ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The No. 20 UCF baseball team will start its American Athletic Conference Championship title defense this weekend against No. 18 ECU.
The Knights and the Pirates will square off for a three-game set with first pitches on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and a 1 p.m. start on Sunday. All three games will be streamed live on UCFKnights.tv and can be heard on the radio at 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game.
Through the non-conference portion of the season, Rylan Thomas picked up where he left off in 2017. The sophomore ranks eighth in the nation and leads The American with a .452 clip at the plate. Thomas also sits in the country's top-20 with seven home runs, 30 runs, 29 RBI and a slugging percentage of .762. He has reached safely in all 23 games this season.
Tyler Osik has joined Thomas as one of the premier power hitters for the Black and Gold. The Shoreham, N.Y., native has launched five homers and brought in 27 runs on the year. UCF climbed up to 21st nationally with 23 home runs, with 10 coming in the last five games.
While the offense has surged in recent weeks, pitching has been one of the staples of the 2018 squad. The Knights have a staff ERA of 2.77, while starting pitchers Chris Williams, Joe Sheridan and JJ Montgomery have kept their ERAs below 2.00. UCF hurlers have a 3.46 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is good for third in the nation.
UCF will go up against an ECU squad that is 16-4 this season with series wins against No. 6 North Carolina and Maryland. Pitching will be one of the focal points in this weekend's series, as the Pirates are third national with a 2.15 ERA. Starting pitcher Trey Benton has an 18.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.56 walks allowed per nine innings.
GAME INFO
GAME 24 | No. 20 UCF vs. No. 18 ECU
Friday, March 23 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game
Joe Sheridan (LHP, 2-1, 1.75 ERA) vs. Trey Benton (RHP, 4-1, 1.69 ERA)
GAME 25 | No. 20 UCF vs. No. 18 ECU
Saturday, March 24 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game
Chris Williams (RHP, 3-0, 1.16 ERA) vs. Chris Holba (RHP, 1.17 ERA)
GAME 26 | No. 20 UCF vs. No. 18 ECU
Sunday, March 25 | 1 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game
JJ Montgomery – (RHP, 3-0, 1.88 ERA) vs. TBA
CLICK HERE FOR FULL GAME NOTES
NOTES TO KNOW
• ECU leads the all-time series 31-13, but the Knights swept the regular-season series in 2017.
• The Knights will face their third ranked opponent this season. UCF is 3-2 against top-25 teams.
• Sunday starter JJ Montgomery was named to The American Weekly Honor Roll after striking out 11 in six innings against Chicago State over the weekend.
• The Black and Gold dropped to second in the country in stolen bases with 61 on the year.
• The Knights are 3-1 in American Athletic Conference openers and have won all four series.
• Matthew Mika enters the weekend on a nine-game hitting streak and ranks sixth in stolen bases with 14.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Friday will be the first day that the new Home Plate Tower at John Euliano Park will be officially open. UCF will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. in front of the main gates. Fans are welcome to attend.
PARKING ON FRIDAY
Due to a large event at CFE Arena this weekend, parking in Garage F will not have free parking on Saturday and Sunday.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Baseball on social media on Facebook (/UCF.Baseball), Twitter (UCF_Baseball) and Instagram (UCF.Baseball).