For the young ballplayers who recently accepted their high school diplomas, the decision is now whether to start collegiate playing careers or join minor league baseball teams. For current underclassmen hailing from nearby, the decision is a similar one to make.

Three student-athletes are poised to compete at the track and field championships this week… A former men’s soccer goalkeeper made his pro debut last month… The baseball squad had five selected to C-USA postseason teams while the softball team landed six…

UCF senior baseball players Shane Brown, Chris Duffy, Matt Goodyear, Matt Manning and Cory Weech will make their final home appearance as Knights on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. against Florida Atlantic (31-19) at Jay Bergman Field. UCF is 31-21 overall.

A total of eight former UCF baseball players are enjoying life in the professional ranks this April. The Knights are represented at the Major League level by Drew Butera, while four other former players are competing at the Double-A level or higher in 2010.

With the start of the Major League Baseball season underway a handful of former UCF Knights have found a home with a number of organizations, including three – Drew Butera, Mike Maroth and Matt Fox – with the Minnesota Twins.

It suddenly seems as though March 9 was a long time ago for the UCF baseball team. the Knights avenged a 19-2 defeat at the hands of mighty Miami by shocking the No. 12 Hurricanes, 6-3, on Tuesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables.

It wasn’t long ago that left-handed pitchers Brian Adkins and Steven Ewing were throwing everything they had at opposing batters as seniors at University High School. On Tuesday night they each took the mound when Miami visited the UCF Knights.

While batting fourth in UCF’s lineup Beau Taylor went 8-for-12 with two home runs, five runs scored and five RBI over the weekend. He was then named C-USA Baseball Hitter of the Week for the first time in his young collegiate career.