May 11, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Facing the No. 2 team in the country, senior Caleb Graham (Lutz, Fla.) blanked Rice May 8 in a 5-0 UCF victory in Houston. His 6.1-inning performance enabled the right-hander to earn Conference USA Pitcher of the Week the league office announced Monday, Graham's first C-USA honor in two seasons with the Knights.
Graham shared the accolade with Southern Miss' Todd McInnis, who defeated Memphis May 10.
Entering the game in first place in C-USA, Rice was confused all night long vs. Graham. He delivered 6.1 shutout innings, which tied a career-high, and scattered eight singles to move his record to 3-2 on the year. Graham did not walk a batter and struck out two to complete his best collegiate outing on the mound.
The Owls failed to get more than one runner on base through the first five innings against Graham, who has hurled at least 6.0 innings in each of his last three starts. The win for the Knights marked the second time in school history they defeated a program ranked in the top two in the country, as they also defeated No. 2 LSU 6-5 on Feb. 15, 2004, in Orlando. Meanwhile, it was the first time since a 5-0 triumph vs. No. 24 Clemson on Jan. 30, 2000, that the Black and Gold shut out a ranked opponent.
In C-USA games this year, Graham claims a 4.76 ERA with a 2-2 record and 25 strikeouts in 34.0 innings. He has made the start every Friday night except for the league opener at East Carolina March 20.
After traveling to Stetson Tuesday, the Knights conclude the regular season at home against Houston Thursday-Saturday. Games one and two feature 6:30 p.m. start times, while the finale will get underway at 1:15 p.m.
Tickets for the final three games of the regular season Thursday-Saturday are on sale now. Call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 for more information. Fans may also visit UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, and is the home of UCF's online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.