re capable as an offensive group to display that, and it’s really cool to see.”
Chucka said the biggest key has been UCF’s ability to stay ready for fastballs.
“Lopes always says if you’re ready for the fastball, you see all the other pitches,” Chucka said. “I think we’re really damaging fastballs and all the other pitches right now.”
Lodise pointed to the same theme.
“I think just controlling myself, breathing, having more faith and more control in myself, knowing that I can do whatever I want to, just trusting myself,” Lodise said. “Early in the season, I was swinging at a lot of stuff below the zone. Now it’s just pushing them up and picking my pitch that I want.”
Pitching staff works through traffic
Kansas State entered the series as one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the Big 12, and the Wildcats made UCF work throughout the night.
The Wildcats had eight hits, drew five walks, were hit by two pitches and stole two bases. Evasco went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored. Bear Madliak added a two-run homer in the ninth. Nick English drove in two runs, including a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and an RBI single in the sixth.
But UCF limited the damage enough.
Gray started and allowed two runs on four hits over 3.1 innings. Wallace said Gray was on a shorter leash as UCF continues to manage him physically down the stretch.
“He’s fine,” Wallace said. “There’s just that limit of how long we want to push him. We liked where the bullpen was. There’s probably a space in there where you worry about getting him hurt. He’s battling his tail off just to give us some outs.”
Wallace said the goal was to get Gray roughly 10 or 11 outs.
“That’s what we thought last week, too, just to shorten the game,” Wallace said. “He gave us a few more last week. They swung a little more early than Kansas State did. We got some double-play balls, but that’s where we’re at with him right now.”
Freshman Max Murray followed with 2.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Kevin Schoneboom earned the win, allowing one hit over 1.1 scoreless innings. Evan Jones worked the final two innings, allowing two runs — one earned — with three strikeouts.
Murray entered in the fourth with two runners on and one out, and while Kansas State scored once in the inning, he limited the damage. Schoneboom then helped stabilize the game after Kansas State reclaimed the lead in the sixth.
“He’s been great,” Wallace said of Murray. “The normal freshman ups and downs of the command and dealing with the emotions of big-time Big 12 games, but I’ve watched him grow up right there on the mound. Couldn’t be more proud of him.”
UCF also turned two double plays, including one in the first inning after Kansas State put its first two batters aboard.
“That’s a really good offensive club,” Wallace said of Kansas State. “We pitched out of some stuff. We’ve got our hands full the next two games. That’s an athletic, offensive club. We’re going to face a really good left-handed pitcher tomorrow, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Freshmen no longer playing like freshmen
The common thread Thursday was the continued growth of UCF’s freshman class.
Lodise homered and drove in two runs. Chucka delivered the swing of the game. Murray gave UCF needed outs out of the bullpen.
Wallace said all three have reached the point where the “freshman” label no longer really fits.
Chucka agreed.
“We’ve been together as a team for a long time, and we’re coming to the end of the season,” Chucka said. “The maturity — we’ve really matured as freshmen. Before, in the summer, working out and stuff, you could tell we were a bunch of freshmen. But now we’ve matured so much off the field and on the field.”
Lodise said the team’s trust has grown along with that.
“I feel like we’ve become closer as a team this year,” Lodise said. “We trust each other, trust the guy in front of us and behind us.”
Asked what “UCF Baseball” means to him, Lodise pointed to effort.
“Playing hard no matter what,” Lodise said. “You always hear Wally yell, ‘Get out of the box.’ A pop fly can turn into a double. Just playing hard no matter what.”
Another hometown moment for Chucka
Chucka’s latest big swing came in front of family and friends.
The freshman outfielder grew up in Oviedo, attended Hagerty High School, and said he has been a UCF fan for as long as he can remember. His walk-off single against Arizona earlier this season already gave him one signature moment. Thursday’s bases-clearing double gave him another.
“I’ve always been a UCF fan my whole life,” Chucka said. “My grandpa went here. It’s really cool to do that in front of all my home fans. A couple of my buddies were in the stands. My grandma and grandpa were here.
“It’s just a really cool experience that I’ve grown up here my whole life and get to play here every day.”
Asked how he would compare the Arizona walk-off with Thursday night’s double, Chucka said he puts them in the same category.
“They’re both really cool experiences, especially as a freshman,” Chucka said. “I think they’re the same. I just know I can do that, so it’s pretty cool.”
Chucka also credited UCF’s seniors for helping him adjust, specifically pointing to DeAmez Ross and Kris Sosnowski.
“DeAmez has had a really big impact on me, especially me being an outfielder, too,” Chucka said. “He’s driving me to be better every day. Kris Sosnowski, too. He’s had a big impact on me, even though he’s a pitcher. Me and him sit together on the bus. We pretty much talk every day, and he’s really helped me mature from being a freshman.”
Injury and availability updates
Wallace also provided several updates after the game.
He said starting pitcher Matt Sauser is close to returning after being unavailable in recent weeks.
“We’re close to getting him back,” Wallace said. “Maybe this weekend. If not, you’ll definitely see him in the conference tournament.”
On reliever Kris Sosnowski, Wallace said UCF is still working through his status.
“We’re still working out with Sos,” Wallace said. “We’ll see where that is.”
Wallace said pitcher Braden Smith, who suffered a facial fracture during his start against West Virginia, still has “a long way to go” but is making progress.
“I think he starts throwing pretty soon, playing catch,” Wallace said. “There’s at least an end to this thing at some point for him, and he’ll be back on the mound, whether that’s this year or next year. From what I saw in West Virginia to where he is now, and eventually getting to start playing catch and moving on with that, we’re very happy with that.”
Wallace said Smith’s leadership has continued to matter even while he has been sidelined.
“It’s great in the dugout. It’s great in the weight room with the guys,” Wallace said. “He’s a big part of that pitching staff.”
Wallace also praised Braden Calise, who is now in a dual role as infielder and pitcher, to help a depleted pitching staff.
“That’s Braden Calise,” Wallace said. “He’ll do anything for this team. He’s as unselfish as it gets. He came to us knowing we needed some help, and he’s a very capable pitcher. He’s going to factor in this thing on the field.”
Senior Knight on Friday
UCF will continue the series Friday night with Senior Knight at John Euliano Park.
The Knights are set to honor 14 seniors before the game, including Chandler Dorsey, Roman Kimball, Kevin Schoneboom, Kris Sosnowski, Zak Skinner, Mason Wilson, Braden Calise, Javier Crespo, Cayden Gaskin, Landon Moran, Noah Rabin, JD Rogers, DeAmez Ross and John Smith III.
Wallace said the group has helped UCF take another step in its third Big 12 season.
“This has been a really special group of seniors,” Wallace said. “Not all of them have been with us the whole time, but a couple of them have. Those guys that chose to be here and spend this year and help us do some different things in this league, they signed up to do this. They’ve started to do that.
“Couldn’t be more proud of that group.”
