Jan. 13, 2010
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - As the UCF baseball team approaches the season-opener Feb. 19, there will be a lot of new faces Knights fans will be cheering for this season. So UCFAthletics.com would like to help Black and Gold supporters get to know the newcomers with some quick Q&As, and first off will be junior right-handed pitcher Chase Bradford (Henderson, Nev.).
Chase Bradford - RHP - Jr. - 6-1, 205 - Henderson, Nev./Southern Nevada
Q: What is your first memory of playing baseball growing up?
- My first memory of playing baseball growing up is playing with my older brother. I started playing when I was three and he was five, my dad said it was good for me to play with the big boys and I didn't mind because I was good and it was fun for me.
Q: Is there a game you played in that you remember the most?
- The game that I will always remember was a semifinal game in the Nevada state tournament against Galena High School in Reno, Nev. That game I threw a one-hitter to beat the Grizzlies, 6-2. The hit was a home run but that doesn't matter because we still won.
Q: What have you enjoyed the most so far about being at UCF?
- I think the atmosphere and the fans at UCF are some of the best aspect of the school. It is not always that you find a good place with the kind of atmosphere and fans that UCF has. It is a perfect place to play and go to school.
Q: If you won a trip to see a game at any ballpark in the country, where would go and why?
- If I won a trip I would want to see Fenway Park and the old Yankee Stadium because there is so much baseball history in those places that you have to see them at least once if you are a true fan of the game.
Q: What would be the one place or thing you want to visit before you die?
- I would want to go somewhere tropical like Fiji or somewhere in the Caribbean just to see what island life is like.
Q: Is there anything you have to do before a game, such as any pregame rituals?
- Well I kind of keep that secret but I'll let you in on it. Before games I have a ritual, being a pitcher and very superstitious, I have to do this every time before I pitch. Say the game is at 11 a.m., I will wake up at 6:30 and jump straight into the shower, maybe throw a little country on my iPod. Then I will make some breakfast and get to the field at about 7:30 or 8. At the field I will usually just sit in my locker listening to whatever is new on the good old iPod. I'll do that until it's time to go out and play. That's basically it.
Q: Growing up, what was your video game of choice?
- Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball on N64, Classic.
Q: What do you prefer watching: Top Chef, 24, American Idol, Price is Right, Deadliest Catch, The Office?
- I like The Office.
Q: What reality show would you like to be on the most?
- I think I would want to be on the Real World, just seems fun.
Q: If someone was making a movie about your life, who would you want to play yourself?
- Bill Murray in his Caddyshack days for sure.
Q: What would be the one thing you would wait in line overnight to have?
- I don't like waiting, so probably nothing.
Q: Tell us one thing you would like people to know about you.
- Everything I do is for my family and my best friend, my brother. They give me the opportunity to play the game I love and that it makes me proud to say that my brother is a United States Navy Seamen and is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to do for this country, he is the best brother anyone could have.
Season tickets for the 2010 campaign are already on sale. The Knights will play 36 games at home this year, and reserved chairbacks are just $199, while reserved bleachers seats are only $150. Faculty/staff, youth and senior season tickets are $99. To purchase tickets, call 407-823-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
Tickets for Baseball Knight Fest Jan. 30 are on sale as well. The event is free to everyone who wish to meet the team and get autographs, but for just $5 a ticket fans will be able to grab a ballpark meal and be eligible for prizes. Opening day is set for Friday, Feb. 19, against Savannah State.
And for the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures, and become a follow of the Knights at Twitter.com.