May 13, 2009
ORLANDO (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF's regular season wraps up Thursday-Saturday when it hosts Houston with game times set for 6:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. Along with the Knights' seniors being acknowledged before Saturday's finale, UCF fans will have the chance to win a pair of round-trip airline vouchers on Allegiant Air during the series.
Saturday Parking Information in PDF Format
Schedule:
Thursday - Orlando, Fla. - 6:30 p.m.
Friday - Orlando, Fla. - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday - Orlando, Fla. - 1:15 p.m.
Records:
Houston - 24-27 Overall, 12-9 C-USA
UCF - 16-27 Overall, 5-10 C-USA
Stadium:
Jay Bergman Field (2,230)
Series:
Houston leads, 15-4
Live Stats:
UCFAthletics.com
Live Video:
UCFAthletics.com
Radio
740-AM with Marc Daniels on the Call
Festivities for the Houston Series
- Note the time change for Friday's game as it was originally scheduled for 4 p.m.
- With an event being held at the UCF Arena Saturday, fans are encouraged to access free parking in lots E8 and E7 next to Bright House Networks Stadium.
- During the series, there will be a texting promotion for those in attendance. Fans entering the gates will receive information on how to win a pair of round-trip airline vouchers on Allegiant Air. One lucky fan will be selected at random on May 18.
- Little league members wearing their full uniform get in free with a full price adult Thursday.
- Senior 1B Kiko Vazquez will be honored Friday for being named the UCF Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- Trading card giveaway throughout the series.
- Seniors will be acknowledged before Saturday's contest.
Land of Confusion
With eight of nine teams involved in a three-game C-USA series this weekend, seeding for the conference tournament next week in Hattiesburg is wide open. The Knights could finish anywhere from sixth to ninth in the standings with the top eight teams advancing to the postseason. They may own the tiebreakers with UAB (sixth at 9-11) and Memphis (eighth at 7-13), but both teams had a game cancelled due to weather so it could come down to percentage points that decide seeding. Marshall is also in UCF's sights in seventh place with an 8-13 C-USA mark.
UCF vs. Stetson Game Recap
A combination of seven pitchers held Stetson to six hits in a 5-4 UCF victory in DeLand May 12. It was the Knights' sixth-straight win over the Hatters, as the Black and Gold never trailed Tuesday night.
Upcoming Opponent
After getting off to a slow start, Houston found a groove when C-USA play started and now claim a 24-27 overal record and a 12-9 league mark to sit in third place. Holding a team average of .288, the Cougars have hit just 23 homers but have swiped 62 bases. The pitching staff, meanwhile, has a 5.75 ERA with 14 saves and 406 strikeouts in 451.0 IP.
The Series
Since joining C-USA for 2006, UCF has not defeated Houston in the regular season, but earned a 1-0 triumph over the Cougars in the 2007 C-USA Championship with current senior Jaager Good tossing 7.0 shutout innings with nine strikeouts for the victory, while UH's Wes Musick went 8.0 frames with only six hits against. For the all-time series, Houston leads 15-4.
The Heat is One
Once the temperature really began to rise across the Southeast, Chris Duffy's output at the plate also heated up. Since his five-RBI affair at Memphis April 4, the junior has gone 29-for-82 for a .354 BA. In that 21-game stretch, Duffy drove in 25 with seven doubles, two triples and four homers.
Wanna Be Startin' Something
Going up against the No. 2 team in the land did not affect the Knights, as they came very close to taking the series in Houston May 8-10. UCF secured a 5-0 win in game one and fell by just an 8-7 margin in the finale. Statistically, the Black and Gold matched the Owls in several categories:
- ERA: UCF 4.32, Rice 4.33
- Shutouts: UCF 1, Rice 0
- Earned Runs Against: UCF 12, Rice 13
- Walks: UCF 9, Rice 12
- Caleb Graham worked 6.1 shutout innings and grabbed the C-USA Pitcher of the Week for the win in the opener.
- Kyle Sweat earned the save in game one and pitched 5.0 innings with just one earned run allowed in the finale.
Let's Dance
Highlights from UCF's 5-0 upset win at No. 2 Rice May 8:
- Marked the second time in school history it defeated a program ranked in the top two in the country
- First time since a 5-0 triumph vs. No. 24 Clemson on Jan. 30, 2000, the Knights shut out a ranked opponent
- Fourth road win over a top-10 team since 2000
- UCF has defeated a top-five team once in each of the last two years (No. 5 Missouri in 2008)
Shake it Up
It was a back and forth affair against Stetson May 6 until D.J. Hicks put matters into his own hands. The freshman designated hitter/pitcher entered in relief to pitch a scoreless seventh inning, setting up a seven-run frame by the Knights' offense. After they took a slim 10-9 lead in that inning, Hicks strode to the plate with the bases juiced and promptly crushed a grand slam over the right-field scoreboard. He then also hurled a quick eighth to solidify his win on the mound.
Hicks has now hit all seven of his homers since April 24 at UAB, a game in which he set a UCF record with six runs.