Nov. 9, 2004
ORLANDO - UCF head coach Jay Bergman announced the Golden Knights' 2005 schedule Tuesday. On the 56-game slate includes 13 games vs. teams that qualified for the 2004 NCAA Championships and a two-game home series vs. Notre Dame.
"The schedule is challenging and is interesting for our fans," stated UCF head coach Jay Bergman. "We have a good, solid non-conference schedule and as always a strong A-Sun schedule of games."
Bergman will begin his 23rd season at the helm Saturday, Feb. 6 at home vs. Florida International. The two-game series with the Golden Panthers marks the fifth straight season UCF has opened vs. FIU.
The following weekend UCF visits national power LSU for a three-game series Feb. 11-13 in Baton Rouge. Last year, the Tigers won a close series two games to one over the Golden Knights at Jay Bergman Field.
Another one of the nation's elite teams is on the docket Feb. 19-20 when Notre Dame makes its first visit to Jay Bergman Field. UCF played in South Bend for a brief two-game series last season.
For the first time since 1999, UCF will face Florida Mar. 22 in Gainesville. UCF also has USF, Florida A&M, Monmouth, Bethune-Cookman, Siena, St. Joseph's and Columbia on its non-conference schedule in 2005.
In the Atlantic Sun, the Golden Knights have home series vs. Campbell, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, Florida Atlantic and Georgia State. On the road in the conference, UCF visits Stetson, Belmont, Gardner-Webb, Troy and Mercer.
In 2005, the Atlantic Sun will play three nine-inning games, with some series lasting three days while select series will still be played over two days.
The Golden Knights have 13 position players returning and 11 pitchers back from last year's 47-18 club that reached the regional championship at Florida State. Ranked No. 25 in the final Collegiate Baseball News Top 30 rankings, the Golden Knights won the A-Sun regular season championship with a 24-6 league mark in 2004.