ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After playing 19 of its first 20 games at home, the UCF baseball team will hit the road for a four-game swing, starting Tuesday night at No. 21 Florida State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
The Knights took two of three against VCU over the weekend to win their fourth series of the year. The starting rotation had their best weekend of the season with 20 strikeouts and one walk over 19 innings of work with Grant Schuermann and Trevor Holloway throwing seven innings apiece.
The Black and Gold stole eight bags against the Rams to improve to 41-for-53 on the paths this season. Matthew Mika leads the team with 12, good for 21stnationally. The senior now has 68 career swipes, which is tied for eighth in program history with Tony Marillia (92-95) and Vince Cangelosi (93-95).
The top of the order continues to be some of the top producers for the Black and Gold. Last weekend, Tyler Osik, Ray Alejo, Matthew Mika and Dallas Beaver combined to hit .488 with 15 RBI and 16 runs. Beaver holds the team lead this season with 21 RBI and is tied for the team lead with four home runs.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Osik was named The American Player of the Week on Monday. The redshirt senior had a monster week at the plate, hitting .524 with five RBI, three extra base hits and a team-high nine runs scored. Osik recorded a hit in all five games, including a pair of season-high three-hit performances. The honor was the third time that he was recognized by the league in his career.
ON THE MOUND
Jordan Spicer will get the ball for the Knights. The righty is 1-0 over three starts with eight strikeouts.
SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE
• The Seminoles are 14-4 on the year, after starting the season 12-0.
• Florida State is led by head coach Mike Martin, who became the first coach in college sports history to amass 2,000 wins in a career.
• Offensively, the Seminoles have six players with double-figure RBI, led by Robby Martin’s 21 at a .354 clip at the plate.
UCF at No. 21 FLORIDA STATE | ACCN+ | Live Stats
Jordan Spicer – RHP (1-0, 7.94 ERA) vs. Antonio Velez - LHP (2-0, 3.48 ERA)
WEEK 5 NOTEBOOK
OVERALL: 12-6
THE AMERICAN: 0-0
NON-CONFERENCE: 12-6
THIS WEEK: 4-1
STREAK: W1
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Tuesday, March 19 – at Florida State, 6 PM
Friday, March 22 – at ECU, 6:30 PM
Saturday, March 23 – at ECU, 4 PM
Sunday, March 24 – at ECU, Noon
LAST WEEK'S GAMES
Tuesday vs. Yale – Win, 7-5 | Recap
Wednesday vs. Yale – Win, 8-1 | Recap
Friday vs. VCU – Win, 10-9 | Recap
Saturday vs. VCU – Loss, 4-3 | Recap
Sunday vs. VCU – Win, 8-2 | Recap
A QUICK RECAP
* The Knights posted a 4-1 mark on the week.
* Dalton Wingo went 3-for-5 with three RBI to win the series opener over Yale.
* Adams Torres, Ben McCabe and Griffin Bernardo combined for five RBI on three hits to clinch the sweep of the Bulldogs.
* Ray Alejo’s eighth-inning home run proved to be the winning run, as VCU plated two in the ninth on Friday.
* A pair of late errors led to three unearned runs in the final two innings of Saturday.
* The top of the order combined for five RBI and six runs, while Trevor Holloway tossed seven shutout innings to clinch the series.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Trevor Holloway, Jr., RHP
1 GP, 7 IP, 7 K, 0 BB, 3 H, 0 ER
* Set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.
* Improved to 2-0, while setting a career low with no walks or runs allowed.
* Threw 20 first-pitch strikes and permitted just one leadoff batter to reach base.
* Has a team-low 1.37 ERA and a team-high 29 strikeouts.
HITTER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Osik, rSr., INF/OF
5 GP, 5 GS, .524/.583/.762, 5 RBI, 3 XB, 4 SB, 9 R
* Picked up a hit in all five games, including four multi-hit efforts.
* Extended on-base streak to 17 games, a career long.
* Went 3-for-5 with three RBI in the series opener against VCU.
* Also set a career high with two steals on Friday night.
TEAM NOTES
* UCF is 14-6 heading into the final game prior to American Athletic Conference play.
* Dallas Beaver tied Ray Alejo for the team lead with four home runs. The junior also leads the team with 21 RBI.
* Matthew Mika has cut down his strikeout ratio this season, with 14 walks to just seven punchouts.
* UCF has 11 base hits from bunts this season, led by Alejo and Chandler Robertson with four.
* Kyle Kemp maintained his perfect ERA on the year. He has 12 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts.
* UCF pitchers have struck out 109 batters to just 33 walks over the last 10 games.
* Alejo led the team with 14 total bases over the last five games.
* UCF is 13-0 this season when outhitting an opponent.
* The Black and Gold posted their first 0-walk game of the year in the series finale against VCU.
* Despite defensive miscues, the Knights hold an 11-1 record when committing two or more errors.
* The Knights are outscoring opponents over the first four innings of games 65-34 this season.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GAME NOTES
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