May 9, 2011
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - By the time the bus pulled onto the UCF campus, the Knights baseball team had turned its attention to the next game. It's a team rule head coach Terry Rooney has that the outcome of one game is put aside by midnight and focus turns to the next challenge.
UCF returned from a weekend series in Tallahassee winning one of three from the nationally ranked Seminoles. At 29-19, the Knights have eight regular season games remaining and the challenge is winning enough games to earn the school's first NCAA Tournament bid since 2004. And that means not just winning on the field, but scoreboard watching and watching how a computer spits out numbers to put together a ratings percentage index, known as the RPI.
The Knights find themselves in the position where its résumé outside of the conference is its biggest selling point to the baseball selection committee. With two weekend series in the league remaining, UCF stands at 7-11 in Conference USA. The Knights are 21-8 in non-conference play with seven wins over ranked teams including two over Florida and one this past weekend in Tallahassee. UCF's strength of schedule places it in the top 25, and its RPI has sat in the high 20s for several weeks. But is it enough?
No one can answer that now so Rooney's team can only play each game as if it's "the game" to get them off the NCAA bubble and into the field of 64.
"I tell our team that we can play with anyone in the country," said Rooney. "We swept two from Florida and got one at FSU and we have beaten Stetson and Alabama."
But Rooney knows his team's final six conference games and the conference tournament might be the key to getting a bid.
"We know how important those series with UAB and Marshall are," said Rooney. "Hopefully our guys take care of business."
Taking care of business might mean getting to .500 in league play. That would mean going 5-1 in the final two series. The theory is the selection committee prefers a team win half its league games and have a solid non-conference resume. But numerous teams have played under .500 ball in their conference and got an at-large bid in years past.
C-USA is a top five conference when it comes to RPI so the national respect is there. But Rooney prefers his team make it easier on the selection committee in regards to an at-large bid.
"You try to not be behind teams in the conference standings that are not going to get an at-large bid," said Rooney. "It's one thing if everyone above you is a lock to get in, but if you are a game or two behind someone with no shot, that might be tougher."
So the Knights focus on what they can control. UCF has two non-conference games remaining, Bethune-Cookman Tuesday and Stetson next week. A sweep would be nice considering Stetson is having an outstanding season and positioning itself as a candidate to host a NCAA Regional. If UCF can take four of its final six C-USA and get two more wins in the league tournament, the body of work should be good enough to get in. That would give the Knights 36 wins. But no one knows for sure. So in the meantime, every pitch, every at-bat and every inning plays a role in the quest to get to baseball's own big dance.
Knights notes and more: Took a stroll over to Doak Campbell Stadium before Friday's baseball game. The brick façade outside covers the metal beams that have been the base of that stadium for decades. It kind of reminded me of Bright House Networks Stadium except one is four years old while the other has a few more years on it. One more interesting note, the number of chair back seats at Doak Campbell is zero...FSU will return the baseball series at UCF next year with a two-game set on a Tuesday and Wednesday...The Justice Department's recent letter sent to the NCAA asking why there is no college football playoff was interesting. However, it was not as interesting as NCAA President Mark Emmert's response. Emmert said he is not opposed to a playoff it's just no one has told him school presidents want one...Final thought: I swear there's a hidden camera watching me try and get the sensor of the automated paper towel dispenser to move and release more paper, or the automated faucet where I know my hand is crossing the sensor and yet no water comes out.
Marc Daniels' From the Press Box runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.