March 7, 2007
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ORLANDO - UCF continues its journey of facing schools known for having exceptional hockey programs, as the Knights welcome Northeastern to Jay Bergman Field Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. It will be the first time this year that the Black and Gold have back-to-back weekday games.
Records
Northeastern - 3-1 Overall, 0-0 America East
UCF - 7-9 Overall, 0-0 Conference USA
Stadium
Jay Bergman Field (2,230)
Series
UCF leads, 2-0
Radio
www.UCFAthletics.com
Live Stats
www.UCFAthletics.com
Tickets
UCF Ticket Office - (407) UCF-1000
Michigan State at UCF Recap
Carmine Giardina gave up only one run and used his curve ball to get out of a couple jams as UCF defeated Michigan State, 7-5, March 6. Seven different players posted at least one hit, as the Knights posted four runs in the bottom of the third and held off a late Spartan rally to seal the win. Justin Weiss closed the door in the ninth for his third save of the year.
Wednesday's Opponent
After beginning its season with an 11-0 exhibition loss to the Boston Red Sox, Northeastern brings a 3-1 record into Wednesday's game against UCF. The Huskies were able to split a doubleheader against IPFW March 3, and earn victories over Georgetown and Bowling Green March 4 and 5, respectively.
Sheldon McDonald is scheduled to get the start vs. the Knights. The freshman lefty pitched 1.1 innings of relief in game one with IPFW, striking out three while being tagged for four earned runs. At the plate, Northeastern has a .321 team average, and have already cranked out seven home runs.
The Series
The only time UCF and Northeastern squared off on the diamond occurred in 1988 when the Knights won both games of a short series, 6-1 and 12-9.
In Cars
Freshman Carmine Giardina earned his second start of the season March 6 against Michigan State, and demonstrated why he was one of the top soutpaws out of high school. The native of Valrico, Fla., went 6.0 innings vs. the Spartans, allowing just one run on three hits and struck out 10. His effort was good enough to secure his first-collegiate victory on the mound.
Let's Talk About Leadoff Production
The leadoff man can be a critical piece to a team's success, and Tyson Auer proved when UCF met Michigan State March 6. The center fielder walked four times and stole four bases in the 7-5 victory. Auer also came around to score once and had a RBI. His four steals was the first time since 2005 that a Golden Knights collected four in a game.
Making Headlines in the NCAA
Head coach Jay Bergman is currently in his 25th season as skipper of the UCF baseball team. Thanks to the one-run victory over Monmouth March 3, he claimed sole possession of 18th on the NCAA Division I coaching list for career wins (he now has 1,163). Meanwhile, the March 3 game against Monmouth marked his 1,500th-career game with the Knights. Below is a collection of his milestone games with UCF: Game No. 1
1983 - Rollins - Win, 4-3
Game No. 100
1986 - Villanova - Win, 9-4
Game No. 500
1993 - Illinois - Loss, 5-0
Game No. 1,000
2001 - IUPUI - Win, 8-3
Game No. 1,500
2007 - Monmouth - Win, 11-10
A Mixed Lineup
Second baseman Dwayne Bailey is the only Knight to start in every game this season. He has earned 14 nods at second, while making two at shortstop. Offensively, there has not been a player who has seen at least 10 starts in the same spot in the batting order.
Lovey Duffy Stuff
Third baseman Chris Duffy, who had three hits and a .125 average entering the game vs. Michigan Feb. 27, racked up his first career extra-base hit, RBI and run scored in the 7-6 win over the Wolverines. The freshman finished with two doubles and helped start an inning-ending double play in the third.
In his next outing, Duffy added two more hits while also posting a RBI vs. Monmouth March 2, pushing his average back over the .200 mark. He then had his best offensive game as a Knight, going 4-for-6 with five RBI, two doubles, a run scored and his first career stolen base vs. the Hawks March 3. Duffy finished the series March 4 with a 3-for-5 performance and a run scored.
From Feb. 27-March 4, Duffy went 11-for-19 (.579), and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak to bring his average to .333.
An Impressive Stretch
After starting the season 0-for-2 in three games played, Chadd Hartman has consistently batted above the .300 mark and currently brings a .343 average into Wednesday's game vs. Northeastern. The outfielder is on a seven-game hitting streak, and against the Monmouth March 3, Hartman set a career-high with two stolen bases while matching his career-bests with two hits and two runs scored.
Already Setting Career Marks
Junior righty Jaager Good, in just five appearances in 2007, has set career-highs this year with 20.1 innings pitched and 12 strikeouts. Good came out of the pen in the first game of the season, but has since made four starts for the Knights.