ORLANDO, Fla. (Interstat) — UCF hosts Kansas State in a Big 12 baseball matchup Saturday afternoon at Jay Bergman Field, with both teams looking to gain an edge in the final weeks of the regular season. The Knights (30-20) hold a three-game advantage over the Wildcats (27-24) in the overall win column, but Kansas State enters with momentum after a 5-4 win Friday evening to even the three-game series at one win apiece.

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. under clear skies and a temperature of 88 degrees.

UCF’s Camden Wicker (5-3, 4.12 ERA) will get the start after a rough outing Friday, when he allowed five earned runs on five hits over 6⅓ innings in the 5-4 loss. The right-hander has been dominant in other recent outings, tossing a seven-inning shutout against Utah on April 25 and a five-inning, no-hit performance against Baylor on May 9. He brings a 58.80 percent win probability from the Interstat ELO system, which projects a 6-1 UCF victory.

Kansas State will counter with a pitcher to be announced, but the Wildcats’ offense hinges on first baseman Ty Smolinski. The senior went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs in Friday’s win, his second multi-hit game in the last three contests. Smolinski has struggled with consistency this month, going hitless in three of his last five games, but he also drove in four runs against Kansas on April 26.

The Wildcats have lost seven of their last 10 games, including a 10-6 loss to UCF on Thursday. Kansas State’s pitching staff has surrendered at least five runs in six of those defeats. UCF, meanwhile, has won eight of its last 11, though the Knights blew a five-run lead Friday.

The series concludes Saturday. UCF leads the all-time Big 12 series since the schools became conference foes in 2024.