ORLANDO- The 2003 season marks the 21st year that Jay Bergman has been at the helm of the UCF baseball program, and this year’s team should once again be among the nation’s elite. After winning two consecutive Atlantic Sun Championships and earning three straight invitations to the NCAA Championships, the 2003 Golden Knights are poised to return to the top of the Atlantic Sun along with another trip to the NCAA Championships. The Knights possess one of the nation’s best pitching staffs and along with several talented position players, UCF should be one of the top teams in the nation in 2003.
As with every good team in baseball, it all starts with pitching and defense, two facets of the game that UCF should excel in this season. “Our pitching will be our strength this season,” commented Bergman. “Hopefully our defense will continue to improve as the season goes along, but our pitching will be the anchor of the team.”
Pitching
UCF enters the season with one of the nation’s most consistent and talented pitching staffs after finishing the 2002 season 20th in the NCAA in ERA with a 3.83 mark. Despite the loss of four pitchers to the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft, including starter Bo Hall (10-0, 3.61 ERA in 2002) and the team’s closer Zach Sutton (4-1, 2.11 ERA), UCF returns two weekend starters in seniors Mark Michael and Lincoln Mincks.
Michael, a Second Team Atlantic Sun selection in 2002, was 7-4 with a 3.93 ERA last season. Michael made an immediate impact in the starting rotation for UCF after transferring from the University of Kentucky. Michael led UCF in innings pitched (89.1) and strikeouts (91) and is expected to be one of the top pitchers in the A-Sun in 2003.
Mincks, who also transferred to UCF last year, finished the 2002 campaign as one of the most consistent pitchers on the staff. The Iowa native ended the year 7-6 with a 3.74 ERA, including 55 strikeouts in 89.0 innings pitched. The return of Mincks and Michael to the weekend rotation for UCF gives the Golden Knights two of the top arms in the south.
Fellow senior Von David Stertzbach, will be making the switch from the bullpen to the starting rotation in 2003 after one of the best seasons in school history a year ago. Stertzbach was ninth in the nation with a 1.81 ERA in 2002 and finished the year 7-0. The 1.81 ERA was also the second-best single-season ERA in school history for Stertzbach, trailing only former All-American Justin Pope (1.68, 2001).
Stertzbach put together an All-American type season in 2002, totaling an impressive 80 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched. He also held opponents to a measly .229 batting average.
With these three senior arms in the weekend rotation, UCF should have the best starting weekend rotation in the conference and one of the nation’s elite weekend units.
Another pitcher who could vault his way into the weekend rotation is sophomore Taylor Cobb. The 6-6 right-hander is coming off one of the top summer seasons of any pitcher in the nation after he dominated the Shenandoah Valley League. Cobb, who missed the first part of the 2002 campaign with a chipped bone in his ankle, came on strong down the stretch for the Golden Knights and earned a critical win over rival Stetson in the A-Sun Championships.
In the Valley League, Cobb was the league’s top pitcher, finishing 4-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 42.1 innings pitched. Baseball America honored Cobb as the fifth-best prospect out of the Valley League for his efforts and is expected to carry that momentum right into 2003.
If Cobb does not start on the weekends for UCF, he will be a key member of the bullpen. Another pitcher who could see time both in the starting rotation and out the bullpen is junior Andrew Daly. Daly, who will make his UCF debut in 2003, has all the tools to fill the role Stertzbach held coming out of the bullpen last year. He is also versatile enough to pay dividends in the starting rotation.
Another key member of the bullpen will be senior Nick Whidden. After transferring from Florida State last season, Whidden was a valuable contributor out of the bullpen in 2002 and should once again play an important role. Whidden could be used in either a set-up role or in long relief.
The closer spot in the bullpen looks to be in good hands with sophomore Matt Fox. A sixth round draft selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of high school, Fox has all the tools to become a dominant closer in the UCF bullpen. After adjusting to the collegiate level as a freshman, Fox was terrific in the fall for the Golden Knights and should be ready to go in 2003. Fox has the best fastball of any pitcher in the A-Sun and one of the top arms in the nation.
Two left-handers who will be counted on in late-inning situations include redshirt freshman Brian Perkins and sophomore transfer Jamie Douglas. Douglas is a hard-throwing southpaw who can pitch effectively to both right-handers and left-handers.
Junior Burt Clark (6-5, 250) is another big southpaw who has big-game experience for UCF. He has started games in the A-Sun and NCAA Championships during his career. The versatile Clark will be used either out of the bullpen or as a mid-week starter. In addition, he could see time in the field at first base, in the outfield, or as designated hitter.
Several other freshmen could also see time on the hill including Mike Billek, Kyle Bono, Rob Braleski, Chris Granino, and Ryan Ramsey along with senior walk-on David Torres.
Catcher
With the loss of seniors Jeremy Frost and George Cox to the Major League Baseball Draft, UCF will turn to a pair of talented freshmen to take the reigns behind the dish. Freshman Drew Butera, a local product from Bishop Moore High School, along with Ryan Bono from Lake Mary High School should give UCF two catchers with excellent defensive skills.
Butera comes from an excellent baseball family as his father Sal played professionally for the Blue Jays, Twins, Expos and Reds over his career. Butera was selected in the 48th round in last summer’s draft by the Blue Jays, but chose to come to UCF instead.
Bono is one of two sets of twins on this season’s roster. Ryan Bono is sound both with the glove and the bat, and he also swings the bat left-handed, giving Bergman and the Golden Knights the option to switch between himself and Butera.
Sophomore Tim Ford and freshman Jason Waganheim add depth to the position.
First Base
Senior Rich Wallace enters his fourth season in the program and will be the starter at first base. A leader on and off the field, Wallace will be a key contributor to the lineup as well as a solid defensive presence in the field.
Last year, Wallace hit .298 in 53 games with four home runs and 29 RBI. A career .316 hitter, Wallace will be key to the UCF offense in 2003.
Freshman Scott Williams (6-4, 215) is a big left-handed batter who will back-up Wallace at first. The freshman has plenty of power and will be a player to watch at UCF as his career moves along. Another freshman, Dave Lambert, also showed plenty of promise in the fall and could earn time at first or third base.
Second Base
Junior college transfer P.J. Lehmann will be the starter at second base for UCF when opening day rolls around. Lehmann brings a left-handed bat to the lineup and he showed in the fall that he can drive the ball well. The Miami native spent the last two seasons at Polk CC, where he lettered twice for head coach Johnny Wiggs.
Other options at second for UCF include freshman Jon Cooper or senior Nathan Kragt.
Shortstop
Matt Fox will be the opening day starter for the Golden Knights at shortstop, in addition to his closer duties. Last season, Fox appeared in 17 games at shortstop, backing up A-Sun Tournament MVP Mike Myers. Fox worked hard in the off-season to improve his defense, while also showing vast improvement at the plate.
Backing up Fox will be Jon Cooper. The freshman from Orlando can fill both roles at second base and shortstop with his excellent defensive skills. Cooper should see plenty of action as a rookie for the Golden Knights.
Third Base
Senior Nathan Kragt is scheduled to start at the hot corner for the Golden Knights. In his first season with the team in 2002, Kragt batted .256 in 30 games, making 16 starts. A strong defensive player, Kragt can make all the plays at third.
Drew Butera and Ryan Bono could also fill in at third as the season progresses.
Outfield
One of the strongest areas on the team is the outfield for the Golden Knights. Two Freshman All-Americans return in Dee Brown and Clay Timpner, along with senior Ryan Bear. Add in David Mann, who will spend most of the year at designated hitter, and UCF returns four starters from a year ago.
“Offensively, we will rely heavily on Dee Brown, Clay Timpner, and David Mann,” stated Bergman. “If our seniors, Rich Wallace and Ryan Bear have quality seasons, then our lineup will really have the balance and production we need to be successful,” added Bergman.
The offense all starts with Mann, who ranked 31st in the country and No. 1 in the A-Sun, with a .410 batting average a year ago. One of the nation’s best leadoff hitters, Mann is the sparkplug of the lineup. The Georgia native finished fifth in UCF single-season history with his .410 average in 2002 and should once again be one of the best hitters in the nation.
Brown had a remarkable freshman campaign in which he was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball News and Baseball America. The 2002 Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, Brown hit .397 with three home runs and 56 RBI. A remarkable athlete, Brown also plays football for the Golden Knights as a running back along with seeing some time at linebacker. Brown will be the starter in left field for UCF once the season begins.
In center, UCF has one of the nation’s best defensive players in Timpner. The freshman All-American was sensational in his first season in Orlando, hitting .364 with five home runs and 47 RBI. Timpner is a five-tool player who can do it all and should continue to get better and better as the season progresses.
Over in right, Ryan Bear returns after starting 26 games in 2002. Bear batted .283 last season with one home run and 16 RBI. Bear will be an important factor in the lineup hitting behind Timpner and Brown.
Two juniors, Blaine Schulte and Brian Steenson, have battled injuries throughout their careers, but add key depth to the outfield positions.
Schedule
The 2003 schedule is much more favorable for the Golden Knights as they play 34 games at the friendly confines of Jay Bergman Field. “It will be nicer than last year to play so many home games, especially with how young we are,” stated Bergman.
UCF opens the year Feb. 8-9 at home for a two-game series vs. Florida International. In addition to the series with the Golden Panthers, Western Kentucky, East Carolina, Bethune-Cookman, Pace, Toledo, Columbia, Monmouth and South Florida visit Jay Bergman field in non-conference action.
In the A-Sun, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Florida Atlantic, Campbell and Jacksonville visit Orlando while UCF will travel to Mercer, Samford, Belmont, Gardner-Webb, Troy State and Stetson in 2003. The only two non-conference road contests for UCF are games at Bethune-Cookman and South Florida.
Outlook
With the return of several key players along with the influx of several talented newcomers, UCF once again has all the tools to put together a championship season. Still, with the team’s youth, the large amount of home games will give the team a chance to gel and find its way with the new starters.
“We have a new catcher, shortstop and second baseman, so early in the year it will be important for those guys to get accustomed to the starting lineup,” said Bergman. “With the large number of home games, especially early in the year, it should ease the transition for that group.”
“The most important factor for us to have a successful season is if we play well defensively. We know our hitting will come around as the season moves along, like it always does for us. Still, we will need our pitching and defense to carry us this year.”
Taking in all of those factors, the 2003 campaign should be another memorable year in Orlando for the Golden Knights. Bergman has built a national contender at UCF as the Golden Knights have won at least 40 games in six of the last seven years in addition to earning three straight NCAA Championship invitations. With six A-Sun titles, including two consecutive crowns, another title could be looming for Bergman and company in 2003.