Tyler Kozera stood alongside Richard Wallace in the Dick Howser Stadium concourse following Central Florida’s 2024 NCAA Regional win over Stetson. Kozera was hours away from his first-ever collegiate start against No. 8 Florida State. The Knights needed a win to stave off elimination in the Tallahassee Regional. So Wallace offered up some words of encouragement.

Prior to the Big 12 Tournament, UCF pitching coach Drew Thomas made one thing clear to Kozera: they weren’t going to treat him like a freshman anymore. He’d only pitched 7.1 regular-season innings, yet his composure and poise was that of someone beyond his years.

Attempting to pump confidence into Kozera, Wallace asked him to repeat what Thomas told him just two weeks earlier. Puzzled by the question, Kozera produced a litany of responses — all of which were wrong. As if to give up, Wallace finally reminded him of the early proclamation. A once-serious talk turned into a lighthearted memory as the two laughed it off.

Though Wallace’s goal was concrete. Reinstill trust in a youthful Kozera ahead of his biggest outing ever.

The belief in Kozera paid off. He threw 3.1 scoreless innings against a star-studded Seminoles lineup. UCF fell 12-4 and its season ended, but Kozera’s start provided the foundation for a breakout summer. The hard-throwing righty tossed just 12 innings this spring due to a neck injury. Wanting to prove himself further as a starter, Kozera found himself with the Chatham Anglers. Now, he hopes to become a premier starter at UCF as a sophomore.

Despite just six bullpen appearances prior to the Tallahassee Regional, Kozera exhibited elite pitching qualities. His fastball velocity and aggressiveness provided him with the tools to be a go-to arm in high leverage spots for UCF late in the season. Wallace first floated the idea of Kozera starting during UCF’s run to the Big 12 Semifinals. Had the Knights made it past Oklahoma State, Kozera would’ve started the final.

Another concrete plan was put in place ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Wallace said if UCF were to play a fourth game, Kozera would start. Once the Knights defeated Stetson in an elimination game, Wallace confirmed it.

The first thing he did was call Kozera’s mother, Cheryl, to let her know he was getting his shot. Then he started to mentally prepare to face one of the best lineups in college baseball.

“I just told myself like you're meant to be in this position,” Kozera said.

The righty proved he belonged on the big stage. Kozera exited with one out in the fourth inning and UCF up 2-0. Florida State’s offense eventually woke up as the Seminoles ended UCF’s season. Though, Kozera had done his job. The outing concluded a freshman season full of twists and turns.

Kozera arrived on UCF’s campus as a raw talent, according to Thomas. Wallace aired similar sentiments saying they had to “refine some things.” But the talent was evident. An imposing figure at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Wallace said Kozera looked like a big leaguer. His mid-90 mile per hour fastball also elicited somewhat lofty expectations.

“He pitches with some hate to him,” Thomas said. “He's not scared to throw to anybody.”

Wallace aimed to harness Kozera’s talent into a starting role as a freshman. The head coach always displayed a sense of urgency with Kozera — even when recruiting him. Kozera briefly decommitted from UCF when it fired Greg Lovelady on May 27, 2023. Wallace got hired two weeks later and Kozera was one of his first calls.

The two met over Zoom with Kozera’s parents. A later conversation with Thomas made Kozera’s recommitment to the Knights “a no brainer,” Cheryl said.

Soon after Wallace’s hiring, summer sessions started and Kozera arrived ready to go. The initial adjustment to college baseball proved hard for Kozera. He didn’t have much structure to his routine, Thomas said, adding that Kozera was throwing too much and too hard.

Thomas said he put the reins on Kozera, ensuring he had an organized regimen. Kozera needed to throw bullpen sessions with a purpose, instead of aiming for maximum velocity.

It took time. But once Kozera matured, the results were evident. An impressive final start in the fall displayed to Wallace and the rest of his staff what Kozera was made of.

“From the beginning of the fall to the end of the fall, he was a completely different pitcher,” Wallace said.

Ahead of the spring season, Kozera had the chance to sneak into UCF’s rotation. Until he suffered a major setback. Kozera injured his neck while lifting weights in January. He knew something was wrong right away, but didn’t know the severity of it. A meeting with the trainer ensued and upon further evaluation, Kozera was ruled out for seven weeks.

“It sucked cuz because I was literally watching what I love most in front of me and not be able to be a part of it,” Kozera said.

The injury prevented him from throwing or lifting. It threatened his development after his growth during the fall. Instead, it did the opposite. Kozera started to appreciate baseball on a deeper level while on the sidelines. It made Kozera more committed and he realized he was ready to lay it all on the line.

UCF’s staff remained cautious with Kozera. They didn’t feel the need to rush him back and risk another injury. The right moment finally came on April 20 against Central Michigan. With a 17-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning, Kozera entered for his collegiate debut. The blowout created a low pressure situation for Kozera, whose heart rate wasn’t too high.

The same couldn’t be said for Cheryl.

“She thinks the world is crashing,” Kozera said. “She just loves me so much that she doesn't want anything to go wrong, so I don’t blame her.”

During Kozera’s debut, Cheryl paced around with each passing pitch, trying to calm herself down. Kozera didn’t give her anything to worry about, cruising through two shutout frames. As Cheryl made her way back to the family section, she broke down in tears, emotional at how far Kozera had come.

“It really dawned on me that this kid could be playing the sport for a very long time, if that's what he wants to do, because he's been blessed with the talent,” Cheryl said.

Across the final weeks of the season, Kozera earned appearances with higher stakes. The first of which came on April 30 against North Florida. UCF led 2-1 and Kozera replaced starting pitcher Tyler Nesbitt in the top of the fourth inning with two runners on and nobody out.

Kozera walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. He then forced a double-play groundout, but the tying run scored. Kozera received words of encouragement from his teammates in the dugout between innings.

The reassurance from his peers made Kozera feel comfortable. He finished the outing with zero earned runs in 2.2 innings and UCF pulled out a 6-2 win. From there, Kozera’s confidence only grew in his next few appearances. It was only exacerbated after the Florida State game. He finished with a 1.50 ERA in seven total games, striking out 10 batters.


That swagger carried over into the CCBL season. Playing on the Cape seemed to be an afterthought following his injury. But Wallace told Chatham manager Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger that he had a really talented freshman arm who he wanted to get Cape experience. Sheetinger agreed and Kozera joined the Anglers.

Initially a part of the bullpen, Kozera was up front with pitching coach Eric Beattie about wanting to start. Beattie said Kozera remained patient and waited his turn, eventually earning his first start — albeit in unexpected fashion.

On July 5, Kozera was lying in bed before receiving a phone call from Beattie.

“Are you ready to start tonight?” Beattie asked.

“Me?” Kozera responded.

Beattie soon revealed that Drake George — Chatham’s projected starter — had to leave unexpectedly. It left a void that Kozera had to fill. Without hesitation. Kozera let Beattie know he was ready.

“I'll give you everything I got,” Kozera said.

The righty threw 4.1 innings, allowing just one run while striking out four and helping Chatham to a 4-1 win over Cotuit. Kozera’s second start came six days later against Harwich was even more impressive.

He dominated the Mariners’ lineup through six frames, allowing a single run. Kozera did let up two home runs during the seventh inning, but they were late blemishes to a stellar outing. The 6.2-inning performance was the longest from a Chatham pitcher to that point.

Kozera left Chatham on July 22, but he made his mark with the Anglers. He had the most innings pitched (19.1) and produced the third most strikeouts (15) while accumulating a 4.19 ERA.

As he heads into his sophomore campaign, there are high expectations for Kozera among the UCF staff. Wallace and Thomas both see him as a potential weekend starter for UCF. Not because he’s the most experienced, but they feel Kozera is ready for the challenge.

“I don't think he's even close to being what he's going to be by the end of this thing, and I just want to see that continual growth from him,” Wallace said.