May 11, 2011
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
Championship Central | Watch | Listen | |
GREENVILLE, N.C. (UCFAthletics.com) - After closing out the regular-season with a 21-31 overall record and an 11-13 league clip, the No. 6 UCF softball team opens play at the Conference USA Championship hosted by East Carolina Thursday against No. 3 UAB at 1:30 p.m.
Each of UCF's contests at the C-USA Championship will be streamed live on UCFAthletics.com via the Knights All-Access Player, while fans can also listen to each game live through Stretch Radio and follow each contest on Gametracker.
CLOSER LOOK AT UCF
The Knights enter the C-USA Championship this weekend having won nine of its last 18 contests, which included C-USA series sweeps vs. Marshall and Southern Miss, its first-ever series win vs. East Carolina and a non-conference upset vs. in-state rival Florida State. Much of the Knights' success in 2011 can be attributed to the play of junior Natalie Land. The junior leads UCF in batting average (.353), runs (31), hits (53), doubles (7), triples (5), slugging percentage (.527), on-base percentage (.443), sacrifice hits (9) and stolen bases (25). The second baseman ranks in the league's top-10 in nine offensive categories in all games and in five offensive categories in C-USA only contests, while also ranking eighth nationally in triples, 31st in triples per game (0.10) and 50th in stolen bases per game (0.48).
SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers have won 25 of their last 34 contests, and seven of their last 10 games, to finish the regular-season with a 38-16 record on the year. The squad earned the No. 3 seed heading into the C-USA Championship with a 17-6 record in C-USA only games, thanks in large part its nationally-ranked pitching staff. UAB ranks second in C-USA and 10th nationally with a 1.56 team ERA, while recording 18 shutouts and holding opponents to a .206 batting average. Leigh Streetman ranks 12th nationally with a 1.20 ERA.
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES VS. THE BLAZERS
In the teams' three-game series earlier in the year, UAB took two games from the Black and Gold at the UCF Softball Complex. UCF won the first contest, 6-0, behind a career-performance in the circle by senior Diana Rojas, in which she tallied her first-career complete-game shutout and stuck out three. The Black and Gold would then drop two-straight contests to the Blazers to close out the series. UCF holds an 8-10 record in the all-time series with the Blazers heading into the contest, but have never faced UAB in the C-USA Championship prior to 2011.
LAST TIME OUT
In their final regular-season series, the Knights were not able to post timely hits as they dropped three-straight games to C-USA Regular-Season Co-Champion Houston at Cougar Softball Stadium. The Black and Gold stranded 15 runners on base in the three-game tilt and were outscored by the Cougars, 13-0.
ON DECK FOR THE KNIGHTS
If UCF defeats UAB Thursday afternoon, it would take on either No. 2 Tulsa or No. 7 Marshall Friday at 3 p.m. The Knights were swept by the Golden Hurricane on the road earlier in the season, while they swept the Thundering Herd in their C-USA series at the UCF Softball Complex.
IN THE C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP
UCF holds an 8-4 record all-time when playing in the Conference USA Championship. The Black and Gold have twice played in the C-USA Championship Game in the last three years, taking home the title in 2008 with a victory over Houston, while also playing for the crown last season vs. East Carolina.
No. 6 UCF will face No. 3 UAB in the opening round of the C-USA Championship hosted by East Carolina Thursday at 1:30 p.m. All games of the event will be streamed live on UCFAthletics.com via Knights All-Access Player, while fans can also listen to the game live and follow the Black and Gold on Gametracker.