ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF players went to work Friday, as the squad held its first official team practice and scrimmage of 2017.
Head coach Greg Lovelady said that several positions are still open and players needed to prove themselves over the next few weeks if they want to earn the starting job.
"The guys are battling," Lovelady said. "I have to figure out the lineup and where guys are playing, so this is the time they need to go out and compete and get better."
Practice included position specific drills as well as live batting practice before moving on to an intrasquad scrimmage. Knights ace Robby Howell, who led The American in 2016 with a 1.96 ERA, was one of the first pitchers to take the mound. He threw 40 pitches through three innings, giving up just one hit and striking out three.
On the offensive side, Catcher Michael Higgins made his presence felt by blasting a solo homerun to the opposite field on a 2-2 count. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Marsh showed his toughness, fouling off several pitches before driving home a two-out RBI in the fourth inning.
The Knights home opener is slated for Friday Feb. 17 under the lights at the UCF Baseball Complex.
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