ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After knocking off Florida for the fourth consecutive time, the UCF baseball team will start a 12-game home stand this weekend with a three-game set against Jacksonville at John Euliano Park. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, before a 1 p.m. start on Sunday.
UCFKnights.TV will stream all three games this weekend.
The Knights improved to 6-2 on the year after taking down the No. 3 Gators 12-9 on Wednesday night. Tyler Osik had another stellar game against Florida with a 3-for-4 night and three RBI, taking his career batting average against the Gators to .538 and six RBI. Jeffrey Hakanson closed the door with an ironman performance over 2 2/3 innings with a quartet of strikeouts.
UCF has five players hitting above .300 to start the year, led by the hot start of Dalton Wingo. The sophomore is hitting .387 through eight games and is tied for the team lead in RBI with Dallas Beaver and Ray Alejo with eight.
The Knights have flashed their trademark speed on the base paths this season. UCF is 18-for-19 when steal, a mark that ranks 15th in the nation and first in The American. Matthew Mika, who stole home against Florida, is 6-for-6 on the year. The senior is 14th nationally and leads the league. Ray Alejo and Wingo are both tied for second in The American three back of Mika.
ON THE MOUND
The Knights will shake up the starting rotation for the first time this season. Grant Schuermann will continue his Friday night spot. The lefty has a 2.25 ERA and nine strikeouts over 12 innings this season. Trevor Holloway will move to Sunday. He has yet to allow a run in nine innings.
Saturday will be the much anticipated 2019 debut for Chris Williams, who missed the first nine games due to an NCAA ruling about his time on the UCF club baseball team in 2015. William, a preseason All-Conference selection in The American, was the only starter to make every weekend rotation in 2018.
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
• Jacksonville is 3-4 this season after falling to Florida in extra innings on Tuesday night.
• Angel Camacho has one of the hottest bats in the country with a .538 clip at the plate, good for 16th nationally.
• Friday night starter Tyler Santana ranks 13th in the nation with a 14.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
GAME 1 – Friday, 6 PM | UCFKnights.TV | Live Stats
Grant Schuermann, LHP (0-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Tyler Santana, RHP (0-1, 5.25 ERA)
GAME 2 – Saturday, 6 PM
Chris Williams, RHP (4-3, 2.81 ERA) vs. Trent Palmer, RHP (1-1, 4.32 ERA)
GAME 3 – Sunday, 1 PM
Trevor Holloway, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. AJ Jones, RHP (1-1, 6.30 ERA)
NOTES
• UCF holds a 43-38 advantage over the Dolphins in the all-time series.
• This weekend will be the final part of UCF’s eight-game stretch against 2018 NCAA Regional opposition, during which the Knights have a record of 3-2.
• Tyler Osik has been hot over the last five games with a .429 batting average and four RBI.
• Dalton Wingo enters the weekend with a team-high five games with multiple hits and an eight-game on-base streak.
• Graduate transfer Kyle Kemp is the lone reliever with multiple appearances and 0.00 ERA over his five innings of work.
PROMOTIONS
• The Knights will host Truck Knight, presented by Carl Black on Friday night. Fans are encouraged to bring their trucks out to the outfield fence and honk whenever the Knights score a run.
• Friday will also be the first Dollar Dog Knight of the year.
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