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UC Closes Out Regular Season With a Series at UCF

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team travels to Orlando, Fla., to wrap up its regular season this week. The series opens Thursday with one game each on Friday and Saturday. All three games will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET. The games will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at BearcatStats.com.

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UC Closes Out Regular Season With a Series at UCFUC Closes Out Regular Season With a Series at UCF

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team travels to Orlando, Fla., to wrap up its regular season this week. The series opens Thursday with one game each on Friday and Saturday. All three games will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET.

The games will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at BearcatStats.com.

CINCINNATI
2022 Record: 21-28, 10-11 AAC
Head Coach: Scott Googins
Record at UC: 116-121 (5th)
Career Record: 457-478 (17th)
 
UCF
2022 Record: 31-21, 13-8 Big 10
Head Coach: Greg Lovelady
School Record: 188-119 (6th)
Career Record: 312-175 (9th)

SERIES BUSINESS
UC trails in the all-time series, 10-15. The Bearcats have won five of the past eight matchups, but the teams have split the past six.

SETTING THE STAGE

  • The Bearcats are looking to regain some momentum going into the AAC tournament. After a three-game winning streak, UC is on a three-game losing streak.
  • UCF is riding a three-game winning streak following a four-game losing streak. The Knights took two of three against Houston this past weekend.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
  • The Bearcats average 6.7 runs per game, which leads the American Athletic Conference.
  • Griffin Merritt leads the conference with 17 homers, 0.37 homers per game and 1.02 RBIs per game while Joe Powell is riding a 33-game on-base streak.
  • UC has six players with seven or more home runs. Those six players, Merritt (17), Nicholson (10), Komistek (8), Cole Harting (8), JP Sponseller (7) and Kerrington Cross (7), have accounted for over 76% of the team's home runs and over 66% of the RBIs. 
  • Merritt (1.067) and Powell (1.016) each have over a 1.000 OPS, while their slugging percentages rank second and fifth in the AAC, respectively (Merritt: .693, Powell: .587)
  • As a team, UC has hit 75 homers and average 1.53 homers per game, both of which are best in the conference. 

CINCINNATI SLUGGERS

  • The Bearcats rank 31st in the nation with 75 homers and 26th in homers/game (1.53), both tops in the AAC. 
  • In the conference, UC leads in slugging % (.477) and in total bases (785). Its .370 on-base percentage is good for third in the AAC.
  • Griffin Merritt ranks second in the AAC with a .693 slugging %, first with 1.02 RBIs/game, and leads with 122 total bases. He ranks 28th in the country with 17 homers. 
  • UC is one of six teams in D-I to have 70 HRs and 70 SBs - Cincinnati, Campbell, Louisville, Dallas Baptist, Georgia State and Old Dominion.

LAST TIME VS THE KNIGHTS

  • UC and UCF played five time last season. UCF won three of five, including winning a first-round AAC tournament matchup.
  • In the four-game series earlier in the year, the two teams split. 
  • Paul Komistek hit .571 in the series with eight hits, two home runs and six RBIs.
  • UCF leads the all-time series, 15-10.

THE BEAU SHOW

  • Beau Keathley earned AAC pitcher of the week after throwing six shutout innings against Saint Joseph's while striking out 12 batters on March 19.
  • He threw a complete game against Houston on April 9 and has two of those on the year.
  • In his last two outings, he's thrown 17 innings, gave up four runs and struck out 15.
  • He's thrown at least five innings in nine-straight starts.

GOING, GOING, GONE

  • After the first weekend of college baseball this year, UC led the nation in home runs with nine. They now rank first in the conference and 26th in the nation with 1.53 homer per game and 31st with 75 overall.
  • Sponseller and Cross have seven each, Harting has 8, Nicholson has 10, Komistek has eight and Merritt has 16.
  • Merritt's 17 homers have come in 176 at-bats, averaging one every 10.4 ABs.
  • The Bearcats launched 67 homers during the 2021 season, which ranked third in the conference. They are on pace for 80 right now.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE

  • In 39 games, Joe Powell is hitting .333, has an OBP of .429 (4th in AAC) and is slugging .587 (5th in AAC).
  • He is currently riding a 33-game on-base streak and hs reached base in all but two games this year. 
  • His five homers rank seventh on the team and his four triples rank second in the conference. 
  • In the field, Powell has a 1.000 fielding % and has thrown out 12 runners on the base paths this season.

AAC PLAY

  • The Bearcats are 10-11 in AAC play, and are coming off a series loss to Memphis at home. 
  • Early on, UC took two of three from Houston at home before traveling to Wichita State to sweep the Shockers.
  • Coming into this week, head coach Scott Googins has a 53-48 (.525) record at UC in conference play.

SHUT 'EM DOWN

  • Conner Linn pitched a quality start in his first-ever start, going 6.1 innings while only giving up three runs. He now has a 3.40 ERA in eight starts and threw seven innings against ECU on April 30, giving up just one earned run.
  • Tristan Weaver threw a seven-inning complete game against Northwestern on March 4, striking out six.
  • In his first home start, Garrett Harker was one out shy from throwing a seven-inning complete game. He was also just named the AAC pitcher of the week for throwing six shutout innings in a 14-inning win on April 15.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.