On Bono: Senior catcher who enters his first year as the full-time starter behind the dish ... split time behind the plate with Drew Butera for the previous three seasons ... intense competitor who is one of the team leaders ... excellent left-handed batter who always finds a way to get on base ... strong defensive skills behind the dish and at first base ... has continued to show marked improvement year-to-year in the program ... excellent receiver behind the plate who can also call a great game.
As a Junior (2005): Only player on the team to start in all 60 games ... made 43 starts at first base, 14 at catcher and three as the team[apos]s designated hitter ... hit .282 with four home runs and 44 RBI ... 18 multiple-hit games and nine multiple-RBI contests ... second on the team with a .433 on-base percentage ... hit by a pitch 18 times, a single-season school record ... two starts in the FIU series (Feb. 5-6) at first base ... broke out of a season slump vs. Le Moyne (Feb. 11-12) ... 2-for-2 with two runs scored in game one of the series (Feb. 11) ... 2-for-4 with a bases loaded double and four RBI in game two of the series (Feb. 11) ... 2-for-4 with a run scored vs. Florida A&M (Feb. 18) ... two RBI and two hits in 6-5 victory at Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 22) ... also walked and scored a run vs. the Wildcats, while also making several terrific defensive plays at first base ... 1-for-2 with a run scored and RBI vs. Monmouth (Feb. 26) ... 2-for-3, two RBI, two runs and a home run at Bethune-Cookman (Mar. 1) ... hit .357 for the series vs. Campbell (Mar. 11-12) ... drove in seven runs for the series ... hit UCF[apos]s first grand slam since 2002 in game two of the series (Mar. 12) ... 2-for-4 with run scored in series opener at Gardner-Webb (Mar. 18) ... drove in three runs and had two hits in game two of the Gardner-Webb series (Mar. 18) ... career-high four hits at No. 11 Florida (Mar. 22) ... 2-for-3 with a double vs. Jacksonville (Mar. 26) ... finished the series with 2-for-4 performance vs. the Dolphins (Mar. 28) ... 3-for-4 with four runs scored at Stetson (April 2) ... 2-for-2 with a two-run single vs. Lipscomb (April 9) ... 2-for-4 with a two-run home run at Troy (May 6) ... two hits and a run scored in the series finale vs. the Trojans (May 8) ... game-winning RBI-single in 3-2 victory over Georgia State (May 13) ... hit by a pitch in the ninth inning with the bases loaded to tie the Mercer game at five (UCF won 6-5) on May 19 ... solo home run vs. the Bears (May 21).
As a Sophomore (2004): Third on the team with .316 batting average ... played in all 65 games, starting 64 ... .428 on-base percentage to lead the team ... 16 HBP tied for tops in UCF single-season history ... played in both games, starting one, in the season opening series at Florida International (Feb. 7-8) ... 1-for-3 with two runs scored in the 2004 opener (Feb. 7) ... 1-for-2 with a run scored and pinch hit in the second game of the FIU series ... 2-for-4 in the series opener vs. #2 LSU (Feb. 13) ... closed out the LSU series (Feb. 15) with another two hits and a run scored ... 1-for-3 with a RBI and run scored at Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 17) ... 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI vs. Utah (Feb. 20) ... walked twice and scored a run vs. Utah (Feb. 21) ... 2-for-5 in series opener vs. Monmouth (Feb. 27) ... 2-for-3 with RBI-double and run scored vs. the Hawks (Feb. 29) ... 1-for-2 with a double in series finale at Lipscomb (Mar. 6) ... 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and career-high four RBI vs. Gardner-Webb (Mar. 12) ... 2-for-3 with a RBI and run scored vs. Wagner (Mar. 16) ... 2-for-3 with a three-run home run vs. the Seahawks (Mar. 17) ... the home run was his first career homer at Jay Bergman Field ... hit .700 in the Stetson series (Mar. 26-27) ... 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in the series opener vs. the Hatters (Mar. 26) ... 3-for-3 with a run in game two of the Hatter series (Mar. 27) ... 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored vs. Bethune-Cookman (Mar. 30) ... 2-for-4 with career-high four runs scored in game one of the Jacksonville series (Apr. 3) ... 2-for-4 in series finale at No. 24 Florida Atlantic (Apr. 10) ... 2-for-4 at USF (Apr. 13) ... led UCF with .667 batting average in Troy State series (May 1-2) ... also drove in five runs in three games vs. the Trojans ... 2-for-4 with three RBI including a two-run triple in the series finale (May 2) ... the effort vs. TSU garnered Bono his first A-Sun Player-of-the-Week award (May 3) ... 2-for-3 with a RBI at No. 13 Clemson (May 7) ... game-winning RBI with perfect suicide squeeze bunt in eighth inning at No. 13 Clemson (May 8) ... 1-for-3 with two RBI in series opener vs. Mercer (May 14) ... 2-for-4 with RBI and run scored in series finale vs. the Bears (May 15) ... hit .400 for the Mercer series ... 2-for-5 with a run scored in series finale at Georgia State (May 22) ... 2-for-5 with a pair of runs vs. Troy State (May 28) ... career-high five RBI in extra-inning victory vs. #24 Oklahoma State in NCAA play (June 6) ... drilled a walk-off, game-winning three run home run vs. the Cowboys.
As a Freshman (2003): Earned time in 46 games including 29 starts ... split time between catcher and designated hitter ... hit .265 for the season with one home run and 14 RBI ... collected his first collegiate hit in his first start vs. Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 11) ... also stole a base and collected a walk vs. the Wildcats ... 1-for-1 with a RBI-double and run scored vs. Western Kentucky (Feb. 15) ... 1-for-3 with a run scored at Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 18) ... also formed UCF[apos]s first twin-brother battery when his brother Kyle came in to pitch in the sixth inning and he was in at catcher ... had a terrific series vs. East Carolina, leading all UCF regulars with a .500 batting average ... was 4-for-8 with a double, triple and RBI in three games against the Pirates ... 2-for-2 with a career-best three runs scored in the series finale vs. Monmouth (Mar. 2) ... 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit, RBI-double at Samford (Mar. 21) ... 1-for-2 with a run scored in the third game of the Jacksonville State series (Mar. 29) ... career-high three hits in the series opener vs. Campbell (Apr. 4) ... also scored two runs and drove in a pair vs. the Fighting Camels ... 1-for-1 with a clutch, pinch-hit RBI-single vs. Belmont (Apr. 11) ... 2-for-4 with a RBI-double and run scored in an 8-3 win over #15 Florida Atlantic (Apr. 18) ... 1-for-2 with a RBI-single in the series finale vs. FAU (Apr. 19) ... 1-for-2 with a two-RBI double vs. Bethune-Cookman (Apr. 22) ... key RBI-single in the series finale at Gardner-Webb (Apr. 28) ... 1-for-2 with a RBI and run scored at Charleston Southern (Apr. 29) ... recorded a hit in every game of the Troy State series to extend hitting streak to a career-best eight games ... drilled first collegiate home run in the series finale vs. the Trojans (May 4).
Prior to UCF: Talented athlete at Lake Mary High School who lettered three years in baseball and two years in basketball ... was coached by Allen Tuttle ... named all-state, all-conference and all-county as a junior and senior ... finished prep career with a batting average of .395 ... hit .462 as a senior ... key member of the nation[apos]s fifth-ranked team according to Baseball America as a senior ... also an honor roll student at Lake Mary in addition to taking part in the psychology club and in peer counseling.
Personal: Ryan Ellis Bono was born June 29, 1983 in Florence, Ala. ... son of Michael and Sheila Bono ... has two brothers Mickey (28) and Kyle (21) along with a sister, Kim (26) ... brother Kyle played at UCF from 2003-04 before getting drafted in the eighth round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 MLB Draft ... father played at Murray State from 1970-73 ... also considered Florida, Florida Atlantic, Air Force and Tulane during the recruiting process ... a liberal studies major.
Bono[apos]s Year-By-Year StatisticsYr.Avg.G-GSABRH2B3BHRRBI2003.26546-29981426711142004.31665-6421533681612432005.28260-602093959150444Totals.293171-153522861533827101