ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After posting three wins against ranked opponents last week, the UCF baseball team will play the return leg of its home-and-home series against FAU on Tuesday night. The Knights will head to West Palm Beach to face the Owls at FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches at 6:30 p.m.
The Knights (32-16) opened last week with a win over then-No. 30 FAU. Tyler Osik delivered a walk-off RBI single to right in the 10th inning to lift the Black and Gold to a 2-1 victory. The pitching staff did not issue a walk for the third time this season.
Over the weekend, the Knights picked up their second road series win in conference play this year. UCF swept Saturday's doubleheader at No. 19 Houston, behind two impressive performances from relievers JJ Montgomery and Thad Ward. UCF could not complete the sweep on Sunday after falling into a three-run hole after the first inning.
Ward was named the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week. The junior tossed four innings with seven strikeouts in the series opener. Ward and the relievers helped the Knights trim their bullpen ERA to 2.88 and dropped its opposing batting average .202. The bullpen has not allowed an earned run in 23 games this season.
Ray Alejo flew into the conference lead for stolen bases. The redshirt sophomore went 8-for-8 on the paths last week, including a four-bag performance in the series finale at Houston on Sunday - the first for UCF since 2007. Along with Matthew Mika, the duo has combined for 53 stolen bases this season, tied for the most in the nation along with pairings from George Washington and VMI.
FAU (31-14-1) split the opening two games of its weekend series against FIU, before weather forced the cancellation of the series finale on Sunday. David Miranda and Tyler Frank lead the team with matching .320 clips at the plate. Frank went 2-for-5 last Tuesday with an RBI. Mike Ruff tossed a career-high five innings against the Black and Gold with four strikeouts. He will head back to the mound for the second time in a week against the Knights.
GAME INFO
GAME 49 | UCF at FAU (FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches)
Tuesday, May 8 | 6:30 p.m.
Watch: FAUSports.tv
Jordan Spicer (RHP, 3-1, 5.17 ERA) vs. Mike Ruff (RHP, 1-2, 2.48 ERA)
NOTES TO KNOW
• UCF leads the series 43-34.
• Rylan Thomas' on-base streak came to an end after 55 games, the second longest in program history.
• UCF ranks seventh in the nation in ERA (3.01), second in hits allowed per nine innings (7.02), ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.1) and 10th in WHIP (1.19).
• The Knights climbed up to seventh in the country in stolen bases with 99.
• The Black and Gold are one steal away from posting their first back-to-back 100-steal season since 2004 and 2005.
• With Thomas' streak over, Ray Alejo holds the longest active on-base streak at 13 games.
• Five Knights have registered more than 10 multi-hit games, led by Thomas with 23.
• UCF is 18 strikeouts away from posting back-to-back 500-strikeout campaigns for the first time in program history.
• Alejo ranks seventh in the nation in stolen bases.
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