ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – One of the most important nights on the UCF Baseball schedule is finally here. On Friday, the Knights will host Joe Skinner Knight for the series opener against No. 30 Wichita State.
Honoring Joe Skinner, a UCF Baseball signee who passed away from a rare form of leukemia in 2016, the Knights will present the SkinnerStrong Foundation with all the proceeds from their month-long fundraiser to help the fight against pediatric cancer. The Black and Gold will wear special gold uniforms with the name Skinner stitched on the back. SkinnerStrong t-shirts will be available for purchase, and all funds from the sales will be given to the foundation.
First pitch against the Shockers is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a noon start time on Sunday. Marc Daniels will have the call for all three games on UCFKnights.tv and on the radio at 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game.
UCF (27-14, 7-8) enters the weekend in seventh in the American Athletic Conference. The Knights have 15 games remaining in the 2018 regular season, with nine coming against teams in the top-30 of RPI.
Pitcher Cre Finfrock was named The American Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The redshirt junior dealt eight strikeouts over six shutout innings against USF last Friday. The righty is 4-0 in the season and has an 0.64 ERA in three starts.
Rylan Thomas continues to be a bruising presence in the UCF lineup. The sophomore leads the league in runs, hits, on-base percentage, home runs, RBI and total bases. Thomas upped his on-base streak to 49 games, 16 games shy of the record set by Kiko Vazquez from 2007 to 2009.
The Shockers (27-12, 4-8) have dominated non-conference action with a 23-4 mark. Wichita State ranks among the top of The American in most offensive categories. Alec Bohm and Luke Ritter are tied for second in the conference with 40 runs, three behind the league leader Thomas. On the mound, Chandler Sanburn has come up big late in games to notch six saves this season, good for third in the league.
GAME INFORMATION
GAME 42 | UCF vs. No. 30 Wichita State
Friday, April 27 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM
Cre Finfrock (RHP, 4-0, 3.45 ERA) vs. Codi Heuer (RHP, 5-3, 4.36 ERA)
GAME 43 | UCF vs. No. 30 Wichita State
Saturday, April 28 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: UCFKnights.tv | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM
Chris Williams (RHP, 4-1, 2.10 ERA) vs. Tyler Davis (RHP, 1-0, 2.57 ERA)
GAME 44 | UCF vs. No. 30 Wichita State
Sunday, April 29 | Noon
Watch: UCFKnights.tv | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM
TBA vs. Liam Eddy (RHP, 6-2, 3.66 ERA)
NOTES TO KNOW
• Friday will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Shockers.
• UCF is 5-4 this season against ranked opponents.
• Thomas is two RBI shy of the century mark for his career.
• The Knights lead the conference in ERA and hits allowed per nine innings at 2.98 and 7.18, respectively.
• One member of the trio of Rylan Thomas, Matthew Mika and Tyler Osik has driven in a run in 35 of UCF's 41 games.
• UCF is averaging 7.3 runs per game at John Euliano Park, three runs better than its average on the road.
• The UCF bullpen has struck out 201 batters this year to lead to an ERA of 2.98.
• The Black and Gold lead the nation in shutouts with nine.
• The pitching staff is averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
• Jackson Webb has reached safely in his last eight games, a new career-high.
• Matthew Mika is tied for third in the nation with 23 stolen bases.
• The junior also holds the active career multi-hit game lead with 44, two ahead of Thomas.
• Thomas, Mika, Dallas Beaver, Tyler Osik and Ray Alejo have all notched at least 10 multi-hit games this season.
• Thomas has driven in multiple RBI in a game on 14 occasions for the team lead. Osik follows with nine.
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