Coming in at #24 on our Top 25 Portal Classes we have the University of Central Florida Knights, who after last season going 29-26 landed some big fish out of the portal this summer. Last season’s 9-21 conference record definitely wasn’t a great reflection of the standard this program is capable of. That being said, they really handled their out of conference schedule well and are poised for a big year in 2026.
Starting things off they added Stetson 1B Landon Moran, who in his three years as a Hatter hit .289 while collecting 34 doubles, 13 home runs, and knocking in 113 RBI. Landon, currently ranked #146 among portal players, is an offensive machine that looks to provide a ton of value with his bat. Even more importantly he is currently 31/32 on stolen bases which is just borderline mean to opposing catchers. He has a unique combo of power and speed, which also frees him up in terms of defensive options as well, where he can easily fill in about anywhere in the outfield.
Coming in at #262 in our player portal rankings is Lamar 3B Zak Skinner, who found his new home with the Knights over the summer as well. Personally I love this move for Zak, he is from Australia originally and even played some games with the Melbourne Aces of the ABL where he was teammates with Delmon Young before heading off to college. Over his two years at Lamar he hit .308 with 31 doubles and 15 home runs, while driving in 103 RBI.
South Alabama transfer John Smith III is another guy you will want to circle on the line up card for the Knights. Last season he primarily served as a DH and corner outfielder for the Jaguars, but his bat is definitely one you will want in the line up. In his lone season at South Alabama he hit .314 with 8 doubles and 7 home runs, while driving in 30 RBI. John started his collegiate career in the Juco ranks at Pensacola State where as a sophomore he hit .382 while leading the team with 31 extra base hits, 17 of them being doubles and 12 home runs. Last year his strike out numbers were up a tick but with a more disciplined approach he’s not the type of hitter guys are lining up to face.
On the pitching side of things they made a big addition picking up former South Carolina Gamecock RHP Roman Kimball. In his three collegiate seasons he’s pitched to a 7.22 ERA in 62.1 innings pitched in which he’s picked up 81 strikeouts. As a freshman back in 2022 he was a massive part of Notre Dame’s success making it all the way to Omaha, then he got Tommy John as a sophomore which seemed to have really affected his command. However, when this kid is on he is as good as it can get in college ball, as evident from his participation in a combined no-hitter in his Gamecock debut. All things considered he looks to be on the right path for a big 2026.
Another pitcher you will want to keep an eye out for is Stetson LHP Matthew Heyl. Last season for the Hatters Heyl held a 2.94 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched, where he picked up 24 strikeouts. Heyl is one of the more interesting pitchers in college baseball where he doesn’t try to over power hitters, he’s a true pitch to contact guy and a good reminder to those young ball players out there that good things happen when you throw the ball in the zone. He doesn’t try to get cute with it, a true here it is try and hit it approach, and when its coming from a funky lower lefty arm slot you can bet that’s a winning recipe.
There are a ton of other great additions to this Knights ball club for the 2026 season, we look forward to getting our first look over the next few weeks during Fall Ball!