Rich Wallace and UCF Baseball just scored one of the top freshmen in the transfer portal.
Chase Krewson, an outfielder who helped Duke win an ACC Championship, announced his commitment to the Knights on Monday. He's already ranked as a top 50 prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft class.
"I'm super grateful to have an opportunity like this," Krewson told UCFSports.com. "I feel like UCF is the place where I can reach my full potential."
The native of Bridgeville, Penn., has a longtime connection to Wallace. In fact, he was one of the first players Wallace recruited when he joined Link Jarrett's Notre Dame staff in the summer of 2019. Krewson would later commit to the Fighting Irish that December.
"My eighth grade summer is when I first interacted with Coach Wallace who then was the recruiting coordinator at Notre Dame," Krewson said. "We built a relationship over that summer and fall. He brought me to a camp in the winter and I committed around that time.
"He's a great guy. He's real easy to build a relationship with. Super down to earth. You can tell how much he cares about the players. I had been verbally committed to him my freshman year, but when they had the coaching change at Notre Dame I ended up reopening my recruitment."
Jarrett and Wallace departed South Bend in June 2022 to help revive the Florida State baseball program. It was at that point Krewson decided to change his commitment to Duke.
Krewson had a phenomenal debut for the Blue Devils. Appearing in 46 games, he became a regular starter by conference play, finishing third on the team with a .331 batting average to go along with a .417 on base percentage and .469 slugging percentage. He was mostly a singles hitter, but did exhibit some power with five home runs and three doubles.
Duke, which finished the season with a 40-20 record, swept pool play of the ACC tournament with wins against Virginia Tech and NC State, beat Miami in the semifinals and then blasted Florida State 16-4 in the championship game.
There was thought Duke could be in the running for a No. 1 seed and regional host, but they ended up as a No. 2 seed in the Oklahoma NCAA Regional. They lost their opening game to UConn 4-1, beat Oral Roberts and then were eliminated by the Sooners (UConn went on to win the regional).
"It was a really good year of growth for me, not just as a player but as a person," Krewson said. "I was more independent living on my own away from home, being away from all the people who had supported me my whole life in Pittsburgh. I was getting a lot of extra reps in the cages, learning what I needed to focus on with my swing, trying to understand what makes me ready going into a game vs. what to stay away from.
"It was a really good year. I really enjoyed playing with my teammates at Duke. It was a special year. We won the ACC Championship. That was an awesome moment for me. I love winning."
Krewson, who played left field, earned a reputation for having a big arm. He was responsible for eight outfield assists, including throwing out three runners at the plate between the ACC and NCAA Tournament.
"I didn't expect guys to keep running on me," Krewson said. "They chose to, which ended up being a benefit for me. I'll take those whenever they come. Throughout high school, I was known for having a good arm, so to be able to put it on display at this level was super awesome. Maybe teams will note that in the scouting report from now on."
It was on the drive home from Durham to Pennsylvania that Krewson, in consultation with his father Rick, decided he would be best served exploring his options in the transfer portal.
"My dad was my travel ball coach my entire life and was super helpful with this transfer portal recruitment process because it can be kind of chaotic," Krewson said. "I really appreciate everything my father has done for me throughout my whole baseball career. I was pretty open when I went in the portal. I was immediately contacted by Big 12, ACC and SEC schools. Coach Wallace called me that first day and it kind of took off from there."
Krewson was obviously aware Wallace was now a head coach and had just wrapped up his first season at his alma mater UCF. The Knights exceeded all expectations in their first Big 12 season, earning their first NCAA Regional bid since 2017.
"I would occasionally see stuff on social media about UCF's season," Krewson said. "With Florida State being in the ACC, I knew UCF was going to that regional. I know they had a great year under Coach Wallace. I wasn't surprised. He's a great leader. I think it seemed like the players really wanted to play for him."
Krewson and his father flew down from Pittsburgh last weekend on an unofficial visit.
"It was basically the same as a high school recruiting visit," Krewson said. "We flew down at like 7:30 in the morning and got the day started. We all met Coach Wallace and got to meet the other guys on staff. We took a tour of the facility, the baseball stadium and then we went around campus.
"We discussed things with the coaches, just planning a map for the future on where I would be."
By the end of the day, Krewson was ready to commit.
"I let the coaching staff know before I left," Krewson said. "It was super awesome. Like I said, Coach Wallace is a real down to earth person. He's super excited for me and the program. I gave him a hug. There's really a lack of words to describe it. I'm super grateful for him that he's giving me this opportunity to represent this university and having trust in me.
"The other coaches were super excited too. I had a good conversation with Coach (Ted) Tom. He gave me a bear hug when he heard the news. Coach (Norberto) Lopez wasn't there, but later that evening I got a call from him. He was super ecstatic too. They all seem to be great coaches."
Krewson can play any outfield spot, but he has his eye on center field.
"My goal is to play center field," he said. "I've been a center fielder for most of my life. I feel like with my skill set out there, that's where I can thrive the most. It's a comfortable spot for me. I can also be a leader in the outfield, whether it's communication or picking guys up."
He'll soon make his way to the Cape Cod League where he'll play for the Falmouth Commodores.
"I'm super excited," Krewson said. "All the older players at Duke would tell me how special of an experience it was. I can't wait to see what it's all about and face the best of the best."
He'll then head down to UCF in August to begin his sophomore year.
"I already won an ACC Championship," Krewson said. "I want that Big 12 Championship next. The ultimate goal of any college baseball player is to go to Omaha and compete for a National Championship. Coach Wallace and I share that vision and I want to be a part of that. I'll do anything I can to help my teammates and will put in the extra work to help this university reach this goal of going to Omaha."
