April 26, 2006
UCF Game Notes in PDF Format
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ORLANDO - For the first time in Jay Bergman Field history, UCF will host the top-ranked team in college baseball this weekend when No. 1 Rice ventures to Orlando to face the Golden Knights. The Owls hold the nation's top spot in two polls - the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 and in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 35.
? The Golden Knights (22-21, 5-7 C-USA) enter the weekend series on a down note after losing two-of-three to UAB last weekend at home. The Owls (36-9, 14-1 C-USA) swept three games from No. 24 Southern Miss in Houston in their last C-USA series.
? The Golden Knights have lost eight of their last 10 games heading into the weekend series vs. Rice. At Jay Bergman Field, the Golden Knights are just 14-14 this season.
? UCF enters the weekend batting .285 as a team. The Golden Knights have clubbed 25 home runs and stolen 55 bases in 71 attempts.
? On the mound, UCF owns an ERA of 3.90. In 385 innings, UCF's pitching staff has totaled 359 strikeouts and opponents are batting .239 vs. the staff.
? All three games of the Rice series will air live on the UCF ISP Sports Network (740-AM The Team). The pregame show begins at 6:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday for the series finale.
? Audio of the entire series is available on UCFAthletics.com as part of the "Golden Knights All-Access" package.
Inside the Series
? For the first time since 2001, UCF and Rice will meet on the baseball diamond this weekend. The three-game series is the first between the two schools.
? Rice leads the series, 3-1. The last meeting was in 2001 when No. 1 Rice topped the Golden Knights 5-1 in Houston.
? UCF has never hosted Rice in Orlando. The only meeting between the two schools in the state of Florida was at the Olive Garden Classic in Kissimmee during the 1999 campaign. Fourth-ranked Rice defeated UCF, 8-1.
? UCF's lone win in the series came on February 25, 1998 with a 4-3 triumph over the Owls in Houston.
UCF vs. Ranked Teams
? UCF is 1-3 vs. ranked teams in 2006. The Golden Knights lost their only home game vs. a ranked opponent after a 10-3 setback vs. then-No. 13 Florida on March 13.
? The Golden Knights lost two-of-three games to then-No. 23 Tulane earlier in the month in Louisiana.
? Since 2000, UCF is 21-26 vs. ranked competition.
Highest Ranked Team at the "Berg"
? Rice is the highest-ranked team to play at Jay Bergman Field. The Golden Knights are 6-6 all-time vs. ranked opponents at the "Berg".
? Second-ranked LSU was the highest-ranked team UCF played at home prior to this weekend's series vs. Rice. The Golden Knights lost two-of-three to No. 2 LSU in 2004.
The Book on Rice
? One of the nation's premier college baseball programs visits Jay Bergman Field this weekend as the Rice Owls come to Orlando.
? Rice won the 2003 College World Series and has appeared in the CWS four times in school history.
? The Owls have won 10 consecutive conference championships and have made 11 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
? Under legendary head coach Wayne Graham, the Owls have had 11 first round draft picks during his tenure.
? Rice enters the weekend series with a record of 36-9, including a 14-1 mark atop C-USA.
? The Owls enter the series with a .310 batting average. Sophomore Brian Friday leads the way with a .372 batting average.
? Rice's three starters have a combined record of 19-1 heading into the series. The Owls sport a team ERA of 3.02, including 427 strikeouts in 399.2 innings. Rice leads C-USA in strikeouts, innings pitched and ERA.
? Senior RHP Eddie Degerman starts the series opener for the Owls. Degerman has put up stellar numbers on the season with a perfect 9-0 record. In 76.2 innings of work, Degerman has 102 strikeouts and opponents are batting .165 against him.
? Sophomore RHP Bobby Bell gets the call in game two on the mound for the Owls. Bell is a perfect 5-0 with a 3.07 ERA in 41 innings pitched. He has held opponents to a .240 batting average and totaled 43 strikeouts on the season.
? Junior RHP Craig Crow will start Sunday for the Owls. Crow is 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 51.2 innings this season. He has 56 strikeouts and opponents are batting .272 against him.
Starting on the Mound for UCF
? Preseason C-USA Pitcher of the Year Tim Bascom will start the series opener for UCF. Bascom enters Friday's contest with a 5-3 record and 1.19 ERA in 68 innings of work.
? Bascom has 83 strikeouts and opponents are batting .175 vs. the right-hander.
? The Dunedin native has not allowed a home run in 234 at-bats this season.
? Freshman All-America candidate Mitch Houck gets the start on the bump in game two. The southpaw has been brilliant since being moved to the starting rotation.
? Houck is 3-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched. He has 53 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .220 batting average.
? UCF has yet to announce a starter for Sunday's game.
Bascom Climbing the Charts
? Tim Bascom is just one of eight players in school history to record 200 strikeouts. Bascom is seventh in school history with 218 punch outs.
? For his career, Bascom is 19-8 with a 2.71 ERA in 209 innings. His 2.71 career ERA is third in the UCF annals.
April's Top Stars
? Ryan Bono leads UCF with a .426 batting average in 14 games during the month of April. Bono is first on the squad in April in hits (23), RBI (11) and total bases (30).
? Senior 1B/DH Dave Lambert is hitting .313 with two home runs and four RBI in April.
? UCF is 5-9 in the month of April. The Golden Knights are batting .261 as a team and sport a 4.54 ERA during the month.
? Tim Bascom is 1-1 with a 0.50 ERA in three starts in April. In 18 innings, Bascom has 18 strikeouts and opponents are batting .172 against him.
Bergman in the NCAA Record Books
? Legendary UCF head coach Jay Bergman continues one of the best coaching careers in NCAA history. Bergman ranks 22nd all-time in NCAA history in victories (1,154).
? Bergman trails former Washington State skipper Chuck Brayton by three wins for 21st in the NCAA all-time annals.
? Bergman is eighth among active coaches in the NCAA in coaching victories.
Wear It!
? Ryan Bono became UCF's all-time leader after he was hit by a pitch for the 47th time in his career at Tulane on April 15. Bono moved past current assistant coach Rich Wallace (2000-03) for the top spot in the UCF annals.
? Bono is fourth in UCF history with 50 doubles.
? The Lake Mary native has appeared in 212 career games, ninth all-time in UCF history.
? Bono is eighth in career history in at-bats (679) and needs just six hits and two RBI to move into a tie for 10th place in school history in those respective categories.