May 5, 2008
ORLANDO - UCF baseball closes out its four-game non-conference series with USF Tuesday with a 7 p.m. rumble in Tampa. It will be the 100th meeting between the two programs, as Stetson is the only other school to have played the Knights on more occasions.
Schedule:
Tuesday - at USF - 7 p.m.
Records:
USF - 25-21 Overall, 10-11 Big East
UCF - 28-21 Overall, 6-15 Conference USA
Stadium:
Red McEwen Field (1,500)
Series:
USF leads, 51-48
Live Stats:
www.UCFAthletics.com
Upcoming Opponent
Thanks to a weekend off, USF will be well rested for its meeting with UCF. Following a victory vs. the Knights May 6, the Bulls stumbled the next day in a 10-3 loss to Bethune-Cookman to bring a 25-21 overall record into the week. In that defeat, Zach Pietrzyk got the start and went 4.1 innings with four earned runs, while the offense got 11 hits but left 10 runners on base.
The Series
The Bulls are 2-1 so far this season vs. the Knights, including a 14-6 win over the Black and Gold last week at Red McEwen Field. Those two USF victories have pushed their all-time lead in the series to 51-48.
UCF vs. Tulane Series Recap
Tulane's Shooter Hunt cruised through seven innings in game one before giving up a two-run double to Chadd Hartman in the eighth. But the Green Wave bullpen closed it out in a 5-2 Green Wave win. Austin Hudson pitched 2.2 hitless innings from the pen, while Robert Lara picked off a runner at first base and threw out a runner trying to steal second in the loss.
Matt Petiton tossed a complete game, the first by an opposing pitcher vs. UCF this year, and allowed just four hits to enable Tulane to post a 6-1 win in game two of the series. Robert Lara went 2-for-4 with a homer and also nabbed a runner on the bases.
The tables were turned in the series finale, where the Knights plated six runs in the first and second innings for a 12-1 victory. Dwayne Bailey posted four RBI to back Mitch Houck's 7.0-inning complete-game triumph. The lefty did not allow an earned run and surrendered just three hits, all singles.
Slight Change Brings Major Results
Taking on No. 27 Tulane in the series finale May 4, the Knights used a new lineup to solve the Wave's pitching staff and the change worked. Colin Arnold batted leadoff for the second time all year and went on to go 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI, and Chris Duffy hit in the No. 8 hole for the first time and connected for two hits and three RBI. Even more impressively, Dwayne Bailey moved to the ninth spot and proceeded to collect a career-high four RBI on two base hits.
UCF finished with a 12-1 win, notching 12 hits and leaving only five runners on base. In the first two games of the series combined, the Knights had just eight total hits and three runs.
Mitch Rides the Wave
Southpaw Mitch Houck controlled Tulane's offense all day long in a 12-1 win in New Orleans May 4. The redshirt sophomore hurled UCF's first complete-game on the road since Houck notched a CG against USF April 4, 2006. The Weston, Fla., native limited the Green Wave to just three hits and did not give up an earned run.
Run-Ruled
The 12-1 seven-inning win at No. 27 Tulane May 4 was the first time the Knights had run-ruled a Conference USA opponent in three seasons in the league. Meanwhile, it also was the first occasion in which the Green Wave fell victim to the rule, which calls for a conference game to come to a halt with a team ahead by at least 10 runs after seven innings on a travel day.
An Auer to Remember
Senior Tyson Auer continues the climb up numerous UCF career statistical charts. The center fielder currently is tied for ninth in hits, ninth in sacrifice hits, ninth in triples and third in stolen bases. Auer also sits in ninth in at-bats, while needs to score just three more runs to crack the top-10 list.
Defense at Work
UCF still ranks near the top of the conference in fielding percentage. The Knights currently have a .970 mark and have not committed more than two errors in 18-straight games.
Setting Career Marks
Shane Brown and Brandon Romans both put the bats to work against USF April 29. Making his first start since April 5 at Houston due to an injury, Brown served as the designated hitter and promptly went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Romans also was 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI, as both tied personal-highs for hits in a game.