ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The No. 5 seed UCF baseball team will open its American Athletic Conference Tournament slate on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. against the No. 4 seed ECU at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Fla.
Due to inclement weather in the forecast, the league announced that the game would be moved up from its original 3 p.m. start time in hopes of avoiding any weather delays.
For the entire postseason, Marc Daniels will have the call of every UCF game on 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game. The American will also stream every contest leading up to the championship on The American Digital Network Plus page on Facebook. Sunday's American Athletic Conference Championship Game will be televised on ESPNews.
The Knights (35-19, 13-10) clinched the fifth seed this following a doubleheader sweep of Tulane last weekend at John Euliano Park. Seniors Max Wood and Logan Heiser capped their careers at home with walk-offs in back-to-back games, before the series finale was cancelled due to rain. Chris Williams garnered the final American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week laurel, following a three-hit performance with seven strikeouts over eight innings of work in the nightcap last Friday.
UCF put six players on The American's All-Conference Teams. Junior Thad Ward was tabbed first team as a relief pitcher. He has been a significant piece out of the bullpen for the Knights this season with a 2.13 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 38 innings of relief. First baseman Rylan Thomas joined Ward on the first team after leading the league in RBI with 54 through the regular season. Matthew Mika (second base), Dallas Beaver (utility), Ray Alejo (outfield) and Tyler Osik (outfield) earned second team honors.
In four previous appearances in the American Athletic Conference Tournament, UCF has a combined record of 5-7. The Black and Gold entered the 2017 edition as the No. 1 seed. After falling in the opening game to ECU, UCF took its next two games against Tulane and USF, but the Pirates ended the Knights' tournament run with a 4-0 decision in the semifinals.
Tuesday morning will be the fourth matchup this season between the Knights and the No. 19 Pirates (39-15, 14-10). Despite a 9-1 victory in the series opener on March 23, UCF could not pick up a win the final two games at John Euliano Park, falling 12-4 and 11-6. During that series, Rylan Thomas led the way offensively with a .462 (6-13) clip at the plate with RBI.
GAME INFO
GAME 55 | #5 UCF vs. #4 (No. 19) ECU
Tuesday, May 22 | 9 a.m.
Watch: The American Digital Network Plus Facebook Page | Listen: 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game
Luis Ferrer (LHP, 0-1, 0.96 ERA) vs. Chris Holba (RHP, 9-1, 2.08 ERA)
NOTES TO KNOW
• ECU leads the all-time series 33-14.
• The Knights hold an 11-8 record against ranked opponents this season.
• The Black and Gold are still looking for their first win against ECU in the American Athletic Conference Tournament after three losses in the opening four years.
• UCF's pitching staff boasts the second-best hits per nine innings tally in the nation at 7.08.
• Thad Ward ranks 21st in the country in strikeouts per nine innings at 12.16.
• The Knights have stolen 106 bases this season, good for eighth nationally.
• Ray Alejo and Matthew Mika sit atop the league standings in steals with 33 and 27, respectively.
• They are the second most steal-happy duo in the nation, one behind Jake MacKenzie and Billy Godrick from Fordham.
• Head coach Greg Lovelady enters the week with 199 wins, 75 of which have come at UCF.
• Rylan Thomas ranks among the top-five in The American in walks, batting average, hits, home runs, on-base percentage, runs, RBI, sacrifice flies and total bases.
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