Feb. 21, 2011
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With identical 3-0 records, UCF and Bethune-Cookman square off in Daytona Beach Tuesday at 6 p.m. It will be the first of a four-game road swing for the Knights as they will travel to Mobile for the South Alabama Classic this weekend.
Schedule:
Tuesday - Daytona Beach, Fla. - 6 p.m.
Records:
Bethune-Cookman - 3-0 Overall, 0-0 MEAC
UCF - 3-0 Overall, 0-0 C-USA
Stadium:
Jackie Robinson Ballpark (4,800)
Series:
UCF leads, 66-14
Live Coverage:
UCFAthletics.com
Upcoming Opponent
-Bethune-Cookman outscored Alabama A&M, 29-2, in a three-game sweep, and Baseball America First Team Preseason All-American catcher Peter O'Brien hit two homers and drove in seven in the series.
-Meanwhile, center fielder Brandon Turner went 7-for-10 with a home run and six RBI.
-On the mound, the Wildcats held Alabama A&M to just seven hits in the three-game set.
The Series
-UCF has won five-straight over B-CU and holds a 66-14 all-time advantage.
-Last year, the Knights hit .374 as a team in three victories over the Wildcats, but B-CU hit .348 and was 6-for-10 on the basepaths. Ronnie Richardson and Beau Taylor each went .500 at the plate, while Joe Rogers had two saves and Chase Bradford was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two appearances.
Picking Up Where They Left Off
-Hitting a school-record .343 as a team last year, the Knights produced again in the series opener vs. Siena by going .347 at the dish.
-Derek Luciano (.500), Ryan Breen (.455), Travis Shreve (.429) and Jonathan Griffin (.417) each hit at least .400 against the Saints.
Getting Dirty
-Junior-college transfer and second baseman Travis Shreve made his presence known immediately this season vs. Siena. And he had the dirt on his uniform to prove it.
-UCF's leadoff hitter, Shreve led off each game by reaching base (HBP, two singles) and came around to score every time.
-And all four of his stolen bases during the weekend came in the first inning.
-Shreve finished with a .429 average, five RBI, five runs and 17-for-17 in chances at second.
Fundamental Baseball
-A couple quick stats from the UCF series vs. Siena:
Offense: 25 walks, 15 strikeouts
Pitching: 1 walk, 30 strikeouts
Defense: 2 errors, .983 fielding %
Turn it Up D.J.
-Only seeing time in six games last year due to an injury, D.J. Hicks wasted little time finding his rhythm this season.
-In game two vs. Siena, Hicks went 2-for-4 with four RBI including a three-run homer. He also came on in relief to record two outs in the fifth inning for the victory.
-It was the second time in Hicks' career he had at least one home run and got the victory in the same game (May 6, 2009, vs. Stetson).
Under Control
-In the first two games of the year, UCF's pitchers limited Siena to just two runs and no walks.
-It was the first time since 1988 that the Knights allowed opponents to score two runs or less in the first two games of a season.
A Strong Start
-UCF's 11-1 win on Opening Day against Siena featured the Knights' pitching duo of Danny Winkler and Nick Cicio striking out 11 and not walking a batter.
-The defense, meanwhile, did not commit an error, and UCF led in hits, 12-6.
-The Knights also stole six bases.
-Darnell Sweeney went 3-for-5 and finished a home run short of hitting for the cycle.
Staying Alive
-His sophomore season may have ended in 2010, but Rockledge native Beau Taylor kept a major hitting streak alive.
-The junior catcher currently rides a 24-game hitting streak, which is the second-longest in UCF history.
-Taylor ended 2010 on a 21-game hitting streak, and stretched it to 24 with a hit in all three outings vs. Siena.
-The UCF record belongs to Mike Myers at 26 games in 2001.
Keepin' It Going
-Last year UCF completed the season by winning 14-straight non-conference games, and with three victories so far this year, the streak has extended to 17 games (the record is 28 set in 1986).