March 8, 2012
="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported"> ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported"> UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Eric DeSalvo
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The No. 18 UCF baseball team continues its busy month of March at home when it welcomes Massachusetts in a three-game set beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. The two squads will meet Saturday at 4 p.m., and close out the series Sunday at 1. The Knights (10-4) are five contests into their 12-game home stand.
This will be the season-opening series for the Minutemen (0-0) as they have yet to play in 2012. The two teams last met in 2007 with the Knights sweeping the visitors by a combined score of 18-4. Last year, UMass went 17-29-1 overall.
Heading the weekend rotation for the Knights will be sophomore Ben Lively as he makes his third-straight Friday night appearance. Last week, the power righty from Gulf Breeze went five innings, allowing only two hits while striking out six Siena batters for his second win of 2012.
Freshman Eric Skoglund (Sarasota, Fla.) will make his second start of the year on Saturday. The lanky 6-foot-7 southpaw has enjoyed early success in 2012, holding down a 1.80 ERA in five appearances, including a victory in his first-collegiate start last Sunday against Siena.
Sunday's matinee will feature junior Brian Adkins (Orlando, Fla.) who put together a strong performance against No. 8 Florida State last Tuesday. In his last two starts, Adkins has gone five-plus innings, surrendering five runs while striking out eight and getting his first victory of 2012 against Bethune-Cookman (2/29).
The Knights are coming off a top-20 matchup with the Seminoles that saw a series-record 5,851 fans pack the UCF baseball complex. Despite dropping two one-run games, UCF held FSU scoreless in 16 of 18 innings during the midweek series.
Probable Starters (UCF first)
Friday: RHP Ben Lively (2-0) vs. RHP Glenn Misho (5-4 in 2011)
Saturday: LHP Eric Skoglund (2-0) vs. RHP Dennis Torres (2-4 in 2011)
Sunday: LHP Brian Adkins (1-0) vs. RHP Joe Popielarczyk (1-1 in 2011)