The No. 4 national seed Auburn Tigers kept their hopes alive Sunday night at Plainsman Park, defeating the UCF Knights 9-3 to advance to the NCAA Auburn Regional final and set up a rematch against Milwaukee.
In a game that began with multiple weather delays and a late start, Auburn persevered with a strong start by Alex Petrovic and another offensive explosion to secure the victory.
Petrovic delivered a dominant outing, settling in after a shaky start to pitch six solid innings and give Auburn exactly what it needed on the mound to win the game. Ryan Hetzler then followed with a three-inning relief appearance to close out the game and seal the vital win, pushing Auburn further.
“[Petrovic] started a little slow and finally got settled,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “Alex was tremendous for us, getting us to six innings and turned the ball over to Hetzler in one of his best outings of the year. Just being able to get through the seventh, eighth and ninth to close it down.”
Auburn’s defense also had key moments throughout the night to keep the Tigers’ lead intact, including a highlight-worthy catch from Cade Belyeu that shut down a potential scoring opportunity for UCF.
“Cade Belyeu probably saved a runner, too, on an amazing catch,” Thompson said. “Chris Rembert had another one and Chase Fralick was great all the way around. Just being our catcher and running our pitching staff and having a big night at the plate as well.”
After UCF struck first with a leadoff solo home run by DeAmez Ross to take an early lead, the Tigers fought back as Mason McCraine put Auburn on the board, then Chase Fralick knocked two home runs, the first of the night traveling 440 feet. Belyeu and Taylor Belza also homered as Auburn’s offense continued its dominance.
Chris Rembert also added insurance runs to the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly, helping Auburn push through a long game that involved rain and lightning delays.
UCF head coach Rich Wallace praised his team’s effort and perseverance despite the loss.
“Congratulations to Auburn, they played a heck of a game,” Wallace said. “Our kids competed. They competed for the last two months as hard as any team I’ve ever coached and couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”
For the Knights, catcher Zak Skinner provided a bright spot offensively by hitting a solo home run.
“I was just trying to do damage with something I could hit hard, and I was lucky enough to get a good one,” Skinner said.
Ross reflected on the tight-knit bond shared by UCF’s baseball program throughout the 2026 season.
“This has definitely been one of my favorite teams of all time. The team camaraderie and our bonding has been on the next level,” Ross said. “I’m going to miss this team so much because they were the reason why I showed up to the field with a smile ready to get after it. I just wanted to play one more game with them, every single day, and every single practice.”
With the win, Auburn advances to face Milwaukee in the regional final. The Tigers will have to beat the Panthers twice to earn the Auburn Regional title and move on to the Super Regional round.
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Lila is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. She started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
