March 8, 2007
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ORLANDO - Two days after defeating Northeastern, 5-2, the UCF baseball team welcomes yet another program from the Bay State to Jay Bergman Field this weekend. Massachusetts will battle the Knights (8-9) for a three-game set Friday-Sunday, as it will be the first action of the 2007 season for the Minutemen.
Records
Northeastern - 0-0 Overall, 0-0 Atlantic 10
UCF - 8-9 Overall, 0-0 Conference USA
Stadium
Jay Bergman Field (2,230)
Series
UMass leads, 3-1
Radio
All three games - www.UCFAthletics.com
Live Stats
All Three Games - 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.
Northeastern at UCF Recap
UCF put together an all-around performance in a 5-2 win over Northeastern March 7. Starting pitcher Brett Bordwine struck out 14 over 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball, the defense did not make an error and the Knights left only three runners on base.
This Weekend's Opponent
It may have been awhile since UCF and Massachusetts met on the baseball field, but there has always been a desire to get back at the Minutemen when they defeated the Knights twice in the 1996 NCAA East Regional. UCF head coach Jay Bergman was in his 14th year as skipper of the Black and Gold, while current assistant Craig Cozart was a senior on the team.
This year, Massachusetts has yet to play a game, and will be looking to improve on a 14-30 record from a year ago. The Minutemen finished the season with a .270 batting average and a 6.07 team ERA.
The Series
UMass owns a 3-1 record over UCF, with the lone Golden Knight victory coming in an 8-5 triumph in 1992.
All `Bord, and Bring the Wine
While making just two appearances before earning his first start of the year against Northeastern March 7, Brett Bordwine turned in one of his best games of his career. The righty easily set a career-high with 14 strikeouts and matched his longest outing by pitching 6.2 scoreless innings. Bordwine gave up two walks to open the game, but those were the only free passes he issued in the game, as at one point, he fanned six-straight batters on strikes.
A Catcher's Dream
Thanks to Brett Bordwine and Eric English combining to strike out 18 batters against Northeastern March 7, Brandon Romans was a huge beneficiary. The UCF catcher tied a school record with 18 putouts in the game, a mark that had only been accomplished three times before the win over the Huskies.
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.
Taking on Northeastern March 7, the top three batters in the lineup, Auer, Chadd Hartman and Kiko Vazquez, combined for six hits, three runs scored and three RBI to defeat the Huskies, 5-2.
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 .368 average into the weekend. The outfielder is on an eight-game hitting streak, and against the Monmouth March 3, as well as Northeastern March 7, Hartman set a career-high with two stolen bases while matching his career-bests with two hits and two runs scored in both games.