ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After picking up its eighth shutout of the season on Wednesday night, the UCF baseball team returns to American Athletic Conference action this weekend at John Euliano Park with a three-game series against Cincinnati.
Marc Daniels will call the games on UCFKnights.tv and 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game. The series starts on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch, and continues with 6:30 p.m. and noon starts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
PROMOTIONS
• UCF will host Friday Knights Main Event to highlight the best from wrestling in the 90s.
• The first 100 fans and students through the gates will receive a free Knights World Order t-shirt.
• Fans are encouraged to don their best 90s wrestling attire. The best dressed will join the Black and Gold on the field for the national anthem.
• UCF is offering the Top Rope Ticket Pack. For $40, fans will receive two "ringside" reserved seats, two Knights World Order shirts and a postgame picture on the field.
UCF (23-11, 4-5) is coming off a 4-0 victory at Miami on Wednesday night. The Black and Gold was powered by a two hitter from the pitching staff, including five hitless inning from starter Cre Finfrock. Logan Heiser's sacrifice fly in the sixth gave the Knights the lead, before striking for three insurance runs in the ninth. Bryce Tucker worked himself out of a bases-load, no-out jam with three straight strikeouts to end the game. While Finfrock struck out seven in his performance, the bullpen followed suit with seven more punchouts.
This season, the UCF bullpen has struck out 167 batters with a 2.97 ERA and a .202 opposing batting average. Eric Hepple has led the way with 21 2/3 innings of work and a bullpen-high 28 strikeouts. Tucker and Garrett Westberg have been an effective one-two punchout at the end of games. Tucker is tied for third in The American with four saves and Westberg follows closely in eighth with a trio of saves.
Rylan Thomas, Tyler Osik and Matthew Mika continue to lead the team in RBI this year. In 30 of UCF's 34 games this season, one of the three has notched an RBI. Thomas tops the chart with a conference-best 39 runs driven in, which sits 20th in the nation. Osik trails by five and ranks third in the league.
The Bearcats (16-15, 6-3) are tied at the top of the American Athletic Conference. After dropping two of three at Tulane to open league play, Cincinnati posted back-to-back series wins over Houston and Memphis. Starting pitcher JT Perez has a 2.50 ERA with 39 punchouts in eight starts this season. At the dish, Kyle Mottice and Manny Rodriguez are the lone Bearcats batting over .300, with the latter leading the team with 25 RBI.
GAME INFO
GAME 35 | UCF vs. Cincinnati
Friday, April 13 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv
Joe Sheridan (LHP, 3-1, 1.67 ERA) vs. JT Perez (LHP, 3-3, 2.50 ERA)
GAME 36 | UCF vs. Cincinnati
Saturday, April 14 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv
Chris Williams (RHP, 3-1, 1.81 ERA) vs. Nathan Kroger (RHP, 1-1, 3.02 ERA)
GAME 37 | UCF vs. Cincinnati
Sunday, April 15 | Noon
Watch: UCFKnights.tv
JJ Montgomery (RHP, 3-2, 3.16 ERA) vs. Cam Alldred (LHP, 3-2, 3.95 ERA)
NOTES TO KNOW
• UCF boasts a 9-4 all-time record against Cincinnati and took two of three games in Ohio last week.
• The Black and Gold enter the week tied for seventh in The American.
• Thomas also leads the league in runs scored with 39.
• The pitching staff has struck out at least 10 batters in 18 games this season.
• A trio of Knights have reached double figures in stolen bases.
• Matthew Mika leads the conference with 21 steals, followed by Ray Alejo and Brandon Hernandez with 16 and 10, respectively.
• With their eighth shutout of the year, the Knights took over sole possession of first place in the country.
• UCF hurlers are averaging 10.2 strikeouts per game, good for seventh in the nation.
• The Knights lead the conference in walks with 166 this season.
• In nine conference games this season, Dallas Beaver is hitting .382, while Thomas has driven in 10 runs during league play.
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