March 29, 2007
ORLANDO - UCF makes its first-ever trip to UAB this weekend when it resumes Conference USA play Friday-Saturday. The Knights open the series with the Blazers Friday at 8 p.m. ET, while the threat of inclement weather has forced the two teams to play a doubleheader Saturday.
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Records
UAB - 12-15 Overall, 0-0 Conference USA
UCF - 16-13 Overall, 0-3 Conference USA
Stadium
Jerry D. Young Memorial Field (1,000)
Series
UAB leads, 2-1
Live Stats
www.UCFAthletics.com
This Week's Opponent
Entering the weekend with a 12-15 record, UAB is coming off three-straight one-run losses, including two to cross-town rival Samford during the week. The Blazers have yet to play a C-USA game, and finished tied for seventh last year.
UAB brings a .301 team batting average into the series, led by J.R. Bond's .408 mark. The senior outfielder has 27 RBI, 40 hits and a .653 slugging percentage, all team-highs. On the mound, Mitch Kloskowski (3-2, 2.35 ERA) and Shay Crawford (2-1, 4.72 ERA) have been the Friday and Saturday starters, respectively, for the Blazers in 2007.
The Series
Last season, UAB won the final two games of a three-game set in Orlando to own a 2-1 overall record over the Knights. UCF began the weekend with a 9-0 win, only to see UAB post 9-7 and 16-4 victories. The Knights committed six errors in the finale.
UCF at Stetson Recap
The Knights continued their long-standing rivalry with Stetson with a 4-3, 12-inning victory March 27. But that did not come without a lot of drama. UCF had plenty of opportunities to tie it at 3-3 after the Hatters went ahead in the bottom of the fifth, but finally got some momentum by turning a triple play in the eighth. Tyson Auer then came through on a two-out, two-strike RBI base hit to send it into extras and Matt Horwath scored the game-winner on a wild pitch in the 11th to notch the come-from-behind victory. Kiko Vazquez and Eric Kallstrom each had three hits for the Black and Gold.
Harvard at UCF Recap
UCF may have fallen behind in the second inning vs. Harvard March 26, 1-0, but two runs in the fifth and four in the sixth lifted the Knights to a 7-3 win. Starter Kyle Sweat pitched 8.0 innings, striking out six and giving up only six hits. Chris Duffy had three RBI while Chadd Hartman finished with a career-high three hits.
Into the Night
UCF played its second-longest game dating back to 1998 when it collided with Stetson for 4:06 in DeLand March 27. Here is the top-10 longest contests the Knights have played in the last 10 years:
1) 4:13 - April 2, 2005 - UCF18, Stetson 11
2) 4:06 - March 27, 2007 - UCF 4, Stetson 3 (11)
3) 4:04 - March 22, 2005 - Florida 17, UCF 6
4) 4:01 - April 24, 2001 - USF 13, UCF 12 (10)
5) 3:59 - April 18, 2006 - USF, 6 UCF 4 (11)
6) 3:52 - April 4, 2003 - UCF 10, Campbell 9 (12)
6) 3:52 - May 25, 2001 - UCF 13, Princeton 12 (12)
6) 3:52 - March 3, 2000 - UCF 14, LSU 13
9) 3:51 - April 27, 2002 - UCF 14, Stetson 5
10) 3:46 - April 9, 2004 - FAU 7, UCF 6
One Thing Leads to Another
The eighth-inning triple play turned by the Knights' defense at Stetson March 27 may have been the first since 2001, but it became a turning point in the game. Down 3-2, Jeremy Cruz blasted a line drive off the leg of pitcher Justin Weiss and into second baseman Dwayne Bailey's glove for the first out. Bailey stepped on second since the runners were moving and threw to first baseman Kiko Vazquez to complete the triple play. As the Knights came to the plate in the top of the ninth and the game still within reach, Tyson Auer tied it on a 1-2 pitch with two down. Weiss pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half, and Matt Horwath scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 11th inning to hand UCF the amazing 4-3 win.
Weiss Shuts the Door
Closer Justin Weiss was given another title at Stetson March 27: savior. Weiss pitched a career-high 4.0 innings to allow UCF to make a ninth-inning come back against the Hatters. The Knights eventually won it in the 11th and Weiss was there to limit Stetson to just two hits while striking out a personal-best five batters.
Reaching 100
In 2006, UCF hurlers reached the 100-pitch mark just five times (three by Tim Bascom, and one by Mitch Houck and Mitch Herold). This season, the Knights have had their starters get to the 100 mark on seven occasions already (twice by Mitch Houck, Jaager Good and Brett Bordwine and once by Kyle Sweat). Even though pitchers have done it seven times in 2007, the 2005 campaign saw it occur in 31 games, and in 27 games in 2004.
The Sweetness of Sweat
Sophomore righty Kyle Sweat pitched his best game in a UCF uniform March 26. Facing Harvard, the Apopka, Fla., native set career-highs with 8.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts en route to defeating the Crimson, 7-3. His outing was the longest by a UCF starter this year, as he surrendered only two runs on six hits and two walks.
The Chadd and Chris Show
Chadd Hartman and Chris Duffy formed a tag team vs. Harvard March 26, combining to go 4-for-7 with three RBI and four runs scored. Hartman's three hits set a personal-best, while he also added his first triple of the year. Duffy sealed the win in the sixth by lacing a three-run double down the left-field line.