March 27, 2006
UCF-Stetson Game Notes in PDF Format
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ORLANDO - UCF hosts local rival Stetson Tuesday evening at Jay Bergman Field. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
? The Golden Knights (16-11) won two of three games over the weekend at TCU. The series marked the first three-game set on the road for the Golden Knights in 2006.
? TCU was picked to win the Mountain West Conference in the MWC coaches' preseason poll. The Horned Frogs won the Conference USA Tournament title in 2005, their last season as a member of C-USA.
? UCF has won six of its last seven games, including three victories on the road. The Golden Knights played all four games away from home last week, going 3-1.
? UCF is batting .292 as a team with 13 home runs and 149 RBI. The Golden Knights are averaging 6.03 runs per game and have stolen 35 bases in 45 attempts.
? On the mound, UCF has a team ERA of 3.76 in 242 innings. The Golden Knights allow 4.37 runs per game and have totaled 231 strikeouts on the season. Opponents are batting .234 vs. UCF.
? Tuesday's game vs. Stetson will air live on the UCF ISP Sports Network. Marc Daniels will call all of the action on WQTM-740 The Team beginning at 6:15 p.m. with the pregame show.
? Audio of the Stetson game is available on UCFAthletics.com as part of the "Golden Knights All-Access" package.
Inside the Stetson Series
? UCF has played Stetson more than any opponent in school history. The Golden Knights lead the series 59-44.
? The Golden Knights are 5-6 in their last 11meetings vs. the Hatters. Last season, the two teams split the season series 2-2.
? Stetson topped UCF 4-3 March 7 at Melching Field in DeLand. It marked the first non-conference game between the two schools since 1992.
The Book on Stetson
? The Hatters of Stetson University enter Tuesday's game with an overall record of 12-14, including a 3-6 mark in the Atlantic Sun. The Hatters lost two of three over the weekend at home to Lipscomb in conference action.
? Stetson was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Sun in both the coaches and media preseason polls. The Hatters, 35-28 in 2005, were picked to finish behind Florida Atlantic in both preseason polls.
? The Hatters won the 2005 Atlantic Sun tournament title with a 7-3 victory over Florida Atlantic in the championship game. Stetson returns seven position starters and seven pitchers from its championship club.
? Stetson is batting .288 as a team with 12 home runs and 128 RBI. On the mound, the Hatters own a team ERA of 4.30 in 228 innings.
? Opponents are batting .265 vs. Stetson. The Hatter pitching staff has totaled 179 strikeouts and only 74 walks in 2006.
? Only three regulars are batting over .300 for head coach Pete Dunn. Chris Johnson leads the way with a .398 batting average. Johnson has three home runs and 21 RBI in 26 games this season.
? Dunn is in his 27th season as head coach of the Hatters. He has an all-time record of 976-594-3 at Stetson.
Starting on the Mound for UCF
? Freshman left-hander Mitch Houck gets the start on the mound Tuesday for the Golden Knights. The Weston, Fla., native is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in six appearances, including three starts in 2006.
? Houck has pitched well of late, going 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in his last three starts. He has 17 strikeouts and only four walks in 16.1 innings of work over his previous three starts.
? For the season, Houck has 20 strikeouts in 19.1 innings.
The Dominator
? Senior closer Dominic Petracca has been nearly untouchable to start the 2006 campaign. The Sanford native has appeared in 15 games and totaled seven saves, while posting a perfect 2-0 record and 0.00 ERA.
? In 21.2 innings, Petracca has yielded 10 hits, one unearned run and opponents are batting .141 against him.
? He has registered 21 strikeouts and only one walk in 15 games.
? In the Stony Brook series, Petracca saved all three games, including two one-run wins. He struck out the side on 13 pitches in the series-opening 1-0 victory on Feb. 24.
? Petracca is tied for sixth in UCF single-season history with seven saves. Jason Arnold owns the single-season record with 12 saves, set in 1998.
Marching in the Right Direction
? UCF is 12-5 in the month of March after starting the season with a 4-6 mark in February.
? The Golden Knights are a season-high five games over the .500 mark entering the Stetson game.
? UCF is batting .314 as a team in the month of March. Seven starters are hitting over .300, led by freshman OF Dave DiNatale's .344 average.
? On the mound, UCF has a team ERA of 2.65 in March. Opponents are batting .219 vs. the Golden Knights during the month.
Help is on the Way
? UCF's bullpen has been terrific over the last 17 games. The bullpen is 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA in 64.1 innings of work.
? The unit has allowed just 48 hits and opponents are batting only .214 vs. the Golden Knight relievers.
? The bullpen has totaled 66 strikeouts and 21 walks during the 17-game streak.
? Junior Derek Abriola has been pitching the best baseball of his career over the 17-game stretch. The Orlando native has thrown 21.1 innings and totaled 24 strikeouts during the span, including a 2.11 ERA. Opponents are batting .159 against him.
Instant Impact
? UCF freshman C Steve Stropp has made an instant impact offensively for the Golden Knights. Despite only playing in 17 games, including 14 starts, Stropp leads the team with 19 RBI.
? Stropp is batting .322 with two doubles and a team-high four home runs. He has scored 16 runs and owns a .559 slugging percentage.
? He set a career-high with four hits in a 5-2 victory over Wagner, including a three-run home run. He tied a career-high with four RBI.
? Opponents have stolen just two bases in six attempts with Stropp behind the plate.
Records Were Made to Be Broken
? UCF set or tied four school records in its 23-2 triumph over Monmouth March 3 at Jay Bergman Field.
? The Golden Knights hit 10 doubles, breaking the old mark of eight set against Louisiana-Lafayette in 1996.
? Dave DiNatale tied a UCF record with four doubles vs. the Hawks. He joined Dustin Brisson in the UCF record books with four two-baggers in a game.
? The Golden Knights scored 10 runs in the second inning, a new school mark for second inning runs.
? UCF also registered nine hits in the second frame, a new school record.
Home Field Advantage
? UCF is in its sixth season of play at Jay Bergman Field. The Golden Knights are 137-49 all-time at the friendly confines, including a 28-8 record in 2005.
Take Three for the Team
? Kiko Vazquez was hit by a pitch three times in the series opener vs. Wagner, which tied a single-game record at UCF.
? Current volunteer assistant coach Rich Wallace was also hit by a pitch three times in a game in 2002 vs. Tempe. Wallace owns the UCF career record after getting hit by a pitch 46 times during his four-year career.
? Vazquez was hit five times during the series vs. Wagner. He has been hit by a pitch seven times in 2006, tops on the team.
Terrific Tyson
? Tyson Auer has turned into an offensive force in his sophomore season at UCF. The Lake Mary native is first on the team with a .344 batting average.
? Auer also leads the club in triples (4), runs (18) and is tied for the team lead in stolen bases (11) and hits (31).
? In the series finale win at TCU, Auer was 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and scored the game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning to propel UCF to a 5-3 win.
Knight Notes ...
? Matt Ray is 10th in UCF history in career stolen bases with 62. He will move into a tie for ninth place at UCF with his next steal.
? Ryan Bono is tied for second in UCF history after being hit by a pitch 45 times.
? UCF is 4-6 in one-run games in 2006.
? Dave DiNatale is tied for fourth in Conference USA with nine doubles. Kiko Vazquez is tied for sixth with eight doubles in the league.
? Matt Ray and Tyson Auer are tied for third in C-USA with 11 stolen bases.
First Inning Magic
? UCF has started on a good note in 2006, outscoring the opposition 27-9 in the first inning.
? The Golden Knights are 10-4 when scoring first and 6-3 when scoring a run in the first inning.