ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF Baseball continues the eight-game road trip this week with a midweek date with No. 6 Miami, before heading out west to Houston for an all-important matchup with the Cougars. These four games will conclude the road portion of the 2022 season, before returning home to host Bethune-Cookman and Cincinnati for the final week of the regular season.
The Knights enter play on Wednesday in Coral Gables with a 28-19 record, dropping the last two games of the USF series in Tampa. UCF continues to the lead the way on the mound, posting a league best 3.69 ERA. Opponents are hitting .239 off the Knights, and the staff has recorded 439 strikeouts this season.
UCF ranks second in batting average with a .281 clip, scoring 305 runs this season. The Knights also lead the conference in stolen bases, swiping 90 bags this season, 20 clear of Houston. Ben Vespi has led the way down the stretch on the mound, transition to the Friday night starter. Vespi has posted back-to-back career starts against Tulane and South Florida, earning the wins and allowing just two runs.
At the dish, Noah Orlando has continued to stay hot, increasing his hit streak to 10 games on Sunday. He has posted a .360 average, scored 30 runs and drove in 15. The shortstop has a .996 OPS and has drawn 22 walks this season.
Following the midweek against Miami, UCF will head to Houston, Texas to take on the Cougars. The weekend series has plenty of implications on the conference standings, as Houston currently is a game ahead of the Knights for second place. Winner of the weekend set will move into striking position for the regular season title, with one weekend left to play.
