April 22, 2010
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Holding a 26-14 record and a 19-7 mark in the last 26 contests, UCF enters the second-half of the Conference USA schedule with a trip to Charleston, W. Va., and a three-game set with Marshall. Both teams are tied for fourth with 6-6 C-USA records, and they will kick off the series Friday at 10 a.m. The opener was originally scheduled for 2:05 p.m. but it was moved up due the threat of rain and a minor league game Friday night.
Schedule:
Friday at Marshall - Charleston, W. Va. - 10 a.m.
Saturday at Marshall - Charleston, W. Va. - 7:05 p.m.
Sunday at Marshall - Charleston, W. Va. - 1 p.m.
Records:
Marshall - 17-20 Overall, 6-6 C-USA
UCF - 26-14 Overall, 6-6 C-USA
Stadium:
Appalachian Power Park (4,500)
Series:
Marshall leads, 7-5
Live Stats:
UCFAthletics.com
Projected Starting Pitchers
Friday: UCF Jr. RHP Owen Dew (5-1, 4.55) vs. Marshall Jr. RHP Ian Kadish (1-3, 6.55)
Saturday: UCF Jr. LHP Johnny Sedlock (2-3, 5.45) vs. Marshall So. LHP Mike Mason (2-5, 8.85)
Sunday: UCF TBD vs. Marshall Jr. RHP Arik Sikula (5-2, 3.24)
UCF Midweek Recap
-UCF trailed 2-0 through three sluggish innings, but found its way in the final six frames for a 15-7 victory at North Florida Tuesday.
-The Knights pounded out 19 hits with Chris Duffy, Chris Taladay and Beau Taylor each going yard. Taladay finished with four hits overall.
-At home one day later, a combination of five pitchers limited Bethune-Cookman to one earned run while not walking a batter in a 6-2 victory. Beau Taylor was 3-for-4 with three RBI, including the go-ahead base hit in the fifth. It was the Knights' eighth-straight midweek triumph.
Upcoming Opponent
-Marshall carries a 17-20 overall record and has won four in a row, highlighted by the final two games at home vs. Southern Miss. It also took the series at UAB.
-Victor Gomez (.349, 10 HR) highlights an offense that is hitting .291, while the pitching staff has produced a 6.32 team ERA with 236 strikeouts in 310.2 innings.
The Series
-In its first-ever C-USA series in 2006, UCF won two of three from the Thundering Herd in West Virginia, and also secured a pair of wins in 2007.
-But Marshall has won five of the last six meetings to claim a 7-5 lead over the Knights.
Your Duffy Update
-With an average that has not fallen under .437 since Opening Day when he went 1-for-3 with a mark of .333, Chris Duffy's numbers continue to grow.
-The senior left fielder is hitting .448 with 69 hits, 15 doubles, 15 homers and a 1.370 OPS.
- He is tied for ninth in the country in homers, while he came into the week ranked 14th in batting average and hits, while placing sixth in slugging and RBI.
-Among players in the top six baseball leagues in the country (C-USA, ACC, SEC, Big West, Pac-10, Big 12), Duffy ranks first in home runs.
One of the Nation's Top Offenses
-Among 292 D-I programs ranked by the NCAA, UCF's bats rank 11th in total hits and 24th in batting average.
-The Knights have also delivered the 26th most home runs in the country.
He's Back
-After a quick start where he opened the year hitting .485, catcher Beau Taylor saw his average drop to .304. But when April arrived, he definitely found his rhythm.
-Since April 2, the Freshman All-American is 23-for-53 for a .434 average, driving in 14 runs while scoring 16.
-That stretch also includes at least one hit in 12 of 13 games, as he has improved his average from .304 to .356.
That Makes Sense
-UCF owns a 26-4 record when scoring at least six runs.
-It is 14-2 when it keeps its opponent under six runs.
-The Knights are 22-7 when hitting at least one homer.
-They are 19-2 when they outhit the competition.
Dew It My Way
-In what was the longest outing by a UCF pitcher since a complete-game by Mitch Herold vs. Stetson April 9, 2008, Owen Dew gave the Knights exactly what they needed vs. Rice April 17.
-The righty lasted 8.1 innings in the victory, giving up just nine singles and walking only two. He would have went the distance if it wasn't for a wicked bounce on the infield on a potential game-ending double play.
-Dew has gone at least 5.0 innings in all nine starts. Meanwhile, he has posted five victories in 2010, which is already more than any UCF hurler had in 2009.
-He is the only pitcher on the staff to have started in every weekend series. The Knights are 7-2 when he's on the hill.
Aluminum Continues to Produce
-Through 40 games, UCF is battling East Carolina for first in all major hitting categories in Conference USA. Currently the Knights are at the top of the league in batting average (.340), hits (492), OBP (.432), homers (tied, 52) and total bases (751).
-It places second behind the Pirates in slugging (.520), runs (326), RBI (300), doubles (93).
-The Knights banged out 17 hits against Rice April 18 who is traditionally a power-pitching program. That was the most hits by UCF vs. the Owls as a member of C-USA.
-Earlier in the year, the Black and Gold delivered 15 hits at Florida Feb. 24, its most hits vs. the Gators since 1999.