UCF’s season was one of early ups. But, of late, there were a whole lot of downs.
It all ended Friday with a 5-0 loss against Tulane, losing for the second time against them in the 2016 American Conference Baseball Tournament at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla. The Knights mustered just two hits in ending their season in a shutout.
For a while it appeared as though a pitcher’s duel was surfacing as sophomore right-hander Cre Finfrock blanked the Green Wave through the first four innings. It would not last though. Finfrock’s inconsistency began to break through as the game wore on.
Tulane broke the tie on a solo home run by Jake Willsey and Finfrock gave up a crucial two-run double in the seventh inning with two outs to stretch the Tulane lead to 3-0.
It was Finfrock’s best outing in his last five starts, as in the last month he was demoted to the Sunday starter slot and there was some thought he could not find his old mojo at all.
Friday for the Knights, he was able to perform well enough to keep them in the game, tossing 6 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and walked two. He had a 6.55 ERA in American Conference play coming into this start.
With Finfrock struggling later into the game, the offense needed to step up. But UCF was shutout and dead quiet at the plate.
A third inning Matthew Mika single and a fourth inning Kam Gellinger double were the only two hits on the day for the Knights, whose season ends with a 26-33 record.
It was a disappointing finish for the Knights, but this tournament can be deemed a decent enough accomplishment. Coming in as the lowest seed, there were not any expectations. A dramatic Brooks Morgan walk-off home run on Wednesday gave some excitement to a team that needed it.
UCF had a chance to build on it and make something crazy happen, but Tulane’s pitching ended up besting the team again.
Tulane ended the season 5-0 against UCF with a run differential of +16, outscoring the Knights 23-7 across the five games.
Tulane has now eliminated UCF from two conference tournaments as the Green Wave bested the the Knights’ men’s basketball team at the Amway Center. That game cost Donnie Jones his job.
I suppose that is the question that lingers now: After so much change and realignment within the higher circles of the UCF athletic department, is Terry Rooney’s seat getting hot?
UCF football over/under set
With the UCF baseball season now over, there will be no more UCF athletics until the fall. That means football is back on the docket again.
Coming back from a winless season, the Knights are happy to have any win at this point. The team is expected to be better this season.
But even adjusting to life with Scott Frost, there will be questions as to just how good this team will be. It should be a season of adjustment for sure. How much adjustment and how much success though?
The early over/unders coming in from Vegas have the Knights at five wins, according to South Point Sports Book. That is not quite enough to make a bowl game, but is so much better than the embarrassment of last season.
That seems to be completely reasonable for an over/under for a team coming off this kind of season.
The excitement though for UCF is palpable. If the Knights somehow reach bowl eligibility, that would certainly be considered a victory in Frost’s first year.
Frank Vogel talks to Dan Patrick
Frank Vogel completed his initial hiring media circuit with a stop at the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday.
On the show, he discussed the differing expectations between his job in Indiana and his new rebuild in Orlando and why he thinks the Magic can be a Playoff team:
And, yes, the opportunity to go to Disney was nice for him and his family.
