May 5, 2006
UCF Game Notes in PDF Format
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HOUSTON - UCF returns to the Lone Star State for the second time this season, facing Conference USA foe Houston for a three-game series starting Friday at 8 p.m. at Cougar Field.
? The Golden Knights (23-24, 5-10 C-USA) are coming off of a 2-0 win on Tuesday at home against local rival Bethune-Cookman. No. 10 Houston (31-17, 14-4 C-USA) dropped a 3-2 contest at Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday.
? UCF will be facing a ranked opponent for the second-consecutive weekend. Last week, the squad hosted top-ranked Rice for a three-game series in Orlando.
? In 2006, the Golden Knights are 1-6 vs. ranked teams. The squad is 1-2 vs. ranked squads on the road, winning one of three against No. 23 Tulane in April in New Orleans.
? Since 2000, UCF is 21-29 against ranked competition.
? This season, UCF is 2-1 in the state of Texas. The Golden Knights won two of three games at TCU in Ft. Worth March 24-26. The team will return to the Lone Star State for the Conference USA Championship in Houston, which begins May 24.
? Live stats for the series are available on the Internet at UCFAthletics.com.
Inside the Series
? Houston leads the all-time series, 6-3. The teams last met for a pair of games in Houston in February of 1998, splitting the contests. UCF took the last game, 4-3, on Feb. 24, 1998.
? The Cougars have a 4-2 series edge at home.
? UCF's last trip to Houston came on Feb. 18, 2001 when the team dropped a 5-1 contest at No. 1 Rice.
? Sophomore INF Danny Kash is the lone player from Texas on the UCF roster. Kash is from Sugar Land.
The Book on Houston
? The Cougars have won six-consecutive Conference USA series. Houston is 19-4 at home this season.
? Houston is batting .294 as a team with 57 home runs and 71 stolen bases.
? On the mound, the Cougars have a team ERA of 3.40 in 428.2 innings of work. Opponents are batting .245 vs. the Houston pitching staff.
? Junior RHP Brad Lincoln is the scheduled starter for the Cougars on Friday. Lincoln is one of the nation's top pitchers and is a candidate for the Dick Howser Trophy. On the season, he is 9-1 with a 1.86 ERA. His ranks among the national leaders in strikeouts with 122 in 2006.
? Lincoln has started every game this season for Houston as he also serves as the team's designated hitter. He is batting .296 and leads the Cougars in home runs (11) and RBI (47).
? Junior Jake Stewart paces the team with a .341 batting average.
Starting on the Mound for UCF
? Junior All-America candidate Tim Bascom gets the call Friday night on the mound for the Golden Knights. Bascom is 5-4 on the season with a 1.30 ERA in 12 starts.
? Bascom is second in C-USA in ERA (1.30), third in opposing batting average (.185), fourth in strikeouts (90) and fifth in innings pitched (76.1).
? Bascom, C-USA's Preseason Pitcher of the Year, is sixth nationally in ERA and 28th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.6).
? Freshman All-America candidate Mitch Houck gets the start Saturday for the Golden Knights. Houck is 3-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 appearances, including eight starts in 2006.
? Houck has 61 strikeouts in 52.2 innings of work. Opponents are batting just .226 vs. the southpaw.
? Redshirt sophomore right-hander Brett Bordwine is the scheduled game three starter for UCF. Bordwine is 2-1 with a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings.
? Bordwine has pitched his best during C-USA play in 2006. He is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings of work.
? Conference foes are batting .196 vs. the righty. Bordwine has 14 strikeouts in C-USA action.
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 225 punch outs.
? For his career, Bascom is 19-9 with a 2.65 ERA in 217.1 innings. His 2.65 career ERA is third in the UCF annals.
? With his next win, Bascom will move into a tie for eighth place in UCF history with 20 career victories. He would become just the 11th player in school history to reach the 20-win plateau.
The Dominator
? Senior closer Dominic Petracca has been nearly untouchable this season. The Sanford native has appeared in 23 games and totaled eight saves, while posting a 2-1 record and 1.03 ERA.
? Petracca is one of 30 players named to the midseason watch list for the Stopper of the Year Award, presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
? Petracca is 19th in the NCAA in saves (8).
? In 35 innings, Petracca has yielded 20 hits and opponents are batting .172 against him.
? He has registered 32 strikeouts and only four walks in 23 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 second in UCF single-season history with eight saves. Jason Arnold owns the single-season record with 12 saves, set in 1998.
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 (1,156).
? 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.
On the Road ...
? UCF is batting .292 on the road this season with 13 home runs and 88 RBI in 15 games.
? Tyson Auer leads the club with a .432 batting average on the road. He is 19-for-44 with two doubles, three triples and 13 RBI.
? Ryan Bono is batting at a .424 clip in 15 games away from home in 2006. The senior catcher has three homers and 15 RBI, and a team-best .636 slugging percentage on the road.
? Tim Bascom is 1-3 with a 1.90 ERA in four starts. In 23.2 innings, Bascom has 27 strikeouts and opponents are batting .217 vs. the right-hander in road contests.
? Mitch Houck is a perfect 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA in two starts on the road. In 17.2 innings, Houck has 19 strikeouts.
? Houck tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout at USF in April.
? UCF has a 4.05 team ERA in 129 innings.