Home » Eastern Florida State College Baseball Coach Jason Arnold Named Ninth-Best Male Athlete in UCF History

Eastern Florida State College Baseball Coach Jason Arnold Named Ninth-Best Male Athlete in UCF History

By  //  July 21, 2020

Arnold is the school's single-season record holder in strikeouts per nine innings with 15.73

Eastern Florida State College baseball coach Jason Arnold was named the ninth-best male athlete in UCF history. (UCF image)

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Jason Arnold was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2017

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida State College baseball coach Jason Arnold was named the ninth-best male athlete in UCF history.

The Top 100 list, produced by SB Nation, named Arnold the top baseball player and tied for ninth overall. The Melbourne High graduate was a four-time first-team All-Atlantic Sun performer, earned Freshman All-America in 1998, and was named All-American in 2001.

Arnold helped UCF win back-to-back regular-season Atlantic Sun titles and appear in back-to-back NCAA Regionals in 2000 and 2001.

He is UCF’s all-time leader in appearances (98), and is 2nd all-time in saves (27), wins (30), and strikeouts (330), along with placing 3rd in ERA (2.38).

He is also the school’s single-season record holder in strikeouts per nine innings with 15.73, set in 2000 (15.73). Arnold ranks in the top 10 at UCF in eight career pitching categories and 16 single-season categories. Arnold was inducted into UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

The decision not to bolt for the majors turned out to be one of the best decisions Jason Arnold made in his life. Returning for his senior season, Arnold helped lead UCF to a record-setting 53-win season. He was part of a team that over the span of four years saw 29 players selected in the MLB draft, five of them in the top four rounds, including Arnold himself.

“UCF has played an enormous part in shaping me into the man I am today. To be recognized as one of the top 10 male athletes and top baseball players of all time is more humbling than I can express,” Arnold said.

“It’s an honor to be placed amongst so many incredible athletes and advocates for the University of Central Florida.”

Arnold, who is entering his third season with the Titans, was drafted in the second round of 2001 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees and played in the Yankees’ and Oakland Athletics’ systems before landing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003.

With the Blue Jays, Arnold rose through AAA Syracuse and pitched at the MLB level twice in 2004 and 2005.

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Eastern Florida State College baseball coach Jason Arnold was named the ninth-best male athlete in UCF history. Arnold, who is entering his third season with the Titans, was drafted in the second round of 2001 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees and played in the Yankees’ and Oakland Athletics’ systems before landing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003.

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