March 10, 2011
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Two more weekends remain before conference play starts, and UCF will welcome Wagner to town for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. Junior righty Danny Winkler (Friday) and freshman right-hander Ben Lively (Saturday) are scheduled to start the first two games for the Knights.
Schedule:
Friday - Orlando, Fla. - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday - Orlando, Fla. - 4 p.m.
Sunday - Orlando, Fla. - 1 p.m.
Records:
Wagner - 1-7 Overall, 0-0 NEC
UCF - 10-3 Overall, 0-0 C-USA
Stadium:
Jay Bergman Field (2,230)
Series:
UCF Leads, 12-0
Live Coverage:
UCFAthletics.com and Twitter.com/UCF_Baseball
Saturday Promotion:
Saturday Family 4 Pack - Four tickets, four dogs, four drinks and four popcorns for $40
Upcoming Opponent
-Wagner carries a 1-7 record on the year with a victory over Winthrop, but is coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of Jacksonville and a 12-0 defeat at North Florida March 8.
-The Seahawks are hitting .208 as a team with Kevin McDonnell leading the way at .310 with five RBI.
-The pitching staff owns a 10.09 ERA with 52 walks and 42 strikeouts.
The Series
-Wagner's last visit to UCF was in 2008 and the Knights swept the series to take a 12-0 all-time lead over the Seahawks.
Simple Way to Win: Don't Allow Runs
-UCF's 18-0 win over Boston College was its largest shutout victory since an 18-0 victory against Campbell March 12, 2005.
-The win also was the Knights' third shutout of the season, marking the first time dating back to the 2006 campaign (seven) that they collected at least three shutouts in a year.
Johnny Bench Award Watch List
-For the second-straight year, junior catcher Beau Taylor was named to the Coleman Company Johnny Bench Award Watch List delivered by Papa John's Pizza.
-Taylor holds a .344 lifetime average, and this year tied the UCF record with a hit in his 26th-straight game dating back to 2010.
-In 2011, Taylor is hitting .333 with 16 RBI and 13 runs, while he has thrown out seven of 15 would-be basestealers. He also has not committed an error and picked off a runner at first base.
Midweek Pitching Dominance
-In his third start as a Knight, junior Ray Hanson found his rhythm on the mound by tossing 7.0 scoreless innings vs. Mount St. Mary's March 8. Although he did not get any run support, the righty gave up just three hits and struck out four.
-The next day, sophomore lefty Brian Adkins went 7.0 innings in a win over Boston College, allowing no runs on two hits, no walks and five strikeouts.
-It was the first time since March 19-20, 2010, that UCF had two pitchers go at least 7.0 innings in back-to-back games.
-In all, Hanson and Adkins combined for 14.0 innings, five hits, no runs, one walk and nine strikeouts.
Coming From All Over
-UCF currently has 12 different players hitting at least .300 this year, including eight consistent starters.
-All 15 Knights who have seen time on the field have scored at least one run already in 2011.
Hitting, Pitching, Fielding, Baserunning
-Batting Average: UCF .338 - Opponents .234
-ERA: UCF 2.44 - Opponents 8.19
-Fielding Pct.: UCF .982 - Opponents .945
-Baserunning: UCF 26 SB - Opponents 9 SB
The Friday-Saturday Duo
-Friday night starter Danny Winkler has a team-high 20 strikeouts with just three walks in 16.1 innings on the hill, going 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA.
-Saturday righty Ben Lively is also 2-0 with a C-USA-best 0.00 ERA, striking out seven in 12.0 innings.
Analyzing the Record
-The Knights are 4-1 against teams that went to the NCAA Tournament last season, with wins against Alabama and Bethune-Cookman along with a 2-1 record vs. Dartmouth. UCF's only other loss was to Southeastern Louisiana, which was on the bubble a year ago and is receiving votes in the national polls this season.