March 6, 2006
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ORLANDO - One of college baseball's top rivalries resumes Tuesday as UCF visits Stetson for a 7 p.m. contest at Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand. The former Atlantic Sun rivals meet in a non-conference game for the first time since 1992 when UCF was a member of the Sun Belt while Stetson was in the Atlantic Sun.
? UCF and Stetson have played 102 times in series history. Tuesday's game marks the first time in series history both teams enter the game with losing records. Both UCF and Stetson are 6-8 on the season.
? The Golden Knights won two of three over the weekend vs. Monmouth at Jay Bergman Field. UCF pounded the Hawks 23-2 in the series opener before losing 2-1 in the second game of the series. UCF responded with a 5-4 victory in the series finale to earn the series win.
? Stetson opened conference play by losing two of three to North Florida in DeLand. The Ospreys swept the Golden Knights earlier in the season at Jay Bergman Field, including two one-run victories.
? Tuesday's game at Stetson will air live on the UCF ISP Sports Network. Steve Egan will call all of the action on WQTM-740 The Team beginning at 6:45 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 59-43.
? The Golden Knights are 5-5 in their last 10 meetings vs. the Hatters. Last season, the two teams split the season series 2-2.
? The last time the two schools met as non-conference opponents, UCF topped Stetson 3-1 on April 28, 1992 in Orlando.
Home Sweet Home (in DeLand)
? The quick 45-minute trip up to DeLand from Orlando has always been a pleasant one for the Golden Knights. UCF is 10-4 all-time vs. Stetson at Melching Field.
? All-time, the Golden Knights are 18-7 at Melching, including the 2002 Atlantic Sun Conference tournament title.
The Book on Stetson
? Stetson has opened the season with a 6-8 record after losing its first A-Sun series of the year last weekend at home to North Florida.
? 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 .279 as a team with two home runs and 56 RBI in the early going. On the mound, the Hatters own a team ERA of 4.14 in 124 innings.
? Opponents are batting .250 vs. Stetson. The Hatter pitching staff has totaled 106 strikeouts and only 27 walks in 2006.
? Only two regulars are batting over .300 for head coach Pete Dunn. Brandon Paritz leads the team with a .328 average while Brian Pruitt is hitting .313.
? Dunn is in his 27th season as head coach of the Hatters. He has an all-time record of 970-588-3 at Stetson.
Career Numbers vs. Stetson
? Ryan Bono leads UCF with a .481 career average vs. Stetson. In nine career games, Bono is 13-for-27 vs. the Hatters with four doubles and four RBI.
? Matt Horwath has hit four of his eight career home runs vs. Stetson in DeLand. The Lake Mary native is a career .353 batter vs. the Hats.
Player Avg. NoteRyan Bono .481 .630 slugging %Dave Lambert .455 5-for-11 vs. SUMatt Horwath .353 3 HR vs. HatsMatt Ray .259 4 SB in 4 att.Tyson Auer .091 2 SB in 3 att.
Player ERA NoteD. Petracca 1.69 4 SO, 1 SVTaylor Cobb 7.84 1-2 recordBrian Brooks 8.31 1-0 recordTim Bascom 11.57 5 SO in 7 IPDerek Abriola 20.25 1 career app.="https://ucfknights.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://ucfknights.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://ucfknights.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://ucfknights.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://ucfknights.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarting%20on%20the%20Mound%20for%20UCF%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20?%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=2366" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/m-basebl/mtt/herold_mitch00.html">Mitch Herold will start Tuesday on the mound for the Golden Knights. The freshman southpaw is 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA in three appearances, including two starts.
? Herold has yielded just three hits in 7.2 innings of work, but walks have haunted the freshman left-hander.
? Herold has 11 strikeouts and 11 walks in his three appearances. Opponents are only batting .125 vs. the southpaw.
The Dominator
? Senior closer Dominic Petracca has been nearly untouchable to start the 2006 campaign. The Sanford native has appeared in nine games and totaled five saves, while posting a perfect 0.00 ERA.
? In 10.1 innings, Petracca has yielded four hits while opponents are batting .114 against him.
? He has registered nine strikeouts and only one walk in nine 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.
? With one more save, Petracca will move into the top 10 single-season list for saves at UCF. The single-season school record is 12, set by Jason Arnold in 1998.
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.
? Freshman OF 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.
Offensive Fireworks
? After scoring 38 runs in 11 games, UCF exploded for 23 runs in a 23-2 win over Monmouth March 3 at Jay Bergman Field.
? The 23-run outburst was UCF's largest since scoring 23 runs in a 23-3 victory over Lehigh in 2000.
Young Knights in 2006
? The Golden Knights have a roster filled with youth. Over half of the team (69 percent) is either freshmen or sophomores, including just four seniors.
? Five of UCF's 14 freshmen were drafted coming out of high school last June in the Major League Baseball draft. The five drafted Knights in one recruiting class is the most in UCF history.
? UCF has started 12 freshmen this season both in the field or on the mound. Kiko Vazquez (first base) has started all 14 games.
? The only two freshmen who have not started a game this season are relief pitchers Tyler Bunnell and Justin Weiss.
"Dino" Heats Up
? Freshman OF Dave DiNatale led UCF with a .556 batting average in five games last week. The Parkland, Fla., native was 10-for-18 at the plate, including five doubles.
? He leads the team in batting (.386), doubles (6) and is tied for the team lead in hits (17).
? DiNatale has caught fire at the plate after starting the season on a cool note. The freshman outfielder hit .125 in the first five games of the season (2-for-16).
Tyson's Big Bat
? Sophomore center fielder Tyson Auer has been sensational both in the field and at the plate to start the season. The Longwood native ranks second on the club in batting with a .381 average.
? Auer ranks second on the club with five stolen bases in six attempts. He tied a career-high with three stolen bases vs. Michigan (March 1).
? He is coming off a strong summer season in the Valley League in Virginia for the Luray Rangers. He finished second on the club in batting with a .312 average in the wooden-bat league.
? Auer hit .240 in 51 games, including 34 starts, in 2005 for the Golden Knights. He stole 15 bases in 18 attempts a season ago.
Bono's Back Behind the Dish
? Ryan Bono has excelled in the early going at his natural position behind the dish for the Golden Knights. A candidate for the Johnny Bench Award, Bono is fourth on the team in batting (.340). He ranks first on the squad in total bases (25) and is tied for the team lead in hits (17). Bono ranks second on the club in doubles (5).
? Bono has thrown out 39 percent (7-of-18) of opposing players attempting to steal this season.
? In 2005, opponents were successful 73 percent of the time (8-of-11) attempting to steal vs. Bono. Bono spilt time behind the dish last season with Drew Butera, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 MLB Draft by the New York Mets.
Welcome to the Hot Corner
? Junior Matt Ray has played second base, shortstop and now third base for the Golden Knights in 2006. The Tennessee native has made a smooth transition to the hot corner.
? Ray is batting .361 in 10 games on the season.
? He ranks first on the team in stolen bases with seven steals in eight attempts. As a team, the Golden Knights have 18 stolen bags in 24 attempts.
Injury Report
? Junior IF Jon Cooper is questionable for the Stetson game with an arm injury.
? Freshman OF Chadd Hartman (hand) and Taylor Cobb (arm) are out for this week's games vs. Stetson and Penn.
This Date in UCF Baseball History
? March 7, 1976 - UCF notched its first shutout against an Ivy League opponent with an 8-0 win over Columbia.
On Deck
? UCF hosts Penn Wednesday afternoon at Jay Bergman Field. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.
? Great seats are still available for the game. Call 407-823-1000 for ticket information.