March 21, 2011
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By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - High school teammates will battle each other on the hill when UCF travels to face No. 29 Miami Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Knights will start Brian Adkins (3-0, 1.59) while the Hurricanes will send out Steven Ewing (1-1, 2.91), and both are sophomore lefties who played for University High School in Orlando.
Schedule:
Tuesday at Miami - Coral Gables, Fla. - 6 p.m.
Records:
No. 29 Miami - 12-8 Overall, 6-0 ACC
UCF - 16-4 Overall, 0-0 C-USA
Stadium:
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field (3,678)
Series:
UM leads, 22-5
Live Coverage:
UCFAthletics.com and Twitter.com/UCF_Baseball
Next Home Game
-It will be Pink at the Park when the Knights host No. 28 Stetson in a Sunshine State rumble Tuesday, March 29.
-The first 250 fans will receive a free Pink at the Park T-shirt to help spread awareness of breast cancer.
-It also will be $2 Tuesday - where popcorn is just $2.
Upcoming Opponent
-Holding a 5-8 record earlier this year, No. 29 Miami has won seven-straight games to climb into the national rankings this week with a 12-8 mark.
-Coming off sweeps of Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, the Hurricanes are hitting .248 but have stolen 34 bases with 26 sacrifice bunts.
-Tuesday starter Steven Ewing has held opponents to a .200 batting average in four starts, including a 6.0-inning win over Florida Atlantic last week.
The Series
-Last year Brian Adkins and Steven Ewing both came out of the pen in UCF's 6-3 win in Coral Gables, with Adkins tossing 2.0 innings with one run allowed, and Ewing tagged with the loss in 1.2 innings.
-Earlier in the 2010 season, Adkins and Ewing both started in Orlando, with Adkins getting the loss and Ewing picking up the win in UM's 19-2 victory.
-Overall, Miami leads the series, 22-5.
The Right Time to be Rolling
-UCF has won seven of its last eight contests as it prepares for a tough week at No. 29 Miami and No. 23 Rice.
-The Knights are second in Conference USA with a .321 team batting average, as well as first in runs (164), RBI (143), doubles (57) and stolen bases (40).
-On the mound, UCF ranks third with a 2.54 ERA, second with 180 strikeouts and first for fewest walks allowed (39).
Getting Through the First 20
-With a 16-4 record, the Knights have tied for their third-best 20-game record since moving to the Division I level in 1985.
-2008 - 19-1
-2005 - 17-3
-2011, 2004, 2001, 1992 - 16-4
The Top of the Lineup is Producing
-Leadoff hitter Travis Shreve is first in C-USA with 24 runs and 17 stolen bases.
-Shreve, Ronnie Richardson and Darnell Sweeney all rank in the top seven in the league in both runs scored and stolen bases.
No Sophomore Slump
-Brian Adkins has held down UCF's top midweek starter spot on the pitching staff throughout the year, and currently ranks sixth in C-USA with a 1.59 ERA and first by allowing just one walk.
-Adkins has allowed two runs or less in all four starts, and has lasted at least 6.0 innings in his last three outings.
A Solid Improvement
-As a junior, Nick Cicio made nine starts in 18 appearances, posting a 4-3 record with no saves and a 5.64 ERA. He also walked 31 in 59.0 innings.
-The southpaw has greatly improved those numbers as a senior. In 2011, Cicio has a 1-0 record with three saves and a 0.60 ERA, issuing just three walks in 15.0 innings. The Baltimore native also has 23 strikeouts with only one run and eight hits allowed.
-All six of Cicio's appearances have come from the pen.
What a Start
-Freshman Ben Lively has produced a 4-0 record with a 1.00 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 27.0 innings in his first five-collegiate appearances (four starts).
-The last Knight to start a season 4-0 on the mound was closer Justin Weiss in 2007.
-The last UCF starter to hold a 4-0 record was when Ray Rodriguez and Darren Newlin each opened 2005 at 5-0 (Rodriguez eventually went to 6-0 before his first loss).
-Lively is third in C-USA in ERA and first by holding opponents to a .152 average.
-Taking down Alabama Feb. 27, Lively has since produced a 4-0 record with a 1.00 ERA.
-Lively became the first Knight since Mitch Herold in 2008 to toss a nine-inning complete game and the first freshman since Mitch Houck in 2006 to record a complete game when he took down Wagner, 5-1, March 12.
UCF Power Play
-The Knights have hit 15 home runs this year, and nine of them have come from D.J. Hicks (five) and Jonathan Griffin (four).
-Hicks currently leads the Knights with a .677 slugging percentage and is second with a .468 OBP (Ronnie Richardson sits at .474). Hicks also has 12 walks compared to just nine strikeouts.