A.J. Jones, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher who spent the past two seasons at Jacksonville University, announced Tuesday that he has committed to UCF Baseball as a graduate transfer.

It's a big addition for Greg Lovelady's program as Jones brings a wealth of experience to the mound. The Sarasota native was the Dolphins' top weekend starter in 2019, finishing with team-best marks among starters in ERA (3.30), WHIP (1.21) and opposing batting average (.234).

UCFSports.com caught up with Jones shortly after he made his announcement.

"I'll be forever thankful for Jacksonville," Jones said. "I first went to FAU for a year, then left to go to (State College of Florida) in order to be a starter. I went to JU from there and those coaches really helped me develop. I'm very thankful for that."

Jones graduated from JU earlier this spring with a degree in sports business administration. He made the decision to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal around that time, interested in what options might be out there for a final season.

"There's some really bad times right now, but there's opportunity that came out of it," Jones said. "When I had entered the portal, the only Florida school I wanted to go to was UCF. So I was very excited when they got in touch."

He was on the verge of committing to an out-of-state program, but immediately shelved those plans when he learned UCF may have a spot for him.

"I wanted to play on a bigger platform that UCF offers," Jones said. "They have a very well respected coaching staff, especially Coach (Nick) Otte. I know pitchers everywhere want to work with him. I'm very lucky to have that opportunity. I played against UCF this past year. I threw very well until my last inning. I just really liked the place. I loved the way the guys played. I loved the atmosphere. Everything was cool about it. It all worked out."

Not only did Jones pitch at UCF twice, he also attended a home game during the 2018 season when was in junior college.

"I came up to watch UCF host Florida," he said. "The atmosphere was so cool in that stadium. It was packed. A really close game that UCF ended up winning. It's such a great opportunity for me. I'm really excited."

He spent the end of last week talking to Otte as well as hitting coach Ted Tom, then made the commitment official on Tuesday during a call with Lovelady.

"They're really excited and so am I," Jones said. "They recruit a specific style, really good players that get it done academically as well as conduct themselves professionally. (Lovelady) said that I fit what they're looking for. We'll be a good mix. They're real aggressive on the baseball field and very well respected. I didn't think I'd be staying in Florida for baseball, so this is great for me."

It remains to be seen what impact the upcoming MLB Draft will have on UCF's roster. This year's draft will only be five rounds, but teams are permitted to sign an unlimited number of free agents. Regardless, Jones should have an excellent chance to factor into the weekend rotation.

"I think they were looking for someone in a starting role who has a lot of experience on the mound already," Jones said. "I believe their Sunday starter (Joe Sheridan) has entered the portal, so that's one spot open. I know they could have a couple guys drafted too. I just want a chance to compete."

As a junior at JU in 2019, Jones started 15 weekend games and was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week on two occasions. One of those awards followed an impressive outing against Lipscomb in which Jones was "perfect" much of the way.

"The first batter of the game got a hit off me, then I didn't allow another base runner until the ninth inning with two outs. So I basically threw perfect for eight and two-thirds innings. It was a cool moment. 10 strikeouts and a two hitter. I retired 25 batters in a row."

What's his best pitch?

"My changeup for sure," Jones said. "It's been my bread and butter since high school."

Jones already has friends on the UCF team. He played travel ball with fellow pitcher Trevor Holloway, Ben McCabe was his high school catcher and Josh Crouch his JUCO catcher. McCabe served as a good source of information as Jones was researching the program.

"(McCabe) feels I'd fit in with the team really well," Jones said. "He's real happy I'm coming. He's always been super supportive."

As a senior at JU, Jones was initially unsure what his future would hold and wondered if he had played his final collegiate game when the season ended prematurely due to the pandemic. He was thankful the NCAA made the decision to grant players an additional year of eligibility and is super excited he'll get do it at UCF.

UCF's 2020 team, ranked in the top 15 when everything shut down, had a chance to be the best team in school history. Jones hopes he can help the Knights pick up where they left off.

"UCF has been a team on the rise for the last five years or so and they're getting there now," Jones said. "They're at the point where they can compete with the best in the country. I want to help the team make a big run. Winning the conference, winning a regional, playing in a Super and getting to the College World Series. That would be really cool."