ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF baseball hits the road for the first weekend series of the year, after improving to 4-0 on Tuesday in Jacksonville. The Knights defeated North Florida 3-2 on Tuesday, behind a strong pitching performance from Chase Centala and the UCF bullpen.
UCF's pitching staff has allowed three total runs this season, one of which has been earned. The only earned run came in Tuesday's game against UNF. Ben McCabe leads all Knights with a .500 average at the plate, driving in six runs and scoring seven himself. Gephry Pena follows close behind with a .438 average, scoring seven runs and driving in five himself.
The Knight's pitching staff has recorded a 0.25 ERA, second best in the country through four games. They have accumulated 45 strikeouts in the 36 innings of work and have posted two shutouts. Opponents are hitting .159 off the Knight's staff and have scored just four runs.
Georgia Southern enters play on Friday with a 1-3 record, fresh off their first win against No. 19 Georgia Tech in nearly eight years. The Eagles have posted a .187 batting average, after a tough opening series at No. 18 Tennessee. Jason Swan leads all Eagles with a .300 average, driving in two runs and scoring twice for the Eagles.
The GS pitching staff struggled opening weekend, allowing 33 runs to the No. 18 ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The staff posts a 10.09 ERA entering the weekend and allowed Georgia Tech to score six runs on Tuesday at J.I Clements Stadium.
FRIDAY (2.25.22)
UCF at Georgia Southern
6:30 p.m. (ET) - J.I. Clements Stadium (Statesboro, Ga.)
VIDEO – ESPN+
LIVE STATS
UCF – RHP – David Litchfield
GS – LHP – Ty Fisher
SATURDAY (2.26.22)
UCF at Georgia Southern
2:00 p.m. (ET) - J.I. Clements Stadium (Statesboro, Ga.)
VIDEO – ESPN+
LIVE STATS
UCF – RHP – Connor Staine
GS – TBA – TBA
SUNDAY (2.27.22)
UCF at Georgia Southern
1:00 p.m. (ET) - J.I. Clements Stadium (Statesboro, Ga.)
VIDEO – ESPN+
LIVE STATS
UCF – LHP – Hunter Patteson
GS – TBA – TBA
QUICK HITS
- UCF and Georgia Southern will meet for the first time since 1991. The two programs split the two-game set, with the Eagles winning the most recent matchup 15-10.
- The Knights will send the same rotation to the mound this weekend, as David Litchfield, Connor Staine and Hunter Patteson will return for the weekend.
- Ben McCabe was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Monday after a six-hit weekend against Siena. McCabe drove in six runs including a grand slam, guiding the Knights to a weekend sweep.
- David Litchfield will get the start on Friday for his first road test of the season and first road start of his career. Litchfield worked six innings of two-hit baseball on Friday, striking out eight Siena batters.
- Ben Vespi recorded his first career save on Tuesday night, recording the final three outs and striking out two batters to strand runners on second and third.
UP NEXT
UCF will return home to face off against the Stetson Hatter on Tuesday March 1. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from John Euliano Park.