Feb. 14, 2007
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ORLANDO - Riding a late-inning rally over TCU Feb. 11, UCF gets back to work with a three-game set vs. Maryland Friday-Sunday at Jay Bergman Field. With other events going on around campus and at the UCF Arena, fans are encouraged to arrive early for the first two games to avoid traffic issues. Meanwhile, the first two games of the series will now start at 4 p.m. each day, while Sunday's first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
Records
Maryland - 2-1 Overall, 0-0 ACC
UCF - 2-3 Overall, 0-0 Conference USA
Stadium
Jay Bergman Field (2,230)
Series
First Meeting
Radio
All Three Games - www.UCFAthletics.com
Live Stats
All Three Games - www.UCFAthletics.com
Tickets
UCF Baseball Ticket Information - 407-823-1000
TCU at UCF Series Recap
It did not take long for TCU to jump ahead in the all three games vs. UCF last weekend. The Horned Frogs posted three runs in the first inning and four in the third en route to a 10-1 triumph Feb. 9, then scored 11 runs in the first four innings for a 12-1 victory Feb. 10. Brandon Romans was 2-for-3 with the Knights' lone RBI in the first loss, while Dwayne Bailey also shined, swiping two bases and notching a base hit. In game two, Ryan Richardson pounded out two doubles and Ryan Williams added a solo shot to left field for UCF's only run.
But the tide turned Feb. 11. After TCU took a 6-1 lead in the fourth, Chadd Hartman and Tim Russell each drove in two runs in the fifth, which led up to a wild eighth inning. The Golden Knights batted around even though they did not hit the ball out of the infield, scoring three runs to seal an 8-6 victory. Brandon Romans tied it with a bases-loaded walk, Tyson Auer put UCF ahead thanks to an RBI single to third base and Dwayne Bailey scored on a passed ball.
This Weekend's Opponent
Maryland kicked off its season last weekend with a 2-1 record at the Winthrop Challenge. In the opener, the Terrapins fell to Winthrop, who recently climbed into a couple national polls, 7-5. Maryland led 5-3 before giving up four in the eighth. It bounced back to post a 12-inning 1-0 victory over Gardner-Webb and a 10-4 triumph over Creighton.
Maryland sent out Casey Baron vs. Winthrop, and he allowed three runs in 5.0 innings. Ryan Moorer was then brilliant against Gardner-Webb, lasting 5.0 scoreless innings and giving up just two hits. Kevin Biringer fared even better in the win over Creighton, limiting the Bluejays to only one hit and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
The Series
UCF and Maryland get together for the first time ever this weekend. This will be the only occassion that the Terrapins play a C-USA school in 2007. Last year, they lost a three-game series to East Carolina, 2-1.
UCF vs. the ACC
Maryland and Virginia Tech are the only two programs UCF has never faced from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Out of the eight other non-Florida teams, the Golden Knights have a winning record against all of the them. However, Florida State (19-4) and Miami (20-5) all own a considerable advantage over UCF.
Great Crowds
At least 900 fans gathered for each game of the TCU series Feb. 9-11. In all, a combined 2,727 people ventured to Jay Bergman Field that weekend, marking the fifth-largest attendance for a baseball series ever at the ballpark.
One More Before LSU
On Feb. 20, UCF will host the Hyundai Unicorns of the Korean Baseball Organization in an exhibition game at Jay Bergman Field. Discounted tickets will be available, and first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Inning That Was
Down 6-5 going into the bottom of the eighth against then-No. 15 TCU Feb. 11, UCF took the lead the hard way. The following is a detailed look at how the Golden Knights pulled it off:
- Kyle Maulbetsch - infield single
- Steve Stropp - bunt single
- Eric Kallstrom - FC, throwing error by pitcher
- Dwayne Bailey - FC, Maulbetsch out at home
- Brandon Romans - RBI walk
- Tyson Auer - RBI infield single
- Dwayne Bailey - Scored on a passed ball
- Matt Horwath - FC, Romans out at home
- Kiko Vazquez - walked
- Ryan Williams - grounded out
Doesn't Happen Too Often
UCF's first home run of 2007 came off the bat of Ryan Williams against TCU Feb. 10. However, what made it special was that it was the first UCF pinch-hit homer since Drake Wade belted one vs. LSU Feb. 15, 2004. For Williams, it was the sophomore's second-career dinger.
Shutting Them Down
Junior righty Matt McClung was brilliant out of the pen against TCU Feb. 9, setting a personal-high of 4.2 scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit in the process.
Some Nice Debuts
In the season opener vs. FIU Feb. 3-4, catcher Brandon Romans started his first UCF game and as the clean-up hitter, provided the Golden Knights with the team's first hit and run scored in the second inning. He finished the series by going 1-for-3 with two RBI in game two.
Also shining for the Knights, Nick Choto saw just one pitch but made it count in a pinch-hitting situation, successfully sacrificing Kiko Vazquez over to second in the eighth inning Feb. 3. Second baseman Dwayne Bailey combined to score three runs on the weekend, Ryan Richardson pounded out three hits in the No. 2 hole and Eric English tossed 3.1 innings of relief to grab the win Feb. 4.
Handling the Golden Panthers
With four hits against Florida International Feb. 3-4, Kiko Vazquez loves opening the season against the Golden Panthers. Combined with his freshman campaign, the first baseman is 7-for-16 with five RBI and a homer vs. FIU.
What's New for 2007
The Golden Knights had a few holes to fill at the conclusion of 2006. They suffered the loss of a starting pitcher (Tim Bascom), a catcher (Ryan Bono), a third baseman (Matt Ray) and a right fielder (Dave DiNatale). Ray served as the leadoff hitter in 46 games last season, while Bono batted third in 36 contests.
To remedy these issues, UCF has already begun to use a mix of newcomers and returning players. Freshman Chris Duffy has started four games at third base. Behind the plate, Steve Stropp and Birmingham-Southern transfer Brandon Romans are splitting time as the catcher. And in the outfield, Ryan Richardson, who comes to UCF from Seminole C.C., Ryan Williams and Chadd Hartman have all received playing time in the corner outfield positions.
The Closer
UCF also lost its closer, Dominic Petracca, who saved eight games last year. The 2007 pitching staff has a combined nine career saves, led by Brian Brooks' five. Derek Abriola is the only other Golden Knight to have more than one save in his career (two).
Silver Anniversary
Head coach Jay Bergman enters his 25th season as skipper of the UCF baseball team. With a career record of 1,158-659-3, he needs just two victories to jump into a tie for 20th on the NCAA Division I coaching list for career wins.